We continued walking with Kopos for quite some time. The red eyes behind us appeared now and then, but only when I looked back. As we walked, our feet endured the cold, though we could still feel it. We discussed it occasionally.

  When we grew tired, Kopos would cut a tree from a distance, and we’d eat its fruits before sleeping among its branches. I have no idea how much time had passed since we started walking.

  We had slept twice so far, but the sun never rose. Then I wondered how the wolf had spoken of four months during my time in the town, and how it calculated or perceived the world.

  On the two previous occasions when we cutted trees, there had been no attacks from the forest creatures. This time, Kopos remained somewhat cautious, but one could discern a glint of ego in his eyes, rooted in the mysterious strength he had gained.

  And truthfully, how could he not feel proud? In a hostile world where everything seemed intent on harming you, he had suddenly acquired a weapon that terrified that evil.

  We mostly talked about our families and who had brought us here. I learned that, through a nearly identical incident, the prince who chose him had given him the chance to save his family if he could open the castle’s gate for him.

  The prince’s name was Delphinos, and on the left side of his chest, pinned to his shirt, was a brooch that, if Kopos remembered correctly, depicted a lion devouring a deer. Eftis had no brooch—I was certain of that. That day is etched indelibly in my memory.

  I still remembered the wolf’s words, its offer, but the sense of security Kopos provided was enough for now. The only downside was his love for sleeping a lot and resting on the tree, as if his habit couldn’t be disrupted by anything or anyone.

  As we progressed, I often found myself lagging behind and then quickening my pace to catch up. I don’t think he fully realized he was leaving me behind or the speed at which he walked. I believe this, too, was a consequence of his newfound strength.

  On the road, we suddenly spotted a blanket wrapped around something, and we paused—cautious but not afraid. I immediately looked back and saw the wolf’s eyes watching us. It stood still, waiting.

  With slow steps, we approached, and Kopos, holding the axe extended in his right hand, brought it close to the blanket. Using the blunt side, he nudged it slightly to see what was beneath, whether it was alive or not, and called out: “Hey, you down there—are you human? Can you understand me?”

  No response. I stood a bit further back, watching anxiously. I glanced ahead and then behind to see what was happening. The wolf remained motionless and silent.

  Kopos nudged the blanket a second time and repeated his call. Then, startled, a human figure sprang up in the opposite direction from us, dragging the blanket with them as if it were one of the world’s most precious treasures.

  It was a girl of medium height, dark-haired with long locks, gentle, with symmetrical features—not overly striking but distinctly feminine. She seemed close to my age. She carried a large, sturdy bag. Her clothes were in good condition—a black jeans, a blouse, and a blue cardigan.

  Kopos’s eyes lit up when he saw her, and a smile broke across his face. He immediately lowered his axe, resting it on his right shoulder, and his posture exuded confidence and self-assurance, more than before. I relaxed a little and unclenched for just five seconds.

  Then I heard a single chuckle escape from the wolf. I turned back in a panic, but its eyes were gone. I grew uneasy again. Something was wrong, but what? I looked left and right, but I couldn’t figure it out.

  I turned back to the girl and Kopos. There, too, nothing seemed amiss—just her frightened form, trembling with each breath like a balloon, and my new companion, clearly trying to impress her.

  “Ha, another human,” Kopos said. “The more, the better. No one needs to travel alone.”

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  The girl didn’t respond, only alternating her gaze between me and him. Then Kopos addressed her again: “Don’t be afraid; we won’t harm you. We want to help. But if you feel unsafe, we can move on and leave you in peace. Though, I think the more of us, the better. We don’t know much about this world ourselves. We just arrived. If you’ve been here longer, maybe you can help us.”

  The girl seemed indifferent to his words, though her breathing gradually softened as he spoke. To my surprise, she replied:

  “My companions are all dead. I’ve been trying for some time to get back, but there’s no way. Ahead, the road is blocked; the forest cuts it off, and we can’t pass. We can’t reach the castle. All my companions died trying to cross over and continue their journey. I don’t want to die either.”

  “Hahaha, then you’ve fallen into good hands,” Kopos told her. “I can cut down the trees blocking our path with this axe. Look.”

  He immediately began striking a tree with one hand until it fell after four blows. Previously, he had used both hands, but this time he used only one. The tree fell into the forest because he hadn’t paid attention to the direction of his strikes or how it would fall toward us. I didn’t even see if it had fruits.

  “See? With this strength, we can pass through anywhere,” he continued.

  The girl’s eyes sparkled briefly, and a somewhat forced smile crossed her face: “Incredible,” she said with a stunned, slightly trembling voice. “With this, we can pass through so easily. Wow, how lucky I am to have found you.”

  She completely ignored me, as if I didn’t exist. They continued talking for a while, neither paying me any attention. Occasionally, she threw quick, almost indifferent glances my way, but they grew closer, their defenses lowering. A few laughs, and soon she rested her hand on his arm.

  I stayed back, watching from the distance where I started. Something didn’t sit right with me, but I couldn’t explain what. When they began walking again, Kopos turned and called me to follow. He made space for me beside him—him in the middle, the girl to his left, and me to his right—but he kept a slight distance and ignored me, focusing on conversing with her. She acted similarly, offering only fleeting, indifferent glances, sometimes looking toward the forest instead of me.

  For a while, they chuckled, and whenever I tried to join the conversation, time seemed to freeze—they both appeared annoyed before resuming their private talk. Their bodies drew closer, and the girl, with her playful gestures, occasionally rested her hands on his arm or chest.

  “I’m tired,” she said later. “Maybe we should rest for a bit?”

  Her eyes were wide open, and she pressed her body against his.

  “Of course,” he replied immediately. “I’ll just cut a tree so we can rest comfortably, not on the frozen ground.”

  This time, he carefully chose a tree with fruit and controlled its fall. After I took a few fruits, I went to the cut side, not wanting to disturb them since I was clearly the third wheel. But I couldn’t leave—I had to survive somehow.

  After eating, I lay down to rest when I heard a sudden scream that was violently cut off. I turned to see what was happening. Kopos was on top of the girl, holding her hands with one of his, pinning her legs with his foot, and covering her mouth with his other hand. He saw me watching. He gave me an angry glare, and frightened, I averted my eyes.

  The sounds soon became disturbing, so I climbed down from the tree, lay on the road, and covered my ears with my hands. My body curled up like a snail as I tried to push away the thoughts and images flooding my mind.

  I knew that if I made any move, he could kill me, throw me into the forest, or drive me away. But he had treated me well so far; he didn’t seem like that kind of person—until she appeared…

  I panicked, my eyes widening as I looked into the forest. The wolf’s red eyes were fixed on me, not the other two. Its chuckle had been a trap it set. The girl had never looked at me—her target was Kopos from the start, and the wolf, who promised her rewards, was the one she watched, hiding its presence behind mine.

  And now what? What could I do? Kopos wouldn’t believe me; he’d likely turn his anger on me. I can’t defeat him or even compare to him. I don’t even know what she’s doing to him. Could it be a power like the shell at the Otophos Hotel? No, if it were, she wouldn’t have a body that could be overpowered, based on what I’ve seen.

  My thoughts raced, giving me no peace, while the girl’s voice sounded pained, begging him to stop. This charade continued for about half an hour before Kopos fell asleep.

  Then I lifted my back from the road and leaned it against the tree trunk. The girl, wrapped in her blanket around her naked body, approached and said to the wolf: “I want the food you promised me.”

  “Come closer,” it replied. “I won’t harm you as long as our deal holds. Enter the forest, and I’ll give you what I promised.”

  She entered the forest and returned with a clay plate holding chicken and rice, a fork and a glass of water. She sat a short distance from me and began eating. Every so often, she looked at me with disgust until, after finishing her meal, she returned the plate to the forest and said: “I didn’t expect anything better. The monster with the red eyes already told me what kind of person you are.”

  I remained silent, lowering my head and thinking again that there was nothing I could do—I had neither the strength nor the means.

  The girl put her clothes back on and lay in Kopos’s arms, covering them both with the blanket. I was left alone, sitting on the road, the wolf’s eyes watching me, and occasionally, its breath returned—subtle yet eager…