Before I followed Novana through the curtain, I glanced back. But Eryon had long since ignored me. He had a glass in his hand and was chatting with the three men as if nothing had happened. As if this were his world, in which I had no place. A bad feeling spread through me, a mixture of disappointment and discomfort. With a sigh, I turned away and pushed through the curtain.

A narrow, dimly lit hallway stretched out before me, and I cautiously followed it to a door that was only ajar. Behind it, I found a surprisingly large room that probably served as some kind of storage room. Metal...