Zac brought Mahon inside his house and they bumped into even more of Zac’s relatives. They were all happy to see Zac, and they warmly greeted them. The main difference between the inside and the outside was that the ones inside were all running to do something and so they didn’t have that much time to talk.

Yet most of them stopped to exchange a few words as they met each other at the bend of a hallway or in the middle of a staircase. The mansion seemed even bigger from the inside and soon Mahon was lost in the maze of corridors, rooms, doors and hidden passages. At some point, he stopped trying to remember where he came from or where the North was and he just followed his friend.

Finally, Zac stopped in front of a door which to Mahon looked identical to all the others they had passed before, but Zac’s nostalgic smile told him otherwise. He pushed open the door and they entered into a simple room. On one side, a comfortable-looking bed was cleanly made and, except for a desk with countless drawers on the opposite wall, the room was empty. Zac walked to his bed and let himself fall on it with a satisfied smile.

“Welcome to the place where all my genius ideas came from.”

Mahon snorted and glanced around him.

“Your bedroom?”

Zac raised his head and threw him an amused look.

“Some name them like that, yeah.”

Mahon repressed a chuckle and went to sit by the desk while faking to open all the drawers and spy everywhere. But Zac didn’t seem bothered and so he started really doing it. He opened the first compartment in front of him and realized it was filled to the brim with documents. He picked the one at the top and started reading it.

But he couldn’t. The document felt familiar and yet strange. It was overwritten with familiar symbols that Mahon guessed were music notes, but they actually followed no pattern and looked nothing like a partition. He showed the paper to Zac.

“What’s this?”

Zac glanced at the paper and a proud smile crept up his lips.

“It’s my notes. About my amazing ideas.”

“It’s about music?”

“Not exactly.”

Zac didn’t add anything, but Mahon knew from his friend’s smile that he was enjoying the situation and letting Mahon guess what it was. In fact, he had probably brought him here just to brag about this.

“You’ve fabricated a new way to make a partition that is somehow less practical?”

Zac pouted. “Really?”

Mahon grinned. He knew very well his friend could do way better, but he couldn’t ignore an opportunity to taunt him. Looking back at the paper, he tried to understand its meaning. He grabbed some other papers, and they were all looking identical, with musical notes everywhere in weird patterns.

During a full minute, he juggled with the papers, trying to decipher their secrets before the answer came to his mind. There was a simple explanation as to why he couldn't read them.

“Did you invent a secret code using musical notes?”

“Yeah!”

“...”

“What?”

“That’s it?”

“What do you mean ‘that’s it’? It’s awesome! It’s the first secret code using musical notes! Anyone who comes there and tries to read my notes just can’t!”

“Yes, that’s the whole point of a secret code. What would you even need to hide this, anyway? What did you write?”

“Just silly stuff and my thoughts about music, nobles and others.”

Mahon sighed quietly. Sometimes he didn’t understand his friend. But it was true his enthusiasm was communicative.

“Ah, don’t make that face. I’ll teach you how to do it!”

They spent the afternoon talking about nothing important, just having fun until it was time for the main part of Faday to start. At that time, Zac pulled out two colorful cloaks he said they needed to wear for the festival.

The cloaks were light and made of a patchwork of the six Colors. They were not exactly identical but Zac said the only rule was that they all had the same amount of each Color. Besides that, they could wear anything they wanted.

Soon they went back outside to join the crowd and, indeed, the people there had all changed to different sets of clothes. Mostly, there were multicolor hats and colorful capes or jackets. The common feature between all these accessories was the perfect equivalent ratio of the six Colors. Some had simple stripes of each of the Colors while others had a much more complicated patchwork of little colored dots.

Mahon followed an excited Zac along as they moved from one group to another, exchanging a few sentences each time. Zac had well timed their departure, however, and shortly after they had lost themselves in the crowd, a thunderous voice asked for silence.

Zac’s father was standing in front of an open window of the first floor and spoke to the whole assembly below him.

“It’s nice to see you all there for this joyful occasion. I would like to thank you again for coming to our home to celebrate Faday as it should be.”

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A wave of cheers came from the crowd as they showed their enthusiasm for his words and Zac’s father smiled. He moved a bit to the side and Zac’s mother appeared by the window at his side.

“As always, I would like to let my wife tell the story of the Fada and the Colors, as it was recorded many generations ago by our ancestors. Afterwards you’re free to roam the streets of Ratho but know that we’ll have some activities and food at the house too!”

The crowd applauded and roared their excitement to the laughing man standing over them. Soon Zac’s father moved completely away and his beautiful wife took his place while raising a hand to reclaim the silence.

One after the other, the shouts died down and even the whispers stopped a few seconds later. The assembly of more than three hundred people was so calm and quiet that it felt eerie.

Zac’s mother gestured for everyone to sit and even before she did, a few accustomed people had already started squatting down on the ground. She waited a minute, and it was only when everyone was comfortably installed that she started her story with a slow voice that carried across the whole area in the deafening silence of the falling night.

“The realm of mankind had expanded beyond limits in an incredible tide of prosperity. But lurking in the shadows, prosperity hadn’t been the only thing to grow. An insatiable appetite for more had settled in the heart of men. Only when they had reached the ends of the world and there was nothing else to explore did they realize their mistake.”

Mahon found himself strangely captivated by the story as the skills of the speaker transported everyone to these darker ages.

“Men eyed their brothers' possession and infighting turned the whole land into a bloodbath. Prosperity was no more and mankind entered one of its worst eras. Cities started to collapse, leaders became blind and bridges were destroyed. Yet, it’s only in the darkest times that the brightest light can shine. And on that day, the light came from twelve incredible beings, now known as the Fada.”

“The Fada were twelve because it was perfect. Six couples that each carried a Color. The first Color was Blue because it was It that brought the necessary peace of mind to make a wise decision. Blue brought balance in a world that needed it much and Its fairness and objectivity helped organize the first step of a long journey to better times.”

“In their profound understanding, Fada knew better than to only be practical and just. They had emotions that didn’t fit in that rigid framework and they knew emotions make one capable of the worst and the best. It is why they created Red. Red doesn’t need justifications or convoluted explanations. Red is at It is. Pure. Candid. True. Ignoring emotions leads to pain. Losing itself to emotions leads to pain. Emotions need to be listened to with a balanced mind and that’s why Red comes after Blue.”

“The counterpart of Red is White. Raw emotions need raw information. An information devoid of opinions, bias or interpretations. White describes the world as it is. With no filter to alleviate its horrors nor side to bribe its meaning. Like Red, it’s pure, candid and true. But in its own way. Blue, Red and White create a framework with which one could move forward confidently. How to move, though?”

“Again, Fada didn’t disappoint as they didn’t come with half a solution to men’s madness. Yellow is the Color of hope and better tomorrow. Yellow is nothing but positive in Its way to envision the future. Nothing can stop It and everything is achievable. Yellow ignores the obstacles. Yellow ignores the difficulties. Yellow ignores those who doubt. Yellow speaks of dreams and wonders. It shows what is possible and what you should aim for.”

“However, Yellow ignores the risks and may be too enthusiastic. Blue taught us better than that and that’s why Black exists. It’s Yellow counterpart and considers things from an opposite point of view. Black asks what needs to be asked. Black reveals hidden fears and unknown risks. Black criticizes. It criticizes for the greater good of an idea. It doesn’t seek to bury, instead It shows how to turn a dream into reality.”

“And finally, the last of the Colors, Green. Why does it exist, though? Don’t Fada already have a perfect system? Green is mysterious. Green is unlike the others. Green is free, and that’s what makes It powerful. Green hunts. Green searches. Green explores. Green represents the realm of possibilities. It helps build new ideas to bring together the other Colors. Green gives birth. Green is both alone and linked to everything.”

“That’s how the Fada created the Colors, from Blue to Green. And so the legend says how twelve Fada, armed with their six Colors, accomplished twenty eight impossible tasks to bring back balance into the world. It is said that their first task was the most difficult...”

The story continued for almost an hour, but no one got bored as Zac’s mother was more than an accomplished orator. Once the tell ended, the eerie silence broke in a thunderous applause as everyone stood up and cheered.

Zac’s mother smiled with tiredness, but anyone could see on her face how pleased she was. She bowed to the crowd and closed the window. It marked the beginning of the roaming in Ratho’s streets and most of the assembly spread in every direction to look for food, friends, music and dance.

Zac led Mahon through multiple streets. Sometimes they were with some of his relatives and other times it was only the two of them. At first they kept an eye open for the cultists, but soon, with the celebrations in full swing, the music and the alcohol, they forgot about them and immersed themselves in the city sized party.

Late into the night, Zac went to dance with some random pretty girl. They were crazily moving along with dozens of other dancers in a small plaza that had been transformed to a dance floor for the occasion.

Mahon observed from the side and a part of his mind couldn’t help but notice it was not that much different from that time where he had first met the Fada cultists. Worried, he observed his surroundings, but nothing jumped from the shadows. He shook his head as if to chase the thoughts and soon the dance ended and Zac came back to him, alone.

“Lost your partner?”

“Yeah, she wanted to keep dancing, but I needed a break. She tried to kiss me too.”

Mahon threw a questioning look at his friend as he took a way too long sip from his beer.

“What?”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“Not loudly, but I surely can read you.”

Mahon shrugged. They spent too much time together not to notice the other’s body talk.

“Not pretty enough for you?”

“Ah, Fada, she was pretty! But no, my heart is already sold.”

“And who is the unlucky one?”

Zac glared back, unamused, but a faint smile betrayed him. Mahon smiled back innocently.

“She is a musician. She’s the owner of a music shop where I usually go. I’ll bring you there sometime. I will need to go to buy a new instrument, anyway...”

Zac frowned imperceptibly before a smile chased it away and a predatory spark shined in his eyes. He looked at Mahon, but his gaze was actually focused somewhere behind him.

“By the way, I didn’t see you dance.”

“No, I don’t know anything about dancing. And I’m not interested in finding a partner.”

“I didn’t say you were gonna like it.”

“What do you mean?” Mahon asked, a tint of uneasiness creeping in his voice.

“You know, dance teaches you more about coordination, timing, control and all the other things you kept teaching me in Nightmare. But we’re in Ratho now. I’m the professor.”

Mahon immediately knew where it was going, but before he even thought of running away, a slender but firm arm wrapped around his waist, preventing him from moving further. He turned his head and found himself face to face with two sparkling hazel eyes and a charming smile that revealed perfect white teeth.

“It’s him who needs some dance lessons, Zac? He looks gorgeous!”