Hope didn't rise immediately after returning. His swollen legs didn't allow him to, and his mind lost in thought didn't help either.

The lake created by the spring helped to get rid of thoughts. His moving reflection in the water seemed to belong to a completely different person. The boy couldn't recognise himself. The change that the gods had told him about was more pronounced and noticeable than he had imagined.

His golden blond hair, which one could compare to the light of the sun, had completely disappeared. In its place was dark grey hair, curled at the ends. His characteristic blue eyes were no longer visible. The vast sea in them had been replaced by endless ash.

If before he had looked like a magnificent, noble young man, now his appearance was more tainted, without any purity.

He didn't even have time to be alone with his thoughts. The wooden doors opened with great inertia, and the chancellor entered the room. He was followed by a woman with a hump who was trying to prevent him from entering… clearly in vain.

The Chancellor looked different. In Hope's memory, the warm and gentle man was overcome with a strong feeling of anxiety. His eyes no longer held care for the boy; rather, they demanded something from him—something that he seemed unable to hide.

"What happened?" he asked Hope after regaining control, apparently ignoring the boy's changed appearance.

"I made the oath," came Hope's reply, the words eager, hurrying to leave the narrow room.

The man stood before him, not allowing him to get what he wanted. "What oath did you swear? Why are you silent? Was it Serenity?" He thought for a few seconds but returned to the issue at hand. "That's okay; the gods acted according to the prophecy."

Hope exhaled. After speaking boldly before the gods, he felt empowered. "According to the prophecy? The one that speaks of me saving the world, right?" He was ironic and made his words heard.

The chancellor wasn't in the mood for games. All his lies were exposed, but he was ready for this. He ignored the boy's tone and continued asking questions.

"With which god did you make the covenant? What did they offer you, what did they tell you?"

"With none," Hope cut him short and didn't want to explain more. Especially now and with the chancellor, for whom his anger was only growing.

"What do you mean, none?" The man didn't look happy. "Did the gods not grant you one? Did they see how…" He wanted to say more but refrained.

"How much of a disappointment was I?" Hope continued on his own. "You mean I was so unreliable that the gods didn't even give me the Covenant?"

The chancellor's character and ability to control his emotions were retreating. "And no Mark either?" he said and forcefully examined the boy's body. Finding nothing, his gaze shifted noticeably to his physical changes. He looked on the verge of saying something.

"All these questions, you didn't even try to justify yourself." Hope glared at him directly, unable to hold himself back.

"Justify myself? For what?" There wasn't a trace of remorse in the man's voice. As if his morality was unscathed.

"For lying to me my whole life. You and your entire damn city. Not a single fragment spoke about how I would save and lead the world. None of them! The gods even thought that I could be the cause of the second cataclysm." His emotions erupted, and his last words made the chancellor flinch.

"And what would that change? We only know fragments of the prophecy. And I tried with all my heart to raise you in the right hands. Saving the world should be your only duty, and no other option is even up for discussion."

"What would change? I would have known the cursed truth! I wouldn't have gone to sleep every night terrified that the fate of the entire planet was on my shoulders. That I was unfit and unworthy because I was defenceless, even against the weakest monsters."

"You are the Chosen One, you were, and you will be. Your fate is decided. If you knew, you would have another new fear. Worse, insidious, that one day you wouldn't save the world but destroy it with your own hands. You would become a real Despair. Tell me, what would this thought and this unnecessary burden bring you?" The Chancellor was angry, but his logic had a reason to exist.

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The boy also fell silent. He wanted to argue but couldn't explain why he was experiencing such a strong reaction. He was heartbroken that he wasn't completely trusted. The others were also afraid of him and the ominous future the world might face because of him.

"Don't you have at least one piece of good news? What else did you hear besides the oath? How are you supposed to collect the fragments if you haven't received power, if you haven't become a Binder?" It may have seemed to the boy, but the Chancellor's hands were shaking. It was as if he was confronting himself along with the conversation with the boy.

"I did become a Binder, but…" He was about to explain but was cut off.

"You don't have the Mark. There are no fragments in you. The gods simply didn't accept you, that's all." His voice was filled with despair. Seeer, unable to read the fragments in the boy's body, silently agreed.

"No, there is a mistake. They gave me something else..."

"Have you looked at yourself? Hope? Leader? Don't make me laugh! You were supposed to be fire, to be a blaze and burn down the evil of the entire planet. But you don't seem like anything light. You can't portray Hope. You look more like a pile of ash. Ash, that's good for nothing," he finally made the emphasis he had been avoiding for so long.

At these words, a noise came from outside. It sounded like the distant screams of women, but indistinct, as if muffled by a force.

Chancellor was finishing his speech, and the boy's moving, defiant mouth couldn't make any sound.

"We've taken enough risks. According to prophecy, if you make it whole, you might actually be the one to destroy the world. Maybe the entire planet will become like you and burn to ashes. We can't take such a big risk. I hope you understand that I am doing everything in the interests of humanity." He behaved strangely, not giving the boy a chance to explain himself, and got angry when he didn't have enough reason to.

The conflict in the chancellor's being chose a side. Unfortunately, this wasn't in Hope's favour.

Then Seeer was thrown out of the room. No one touched her, but she fell dozens of meters. The entire action made no sound. The increased distant screams also completely stopped.

Chancellor's Mark on his ear didn't activate. However, he imposed a movement restriction on Hope as well. He took the boy's hand and dragged him out of the room without further ado. He wanted to resist, but he was too weak to resist.

"It's already begun!" the man shouted, his voice growing harsh. "The damn moon is gone, and it's your fault!" He glares at Hope, who finds himself speechless, unable to offer any response.

Chancellor led the boy to the main hall, in front of the fountain, where he had last seen Don and Bugator on the balcony. They had both come down and were standing by the door. They were the ones who restrained the Seeers. The three women and three men were trying with all their might to free themselves from their power, but they couldn't make a sound.

Don and Bugator looked at the boy too. The sadness appeared on their faces, but neither of them moved against the chancellor. They had been inactive since yesterday, and Hope's last hope faded.

Shon, who had been his protector and always his follower, was nowhere to be seen.

Then the boy's eyes went dark, and he couldn't see anything. Before he blacked out, he felt a severe pain that prevented him from staying awake.

Then all sensations moved to the back of his head, and he felt relaxed, half-awake, as he fell onto the cold stone surface. Then he fell asleep, sweet and peaceful as if he had fallen into his soft bed and had nothing to worry about.

The sense of time also disappeared until a noise woke him up.

"Hope, wake up! We don't have time; you have to get up quickly!" It was Don's voice. He helped him up.

'What's happening?' the boy thought, but he had trouble recovering his memories.

"There's no time to explain. We need to hurry. Get out of the city before it's too late." Don's face was filled with dread, his whole being radiated fear. It was like a slap in the face for Hope.

He didn't waste a second figuring out the situation.

'The Chancellor had kidnapped me and imprisoned me. Don is helping me escape and putting his life in danger.' He felt a spark of hope, but fear overtook him more intensely.

"He is acting weird, It's like he lost his mind. He contacted other cities," Don said, leading him out of the prison. "Someone is coming to take over. Someone who will turn you into a Lifeless, Unsouled void."

Hope didn't know the meaning of these words, but he understood that none of them would do him any good.

"Bugator and Ave are holding the Chancellor. We need to get you out of the city before he suspects anything." They left the building and were already running.

"Bugator is helping us? And Avi, too?" Hope felt gratitude, though there was no time to let it show.

"Of course, Bugator is helping us. But your little friend is a completely different matter. She convinced us both, and he also informed us about her father's plan. She even threatened to give you this book back." They had already run down one street, and the dark expanse of the city seemed too quiet.

"My notebook!" Hope exclaimed, putting the book back in his pocket. He didn't even notice when the chancellor emptied it.

Then Don stopped. "Damn it, they're onto us."

"Who?" the boy asked, stopping himself.

"Your bodyguard. They keep an eye on you even if you are shackled. They work for the Chancellor, and you shouldn't fall into their hands." Don sighed, and the Mark on his wrist lit up.

"Hope, listen to me and remember. It doesn't matter what we know or how complete the prophecy is. You will save the world. People will follow you. You want what's best for the world, and we don't need to read fragments for that. Now run, leave the city, and save yourself. Remember, you have to put your life above all else. Don't look back, and I'm sorry we can't let you out of town on better terms."

"No, no, no!" Hope almost screamed. "I can't do it alone. I can't leave you here."

Then he saw Don's eyes, filled with the hope he had been dying to see for the past two days.

Without a word, he turned away, swallowing back tears, and sprinted off into the night, each step taken with all the speed he could muster.