Aryk's eyes reflected the golden coin buried beneath the soil. At that moment, he felt time slow around him, a cold sweat trickling down his spine.

"This is impossible!" He grasped the coin, his hands trembling as he examined it closely.

"The image of the emperor. The engraving signifies the Fourth Era, following the Third Great War. It is indeed a five-gold-coin piece—newly minted, yet this is utterly inconceivable. Impossible!" His breathing quickened, a disturbing weakness washing over him.

He rose from his spot, stashing the coin in his pocket, and began to walk away from the tree, his gaze fixed on the ground, as if he had seen a ghost before him.

"I must have made a mistake. I’ll head west and then return. This coin must be a mere coincidence, and there are plenty of biscuit shops in that part of the market. Yes, just a coincidence," he resolved internally.

Aryk's feet moved of their own accord, propelling him into a frantic sprint toward the western side, renowned for its bustling meat markets near the forest. Various types of meat hung from the stalls, from wolves to chickens, the scent of blood pervasive in the air. He studied each shop with intense focus, yet found no fortune-teller.

"It must be on the eastern side, not the west."

Turning on his heel, Aryk dashed toward the eastern part of the market.

As he made his way, a pulse quickened in his heart, and strange thoughts invaded his mind, threatening to overwhelm him. Deep down, he knew this was the place where he had encountered the old man, yet he refused to accept this theory, for it bore implications too irrational and mad.

His pace slowed as he reached the eastern side of the market, characterized by the abundance of grocery and grain shops. Due to the excellent location of Donia, agriculture flourished here, allowing the village to avoid the burden of purchasing from neighboring towns. Additionally, armor shops and cafés provided respite for weary warriors.

Sweating profusely and with blurred vision, he scanned the shops, yet found nothing. He was oblivious to the peculiar glances from passersby—some filled with sympathy, others with curiosity.

"Please be here. I need any evidence that the old man's shop was here," Aryk thought in a last-ditch effort, praying he had not erred in his search.

After five minutes of wandering, he surrendered. With heavy legs, he approached the nearest curb and sank down, defeated.

"This is absurd. Could it truly mean I encountered a ghost? But this is impossible! Yet Lilia and Ragnar saw it too, and I even found this five-gold-coin piece."

Aryk retrieved the coin once more from his pocket, studying it intently.

"There must be a clue here." He focused his gaze on the coin and contemplated three theories that seemed the only rational explanations.

The first: the coin might belong to someone who buried it beneath the tree, intending to return for it later. But who would bury only five coins? He dismissed this theory.

The second: the coin could have been found before, and his meeting with the old man was merely a dream. However, this did not explain the presence of the coin, the tree, and the conversation he had with the biscuit shop owner.

The third theory: Aryk and his siblings truly met a ghost who conducted a fortune-telling session, and through some mystical means, the shop vanished.

Amidst the chaos in his mind, Aryk felt a sharp pang as if he recalled something hidden from him due to his anxiety.

"Fortune-telling?" Aryk's heart skipped a beat. He had been so engrossed in his questions that he had forgotten about the five gold coins.

"I remember we did perform a fortune-telling. I recall something about a tree with three branches and something about growth or similar."

Aryk furrowed his brow. "And it’s a coincidence that after the fortune-telling, I stumbled upon that golden tree in the cave? If it were just one coincidence, I might accept that I was mistaken, but two coincidences? That is inconceivable. I must have indeed encountered the old man’s ghost. This means I am not mad, and there is something truly strange in this village."

Unconsciously, Aryk shifted the golden coin between his fingers while remaining silent, focusing on the ground. Yet, in reality, he was calmly analyzing all the theories.

"If things are indeed strange in this village, it explains the glowing tree trunk, my dreams of which I remember nothing, the emperor’s visit to an unknown village, and the tight security surrounding that cave. If we dismiss the idea that the emperor came to the village because of the cave, then the true reason must lie within this village and not beyond it."

Aryk paused for a moment, then added, "As if that tree is indeed the Great Tree of Life, it would mean that all of history is a fabrication!"

Uncertain about his theory, Aryk stood up from his spot, preparing to return to Lilia. He had spent too much time searching for the shop and had almost forgotten about his sister.

"I must hurry back." Aryk turned and began walking towards Lilia.

As he passed the market-goers and shoppers, he was astonished by the bizarre offerings available since the emperor’s arrival. He realized that merchants would exploit the situation, but some items were indeed peculiar—fruits he had never seen before, labeled "Famous Donia Fruits!" In the midst of his thoughts, Aryk collided with a passerby.

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The traveler wore a headband that obscured Aryk's view of his face, donned dark attire with a red cloak, emanating an air of mystery.

"My apologies," Aryk said, bowing slightly, yet the man remained silent, continuing on his way as if indifferent. Moments later, he vanished into the crowd.

Noticing the heavy clothing the man wore, Aryk couldn't help but wonder, "Strange. It’s far too hot for such attire. How can he not feel uncomfortable?" He continued on his path, this time more cautiously.

Near the grocery shop, Aryk spotted a long line of townsfolk outside the store, many faces showing anger while others occasionally smiled. A sense of foreboding washed over him.

Using his sister as an excuse, he rushed to the entrance to confirm his worst fears.

Before him stood his sister, Lilia, still haggling with the shopkeeper over the price.

"Seven coins, sir. I won’t pay more." Lilia’s face was flushed with anger as she proposed to the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper laughed heartily. "My dear, you won’t get this merchandise for less than ten gold coins. But, as a charitable man, I’ll sell it to you for nine and a half. Now please hurry, there’s a line behind you!"

Upon seeing Aryk at the entrance, Lilia’s tension dissipated, replaced by a sly smile.

Both Aryk and the shopkeeper felt a shiver run down their spines; Lilia was not known for her usual smiles.

"Aryk, I just remembered something! Isn’t our neighbor Zak's father a distinguished general in the capital? What was his name... oh, yes! Roger!"

At the mention of the name Roger, the shopkeeper froze in place. The standing of Mr. Roger in the village was well-known; even the village chief respected him due to his high status in the empire.

"Mr. Roger used to play ball with me when I was very small. He’s truly a man of justice, isn’t he, Aryk?"

Aryk nodded in agreement while watching the shopkeeper’s face shift from deep red to pale white, his eyes studying Lilia as if assessing whether she was lying.

"If I tell him that one of the shopkeepers has doubled the price on the poor neighbor's daughter, don’t you think he’ll be furious?" Lilia cast a sly glance at the merchant, noticing a nervous twitch in his hand that suggested he wanted her to stop. With a final burst of energy, she added, "Sometimes, I even call him ‘Father’!"

The shopkeeper's complexion shifted again, from pale to nearly transparent, a crooked smile forming on his face.

"Wait, my dear. I must have miscalculated." He chuckled nervously, rubbing his hands together. "The price is five gold coins. I must have been confused by the heat; I thought it was ten. Please don’t tell Mr. Roger; we know he is very busy."

Aryk turned to Lilia, who wore a broad grin on her face.

"But, sir, you were trying to deceive me for half an hour! Is this how justice works here?" Lilia challenged the shopkeeper, her eyes piercing.

The merchant stammered, trapped in Lilia’s unwavering gaze. He looked to Aryk for help, but Aryk returned a cold stare.

"I’ll press a bit harder," Lilia murmured to herself with a light-hearted tone.

"Sir—"

Aryk placed his hand over Lilia's mouth and handed the shopkeeper two and a half coins, collecting the bag of purchases.

"Here’s your payment. Now let’s go, Lilia." With a smile, Aryk urged Lilia to leave, widening the merchant’s eyes in astonishment. Though he had lost two and a half gold coins, he felt as though he would die before giving away any goods for free.

"Why did you do that? I was so close to getting the goods for free!" Lilia complained.

Aryk responded sternly, "Since when do you call Mr. Roger ‘Father’?"

Lilia froze, fidgeting with her hands, adopting the face of a victim. "I don’t! But it’s a good plan to deal with the fraudulent shops. These scoundrels are robbing the public!"

Though Aryk didn’t fully agree with Lilia’s methods, he had to admit she was right. The merchants' deceitful nature was indeed a burden on a small village like Donia, and the emperor’s arrival only exacerbated the situation.

"Let’s hurry home. Mother is waiting for us," Aryk asserted.

Lilia agreed with her brother, and they rushed home, passing through various market skirmishes, smiling when they realized they had not been robbed.

At home, Aryk and Lilia knocked on the door, which was opened by Fatima.

"Why are you late? I’ve already packed my bags!" Fatima declared, having changed into a lovely red dress adorned with spiral designs, her hair styled in a circular fashion that made her look charming despite its simplicity.

Both Lilia and Aryk were taken aback by their mother’s words.

Fatima had prepared her belongings for travel with astonishing speed, as if she had planned this for weeks. This left Lilia feeling perplexed, as though her mother wished to leave at once.

"Aren’t you in a hurry, Mother? You could wait until tomorrow to leave," Aryk inquired, closing the door quietly behind him as Lilia placed the groceries in the kitchen.

"I can’t. I must leave now; otherwise, I’ll be attending a funeral, not visiting a sick person," Fatima explained with a justified tone.

Aryk understood that Julia’s illness was severe. He wanted to ask his mother about his uncles and father, but she preempted him.

"Aryk, I need you to keep something safe for me." She pulled a silver key from her pocket. "This key is for the cellar. If I do not return in time, or if you feel threatened, open the cellar. There you will find supplies and other items to defend yourselves. Remember to seek help from Mr. Roger and Cecilia."

Aryk was startled by his mother’s strange words, as if she planned not to return home for a while. He glanced at the key, feeling an odd familiarity, then recalled it.

This silver key was the same one Fatima had hidden from him just the day before when he woke up early!

It was an object she never kept far from her, always hanging around her neck, so Aryk felt an unsettling feeling.

With a worried tone, he asked his mother, "But, Mother, you’ll be back in eight days? Why entrust this to me?"

Fatima paused, then smiled, kissing Aryk on the head, sensing her son’s anxiety.

"Aryk, I must take precautions. How can I leave you all alone here? If it were up to me, I would take you with me, but the journey is long. Besides, your aunt Cecilia is here." Fatima laughed at her son’s worries, recalling that he was still a child, fearful for his mother.

Aryk found his mother’s behavior perplexing, yet he understood her situation. Their father had passed away long ago, leaving no evidence of his relatives, not even a picture in the house, which compelled Fatima to raise the children alone. If Aunt Julia was the last of their mother’s relatives, Aryk would understand the situation, but he didn’t know who his mother’s relatives were!

Aryk left his mother with Lilia and Ragnar, who was preoccupied with their mother’s belongings, repeatedly checking to ensure he hadn’t forgotten anything. He retreated to his room, intending to place the five-gold-coin piece beneath his mattress with his notes and consult Lilia and Ragnar after their mother’s departure. He reached into his pocket, but felt a strange sensation.

"Not here? How can this be? I had it when I went to Lilia!" Aryk exclaimed, shocked, beginning to search his pockets frantically. After a few moments of panic, he remembered the man in the red cloak and felt a surge of anger.

"He must be the one who stole it. Damn it! I knew the thieves in the market area, yet I let my guard down. Curse it all!"

Fuming, Aryk stormed out of his room to find his mother, who was bidding farewell to Lilia and Ragnar. They gathered for one last embrace as she held them tightly.

"I won’t forget to buy you some sweets from there!"

Ragnar stopped crying at the mention of sweets, feeling delighted, while Lilia felt disappointed in her brother, prompting Aryk to chuckle at him.

"Alright, I understand. I won’t cry if you buy me sweets," Ragnar said, his voice trembling as he addressed his mother.

Fatima smiled. "I love you all, my children."

Moments later, the sound of a horse echoed behind the door. It seemed the transport horse had arrived.

After one final lengthy embrace between the family, Fatima stepped out of the house, bidding her children farewell.