Yet, he knew a little too much about doubt. She was an old acquaintance who knew how to embrace him in the loneliest of times. No matter how many times he repulsed her, no matter how many times he tried not to think about her, she always knew how to fill the void left by oblivion and boredom while they gnawed at his convictions.

 

-It's an unpleasant... and dangerous surprise, will you answer my questions now?

 

After his reply, Cahal sighed quietly but he didn't seem surprised.

 

-Yes. Let me introduce you Ciar, she is one of the few prisoners who survived the shadow.

-It's impossible, nothing can survive it.

-It seems this is what is happening. For reasons that I can't explain, a short number of convicts were able to resist its effects and survive in the Heart. When I discovered it, I ordered my guards to bring one of them to me. What I didn't expect was that she would succeed in making me understand a necessity.

-Which is?

-That the Cycle must be restarted.

 

The suggestion struck Hayden with violence.

 

-You have lost your reason, the Cycle stopping is vital for the survival of the City. Without that, without the Veil, we risk to return to our previous level of existence. We would know again the scourges of which it preserves us.

-I didn't expect you to understand, at least not now. That's why we would like to show you something.

 

To show him something... by taking him below. If the statements of Cahal were true, Hayden would be at the prisoners's mercy.

 

-I'm not an idiot Cahal. If I follow her there, I know what will happen to me. Don't hope to get out of this just because you managed to take me this far. You might be the master of the third tower but I'm...

 

He put his hand on one of the elevator walls which obediently opened a panel.

 

-... the one of Cinaed !

 

His hand then glided at the same time on the panel which recognized its owner. The elevator suddenly opened on the next floor. Taken aback, Ciar didn't have the time to react. Hayden rushed outside. All he had to do was to find a patrol to be safe. Cahal was aware of it.

 

-Ciar !

 

She was already gone after him when the Aodhe called out to her. When he looked behind him, Hayden was surprised to see how fast the convict was. She slowly but surely closed the distance between her and him. Finally, after a turn, he saw the characteristic backs of the guards uniforms at a distance.

 

He wanted to call out to them but she was faster than him. Her hands gripped him violently from behind, circling his lips to silence him. Then, she placed an arm around his neck to force him to follow, the other still silencing him. The position forced him to bend his knees because of the difference between their sizes. It made him unable to find any support to break her grip.