Into the Forbidden Place

21. The Garden

Tim stepped through the garden gate as if he were coming home. The tangled branches of the trees cast dense, shadowy patches where the plants played in the sunlight with greenish hues. As he walked past the familiar vegetable beds, a sudden sadness washed over him, seeing that someone else now tended to them.

The tomatoes were carefully tied up to prevent them from touching the ground. It was a good idea; at least they wouldn't get dirty when the branches bowed under the weight of their heavy fruit. This solution was much better than he had attempted, simply putting straw under the plants.

With each step, the garden reminded him that it was no longer his, and this realization filled him with anguish. He admired the new plants in the flowerbeds as if the place had never been his own. Others now tended the vegetables he had nurtured, and different hands gathered the ripe fruits under the fruit trees.

Tim slowly walked through the garden, his heart filled with pain and a sense of failure. It seemed as if everything had been taken away from him; the place he had felt so strongly about was now clearly foreign. The wind gently tousled his hair, and for a moment, he thought that what he longed for the most, to come home after so many failures finally, was not here.

He wondered why he had returned here if he could no longer find his place in his garden. His life here now seemed foreign to him, as if he had never known the place. Once cozy and friendly, the entire garden now seemed alien and cold.

Tim breathed in the scent of the garden, the fresh air of the flowers and trees while trying to suppress the bitter feelings rising within him. Slowly, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to gather himself to move on.

He knew he had to find a new path for himself, and deep down, he felt that he no longer wanted to be a gatekeeper. The thought, which had already begun to form earlier and was not immediately dismissed now, floated more clearly before his eyes: revenge.

As he pondered, he increasingly allowed the thought of revenge to envelop him, like a little flower now beginning to unfold its petals. He watched with fascination and admired every tremor of the grooving flower in his mind.

The idea of revenge appealed to him more and more definitely.

As Tim walked out, he had already forgotten the sorrow of losing the garden, replaced by a sudden newfound excitement for his new goal: to take revenge on Mara and stop her plan.

He knew he couldn't do this alone, so he shared his plan and asked Noir for help.

With fear and uncertainty, he entered the library, where the wise teacher sat in his comfortable armchair, deeply lost in thought. Tim stopped at the door, hesitatingly watching to see if he was disturbing at the right time.

Noir noticed Tim at the door and waved in a friendly way so that he could come closer. Tim stepped forward, uncertain and fearful, but he knew so decisively that he didn't want anything else, so he was prepared for a negative answer. If necessary, he would climb over the wall and, like an intruder, enter the forbidden place again.

"I'm sorry to disturb you," Tim began, taking a seat in a nearby chair. "But... I need your help."

Noir set down his book and looked attentively at Tim, sensing the young man's tension and doubts.

"Tell me, what's the matter, Tim? You know you can always count on me."

Tim took a deep breath before laying out his plan to Noir. He told him that after meeting Mara, he realized the girl's danger and evilness, and he felt he had to do something. He can't rest here, and even if Noir doesn't support his plan, he'll still go through with it.

Noir listened seriously to Tim as he explained his plan. The wise teacher visibly pondered the young man's words before responding. He didn't immediately say no, which Tim appreciated.

"Tim, your plan poses a significant challenge. Seeking revenge on Mara can be dangerous, but if you feel this is the path you must follow, I will help you."

Tim felt relieved that Noir supported him, and he nodded gratefully.

"Thank you, Noir. I know my chances of stopping them alone are slim, but I have to try, or I'll regret it for the rest of my life," Tim said, happy that Noir's support and a new key was a crucial point in his plan.

"Yes, and if I may offer you some advice, you need to find the Inquisitors first. They've been watching Mara and her activities for years; they know what's happening behind the scenes. Perhaps you can be useful to them because you know Mara, and that's how you might succeed in thwarting their plan," Noir encouraged.

Tim nodded, and a weight lifted off his heart. He was ready to meet the woman again, but now he knew what he wanted. He no longer believed in the woman's mesmerizing eyes; he hated her, and more than anything, he longed to look into her eyes again and return to her the pain he received from her.

Events quickly followed one another, and suddenly, he found himself standing at the orange gate again with his backpack filled with dried meats, entering the code. Lost in thought, he only focused on reaching the Steel Citadel as soon as possible. He had no desire to return to the underground labyrinth, and he barely remembered the directions, so he tried to find the path they took back with Ikara and Lenny.

But he was unsuccessful. No matter how he tried to go in the direction they came from, he suddenly found himself at the gateway to Death Pass. It felt as if he had dreamed the whole return journey. The pile of stones with Judith's body seemed eerie in the fire's flickering light. The entire environment resembled so much that evening when he was last here that he involuntarily looked up at the top of the rocks.

And yes, he saw shadows again, someone watching from above...