Part 53

Sebastian wandered around the dungeon for a long time until he finally found a way out and realized that he was in the forest. It was vital for him to find the nearest population center and get volatile gunpowder there to return home.

"Where the hell am I?" Sebastian extinguished the torch and hid it in the bushes. It was necessary to find a way out first, and then he could figure out his location. The sun was setting, and evening was approaching. Walking through the forest in the dark would be the last thing he wanted, so Sebastian hurried. Since this exit had not been used for a long time, there was no trace of any path here, only small paths trampled by animals.

When Jack returned to his guest's office and the trace was gone, he noticed unbeknownst to himself that this boy was very smart for his young years.

"The basement, I think," Jack grinned and noticed that the hatch had recently been opened.

"It's sad that we didn't even really say goodbye. It would be wrong to leave him without getting answers, wouldn't it?" Jack went downstairs with a grin on his face. To his surprise, no one entered the secret room. It was the place where he kept most of his most precious and most damned things.

"I'm even a little upset; it would be fun if he was cursed with an artifact once again," Jack said with a laugh. He closed the secret room and went deep into the tunnel, feeling the smell of something burnt. Once again confirming that he was walking this way, Jack followed Sebastian at a leisurely pace.

At this time, Noah came to himself, chained in a place very similar to a prison. His head ached mercilessly, and a chain was attached to his right leg. He did not understand where he was and what he was accused of, that he was sent to prison.

"Oh!" a child's voice rang out.

"Who's here?" Noah asked, trying to get to his feet, but his body felt like it was made of lead. He just couldn't stand.

"I didn't know you were awake; I'm sorry, but I have to treat your wounds," the girl said and opened the iron door.

"Where am I? Who are you?" Noah asked questions, but the girl silently sat down next to him and took out her wand, whispered something to herself, and looked into his eyes.

"Are you feeling better? I stopped the bleeding," she said. She had too adult a look for a child; something was wrong with her, the way she behaved, the way she talked.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand what you're doing. Can you please call the adults? I have to understand why I was imprisoned," the most important thing for him was to find out where he was.

"You'd better not make them angry; do everything they say and don't contradict them," the girl said in one breath and left the cell, locking the door behind her. After examining himself, Noah did not recognize the clothes he was wearing.

"Have I been changed?" He stretched his legs and arms for half an hour, and it bore fruit. He got to his feet and went to the bars to inspect the corridor. There could be no doubt that these were definitely prison bars. Or were they? What if he was kidnapped and held against his will? Besides, when he woke up, who were these people? Why was he attacked?

The last thing he remembered was wandering around the market, then darkness, and that's when he opened his eyes in another place, and strangers were in front of him.

"What's going on here anyway?" He didn't want to believe that everything that was happening was true. His mind rejected all thoughts that something very, very bad was happening to him right now.

"I should have listened to Aunt Innis; she warned everyone that we orphans could easily be kidnapped outside the orphanage! What have I gotten myself into?!" His legs gave way from fear, and he fell to the damp floor.

"I brought something to eat," the girl returned with food on a tray.

"I'm not going to eat this," Noah was afraid that the food might be poisoned.

"Then would you mind giving it to me?" The girl looked greedily at the hot soup and the bun. And then Noah got a better look at her; she was even too thin and looked very exhausted.

"Eat," Noah said without hesitation and approached the grate. The girl smiled and sat down right on the floor in front of his camera and began to eat.

"What's your name?" Noah asked cautiously.

"Victoria," she replied timidly.

"Victoria, where are your parents?" Noah wanted to get as much information out of her as possible.

"I don't have anyone, just my brother," after drinking all the soup, she looked at him guiltily, then took a bun and handed it to him. Noah just smiled back, split the bun in two, and returned half to her.

"How old are you, Victoria?" Noah was haunted by the thought that this little girl had been turned into an overseer.

"I'm thirteen years old," answering the question, she timidly got to her feet and picked up the tray with the dishes and left.

"What the hell is going on here?" Noah muttered and began to inspect his camera for any useful items.