While their eyes stayed glued to the door, they all held their breath. Maybe it would be a guard. Maybe Alexander himself. Maybe a maid.
They waited, tense and silent.
Finally, the door creaked open.
A maid stepped inside.
Einstein immediately poked Vinci in the ribs and leaned closer, whispering, "She's here."
Vinci's eyes darted to her, but no one said a word. They just watched, almost too closely.
The maid didn't come alone. Another young maid followed behind her, both balancing large trays piled high with food. They moved gracefully to the table and set everything down without a sound. Then they turned and slipped out again, only to return moments later with more dishes.
When they finally left the room for the second time, Hawkings let out a long breath and looked at Vinci with a sly grin. "Ohhh, nice. She brought you food."Vinci shot him a look, shaking his head. "Your time will come," he said, trying to sound wise but failing miserably.
Then Vinci froze. He recognized her. It was the same girl they had seen outside the palace gates earlier, the girl in the shimmering tunic who had shyly glanced at him."Hey, Einstein," Hawkings teased, elbowing him again. "Write a journal entry about this too!"
The others burst out laughing.
They all gathered around the big table. Golden plates and clay bowls overflowed with roasted lamb, honey-glazed figs, olives, fresh grapes, steaming bread, and creamy goat cheese. There were pomegranate seeds sparkling on salads, and stacks of warm flatbreads scented with herbs.
But instead of eating right away, they all pulled out their phones, lifting them high to take pictures and record quick videos. They leaned in, smiling wide, throwing peace signs, and capturing every angle of the feast.Just as they were still busy posing, a sudden knock rattled the door.
"Hide your phones!" Eliza hissed, her eyes wide.
They scrambled like startled chickens, shoving the phones under napkins, tossing them into bags, and stuffing them behind pillows. Vinci nearly dropped his twice. Maria flung hers behind a fruit basket.
The door creaked open again.
The same maid – Vinci's so-called "girlfriend" stepped inside. She carried a full roasted chicken on a silver platter, the golden skin glistening under the lamplight.
She moved quietly, her face focused and serious.Einstein couldn't help himself. As she carefully placed the platter down, he stood up quickly, almost bumping into the table.
"Hello," he said, his voice awkward but friendly. "I'm Einstein… and you are?"
She glanced up at him, her eyes soft but cautious. They stood like that for a heartbeat, then she slowly reached out her hand. They shook, her fingers light against his."Katerina," she said softly, her voice almost floating in the air. A shy smile crossed her face for just a second.
Einstein swallowed. "Can we… be friends? We're travelers, and we want to learn more about this place. Would you help us?"
Katerina hesitated, looking down for a moment. Then she nodded slowly. "Okay… but I have something to do first," she whispered, turning to leave.
As she reached the door, Einstein blurted out, "Katerina!"
She turned, her eyes wide.
He just gave a small, awkward wave, as if he forgot every line he had prepared.
Katerina tilted her head slightly, unreadable, then turned again and stepped out.
For a moment, the room fell completely silent.Then Vinci burst into laughter. "Guy! She didn't even wave back! Ohhh, I'm so sorry," he teased, nearly falling off the bed.
Einstein dropped into his seat, groaning. "You know… that your… hmm… I'm trying to make this easy, and you're just here laughing!"
The others roared, some slapping the table, others wiping tears from their eyes.
Einstein shook his head, face red, but a reluctant smile still crept up.
The energy felt alive, buzzing with jokes, nerves, and memories they all knew would last forever.After they finally finished eating, they didn't rush to sleep. Hawkings, Einstein, and Vinci all squeezed onto one big bed, still tossing jokes back and forth, while Maria and Eliza cuddled up on another, whispering and giggling.
Just when they had finally started to drift off, a soft knock echoed at the door again.
They all froze, heads snapping toward the sound.
The door creaked open, and Katerina stepped inside quietly. In her hands was a thick, worn book — a historical text she had borrowed from the library.She stood shyly at the doorway, holding the book toward Einstein.
Einstein jumped off the bed, nearly tripping over Vinci's leg. He grabbed the book carefully, his eyes sparkling. "Thank you… wait, would you like to join us?" he asked, his voice hopeful.
Katerina hesitated, then nodded slowly. She stepped over to the girls' bed, sitting between Maria and Eliza. She gave them a small, warm smile.It was now up to the boys to keep her entertained.
"Eeeh, my friend here — he's Vinci," Einstein said proudly, nudging Vinci so hard he nearly fell off the bed. "He designed this thing."Vinci glared at him. "Bro, what are you doing?" he muttered.
But Einstein wasn't finished. He whipped out his phone, holding it up like a treasure. Katerina's eyes went huge, her lips parting in shock.
"It's like magic," Einstein said dramatically. "I click this… and I steal your image forever!" He burst into laughter at his own joke.
Katerina just looked at him, completely lost.
Eliza grabbed the phone from Einstein, unlocked it, and opened Snapchat. She flipped the rear camera toward the room, tapped the shutter, then showed Katerina the screen — the entire room perfectly captured.
Katerina gasped, her eyes as wide as saucers. "How… how did you do that?" she whispered.
"It's him!" Eliza teased, pointing at Vinci. "He can explain everything."
Vinci buried his face in his hands. "These people will finish me today," he mumbled.
Eventually, Vinci gave in and explained the phone in simple words, showing her how to swipe and scroll. Katerina listened closely, her eyes bright and full of wonder.
Finally, they handed her the phone. It felt heavy in her hands at first, but Maria helped her hold it steady.
They convinced her to take photos of them. The group posed, laughing and making goofy faces. The photos came out blurry and crooked, but they kept them anyway, a perfect souvenir of that night.They even tried a big group selfie, but Vinci had to take it, so he missed out on the shot.
They were still laughing and flipping through the photos when ..
BANG...
A loud, heavy knock slammed against the door.
They all froze, eyes wide in terror.
This knock wasn't like the others. It felt heavy, sharp, as if it belonged to someone important or dangerous.
Eliza whispered sharply, "Hide your phones! Now!"
They flew into a panic, tossing devices under blankets, into bags, anywhere they could. Vinci almost dropped his twice. Maria shoved hers behind the pillows.
Another knock. Even louder.
They turned, every heartbeat echoing in their heads, staring at the door ,. waiting to see who, or what, would come in next.
"Who's That "