"Oh... I can't believe it... You guys really found something," Lock said, eyes widening as he took the old, dust-covered parchment from Dusk's trembling hands. The faint candlelight danced across the strange symbols and uneven numbers drawn on it.
The narrow alley around them was quiet except for the soft rustle of wind and the distant chatter of merchants packing up for the night. Lock squinted, his thin lips curling into a curious grin. He placed the candle on the ground.
"Hmmm... these numbers... Do you kids know what this means?" he asked, tilting the parchment toward the dim light.
Dusk and Dawn both shook their heads in perfect sync. Their red eyes reflected nothing but confusion.
"That's why education is important," Lock said, clicking his tongue. "Try to learn to read and write basic language. It might save your life one day."
"Try to learn, try to learn..." came a teasing echo from behind them.
Dawn's bunny ears perked up instantly. Her eyes sparkled as she spun around. "Hoot!" she squealed and dashed forward.
"Ahh! Bunny's hunting me again!" Hoot cried dramatically, flapping his wings in panic. The owl fluttered around the alley, barely avoiding Dawn's gleeful grasp.
Lock sighed, rubbing his temples. "Why is every intelligent being I meet either too loud or too fluffy?"
"So... do you know what it means, Mr. Lock?" Dusk asked curiously, holding up the parchment.
"No clue at all," Lock said proudly.
"Huh?" Dusk's expression dulled, half-annoyed.
"Don't look at me like that," Lock said quickly, wagging his finger. "Let me analyze."
He smoothed the parchment against the floor, his eyes darting back and forth between the scribbles. "Hmmm... from church... from home... landmarks? Wait—could 'home' mean your house? Which is also the Witch's previous house."
Dusk leaned closer. "Maybe..."
"Then what are these numbers beside the landmarks?" Lock muttered. His fingers traced the messy lines before his expression brightened. "Wait a second."
He reached into his coat and pulled out a folded, worn-out map. "Aha! This might help."
He spread the map across the ground, weighed its corners down with small stones, and took out a pencil.
"What is that?" Dawn asked, sitting down beside him. Her small fingers traced the roads and rivers printed across the paper.
"This is a map of Ram City," Lock said, grinning, "and the region beyond—Lightfall Mountain nearby."
"Lightfall Mountain…" Dusk whispered. The name stirred something deep within his memory.
---
When he was unconscious in the guardhouse, faint voices had reached his ears—two men whispering.
"The heretic treasure... Lightfall Mountain… Trust me, we can do this without the church noticing…"
He had thought it was just a dream. But now, the words resurfaced with chilling clarity.
---
"Is something on your mind?" Lock asked, catching the shift in Dusk's expression.
Dusk nodded and explained everything—about Chief Guard Robert, about the whispers of a forbidden treasure, and the cruel men from Lightrest City. He also mentioned the encounter that happened between them just minutes ago.
Lock's eyes widened in realization before a loud, booming laugh escaped him. His laughter echoed off the brick walls of the alley like thunder.
Dawn winced and quickly covered her bunny ears. "Too loud!"
"Ugly laughter," Hoot scoffed, shaking his head. "Sounds like a dying rooster."
Lock ignored them both and turned back to Dusk, his grin stretching wide. "Little Dusk, do you believe in fate?"
Dusk blinked. "Fate?"
Lock leaned back against the wall, voice softening into something older—wiser. "According to legends, fate is like a thread connecting every living being. Whatever happens now, whatever will happen, even what already has happened—everything is tied together by invisible strings."
Dawn tilted her head. "Like spider webs?"
Lock chuckled. "Close enough, Bunny Ears." He twirled his pencil thoughtfully. "Maybe it's karma. Think about it—if that Chief Guard hadn't targeted you, you wouldn't have come to this city… and we wouldn't be sitting here right now."
He paused, eyes glinting in the candlelight. "The moment he decided to harm you, his fate shifted. His plan to find the treasure changed course—because of you."
Dusk stared down at the parchment. He didn't fully understand it, but Lock's words stirred something deep in his chest—a quiet hope that maybe, for once, fate wasn't entirely cruel.
Lock smiled faintly, his tone turning philosophical.
"Fate is unpredictable. Doing good for others will come back to help you someday. Doing bad will eventually come back to bite you."
Dawn blinked innocently. "Like when I bit that mean fruit seller's hand?"
Hoot cackled. "Exactly! Fate in action!"
Lock groaned. "That's not what I—never mind. And why do you bite random people's hands? Don't do it." He turned back to the map and began marking the locations mentioned in the parchment. "Let's see. Church, home, market square… and these numbers—they look like distances."
He started drawing straight lines across the map, carefully measuring as he went.
"Church... one thousand meters... Home... six hundred... Lightfall Crossroad..." he murmured, his pencil scraping against the paper.
Dawn leaned over, watching closely, her ears twitching. "It's like a spider web!"
Lock grinned, connecting the final line. "Exactly! And when we follow the threads…"
He stepped back, eyes gleaming. "Every line meets right here."
Dusk and Dawn leaned closer. At the very center of the tangled markings—all the distances converged at a single point, deep in the shadow of Lightfall Mountain.
Lock tapped the spot with the pencil, his grin widening into pure delight.
"This—this is where the treasure lies."
For a moment, the alley fell silent, the realization hanging heavy in the air. The air around them seemed colder, the shadows thicker.
Then Lock threw his head back and laughed again—that mad, echoing laughter that made even the owl flinch.
"Hahaha! The witch investigated these in the mountains. But she couldn't get to the treasure at the end."
Dawn covered her ears again. "So loud!" she cried, pouting.
Lock ignored her, still chuckling. "The so-called Heretic's treasure must be some sort of magic artifact… hidden at the mountain that touches the sky."
He lowered the parchment, his tone turning sly. "But be warned… if we're heading there, the Church and that Lightrest guards will both be after us."
Dusk met his gaze without flinching. "It's not like I'm traveling with you."
Lock's grin softened into something proud. "Heh. True..."
He folded the map and tucked it away in his coat. "Tomorrow at dawn, I will climb toward fate itself."
He clapped his hands. He, along with Hoot, disappeared in a flash, leaving behind a pouch of coins.