Outside, Avine took up his Terwak again, although it was not necessary since his mother's friend lived two blocks away from them. He lived in an old-looking building and surrounded himself with thousands of books, his only real passion. As their precious Douniel mentioned so well. Standing in front of a large metal door engraved, as his uncle told her, with ancient symbols that reflected power, Avine knocked and the door, which recognizing her fingerprints, opened easily.

Avine's uncle also had a butler who, to Avine's surprise, seemed to have been waiting for her to come. He certainly always greeted her with deference and accompanied her into the hall, a luxurious room, but rather cluttered with antique furniture, heavy curtains hanging from high windows, wallpapers showing gloomy landscapes, not to mention the imposing chandelier-like vessel.

- Hello Miss Avine. What a nice surprise. Declared the faithful butler in sign of welcome. Avine answered him by a radiant smile but did not understand this certain feverishness which made tremble the faithful servant.

- Hello Brok, thank you for your welcome. I'm happy to visit my dear...uncle." she said with a face that revealed what she thought of his strange behavior. Where is he now?

- But as always, in the house, the attentive butler answered simply

- Yes, I know, she said, rolling her eyes. But where exactly?

- This time... on the first floor, miss. And his already tormented expression changed completely, which strangely alerted the young guest. Avine felt a slight surprise.

- Is that so?

- Yes, miss.

- Curious, I didn't know he had one.

- I didn't know either, Miss. And I admit I'm a little worried.

- Why is that? Avine asked as she approached the faithful Brok, becoming as anxious as he was.

- Well, ...

- Yes, please speak freely Master Brok, insisted calmly the young guest, maybe I could do something.

The latter sighed.

- Very well. Your uncle has been acting strangely for the past few days. I was obviously concerned, but at first I tried to stay out of it. But as he became more and more strange, stranger than usual, believe me, I finally asked him what was bothering him, and he looked at me for a long time before answering that some things were simply painful and unavoidable, and that they should therefore be kept silent forever. Then the day before yesterday, when he left his breakfast untouched... As you know, my breakfast is always good and very nourishing. I have never broken my rules and...

- I know, Master Brok. Avine soothed him by placing her thin hand on the unfortunate butler's arm. Your meals are always sublime. And my uncle knows it too.

- Yes, you're right, Miss Avine.

He breathed, trying to pull himself together.

- As I said, without even touching his breakfast, the master left down the long corridor. I followed him hesitantly of course," he defended himself again, "and this time guiltily, to make sure he was going to rest. It was then that I saw him stand in front of a rather secluded wall in the back of the house, stand there motionless for a moment contemplating it, then put his hands on it and opened a magical door. But not with simple magic. Powerful, silent magic, the reason why none of us have ever discovered it. Listening carefully to these words, Avine's eyes widened, not believing his ears. Her Uncle Dobert, always so kind and thoughtful, was neglecting his meal and was so tormented by something that he left his faithful servant in such sad anxiety, only to go and open a secret door that Brok said he had kept hidden, which she would never have thought of him.

- I see.

- Then you might possibly understand, Miss, that I don't know what to do anymore.

- Yes, I can easily understand that, Master Bork. Assured Avine, still not knowing what to think of the situation. But don't worry too much. she added, trying to be reassuring. I'll go see him. Maybe it's just a little depression after all. I've heard that everyone has to go through it.

- I hope so, miss. sighed poor Brok, who felt lost for the first time.

He accompanied her to the back of the house, where, in the middle of a large white wall, a huge double door was open, around which were inscribed ancient letters including a particularly attractive symbol. It was a semicircle on which a young warrior in armor was kneeling majestically, wearing a sublime crown and holding a bow, ready to shoot an arrow. A huge winged beast behind him supported him and served him probably as faithfully as one can dream.

- I wonder what that really means," she wondered, watching the sign intently. Then Avine entered the secret room that seemed to hide an infinitely heavy secret for her beloved uncle. A huge gallery greeted her and further on, a huge granite staircase with a beautifully carved banister that led to a huge room filled with shelves of old books by the thousands, luxurious armchairs, but of the old type, in a corner a varnished wooden bar, supplied with all unimaginable drinks. Then she saw her uncle, a man of the same age as Grace, wearing as usual a luxurious and discreet suit, with a scarf tied around his neck and golden cufflinks on his wrists. And for the first time, Avine regarded this being, whom she had called and regarded as a parent for as long as she could remember, with objective attention. Her mother had met him when Avine was only six years old, Grace was seeking funds for her campaign against the excessive exploitation of an opaline lake by unscrupulous industrialists, thus destroying the solid balance of the reproductive cycle of the aquatic beasts. Then Uncle Dobert, also concerned about the environment of the planet, admiring the courage and intelligence of young Grace and asserting himself rich noble, participated in the financing of the campaign. It was at this time that Avine's mother gained a friend whose support never failed. And even, and Avine was broad-minded enough, understood the more than tender relationship that bound them at one time. She didn't blame her mother for the affair, which she never really tried to hide. She loved her father, but her mother also had the right to live her life as she saw fit. And now Avine was in a strange room, looking at her uncle who was revealing another face they had always ignored, wondering if, despite all the moments they had spent together, they had ever really known him. He was sitting in a large armchair, legs crossed, one hand resting on his arm and lightly supporting his head covered with a long ashen hair totally disheveled, his face thinned, wearing a distant and melancholic expression. He was contemplating what occupied an entire wall. A moving painting of a young warrior in shining armor, accompanied by a winged beast, fighting together a gigantic black monster with bright scarlet eyes. Avine gazed intently at what seemed to fascinate his mother's friend so much. The young fighter's powers were obviously extraordinary and seemingly limitless.

Then, feeling strangely disturbed by this unknown and rather incomprehensible vision, spoke.

- My uncle?