Several minutes pass before Ezer stands up again and searches for a few words to say, although Nataña goes first and surprisingly apologizes.

"I'm sorry, I did wrong. After a few years you learn to assert yourself so that you don't get eaten alive in this place. That... was a reflex, sorry.”

"I... No, it was my fault. I shouldn't have said those things either, sorry.” Ezer sincerely apologizes, angry with himself for being so late.

An awkward silence falls between the two again and the other prisoners lose interest as well, not hearing anything interesting.

“It's grey.”

“Eh?”

“My hair, it's grey. Sometimes you can also see a little whitish in the light. As the years go by it gets darker and darker.”

“I see, the complete opposite of a normal person.” Nataña smiles and dispels the discomfort with her magical charisma.

And that is how a somewhat hectic day of confinement almost ends, but to the surprise of everyone in the prison, the heavy iron door opens with a loud creak revealing a well-dressed man in dark clothes and a prominent tallness. His mere presence makes Ezer pale.

"I-it's him!"

It might seem that when the heavy front door swings open, grinding metal on metal, all the prisoners will get up from their shared cages and search for the source of the sound to break their monotony. But this was not the case, winter was practically upon everyone and the daily food they received had been cut in half. Anyone would choose to save their strength and simply move their heads paying attention with their eyes and ears.

However, a single person rises from the cold ground and tries to peek through the bent bars that contained him. That person was Ezer, who could not imagine seeing a familiar face in such a place, much less such that person.

"It’s really... him." As soon as he spots him, Ezer steps away from the bars with hurried steps almost falling on his back.

“What's going on!?” Ezer's reaction soon draws Nataña's attention.

"What are you doing in a place like this? Did they discover my identity? How do I escape? Maybe... maybe when they open the cell I can... but for that I need a weapon. Steal it from a guard?” Those thoughts and a hundred more occur in Ezer's head until the jolt Nataña gives forces him to pay attention to her.

“What's going on!? What’s wrong!?” Waking up in a cell hadn't scared him as much before... So what could do it now? These were Nataña's thoughts, she also wanted to prepare for the worst in case she was involved. The decision is made without hesitation, if it was dangerous for herself... she would hand him over without hesitation.

"It's him, it's because of him that I had to escape into the woods."

"Does he know you're here?"

“I'm not sure...”

"Then we have to find it out." Nataña wastes no time and approaches the bars as Ezer had done and, with great difficulty, manages to see the well-dressed man in long black coats that accentuated his height even more. It only took one glance to know that he was a noble and this cast several doubts on the story that Ezer had told her.

He was a noble anyway, and she hated that. Anything that harmed him would make her happy. As long as it didn't affect her negatively.

"I don't think he's looking for you... He doesn't even give the cells much thought."

Those words are what stops Ezer from searching for some sharp object on the ground and returning to the bars with a furtive glance. Nataña was right, Boron Rolennar was accompanied by two escorts, as well as Breno who looked on with bored eyes. They seemed to be waiting... for something.

Boron looked identical to how he remembered the day he escaped from him, gloomy just like in the past when visited his home as an ambassador in his childhood. That man carried a dark aura, he felt it, many thought that it was simply his gloomy clothing combined with his pale complexion that gave that feeling. But now Ezer saw clearly, something else this man was carrying, something that seemed to cling to him from his shadow.

“That's right, I still have time.” Ezer steps back again, this time, his mind clear of panic.

"Do you think he'll recognize you?"

"It's not even been two years since my escape... and now with my hair showing... He will, I'm sure." Ezer brings his nails to his teeth and chews them mercilessly.

"Then we just have to make sure he doesn't." Nataña says it with confidence and a slight smile that shows her teeth as she moves towards the back of the cell at the same time.

"What.... No, you wouldn't think...?" Ezer watches her run her hands through the waste chute, picking up bits of what both of them and the entire right wing of the prison had eaten the day before.

"Good idea right?" Nataña tries to keep her smile, but the stench and the feel between her fingers betrayed her.

"I'll draw more attention like this!"

"Oh... believe me you will, but in a bad way. You just have to follow the game and no one will have the nose to be in front of you.” She approaches and before placing her hands on Ezer's head, she asks with her eyes.

“Ah! Fine!” As soon as he finishes speaking, Ezer feels something sticky slide through his hair. He thought he was already used to the smell of feces, being so close for so long numbs his sense of smell. However, it was quite different to have chunks falling down one's cheek.

"It will work... I hope." Nataña didn't look too good either, applying camouflage to any grayish spots she could see.

"Aagghh, it's going to take long? I think I'm going to...”

"No vomiting! Hold!” Nataña rushes when she hears footsteps and voices that were getting closer, she didn't have time for the finishing touches.