Was it worry, or was it surprise? Stella couldn't tell. Her husband, nevertheless, seemed to have just arrived as well.

"Stella where have you been? I've been looking everywhere for you!" Called Omer, as he rushed toward her.

Returning his embrace, Stella looked into Omer's eyes as if to try and analyze the thoughts behind them.

"Me? Where have you been?" Retorted Stella with a question of her own. "I went looking for you in that awful cave!"

"What? Why would you do that? I didn't go in the cave today. Like you asked me, I went to work. I went home early so I could watch over you, but when I got here you were gone…"

"Well…" Mumbled Stella, feeling incredibly stupid now, "I saw that you silenced my alarm and left without telling me, so I figured you'd gone to that cave. You said yesterday that you 'couldn't promise anything' so I – "

"I was just mad at you, that's all… and I stopped your alarm so you could catch some more sleep. I was worried about you. You really think I would do anything to upset you? Look at me, Stella. It's like you don't know me."

"I… you're right. I'm so stupid!" Exclaimed Stella as she wiped tears off her eyes and buried her face in her husband's shoulder. "I was just so worried and upset, and I thought you hated – "

"I could never hate you. You're safe now. Have a seat I'll get you some coffee, okay?"

"Okay…"

Sitting down on the comfortable sofa in their well-lit living room, wiping away at her stupid tears, Stella quietly observed Omer boiling the water for his famous mud coffee. How could she have been so stupid as to not trust him?

The golden light of the afternoon shown through the wide windows behind her, giving the whole house a heavenly hue. For the first time that day, Stella felt calm. She couldn't believe the ordeal she'd put herself through. She almost got herself killed over nothing. She should've trusted Omer. Should've never let herself act as brashly and stupidly (just as she thought he did that morning). It only shows that you were projecting your own recklessness onto him, she thought to herself.

"So," said Omer as he handed her a cup of coffee and sat down on the chair beside the sofa, "did you just wander around the cave until you decided to come back or…?"

Stella dreaded that question. She had to tell him about what happened, had to warn him. Yet there was no way of telling how she nearly died in that cave without looking even more stupid than she already felt. Without upsetting him even more.

Still, it had to be done.

"Well… I…"

Omer looked at her with a puzzled face.

"I was attacked…"

"Attacked? By who?"

"Inferi. At least I think they were. It was that weird boy again but this time there was a big pale man too. They both tried to drag me into the ravine with them. I – "

"You were hallucinating that boy again?"

"He's real though! I know because this English guy, his name was Rasmi, he saved me from them. He used fire – you know – like you would fight inferi…"

"I see…" Said Omer. After a moment or so of silence he spoke again: "I never saw any inferi in the cave, but I did think I see someone else there for a moment. Maybe it was that English guy you saw. But are you sure you – "

"He took me to his hostel room near Dalyan, and I met his friends. Yes, I'm sure he's real, just like I'm sure the inferius boy is real."

"Okay. I believe you if you say it happened," blurted Omer, a little taken aback. "This… er… English guy, did he say why he was there or…?"

"Not really," responded Stella. "Though truth be told I never really gave him the chance to explain why he was there…"

"Oh?"

"I stormed out because he suggested that you might have something to do with the inferi attacking me! ha!"

Omer laughed at that. "Oh really? I suppose I'm also responsible for it being rainy yesterday, eh?"

"Yeah, ridiculous I know. He seemed to have a lot going on though. Maybe I shouldn't have been so rude to him, he saved me after all. Even if he did turn out to be a smug little idiot. He seemed very powerful for his age, you know? Like oddly good with magic and confident for an eighteen-year-old. That sort of talent could get into your head."

For a split-second, Stella thought she saw an odd expression on Omer's face. A kind of narrowing of the eyes she'd never seen before on him.

"Did he make that – um – impression on you?" He queried. "Did he at least say what brought him to our area?"

"Um, yeah, I think he said he was on some grand tour of the world or something – why are you so interested in him all of a sudden?"

"Nothing, I just er… want to know more about the man who saved my wife. Maybe we should pay him and his friends a visit, you know? To show him that I can be trusted." Omer chuckled half humorously, half nervously.

"Sure, yeah we can do that," responded Stella. She felt like this suggestion was a bit odd. Omer was never one to go out of his way to meet new people. Only a few days ago, she had to harass him into inviting his new boss for dinner. What changed now?

"Anyway," continued her husband, "I'm going to shower now. I feel smelly from running around looking for you."

With that statement Omer got up from his seat and walked over to their bathroom.

Stella heard the tap turn on in the shower. She felt exhausted. Felt like this day – which was barely halfway through – had lasted for a week. She finished her coffee and got up. She would go to bed now for a little. A short powernap is surely what she needed.

Passing by the bathroom door on her way to the bedroom Stella couldn't help but hear Omer's voice coming from within. She could barely hear it over the sound of the flowing water. Was he singing in the shower?

No, it sounded like speech. Or rather… well if she didn't know any better Stella could've sworn Omer was giggling to himself in the shower. It's almost as if he was whispering to a secret friend he had in the shower.

Stella shook her head and kept walking into the bedroom. She had a rough day. Omer was probably just relieved to have her back. Yes, it must have been just happy singing.

Laying down on the bed, Stella breathed in the still air of the bedroom. Soaking in the warm ray of sunshine coming through her window, she rolled over to give her back more warmth. She looked over at the closet.

"Oh, you forgot a towel!" She called at her husband.

"What?" Stella heard his muffled voice from behind the bathroom door.

"I said, YOU FORGOT A TOWEL!"

She got up and opened the closet door. Reaching out for one of the bottom towels, Stella felt something hard and thin slip from within her fingers and onto the floor with a *CLINK*

"Stella wait no!"

"What the…"

She lifted a thin stick of wood from the floor. A wand. It wasn't Omer's wand. It did look familiar though. She'd seen this one briefly before. She could have sworn it was –

"I can explain," said Omer from the doorway behind her. He was still fully clothed.

"Explain? Explain what? Why Katopodis' wand was hidden in our towel closet? What the hell Omer?"

"He… well – I didn't want to tell you this – but he died."

"He – he died?"

"Yeah the – er – skolopendra they got to him. I couldn't save him. I didn't want to cause a panic but… yeah."

"But…" Mumbled Stella as she rolled the light brown wand between her fingers. "You know, I don't think I've seen any skolopendra in the cave… Not even a sign that they exist in it. I mean there would have to be some remains or droppings or – "

She stopped in her tracks. This time there was no question about it. Omer looked at her menacingly. He almost looked mad. She'd never seen such a hate-filled expression on her husband's face before.

Stella raised Katopodis' wand swiftly –

It was too late. A flash of red light – a mere split second before she could counter with her own spell – told her so. Terror and betrayal were the last emotions Stella felt before unconsciousness kicked in.