"Traitor!"

Cold, suffocating fire grew in the heart, breaking out of the chest, covering the whole body, striking with icy burns then it expanded, capturing the whole space, the whole field of vision. The flame finally dispersed, leaving a feeling of stuffiness and opening a deserted red endless space from the burned remains of the former world. Dust and white soot spread from the debris, which soared upward with a howling breeze of wind, into a crimson smoky "something" that used to be called "sky", and then fell to extinct earth like sand in the desert. Only it was not sand, it was the ashes of a flourishing life. Here, once green grass grew, and barefoot children ran along it.

Yes, once life played here in all colors, here a man worked, cared for, rested, had friends, loved, created and died, passing on life to another generation. Now here the cycle of time is stopped and there is an eternal void and a bloody eternal sunset with smoke instead of clouds. And there is no hurry, and there is nothing and nobody to care about. And only the ghosts of a painful past were restored and began to circle in front of consciousness and on the ashen sand.

Actually, no, not only painful! Sparkling bright lights flew from the side, from somewhere, illuminating the desert of sorrow with the light of hope.

The sun. The sea ravished with peace and light. Peace. After the stupid and smug rumors of ministers and politicians, whose pompous rhetoric obscured the main goal of all ideas and their activities and served as a way to snatch the biggest piece of what belonged to people by right, after streams of lies and flattery, unsuccessful attempts to break this barrier, he went to the hospital, in order to help her, the one who gave herself to others without a trace, shared joy with those who were crying and rejoicing. She stood in a light blue dress, belted with a blue belt, and loose dark hair, flowing over her shoulders and back. Her white medical coat lay on a stone by the sea. Before approaching her, he stopped at a distance of several meters, admiring her

"Miss, miss!"someone called her from the side. She turned to the sound or voice, her former thoughtful and sad eyes lit up with joy.

A little girl of about six to seven on crutches walked towards her.

She took a step towards the girl, but the girl stopped her.

"No, Miss Melissa, do not come to me, stand where you are. I want to get to you myself," she threw back the crutches with a sharp movement, "without crutches!"

"Ally!" Melissa exclaimed excitedly, but did not move, noticing that, wincing and swaying, the little girl nevertheless overcomes the distance between them stubbornly. I believe in you honey, you can!"

There were only five steps left. At the fifth step, the girl swayed from fatigue, falling into Melissa's hands, who grabbed her and pressed her to her chest. Tears of joy rolled down her clean green eyes.

"My dear, you did it. Now you can walk. I am so happy for you," young woman whispered, gently running her hand through the girl's hair.

"Miss Melissa, I can now run, jump, like all children. I can do everything! I will become a ballerina. This is all thanks to you! When I grow up and become an excellent ballerina..."

"Ellie, you overcame everything on your own. You are like a king from a fairy tale that I have told you more than once. You are brave, strong and brave."

"Like that king? Do you really think so?" the girl's face flushed with happiness."I really want to be like him. And... I love you so much, Miss Melissa. I don't want to part with you..." the girl wrapped her arms around Melissa.

A sparkling ball burst, followed by another.

The long-awaited event occurred at night, but, delayed with urgent state affairs, on which the fates of many people depended on. He could only arrive by the evening of the next day. He ran up the stairs, feeling excitement in his heart, approached the door and stopped for a moment before opening. He heard the peaceful singing of a warm voice. She stood by the window when he went in. She turned, with a look of tenderness and peace, and holding out a tiny baby slept in a peaceful sleep with a dark fluff of hair on his head.

"Roland, we have a son!" she said in a voice trembling with weakness and uncontrollable happiness at the same time.

Years passed The rainbow colors of quiet family happiness replaced each other with memorable moments. He came home, filled with orange sunbeams, which she lit up every corner with, where the air seemed crystal clear and fresh. When he unlocked the door and entered the room, she looked up from the next volume of the book, which she read to their son aloud, bending over the bed, and, raising her finger to her lips, laid the book down; she got up silently and took his arms, pressing against his raising her head, she peered into his eyes for a long time. He always tried to solve the mystery of her inquisitive gaze, which she looked at him. It seemed to him that, looking at him like that, she tried to tell him something more that could not be expressed in words, could not be explained: "Remember, look carefully, think," seemed to express her gaze, but she didn't explain anything with words and continued to lead on herself on as usual. She was careful in expressions, restrained and balanced in words, her actions and movements were smooth, soft and delicate. Despite the fact that they were a family, they were incredibly close both as loving, and as husband and wife, and as friends, shared shelter, cares, life, she always remained a mystery to him. He knew practically nothing about her past, except for the general facts that her parents had died early, she had no one left, she studied, worked until she met him. She never went into the details of her own life, but he did not demand details from her unless she expressed a desire to share something personal with him herself. But it was happiness - it was quiet happiness.

A gentle dusty wind blew - a light ball fluttered dangerously, faded for a moment, but was still in the air. And when the wind died, it shone again.

He began to succeed in work, before him broad prospects opened up in the field of politics, he was prophesied of brilliant career accomplishments. She was happy for him as for herself, supported in everything. When William grew up and went to school, she resumed work in the hospital.

But William was physically weak and had to trade school walls filled with laughter and enthusiasm for green hospital walls.

"We will overcome it. Children outgrow it. William is strong and could handle it." She did not lose heart.

Mom was nearby, but she was madly tired, torn between the treatment of her son and the countless patients to whom she continued to give herself all over.

A sand hurricane rose, catching and blowing bright balls, which, having thrown up in the air, burst. The hurricane intensified, tearing and raging metal, lifting up the walls of dead ash.

One day, when he came home late, she rushed to meet him, but suddenly her legs gave way and she fell into his arms without feeling. Her body was burning. She faded like a candle, suffering in agony. It seemed that she burned inside and burned until a fiery river carried her fragile body and big soul into the valley of eternity without saying a word to him.

Pain, bitterness, anger. Rock was relentless. Why did she give her life without a trace, her big heart, and rock took her life from her? Bitterness overwhelmed his soul. He could not bear it, he needed to get lost for a while. And he got lost..., having gone headlong into work, until he achieved tremendous success - he became president, almost a legendary person.

But the glory did not amuse him, he just wanted to drown out the aching pain, to force the memories out of his heart... He worked to the point of exhaustion and practically stopped being at home. He loved William, but it became unbearable for him to see his own son now - a painful reminder of her, because he looked so much like her! He provided his son with everything necessary: treatment, a nurse, books, leisure, but could not be with Will himself. No, he was not going always to hide from his son. Only for a while, until the wound heals. He would never leave William – after all, this is the most precious thing that he has had! But the work, delegations, politics, state, troubles, erupted interethnic conflicts, which he tried to resolve in order to prevent a world catastrophe. All this captured him headlong, and he did not notice that all this had taken years. And the more summer passed, the more work accumulated, and he barely managed to take the time to visit his hopelessly sick son in the hospital.

Meanwhile, William, lying on a hospital bed in the most expensive ward, unable to even get up on his own, watched dad every day on television - so handsome, smart, successful, influential: he lands on a helicopter, he is accompanied by guards, he shakes hands with ambassadors of other states, gives interviews, makes wise speeches. William was proud of his father, but it was painful and sad that he had never come to him. Only the aunt — the father's sister — often visited the boy, played with him, gave him books and toys, and assured him that the father loved his son, and he did everything for the sake of the country — for William, for his future. And father really thought so.."

"But auntie, I don't need a country, I need a dad, I want to see him... at least for an instant," William said sadly once in response to another excuse in defense of her brother from the aunt."I think Papa doesn't love me at all."

Tears came to Roland's eyes at the sight of this memory.

"No, Will, I love you, forgive me," he said in an undertone.

But it's late. A crimson-rusty gigantic star crashed to the ground and crumbled the world into smoldering debris, turning it into a desert of death and nonexistence, where, except for howling sirens, there were no more sounds coming from living beings.

Roland stood in the middle of this kingdom of sinister decay and emptiness, squeezed with pain and torment of conscience. He felt like a traitor, and everything in this desert of death seemed to whisper in an inaudible chorus, "Traitor!" The most painful emerging memories stood out and circled in a round dance around him: his wife's tired face, the weak body of his son on a bed in the hospital walls, his sad questioning green eyes: "Why, dad? I love you and wait so much, but I'm unwanted, unnecessary for you."

And new memories stood up – his time from his new life in a new world. He had not thought about it before, but now he was tormented he left Evan's beloved teacher to fight the ruthless monster herself. It was his Puritan composure and prudence that closed his own eyes to the obvious manifestations of heart inertia. He longed to do the right thing, was ready to give his life for the sake of others, but sometimes he remained blind and lacked soul flexibility, which involuntarily hurt his close. It was he who had to throw himself at the Dark Knight, take on himself the blow of a flaming stream and return to nothingness, which, obviously, was intended for him, but which he was miraculously avoided. He is a strong adult man, not a fragile young girl. Yes, despite Aranella's fighting abilities and ability to bravely stand up for herself and, first of all, for others, impressive for a girl of her age and in general a girl, she was fragile girl. It was she who was supposed to lead Evan further and motherly care for him and to find her own happiness of life in the end.

In the fog, like using a projector on a special canvas, the same scene was played out again: The Dark Knight sends a deadly stream of fire; the image of Nella with opened arms to this fire stream. She silently, not issuing a single cry, meekly accepting a blow, falls face down on cold plates. With a pounding heart and horror he turns her shoulders. Too late: she barely breathed, her head helplessly hanging to his shoulder, like a gullible child. He was supposed to protect Evan and Nella. Instead, her body was left at the exit of the underground canals, as if she simply lay down to take a nap and her death meant nothing…

It seemed painful memories decided to drive him crazy in this kingdom of the perished world: they turned into fragments and circled around him. And the very space with a crimson sky above the scorched earth pressed on him, he was suffocating, a familiar ice flame flashed in his chest. He grabbed his head and rushed to run forward without knowing where - there was nowhere to run anyway, everything was dead all around, everything was pointless...

"Roland!"

Roland stopped when he heard a voice calling him from afar, from somewhere behind. This voice ... He had heard it once... Yes, on that fateful night, when an explosion occurred, when a terrible wave of world destruction threw back his car, in which he was driving, and later, at the last moment of the functioning of consciousness, before it broke the connection with life. And this voice called him again. Saving voice!

He turned and saw an image of a space in the distance glowing with silver light, resembling a tiny island, protected from outer darkness and emptiness with a dense forest. Silver balls with happy memories flew from this island, but they stopped flying, bursting under the gusts of local hurricanes, giving way to grief and mental anguish. And, it seemed, the sound of a saving voice came from this island too. It is important to get to this island at all costs! He felt that his soul would find rest and tranquility there for a while.

Fending off the fragments of painful memories that flew into his face, he rushed to run to the island. He was close. So close that he saw the image of a small house behind the trees, and was a lake next to the trees.

"Roland, here!"

But suddenly he stopped. Here is another memory. He stands with his gun raised, dark lights burning in his eyes.

"So that's how much trust I've earned, huh? Good to know. Maybe I would be better off someplace else" his own words uttered in the morning. Someplace my talents will be appreciated…

Batu's wicked scornful gaze, which looked at him like a vile parasite.

"He as good as admits it! Get out of here until I set you up by force! Batu menacingly clenched his powerful fist.

Well, apparently, he deserved it. Roland calmly headed for the exit.

"So long, Batu. Evan…"

"Roland, you can't!" the unfortunate Evan rushed to run for the one whom he trusted more than anything after his father and Nella, tears welled in his eyes.

He can. And he will do it.

"Roland!" the voice from the island called him again, but he turned his back to it.

"Late," he said. "Too late. It is time to act."

Roland stood in the middle of a wide wheat field. He heard the rustling of grass and the shuffling of feet on the ground behind.

"And who are you?" he asked, without looking back.

"Hm…hm…hm… Forgive me, Chief Consul. Or should I say… former Chief Consul," the mocking voice answered.

Roland turned around.

"So you saw that too, huh? Well? What do you want with me?"

"Why, to engage your services, of course. You have information that will be… quite useful to us, I am sure," the suspicious man continued.

"Hm. That's quite the offer. What exactly did you have in mind?" Roland crossed his arms over his chest.

"For one such as yourself? Oh, plenty, my friend. Plenty.

My friend… Roland grinned.

"But If you wish learn more, you must speak with my master."

"Oh yeah? And who might that be?"

"Why, King Mausinger, of course. There is no need to be coy."

"Well, well… Looks like I landed on my feet." Roland answered.

Again… These huge corridors, rooms, walls, castles, marble staircases, inspiring statues and columns, entwined with flowers - this luxury and grandeur were breathtaking and dizzy. When you walk along these azure corridors, the floor of which is carpeted, it seems as if you ar floating at the bottom of the centuries-old underwater kingdom, which has absorbed a significant part of history. These walls have seen a lot...

Roland stopped at the entrance and shook his head with a mysterious smile, looking around the familiar walls of Ding Dong Dell, from which his amazing adventures began.

It is so funny! Yesterday, he was dressed in the president's suit, which Aranella found strange and ordered to replace with the defender's suit that she liked (it was symbolic that he wore it again this time), ran along these corridors with a gun, defending little Evan with incredibly funny cat ears and tail from the soldiers. And there was a side door leading to a room with a bookcase, which Roland had amused on the first day, when Aranella, rearranging the books, opened the back door to the underground channels: he saw such tricks except in the movies. Now, having lived a long period in the wizarding world, he has ceased to be amazed at petty miracles.

Servants walked through the corridors, full of people and grimalkins in yellow and pink dresses in which Aranella was remembered. One of the servents was vaguely reminiscent of Aranella, but when she came closer, it turned out that it was not her. Roland twitched slightly, because in these walls, in which she lived most of her life, she died in an honest, dedicated battle. And he just…

"My turns are simple. I want power. And maybe a little money, too. Give me those, and'll give you what you want. I'll even give you Evan," Roland put forward his condition to His Majesty Mausinger.

Evan did not believe and did not want to believe that the person whom he most trusted, admired, could betray him. He sat on the throne in the throne room and could no longer think of anything; it was impossible to concentrate on public affairs. He sought support from Leander, Bracken, and Batu, but their answers were categorical.

On the Tani's offer to go in search of Roland, Batu turned away and muttered angrily: "He needs nothing from us, girlie! And he'll get nothing. The man's a turncoat, damn him!"

"I would advise you to forget about him, Your Majesty. He is no linger your concern. Forgive me Sire, but you have more pressing worries. Give the traitor no thought" Leander snapped pedantically and startlingly indifferently.

Bracken spread her hands without saying anything.

Tani was only one who understood and supported Evan, as she was attached to Roland and was close to him after Evan. Unlike the indifference of the others, she, like Evan, was very painfully worried about Roland's departure and missed their older friend and mentor, because Evan, Roland and Tani became a steady friendly trinity and spent most of their time together.

"Wow, talk about cold! Wasn's Roland one of our best friends five minutes ago?" Tani snapped furiously and looked round accusingly at Batu, Leander and Brackeni, but her words had no effect on them.

Evan was deeply wounded with the indifference of his friends and, leaving the throne room, went to the library, where Roland spent most of the time day and night reading books. He pressed the door handle, it creaked open - the library was empty. Evan went to the table at which Roland worked. A stack of books, tablets and parchments, one huge volume dedicated to the history Ding Dond Dell was unfolded in the middle, next to it was a sheet of parchment, mottled with neat beautiful handwriting, symbols, drawings, diagrams. The inkwell with remained untwisted.

"It cannot be that Roland dropped his books like this and left us forever. It cannot be. I do not believe!" Evan thought woefully.

Evan sat down at the table and laid his head on the table and closed his eyes.

"Roland!" He whispered, feeling tears welling up.

Moments swirled in thoughts that characterized Roland: he sat on a stone with his arms crossed that morning after escaping from Ding Dong Dell in the mountains and patiently waited for Evan to wake up. He taught him physical and mental stamina, enriched him intellectually, supported him and defended him; or when he looked at him with pride, which made Evan's heart jump for joy. Such a strong, courageous, wise - as he throws himself into the heat of a battle with a sword right in front of the enemy, deftly dodges the blows and at the right moment covers Evan when the danger was imminent. With Roland, Evan felt like behind a stone wall. In difficult times, he always instilled confidence in him and deftly found solutions in difficult situations, showing the subtlety and acuteness of quick-wittedness and intelligence. After all, Roland could not leave Evan after all, so injure him, betray everything that was both expensive for the kingdom, for both of them. But why do his friends remain so indifferent except Tani? Why is no one able to understand him? The advice of Batu and Leander to forget him and just take up "more important state affairs" seemed to him blasphemous. Bracken, who had only recently joined their friendly team from Broadleaf, always cheerful and resourceful, was silent: apparently, she simply did not have time to even get closer to each of the courtiers, including Roland. Maybe Bracken would support him...

A tear rolled from Evan's eyes and fell onto the parchment. Ah, if Nellawas here! She would understand: she knows everything about everything...

"That is not so, Evan. I do not know everything about everything," he heard a voice. Familiar, dear, beloved voice!

The sunlight falling through the window on the flooring separated and took the shape of Aranella.

"Nella!" Evan exclaimed.

His beloved teacher, the second mother stood by the window, so bright, kind, and held out her hands to him.

Evan threw himself into Aranella's arms.

"Nella, I missed you so much! Nella!" Evan said,.He grabbed Nella's hands and pressed him to his cheek.

"Evan, my dear Evan. I could not come, despite the fact that we are separated by time and the boundary between the different forms of life," Nella said, brushing tears from Evan's cheeks. "Tell me that you are so tormented."

"Nella, it's too hard for me. I have not been so hard since... you were gone... He ... Roland, " Evan said, sobbing, "he just left, abandoned me, and, that is the most terrible, he betrayed Evermore, all of us... me."

Aranella listened toEvan silently, gently running a hand over his shoulder.

"You remember, from the very first day that Roland appeared in our world, he defended and cared for me, I became attached to him. I hope you won't be offended if I say that? I became attached to him almost like you, Nella, like my father. He taught me a lot, like you. Please forgive me. Roland, did not replace you, he... " Evan tried to make excuses, but Aranella stopped him.

"Evan, no need to make excuses," Nella interposed softly. "I know that your new mentor means a lot to you, and I understand everything perfectly. And I also know that you love and remember me. Could you choose between father and mother?"

Evan's eyes were filled with gratitude.

"But ..." Evan looked again at the books and the volume on the history of Dind Dong Dell. "I don't understand how he could have done that. I thought Roland loved me too... But he left me and betrayed me."

Nella took Evan's hands in hers and looked into his eyes.

"Evan, do you f believe that Roland could betray you?"

Evan looked at his beloved nanny, then answered firmly:

"No, I do not believe, not a bit. Everything in me resists believing this. This is absurd!" Evan exclaimed.

"And were there any cases, when Roland let you down in some way, outwitted, set you up? At least one single case when you felt distrust of him or he behaved suspiciously?" Aranella asked.

"No, never!" Evan resolutely blurted out. "He always acts honestly, directly and responsibly. Roland is ready at any moment to give his life for the sake of a country and friends. He does not spare strength and health, devoting himself to state affairs. He can be secretive, but all because he experiences trauma inside, the pain of heavy losses with which he does not want to burden others. But he is not suspicious."

"Then think for yourself: could he really betray you? It is logical to assume that he has his own reasons to do so?"

Evan's heart jumped with joy and enthusiasm.

"Do you think Roland is not a traitor?" He exclaimed. "But all around, Batu, Leander, Tani, amicably fought against him and do not even want to hear about him. And I feel so alone."

Aranella smiled, her whole figure blowing warmth and kindness. Evan felt so warm at heart and well.

"Evan, spirits, like people, don't know "everything about everything, as you say," Nella laughed lightly. "Let the whole world take up arms and find trump cards against a person dear to you, but if this person is really dear to you and he never gave cause for doubt, you need to believe in him, believe in him to the end. And it's okay if you're mistaken not for his account. The mistake is not in trust, the mistake is in the lack of trust in him, because faith in a person is a saving thread. To love a person means to believe in him."

"Nella, you and Tani are the only ones who understand me. "Thank you!" For Evan, it was as if the sun of hope had lit up again. "Oh, if only Roland would return as soon as possible…

"Evan, you are a courageous and strong king. You know what patience is."

Evan nodded.

"Nella, you and Roland have become close people for me, like mother and father. I wish you were with us and we lived here, in Evermore, as a friendly family - together, always: you, Roland and me. How wonderful it would be... " Evan sighed heavily.

Evan thought Nella was a little embarrassed and blushed.

"I would also like it very much," Aranella answered in a whisper, and then added out loud: "I would like to see you grown up and happy..."

If Evan raised his head, then he saw how Aranella was trying to brush her tears imperceptibly.

Evan woke up in the library and found himself sitting at the same Roland's table, there was nobody in the library. Only the curtain on the window under a gust of wind fluttered slightly and rustled softly.

The door swung open and Tani entered the library.

"Evan, there you are I've been looking for you everywhere. I started to worry," she said.

Evan felt joy and peace inside. He flew up to Tani and grabbed her hands:

"Tani, Roland is not a traitor. He will certainly return!"

And he came back. He appeared on the threshold of the hall, letting in a powerful stream of bright light of hope and inspiration for future adventures.