They sat on the bench, resting their backs against the cool stone wall. The tension of the chase gradually subsided, giving way to fatigue.
"What do you think happened to Ermek?" Alexei asked.
"I don't know," Dinara shook her head worriedly. "But I believe he's all right. He's an experienced and respected man; even Karabaev's people wouldn't dare harm him seriously."
"What should we do next?"
"We'll wait here for the night. In the morning, we'll try to reach the village where my grandfather lives. It's about fifteen kilometers from here."
Alexei nodded and unconsciously touched the medallion under his shirt. It still felt warm.
"May I see the medallion?" Dinara asked, noticing his gesture.
Alexei removed the chain from his neck and handed her the medallion. She examined it carefully in the lamplight.
"Amazing craftsmanship," she whispered. "Even today, it would be difficult to create such fine engraving." She turned the medallion over. "And these symbols… some resemble Syriac script, but others… I can't decipher them."
"My grandfather wrote in his diary that he couldn't fully identify them," said Alexei. "And he was a specialist in ancient languages."
Dinara returned the medallion to Alexei.
"Perhaps it's some kind of cipher or conventional notations, understandable only to initiates."
Alexei put the chain back on. The medallion seemed to press against his skin with relief, becoming warm again.
"Strange," he noted. "It's as if… it's alive. Always warm."
Dinara looked at him intently.
"Warm? Are you sure it's not just your own body heat? Metal usually takes on the temperature of the body."
"No, this is different." Alexei shook his head. "It was warm even when I first took it out of the envelope. And… this will sound strange, but sometimes it seems to pulse, as if it has a heartbeat."
Dinara nodded thoughtfully.
"In our mountains, there are legends about sacred objects possessing their own life force. Some shamans believe that certain stones or metals can 'remember' a person's energy or events." She smiled. "Of course, from a scientific perspective, this sounds fantastical. But here, in these ancient mountains, you sometimes start to believe such stories."
They fell silent, listening to the sounds outside. The wind rustled in the shrubs; somewhere in the distance, a night bird called. The pursuers, it seemed, couldn't be heard.
"We need to get some sleep," said Dinara. "Tomorrow we have a long journey ahead."
She turned off the lamp, and the grotto plunged into semi-darkness, illuminated only by moonlight filtering through the entrance. They made themselves as comfortable as possible on the narrow bench, pressing against each other for warmth. Nights in the mountains were cool even in summer.
"Thank you for coming to my aid," Alexei said quietly. "You could have simply refused when I called."
"I wanted to refuse," Dinara admitted. "But then I realized this might be my chance to learn the truth. About my grandfather, about the past… about everything."
"What truth?"
"I don't know. But all my life, I've had the feeling that there's some secret in our family. Grandfather never spoke of it directly, but sometimes, especially when he thought no one could hear him, he would whisper strange phrases. About light in water, about a key that would open a door… I thought it was just an old man's muttering. But now…"
