If, of course, Karabaev didn't get to it first.
A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts.
"Come in," he said.
Dinara entered the room. She had changed into simple home clothes and let her hair down. In the dimness of the room, her eyes seemed especially dark and deep.
"Can't sleep?" she asked, sitting on the chair by the table.
"Too much information for one day," Alexei replied, returning to the bed. "It all seems… unreal."
"I know," Dinara nodded. "Even for me, having grown up with these legends, everything that's happening feels like a dream. Or a movie."
"Do you really believe this story?" asked Alexei. "About a crystal with unusual properties?"
Dinara pondered before answering:
"I'm a historian. I was taught to rely on facts, on documents, on archaeological finds. But I also grew up here, among these mountains and legends." She looked out the window at the starry sky. "There are things that science cannot yet explain. Especially here, at Issyk-Kul. The lake holds many secrets." She turned to Alexei. "And you? Do you believe?"
Alexei touched the medallion under his shirt. It was warm again, almost alive to the touch.
"A week ago, I would have definitely said 'no,'" he answered honestly. "But now… after everything that's happened… I don't know. This medallion behaves strangely. And people are willing to kill for it. So there must be something to this story."
Dinara nodded.
"That's why we must find the crystal before Karabaev. If the legend is even partially true, in his hands, the 'Key of Solomon' could become a dangerous weapon."
"Or the greatest blessing for humanity, if one believes in its healing properties," Alexei remarked.
"It all depends on the person who possesses it," said Dinara. "At least, that's what the legend says."
She rose, preparing to leave.
"We need to get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a difficult day."
At the door, she stopped and turned back:
"I'm glad you're here, Alexei. Despite all the dangers… I'm glad we're together again. Good night."
"Good night," he replied, watching her leave.
After Dinara closed the door, Alexei sat motionless for some time. Then he took off the medallion and placed it on the table by the bed. The silver disc gleamed dully in the moonlight streaming through the window. The symbols on its surface seemed to form mysterious patterns that were impossible to read but somehow felt familiar, like a long-forgotten dream.
Tomorrow. Tomorrow they would set out in search of the secret that the medallion had guarded. A secret that could forever change their lives.
With this thought, Alexei went to bed. He dreamed of mountains, caves, a lake glowing from within with a bluish light. And the figure of a monk standing on the shore with outstretched hands, as if offering something or warning about something. The monk was saying something, but Alexei couldn't make out his words. Only the medallion on the monk's chest glowed, and this light was the only guide in the surrounding darkness.
