When night quietly settled over the royal palace and the corridors fell silent after a long day of events, Basil and Hamza had already gone to rest in one of the rooms. Their calm was soon interrupted by a soft knock on the door.
In a quiet voice, one of the maids called out, "The king's advisor requests your presence in his chamber."
The two friends exchanged confused looks, then rose from their beds and decided to answer the call.
When they arrived at the advisor's chamber, he opened the door for them himself. The room was lit by a dim light, and the scent of old books filled the air.
With a calm gesture of his hand, he invited Basil and Hamza to sit on two comfortable chairs in front of a wooden table, while he sat on an ancient wooden chair. He then placed his hands on the table and looked at them seriously.
He spoke in a calm voice, "My name is Edison, and I am the king's advisor. Before I begin, you must know a truth that may seem shocking, but it will change the way you see many things… We are not inhabitants of Earth."
Basil and Hamza looked at him in shock as he continued speaking.
"Thirty years ago, my race and I came here from a distant planet called Niponaki. We were in a long war there against a tyrant king. When life became unbearable, we decided to flee in search of a safe refuge."
He sighed and continued in a low voice, "Our journey took longer than we expected, and as time passed, we began to suffer from a shortage of supplies. Hunger and thirst consumed our bodies, and we started losing members of our race one after another."
He paused for a moment, as if the memories weighed heavily on his words, then continued:
"We were on the verge of surrender when suddenly a miracle happened… A mysterious gate appeared before us, glowing with a radiant blue light in the darkness, as if it had emerged from another world. At first we thought it was a mirage, but when we approached it, we felt a warm energy surrounding us."
He continued, "We had no other choice, so we passed through the gate… and there we found ourselves face to face with a man holding a strange device in his hand, wearing glasses marked with the number 357. He was the great inventor Nikola Mask, and beside him was Novich, who was just a child at the time."
He continued speaking, his voice carrying a mixture of gratitude and nostalgia.
"When Nikola saw our condition, he realized that we needed help. Nikola was a kind man. He opened his laboratory to us and gave us water and food that saved our lives. He also provided simple but comfortable homes near his laboratory, surrounded by trees and gardens. Thanks to him, we finally found a safe place where we could start again."
He went on speaking about Nikola Mask.
"For years, Mask had been working on an invention he called 'Peaceful Energy.' This energy was immense, radiating light and calmness. It illuminated the city day and night with a stable flow of power that spread in all directions, supplying the entire city without harming anyone."
His tone suddenly changed, becoming heavy with sadness.
"But fourteen years ago, the catastrophe happened. Nikola was working on improving the Peaceful Energy, trying to make it more efficient and stable. During the experiment, the energy went out of control. It began to fluctuate abnormally and then turned into something completely different. Nikola tried to stop the process, but it was already too late… The laboratory exploded in an instant, and the Peaceful Energy turned into a harmful force that spread throughout the royal palace without restraint. We lost many that night."
He raised his head and looked at them with eyes filled with pain before continuing.
"Nikola Mask was beside the generator when the explosion occurred… When we searched for him afterward, we found no trace of him. Only the king and I survived. However, the king did not survive completely; the harmful energy left severe burns on his body, and since that day he has suffered from recurring headaches and constant pain."
A heavy silence filled the room before he added in a more serious tone:
"I was about to tell you about the people Novich mentioned… those individuals…"
At that moment, his words were interrupted by a knock on the door. Then the maid's voice came from outside, saying, "Sir, it is time for the king's medicine."
He closed his eyes for a moment, then said, "It seems I must go now. The king trusts no one but me to give him his medicine. I must be with him. We will continue this conversation later."
He stood and left the room, leaving Basil and Hamza in a whirlwind of questions while the night wrapped the palace in its heavy secrets.
After finishing his conversation with Basil and Hamza, the advisor headed to the king's chamber, where the king was sitting on his bed, clear signs of exhaustion visible on his face.
He approached him, holding the medicine, and said gently, "Your Majesty, you must recover quickly. The people of the kingdom cannot sense any concern about your health, especially with your wedding to the princess approaching."
The king replied, "I know. The entire kingdom is waiting for this wedding. I do not want to appear weak before the people. I must be at my best."
He handed the medicine to the king and said, "That is why, Your Majesty, you must regain your strength and trust that we will always stand beside you. The people rely on your strength, and we must show them that everything is under control."
After taking the medicine, the king took a deep breath and said, "About Novich… I know I was harsh with him. He is a good person and wants to protect the kingdom, but I fear he may lead us down the same path as his uncle Nikola. I do not want that catastrophe to happen again."
He replied cautiously, "Your Majesty, Novich may have good intentions, but he must understand that we cannot risk breaking the laws or causing another disaster. He must stay away from Nikola Mask's inventions. They are a tremendous power that cannot be easily controlled."
The king gave a faint smile and said, "You are right. We do not need another tragedy. We only need to make sure that Novich does not create a new danger."
He nodded calmly and said, "I will make sure to watch things closely, and I will always stand by your side, Your Majesty."
After giving the medicine to the king, he left the room and quietly walked toward a wall where an old photograph of the king with his wife and two sons was hanging.
He stopped in front of the picture for a moment, then took out a small key from the pocket of his coat while looking at it thoughtfully.