"So, nothing?" Alas asked, breaking the silence as they settled in the gazebo outside Uncle John and Aunt Ann's house.
Kenzii simply shook his head and let out a heavy sigh, causing his two cousins shoulders to slump in disappointment.
In Kenzii's mind, they had just wasted precious time on absolutely nothing. The wild rumors they had chased turned out to be mere barber's tales—empty myths and folklore passed down through generations of bored elders. He personally didn't believe in such stories anyway.
Gossip and urban legends were bound to spread when people had too much free time. In this modern day and age, rumors could spread like wildfire from a single person inventing stories out of boredom, so it was highly probable that ancient people did the exact same thing... After all, if there was one thing that never died across history, it was rumors and tall tales.
"We just wasted our time," Kenzii muttered, leaning back against his seat.
"That's not true," Alas disagreed, straightening up and frowning at Kenzii. "To discover anything meaningful in this world, you have to fail first. Every successful inventor started with a series of mistakes. It's just part of the process."
"Alas is right. It's all about trial and error," Sota added with an encouraging smile, gently patting Kenzii's shoulder. "There are plenty of other historical anomalies about evil we can check, and this was only our first stop. Who knows? We might hit a real lead in the next locations."
Kenzii looked at his two cousins, noting the bright smiles on their faces. Their expressions practically begged him not to lose hope just yet. Slowly, the tight knot in his brow unraveled, replaced by a faint smile.
"Right," Kenzii agreed, his tone lifting. "As long as there's a mystery, there's a hidden story waiting to be dug up."
Alas and Sota grinned widely at his sudden shift in mood. They raised their juice glasses, clinking them together in a dramatic toast as if celebrating with fine wine.
"So, shall we actually enjoy our upcoming trip around this place?" Alas asked with a mischievous smirk, earning an immediate nod from Sota.
"Since we're already here on a forced vacation, why not make the most of it?"
The cousins' smiles widened as they spent the rest of the afternoon swapping stories about the previous night. Naturally, Kenzii became the main target of the story as he loudly complained about being completely abandoned by his two idiot cousins in a foreign village.
.
The next morning.
"Hey! You guys ready?" Loui called out, a massive grin on his face as he greeted them just outside the gate of John and Ann's home.
The newly formed village group was fully assembled, each wearing casual outdoor gear. Their bright, energetic expressions made it clear they were ready to leave the quiet town behind for a day of adventure.
"Ready?!"
Kenzii raised an eyebrow when Alas suddenly thrust his hand into the center of their circle. Loui immediately slapped his hand on top of Alas's, followed in rapid sequence by the rest of the group until Cariz placed her delicate hand on top of the pile.
Kenzii scoffed lightly as the entire group turned their heads to stare at him, expectantly waiting for him to join in.
"What a bunch of corny people," Kenzii muttered under his breath. Yet, despite his grumbling, he rolled his eyes with a small smile and placed his hand over theirs.
"Ahoo! Ahoo! Let's go!" the group shouted in unison, throwing their hands into the air. Kenzii let out a rare, genuine chuckle before turning around to lead the way out of the gate, his backpack slung over one shoulder.
"He's quite a character," Loui observed, watching Kenzii retreating back with an amused smile.
"Uncle John mentioned he was the most friendly among you three, but I seriously doubt that. He seems completely detached," Aton noted, making Sota and Alas glance at each other with knowing smirks.
"He's an anti-social introvert by nature," Sota explained as the locals turned to look at him curiously. To them, Kenzii didn't seem entirely cold, especially since he had interacted with everyone the night of the celebration. They just assumed Alas was the naturally charismatic leader of the trio. "But not in this place. Not today," Sota added, his eyes gleaming with a secret spark that caused Alas to nudge him subtly, leaving the four locals even more confused.
"Hey! Are you guys just going to stand there all day or what?" Kenzii called out from the open door of their vehicle. Thank goodness they had managed to rent a spacious passenger van for the trip, complete with a local driver who knew every nook and cranny of the region.
"Coming!" Alas yelled back, sprinting forward with the rest of the group trailing right behind him.
"Alright, since you guys have already visited Houska Castle—which is honestly the biggest landmark in this municipality—our first destination today will be the Doksy area. It's just a quick fifteen-minute drive from here," Loui announced enthusiastically once everyone had settled into their respective seats.
"Since Alas told me that you guys prefer scenic nature spots over crowded tourist traps, we're going to kick things off at the Šroubený Viewpoint," Loui grinned, looking over at Alas, who was sitting right next to him in the front row of the van. The other three local guides smiled in anticipation, watching Loui lean forward in his seat to address the whole cabin.
"A view deck? You mean we're actually going to hike?" Alas asked, his eyes widening as Loui nodded quickly. "No way, that's going to be exhausting—"
"Stop complaining. You're the one who wanted an adventure, remember?" Sota scolded him, while Kenzii, sitting right beside Sota, simply nodded in silent agreement.
"Now that's what I like to hear—someone with a fighting spirit!" Aton joined in from the front passenger seat next to the driver, pumping his fist in the air and making everyone laugh.
"The drive to the base of Šroubený hill near the Borný area will take about thirty minutes, covering roughly eighteen kilometers. But don't worry, the actual trail up to the peak is a light twenty-minute hike. It won't drain your energy at all," Cariz explained gently from the back row next to Jazz, which made Alas—and secretly Sota—breathe a sigh of relief.
"The full view up there is incredibly refreshing, and the braising pine air completely wipes away any exhaustion," Jazz added with an encouraging smile.
During the half-hour drive, the van was filled with non-stop banter, eventually turning into a trip down memory lane as the local youth recalled their very first group hike up to Šroubený.
"I distinctly remember you almost slipping down the rocky ridge because you were too busy flirting," Aton teased Loui, who rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
"Seriously, his head kept spinning around to check out every girl on the trail instead of focusing on his footsteps," Jazz added, sparking another round of laughter inside the van.
"Hey, you can't blame me! You all know how beautiful the crowd gets around Macha Lake during the peak summer season," Loui defended himself, making a funny face.
"They might be beautiful, but none of them wanted anything to do with you," Cariz pointed out dryly. The entire van erupted into loud laughter, and even Kenzii couldn't help but chuckle softly, shaking his head at the group's dynamic.
"Oof! Sucks to be you, Loui," Alas teased mercilessly, earning a playful shove from the pouting young man.
"Oh yeah? Like you're any better. Do you even have a girlfriend?" Loui countered.
"I don't, but I've also never been rejected in my life," Alas boasted, confidently dusting off his shoulders, which instantly drew loud scoffs and playful groans from the entire group.
"Man, the arrogance of this guy!" Loui laughed, pushing him away.
Objectively speaking, Loui was quite handsome, but it was a conventional, boy-next-door look. Aton, on the other hand, didn't have perfectly symmetrical features if looked at individually, but everything came together to give him a rugged, masculine charm, further elevated by his well-groomed stubble. Both local men possessed a distinctly mature aura that contrasted sharply with the smooth, youthful, baby-faced features of the cousins, maybe because they're Asian.
The journey flew by, powered by the relentless energy of the two loudest members of the group, Alas and Loui, until the van finally pulled into the parking lot near the base of Šroubený.
Thanks to their proper footwear, the steep ascent didn't present much of a challenge for the group. The trail was a bit rugged and wound upward through a dense forest of towering Scots pines, but the path was well-trodden and easy to navigate.
"Whoa... the view up here is absolutely spectacular!" Alas exclaimed, a brilliant smile breaking across his face as they reached the rocky summit. He stepped onto the safety-railed wooden viewing platform, taking in the wide view of Máchovo Jezero—Macha Lake—stretching out beneath them, its deep blue waters glistening under the morning sun. Sota walked around the perimeter of the cliff, equally captivated by the vast shade of the pine forests below.
Kenzii, being a traveller, immediately unzipped his backpack, got his mirrorless camera, and adjusted the lens settings. He moved along the edge of the rocky outcrop, framing the perfect composition where the rugged sandstone formations contrasted sharply with the soft horizon of the lake. No matter where his missions took him, capturing these breathtaking moments through his lens was a habit he could never shake.
Standing a few paces away, Cariz quietly watched him with a gentle smile. To her, Kenzii was a mystery—quiet, observant, and entirely detached from the usual loudness of guys his age. He was, without a doubt, truly one of a kind.