The wind that night carried away the smell of blood.

  Ray remains motionless, hand still gripping the shard of glass moving ever closer to his throat, eyes lost between the moon's reflection and the dirt.

  The cold cuts his fingers, but he doesn't even notice. Everything in him is extinguished.

  Then that voice.

  "What are you doing? Are you out of your mind?"

  Ray turns sharply. Long, wavy hair. Unusual color: it fades from orange, a carrot color, to a soft pink at the tips. Two strands fall across her face while the rest cascades down her back. Large blue eyes, sharp as that shard.

  "I heard rumors about this place and walked half the forest to get here." She emphasizes the walking part. "And I came at night to avoid running into anyone, yet here I find an idiot trying to off himself." She grips his wrist as if telling him not to do it.

  Ray stares at her, confused. He doesn't have time to say anything before she continues.

  "I heard strange noises, thought it was an animal rummaging or something like that. Then when I got closer to the source, I see you sitting with a shard of glass at your throat. What's your brain telling you?" She's out of breath.

  "And who would you be?" Ray asks.

  "Who cares who I am, put down that glass!" Ray seems almost intimidated. He opens his hand and lets the glass fall to the ground.

  "Oh, that was easier than I thought." She sighs, scratches her head, then sits down next to Ray. She sticks the torch in the ground. Just like a campfire. Zoe is a bit shorter than him. Slender but not fragile. She has a bold, rebellious air, but those eyes betray a kindness she struggles to hide.

  "Look, you don't seem like the type who wants to pretend. What's wrong?" Ray doesn't answer.

  "Well anyway, since you were so eager to know who I am, I'm Zoe. At least tell me your name?"

  Ray looks at her for a few seconds.

  "Ray," he murmurs in a low, hoarse voice.

  "Cool, both our names have three letters." She raises her hands with index, middle, and ring fingers to make the number three.

  "Uh... listen, I don't really know how to break the ice. Never been good in situations like this... not that I've ever been in situations like this." Ray remains silent. His gaze lost on the ground.

  Zoe doesn't stare at him. She decides to stay quiet for a bit. She's figured out that insisting won't help. Then she gets up and takes a few steps forward to lie down on the ground.

  "You know, I've always loved the stars. I never really understood what they are or why they're up in the sky." Zoe speaks in a much softer, gentler voice.

  "I always watched them from the orphanage window." Ray raises his gaze slightly.

  "There was this other girl who taught me the constellations. We weren't friends, not really. But every night we looked at the stars from the same window." Zoe falls silent as she scans the sky.

  "Ah, there it is." She points with her finger.

  "For example, that's the Crow constellation. To be honest, I never really understood constellations. They seem like random shapes with equally random names. What really fascinates me is the origin of those stars." Ray tries to look at the sky but only sees tree branches.

  "That girl told me different theories about their birth. The one I like most is magical. Born into the world through the magic of someone extremely powerful who found the night sky too boring."

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  Ray gets up and takes timid steps forward to where Zoe is. He looks up at the sky.

  "Which... which one did you say was the Crow constellation?" Zoe is surprised to hear him speak but doesn't show it so as not to make it seem strange.

  Zoe points it out. Ray looks up.

  "You know? It's a whole different thing if you look at them lying down." Zoe points this out to him. Ray hesitates but then lies down on the ground too.

  "It's a crooked square with a leg. I don't see the crow. That's why I told you I don't understand constellations."

  "You said you lived in an orphanage, not anymore?" Ray seems interested.

  "No, not anymore. I ran away years ago."

  "Ran away? Why?" Ray turns his gaze to her.

  "All in all, it's a shitty place, I wouldn't wish it on anyone. They just fill your head with a bunch of bullshit and expect you to swallow it."

  "And you didn't believe it?"

  "Nah, I prefer to trust books rather than people's stories. That's how I learned everything I know."

  For a few seconds, silence falls and only the sound of insects and rustling leaves can be heard.

  "That wizard who created the stars... what magic could he have used?" Ray asks, curious.

  "I have no idea. But I must say, there's nothing that fascinates me more than the unknown of magic." Ray is a bit confused by these words.

  "What do you mean?"

  "Well, there are two types of magic books, those full of fucking rules and those that instead... well, are simply much better. Both are valid but follow those little rules and you become a copy of a copy. A real drag." Zoe gets up and sits cross-legged.

  "You see, real magic isn't taught, it's discovered. It's like when you show a child a trick: he doesn't understand how it works, but you can be sure he's fascinated. That's the beauty of it." Zoe doesn't hold back her emotion.

  Ray smiles faintly at the sight of her enthusiasm. He also gets up and sits down.

  "A true wizard is someone who manages to become someone on their own, without school and useless rules because they're all bullshit that steals the beauty from magic."

  Ray remains silent, thinking about those words. Then Zoe looks at him with a half-smile and asks:

  "What Affinity do you have?"

  Ray looks at her, confused. "Aff... what?"

  "Affinity," she explains, tilting her head.

  "You don't know anything about it?" Zoe's eyes light up.

  "Oh wait, okay, so... there are like eight... I think. I don't remember them well, I focused only on mine." Zoe's expression fills with joy.

  "Everyone has one. It's like a gift at birth. For example, I'm affine to wind. My body is simply lighter than it seems, which doesn't seem like much but can come in handy sometimes."

  Ray observes her more closely. Indeed, there's something graceful in her movements.

  "I... don't know what Affinity I have."

  Zoe looks at him sideways.

  "And what's the problem? That's the beauty of it. Discovering it and then managing to exploit it to the fullest."

  The wind picks up, carrying with it the scent of burnt wood.

  "It's getting pretty late. I don't know about you but I'm starving. Come on, I'll take you to get something to eat."

  Zoe jumps to her feet and invites Ray to follow her. For a few seconds he remains seated, staring at her. Zoe's shadow, projected by the moon, covers him. Ray hasn't eaten in days, has an empty stomach. Although hesitant, he decides to follow her.

  They walk for a while, crossing through the forest. The lights of an inn appear among the trees.

  On the sign, half faded, it reads "The Swallows' Nest."

  A man in his fifties welcomes them with a smile.

  "Welcome, travel... Ah, it's just you, Zoe. I see you're not alone today."

  Zoe, visibly irritated, responds:

  "What do you mean 'ah, it's just you, Zoe.' Anyway, make us something to eat, we're starving."

  Roan laughs. "Right away, at your command, commander."

  Ray and Zoe sit at the table and wait for the food to be ready.

  "You know, Roan is kind of like my adoptive dad, not legally of course. But when everyone ignored me, he gave me a chance. And completely free, I'd say I was pretty lucky." Zoe chuckles.

  "It's ready, kids!" Roan shouts. An inviting aroma comes from the kitchen.

  "Kids who, old man." Zoe responds, annoyed.

  "Old man who, I'm young as ever." Roan's tone is more playful.

  It's a plate of hot polenta with an egg on top and two homemade sausages. Nothing special, but Ray had never eaten anything like it.

  Ray can't hesitate, he hasn't eaten in days.

  The first bite fills his mouth. The taste is good, perfectly salted. He didn't even remember what food tasted like anymore.

  Nothing special, but enough to forget, even for just a moment, the white room, Xavier, and the atrocities of the past.

  While they finish eating, Roan goes upstairs and prepares a room for Ray.

  The rooms are small but cozy. The wood creaks.

  Ray dresses in the white shirt and brown pants left on the bed like pajamas, then sits down exhausted. He thinks back to Zoe's words and how she treated him like a normal person.

  A light knock pulls him from his thoughts.

  Zoe is at the door. She wears a long white nightgown.

  "I just wanted to wish you goodnight." Kind words Ray hasn't heard in days.

  "Goodnight to you too... Zoe." The first time he calls her by name. Zoe smiles and turns to leave.

  "Listen, tomorrow... you'll be here, right?" Ray is perplexed and doesn't answer immediately.

  Zoe turns her head toward him.

  "Right?" she repeats more firmly.

  "...yes." Ray answers.

  "Very good. Then goodnight for real." As she retreats to her room.

  Ray lies down on the bed and exhaustion overwhelms him. He falls asleep immediately.