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The first thing P noticed was glow.
This room looked like almost every other room he had seen in the alchemists’ laboratory: half-empty, blue evidence of carcasses that had passed through there on the dirty tile floor, a few tables and shelves pushed against the wall. But something here was different. Something in the middle of the room.
The lantern on his belt glowed green and then Gemini chirped up. “What's that pal? Doesn't it look like that tree in the hotel garden?”
P didn't answer. Gemini was right: that thing looked a bit like the Gold Coin Tree in the secret garden. Maybe the alchemists grew them here?
He kept his sword in his hand and took a few slow steps closer.
In the middle of the room stood a long container, almost like a tall shelf made of glass. It reminded P of the glass walls he had seen in the zoo.
At first it looked like the container was full of gold. But when he came closer he realized…
“Pal…” Gemini said slowly. “Is that…someone?”
P nodded. Then he put his hand slowly, tentatively, against the glass.
The person inside was a boy, close to P's size and length. They even looked a bit similar, but the boy had both arms. He was wearing simple clothing, just a light shirt and pants. His eyes were closed and his dark hair flowed around his head. He was floating in golden liquid, crystallized in time.
P tilted his head. Whoever the boy was –probably one of alchemists' experiences –felt oddly familiar. It almost felt like he knew him.
And something in P was sure the boy didn't like being in this golden prison.
He took a step back. Before Gemini could do anything else than give a surprised yelp, he raised his Legion Arm and gave the glass a good punch.
It took a few tries, but eventually the glass gave in and cracked. P took a few steps back just in time before his clothes got soaked in…
Water?
The golden light was gone. There was only broken glass, some water and the boy who was currently on the floor on his hands and knees and coughed like he had inhaled a good amount of that water.
P watched the boy tentatively. This close the boy looked even more familiar than before. P was sure he had seen him before.
But it wasn't before the boy raised his head and P saw his brown eyes, that he remembered where.
“Who are you?” Carlo asked, his voice hoarse from all that coughing. “And where's Romeo?”