As midnight approached, the fatigue and the aftermath of that hellish slam tequila began to weigh on Ema. The world was blurring a bit around the edges, and the noise in the pub had become too sharp for her overtaxed senses. She leaned toward Beata, having to grip the edge of the table slightly to steady herself. "Beata? Shouldn't we head back to the dorms? I feel like the chair is starting to spin with me."
Beata, who, unlike Ema, looked completely fresh, gave her a sympathetic look but shook her head. Even her fourth shot had clearly done nothing to dent her energy. Growing up in the ancient Moravian vineyards evidently had its undeniable perks.
Beata straightened up, puffed out her cheeks, and out of nowhere put on a deep, booming, slightly raspy voice: "We Mojmírids have Welschriesling in our veins instead of blood, lass! I myself am living proof—it wasn't until I was about thirty that I discovered with great astonishment that the clear stuff flowing in the river is actually meant for drinking, too!"
Ema burst out laughing despite her spinning head. Beata immediately dropped back to her normal voice and gave her a conspiratorial wink. "A quote from my beloved grandfather. So you go right ahead, but I still have... some essential business to settle with Libor regarding that guitar of his."
Ema hesitated. She didn't want to walk through an unfamiliar city at night all by herself. But before she could say anything, Tomáš chimed in. "I'll walk you," he said calmly, standing up from the table and slinging his black denim jacket over his shoulder. "I was going to head out anyway; we have an early morning rehearsal with the band tomorrow. I live in the next block over, I'll walk with you so you don't get lost."
Beata smiled at him—it was a smile that said this was exactly what she had been hoping for. She had known the Přemyslid long enough to know Ema would be perfectly safe with him. "Awesome. Thanks, Tomáš. Keep an eye on her so she doesn't fall into a fountain on the way?" "Count on it," Tomáš nodded at her.
They stepped out into the balmy Olomouc night. The fresh air woke Ema up a bit, but she was still glad to be walking next to someone who knew where he was going. Olomouc was beautiful at night. The orange glow of the streetlamps reflected off the centuries-old cobblestones, and the historical buildings cast long, soft shadows.
It was a warm summer evening, and after all that alcohol, Ema's throat was completely parched. They stopped at a small, 24-hour takeout window that smelled of kebab and pizza. Without asking, Tomáš bought two plastic bottles of still water. "Thanks," Ema breathed, taking one. "It's so hot in there, they should really keep these in a fridge." The water was lukewarm, almost warm.
Tomáš just gave a faint smile over his bottle. He stopped under a streetlamp and looked at her. "Let me have that for a second." Confused, Ema handed her bottle back. Tomáš gripped it lightly with both hands. For a split second, Ema felt that same faint, electrical hum as down in the Department. The air around Tomáš's palms rippled imperceptibly. It lasted barely two seconds, but when he handed the bottle back, the plastic was beaded with cold condensation, and a small puff of chill vapor escaped from under the cap. "That's better," he said quietly, his fingers brushing lightly against hers as he handed it over. His skin was cold, but the touch sent a pleasant shiver down the back of Ema's neck.
She took a drink. The water was ice-cold and absolutely perfect. "Wow," she breathed in amazement. "That's... that's incredibly practical." Tomáš chuckled as they started walking again. "It's just minor temperature manipulation. On the other hand, what you pulled off today down in the Department... that wasn't practical, Volná. That was straight-up terrifying."
It sounded like a compliment mixed with genuine respect. Ema lowered her eyes to the cobblestones. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make it so... massive. It just exploded out of me." "I noticed," he laughed softly. "For a second there, I thought that heat was going to fry my brain. But you know what? It was incredible. I've never felt so much raw power all at once. Šimr was right, you're a textbook Scalar. Massive capacity, it just lacks the right shape."
They walked slowly. Tomáš slipped his hands into his pockets, acting as her casual guide through the night city. "Down that alley, they make the best morning coffee for surviving a hangover," he pointed as they passed a small, darkened bistro. "And that library over there has a basement study room open all night. In case you ever need to cram for exams... or just hide from people and get some peace."
Ema listened to him, filing the information away in her memory. Every such place was another fixed point on the map of her new, uncertain world. She liked that she didn't have to pretend around him.
As they crossed the Upper Square, approaching the Holy Trinity Column, the silence of the night was shattered by a loud yell followed by a massive splash. Ema jumped and stopped in her tracks.
By one of the large baroque fountains stood a group of screaming girls cheering on a figure emerging from the illuminated water. It was a student in a soaked t-shirt, swimming laps in the fountain as if he were at a public pool, spitting water at the statue in the center. "He's the king!" one of the girls shrieked, filming him on her phone.
"Hey! Get out of there right now!" a stern voice rang out from the other side of the square. Two city police officers were marching toward them at a brisk pace, the beams of their flashlights sweeping through the dark.
"Cops! Run!" one of the girls yelled.
The guy in the water didn't hesitate. With surprising agility, he scrambled over the slippery edge of the fountain, landed barefoot on the cobblestones, and took off in the opposite direction. Water sprayed from him in every direction. The girls scattered into the side streets with squeals. The officers jogged after them, but it was clear that in the labyrinth of the historical center, they didn't stand a chance of catching anyone.
Ema stared at the scene, her mouth slightly open. "What... what was that about?" she breathed.
Beside her, Tomáš just chuckled in amusement and kept walking as if nothing had happened. "That? That's local folklore," he explained with a smile. "Bets, exam season, or just too much tequila. Sometimes someone just feels like Hercules and has to conquer a fountain. And the cops... they treat it as late-night cardio."
He looked at her, amused sparks dancing in his eyes. "Welcome to Olomouc. History is a little more alive here than you might have expected."
Ema had to smile. The absurdity of the situation—a guy fleeing the police in a wet t-shirt—calmed her in a strange way. This was life. Real, messy, normal, crazy life.
They reached the front of the old dormitory building. "Thanks for walking me and for the water," Ema said, adjusting her backpack strap. She was grateful he had come with her. Grateful for how close he had stayed beside her the entire way.
Tomáš took a step closer. Under the yellow light of the streetlamp, he suddenly looked much more serious than he had a moment ago by the fountain. His features were sharply drawn, shadows accentuating his cheekbones. "Don't mention it," he said quietly, looking her straight in the eyes. There was something in his gaze that made Ema hold her breath. "I'm really glad you're here with us, Ema. And regarding what Šimr said in class..." He trailed off and leaned his shoulder gently against the brick wall next to the entrance doors. "Isolation isn't good for anyone. Especially when you have enough power inside you to knock down a Tensor. So... if you ever feel like it's getting to be too much, or your temple starts collapsing on your head... you can lean on me. I can take a hit."
His voice was deep and incredibly calm. It wasn't the promise of a naive boy. It was an offer from someone who knew what kind of darkness she carried.
"Thank you, Tomáš," Ema whispered. Her heart was beating in her throat.
He nodded at her, the corners of his mouth lifting into that asymmetrical smile of his, and slowly stepped back. "Good night, Volná." "Good night."
She watched him until his tall figure in the denim jacket disappeared around the corner of the block. Then she took a deep breath of the night air, smelling of linden trees and distant rain.
Tomáš was... genuine. He offered a solid wall to lean against, and Ema couldn't lie to herself—it was incredibly tempting. But somewhere deep down, beneath the layers of today's adrenaline and relaxed laughter, she still felt that sharp, constricting pull. Her mind inevitably strayed to the man with the gray hair and golden eyes. Viktor might have left her, but what she felt for him couldn't just be overwritten by a few shots and one sincere smile from a Přemyslid. What's more, she felt it in her bones that this wasn't the end yet. That she simply had to meet Viktor again.
She opened the heavy wooden doors and slowly climbed the quiet stairs up to the dorms. With every step, she realized how much she had changed in those few weeks. Her old, naive self would have thrown herself headfirst into this new college family. She yearned to trust them. She desperately wanted to believe Tomáš's promise and Beata's friendship.
But the invisible scars left by the von Riese family still burned. Back at the chateau, she had also believed she had found safety and people who cared about her. And it turned out she was just a puppet to them, a valuable asset, a future broodmare for their twisted schemes.
She entered her half-empty room. Only a made bed and the silence of the sprawling building waited for her. She took off her backpack, running her fingers over its leather strap. Maybe I won't ever have to be completely alone again, she thought. She wanted to belong here, and she wanted to live with these people. But this time, she would guard her trust fiercely. She was no longer the lost, broken girl who blindly followed anyone offering a helping hand.
She was Ema Volná. And she wouldn't give her freedom or her heart away for free anymore.