“Now that’s news! What a twist!” - was all Diana could manage to squeeze out.

An awkward, oppressive, and heavy silence, like a black night, covered them even more, depriving them of speech. Each one froze in a silent standoff: the little one, like a young researcher, studied the growing blades of grass near her, as if trying to find answers in them; Om, resembling a weightless cloud, swayed smoothly in the air, studying the surrounding forest; and Diana, as if a captive of her own thoughts, from time to time shifted her gaze from Berta to Om and back, trying to find a way out of the current situation.    

“The past is the past, and it can’t be changed,” - Diana said, - “and, of course, being next to him, we couldn't predict how dangerous his true nature is for us. But let's give him his due: from the very beginning, Om did not hide that he belongs to the ials. That is, we always knew about this from the start! We accepted him for who he is,” - and she looked intently into the little one's eyes. - “I won't waste time listing his good deeds, there are too many of them. You know yourself - it would take a lot of time! To better understand the world around you, accept this as another lesson, and let it once again remind me that things are not always as they seem at first glance. Let's remember, for example, boatswain Soylor from the Water World of the Middle Level, where we were mistaken in his deceptive ‘kindness’. I hope... no, I am absolutely sure that this is not such a case at all! - she ran her hand over Berta's back, - and yet I want to tell you not to judge a book by its cover,” - she held out her hand, pointing at Om. - “You see, he still looks small, but you yourself said that listening to him, it seems as if he has Google in his head and possesses knowledge of all the universe’s secrets. What if this is only a small part of his power? Appearance is a mask, under which great wisdom may be hidden, or vice versa, although ‘vice versa’ is definitely not our case. So, for example, a dangerous creature whose nature is chaos may unexpectedly show true kindness. As you can see, that also happens... I'm talking about Om's support and help for us. We have traveled a rather long and thorny path together, and now we are still alive and unharmed,” - and Diana again gently stroked Bertyona's white side and said even more softly, - “to dispel your doubts, I will say: if Om had wanted to harm us, he could have done it without difficulty, his capabilities are limitless. I think his arsenal of options would be inexhaustible.”    

Berta, having listened carefully to Ma, nodded, like an experienced judge delivering a verdict: “A hundred percent, if we're still here, it means he's not such a villain after all, right? Fine,” - she waved a paw towards Om, winking at him, - “consider today your lucky day! You won the lottery of my favorable attention. Today I'm in the mood for compromises and in the mood to forgive and forget. But remember: one wrong move and I'll bite you! And it won't be just a bite, but an epic battle between my teeth and your... ahem... ethereal essence! I don't know if it will hurt you, but you'll remember it!” - at which she loudly clacked her little teeth. - “And don't look at me like that. I'm serious!” - she looked meaningfully at Ma and, as if confirming her words, confidently shook her head.     

Om, as if agreeing with her, swayed humorously toward the little one.    

“That's it, let’s get far away from here!” - Diana exclaimed, as if commanding an evacuation from a sinking ship, and, quickly going around the tree, disappeared from view.    

“Yeah, let's get the hell out of here,” - Berta grumbled, - “I've had enough of this hole! I feel it trying to steal my thoughts and replace them with thoughts about knitting socks!”

“You knit socks?” - Om's question rang out, with the simplicity and directness of a child.    

Berta, rolling her button eyes like two miniature meteorites, snorted like a displeased dragon: “Seriously?! With a brain like yours, you should’ve already written a philosophical treatise on the meaning of life, not asked about knitting socks! That was humor. By the way, I advise you to take it on board, sometimes it comes in very handy as a way to lift your mood and make life more fun. In other words, it’s the ability to see the funny side of ordinary things and share it with others, bringing a smile or laughter when everyone is under tension. So, you explain to me, how can one possess an encyclopedia of universal knowledge and at the same time be so... so universally naive? I think I'm beginning to understand why you were really isolated in the Icy Abaddon from everyone. I think it’s not because of your radical-progressive ideas, but so that you wouldn't infect the entire World of the ials with your... ahem... simplicity and gullibility, and then turn the whole universe into a kindergarten, convincing everyone with your own childish belief in Santa Claus! - she paused, thinking for a moment, - I don’t remember if I mentioned him to you or not... But it's better not to think about it! Your naivety is an art form!” - and, picking up speed, she hurried to catch up with Ma, as if she were running away from the encroaching absurdity.

Maintaining his usual composure, Om shrugged his tiny shoulders, as if not understanding the essence of what was happening and not finding the words, and then, effortlessly floating in the air, he followed Berta.    

And now Diana, Berta, and Om stand again before a magical tree, on the trunk of which fiery symbols glow, like stellar scriptures. After all, by connecting them into a single whole and reading them, they will be able to fill the Plasma Flask with Frozen Light, subsequently ensuring its preservation and preventing damage, since it is the key to their return home to their Solar World!    

“I remember,” - Diana said, as if recalling, - “that Soulu  and Kano told us that in order to collect this substance in the Plasma Flask, we would need to read the Code of Star Galaxies, written in the language of light, and by using the encrypted ancient knowledge contained within it, we would

learn how to manage and preserve this plasma. But I don't see anything here that looks like a Code or even a book!”      

“Ah! It’s all clear to me now!” - the little one exclaimed, trying to sniff these glowing scribbles from a distance. - “So, let me explain: Soulu and Kano, those intergalactic losers-tourists, those intergalactic liars, have never been here themselves. They probably listened to tales from the ‘one old woman said’ series and just retold them to us, like a game of telephone. So, now we can forget about the existence of the Code of Star Galaxies - it's a myth, like unicorns, only even less believable, and I'll tell you, this is no longer just ‘inconvenient’ for us, it's a complete mess! And, yes, as a consequence of this - we won't fill the flask. Great, just great! As they say, thanks for the heads-up! - and she looked suspiciously at the forest around them, - well, at least it's not boring!”    

Diana smiled: “Yeah, it looks like Soulu and Kano were mistaken,” - she agreed, - “but, all the same, that’s no reason to panic!”

  “No reason to panic?” - the little one placed her paw to her forehead, as if she were about to faint from an excess of drama. - “I'm already mentally saying goodbye to my favorite toys! To each one individually! And they are waving at me with tear-soaked handkerchiefs!” - and then, as if coming out of her role as a tragic heroine, she added, - “but, you know, we have already read so many of these glowing squiggles that I think we can handle these too. After all, I have a diploma in 'reading everything that glows'!”    

“You have a diploma like that too?” - Om asked seriously.    

Berta stared at Om as if she were watching him grow multi-colored feathers before her eyes: “What do you mean 'too'? You have a diploma in 'reading everything that glows'?” - her eyes, like two black buttons, widened in astonishment.   

  “Of course not!” - Om’s laugh rang out in response, quiet and mysterious, like the rustle of a stellar wind. - “You yourself said that one shouldn't take everything literally, and that humor is a way to lift your spirits and make life more fun.”    

“Aha ha ha...” - Diana laughed, - “Bertyonka, Om managed to answer you in your own style, like a wise stargazer who has unraveled the mystery of sarcasm!”      

“Well done! He's a quick study!” - Berta looked at him slyly. - “I don't know what you were able to unravel there, but you certainly cheered Ma up and lifted her spirits.”    

“Okay,” - Diana said, still smiling. - “It’s certainly never boring with you, every minute is an adventure! But the problem hasn’t gone away. Since neither a book nor the Code of Star Galaxies exists, it means we have to find a way to fill the flask with Frozen Light ourselves.”    

Saying this was much easier than doing it. As usual!      

Carefully studying the dazzling streams of Frozen Light sliding down the tree, Om said: “I have an idea, and I think it's worth a try. I will try to establish a connection with the Frozen Light itself - to enter into resonance with it, attuning my mind to its wave. Perhaps my ethereal nature will allow me to feel the ‘language’ of light and pick up clues about the meaning of the symbols.”    

Having said this, he shuddered like a bird soaked in the rain, and from his small translucent figure went barely visible thin waves of ethereal energy, which began to envelop the entire tree like a transparent stream of water and interact with the streams of light and the symbols on it.      

Fascinated by the spectacle, Diana and Berta froze, watching what was happening, their mouths slightly open in silent astonishment. They were stunned to have witnessed such a mysterious ritual unfolding in the silence of the magical forest.    

This silent scene seemed to stop time, which for a moment lost its power. The silence stood still, waiting for something, but nothing more happened. Then Om, coming out of the trance, shook himself, freeing himself from invisible bonds: “These symbols are not words, but numbers,” - he said shortly.    

“Bingo!” - Berta exclaimed, not even letting him finish. Her whole appearance showed that a 'million-dollar idea' alarm had gone off in her head! “Let's just string together the date of my birthday! It's logical and obvious! All the secret codes in the universe are stored in combinations of numbers that match the birth dates of the most charming creatures,” - and with a tone that brooked no objections and proclaimed an undeniable truth, she added, - “these are the birthdays of white Labradors! It’s an axiom - an indisputable fact!! And you're lucky - I'm with you!”    

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” - Diana barely managed to stop her praise of Labradors. - “Dig through your vocabulary and find the words 'modesty' and 'restraint' there. You, Loaf, simply need them right now!” - and, apologizing for interrupting Om, she asked him to continue.    

“These symbols are not words, but numbers,” - Om simply repeated.    

“But how are we supposed to know what these numbers are?” - Diana asked, bewildered. - “After all, you, being in a trance, can see them, but can't utter a word! Are we at a dead end?”

Om thought: “My plan requires all of us to participate. We'll need to act together. I will once again establish a connection with the Frozen Light, entering into resonance with it, and with the help of a telepathic projection, I will transmit visions to Diana, enhancing her intuition so she can feel the true order of the numbers. I will use my non-material abilities to transmit the information directly into her mind,” - and, looking at her, he continued reassuringly, - “don't be afraid, it will be a flow of images, sensations, and intuitive insights that you will need to interpret and speak aloud. As for Berta, she will need to hear and remember the sequence of these numbers,” - he looked at Berta, - “there are not many of them, and I hope it won't be difficult for you.”    

“I don't understand?!” - Bertyonka indignantly jumped up, like a little general giving an order for an assault. - “Is someone doubting my abilities? Everything here depends on my memory! In our business, you know, the main thing is order and accuracy, or else - we'll all fly past the goal and goodbye, hope!” - and having said this, she comically waved a paw in front of her.   

“Of course, of course…” - Diana smiled, as if trying to calm a small storm, - “we completely forgot that you're first in everything: both in getting us into adventures and in getting us out of them. A real Bertyonka-superhero!” - and she raised an eyebrow at the little one, as if expecting confirmation of her words, but not getting it, she simply stroked the little one's white side in a conciliatory way.      

They did as Om suggested: settling down so that each of them was comfortable and could see each other well. Their interaction was like a magical performance where everyone knew their role, and Berta, like a little chronicler, carefully wrote down the numbers she heard from Diana on the surface in front of the tree, using a fallen twig from it.      

When everything was over and the rustling magic of the decryption settled in the air, a sequence appeared before their eyes: seven, eight, nine.    

“Well, now everything is sorted out, just like that!” - Berta declared with such sarcasm that it seemed even the magical tree rolled its eyes. - “It's probably a good thing we didn't find that 'Encyclopedia of Universal Nonsense,' oh, sorry, the Code of Star Galaxies! These little numbers certainly wouldn't have helped us, unless maybe to call a telephone service!”    

“Maybe we missed some detail? Or are these not just numbers, but a temporal cipher?” - Om suggested.    

“I can’t even imagine what that could mean,” - Diana sighed sadly.    

“You know,” - Om suddenly livened up, - “there is a theory that each number carries a hidden meaning symbolizing the value of a specific word, and, if that's the case, then we must first try to read them, and only then compose a Verbal Code from them that opens the protective field around the Frozen Light. What if I was only able to transmit a part of the information to Diana, presented only in the form of numbers, because that was my exact task - without their verbal meanings? And one more thing, each number is a numerical frequency to which the Plasma Flask must be attuned to safely interact with the Frozen Light. The flask probably has a regulator that needs to be set to this frequency to decipher the hidden message and form the specific 'Verbal Code' that opens the protective field around the magical tree.”

“Perhaps,” - Diana looked at the flask, on which symbols faintly flickered. - “I don't know what kind of mix-up happened with us regarding the existence of the Code of Star Galaxies, but I hope that this set of signs is the very regulator that Kano talked about, calling it the Threshold Guardian that opens and closes the Plasma Flask. Maybe with its help we can ‘read’ the numbers and then arrange them correctly so that we can then form this verbal code?”      

“I understand that this may seem like another test,” - Om said cautiously. - “But, unfortunately, we have no other way. We will have to repeat our joint action again and this time try to ‘hear’ these numbers. Otherwise, we won't be able to form the verbal code that opens the protective veil around the ancient tree,” - and he added a little more quietly, - “but projecting thoughts and feelings was very energy-draining for me. I need time to recharge.”    

“I get what you’re saying!” - Bertyona said, her little bead-eyes wide open. - “You need to sleep? Right?”    

“In your understanding - yes,” - Om replied. - “I need to restore my energy balance. It won’t take long, but without it I won’t be able to amplify the resonance to the required strength.”    

Then Om, continuing to hover, began to change his appearance. First, light spots, like droplets of moonlight, appeared on his translucent body, as if his body was gradually being filled with the missing energy. These droplets gradually grew and merged until his body was illuminated by a pale, uniform light. After this, his surface, which had been smooth, became slightly textured, with protruding elements appearing: uneven spots, bumps, and small pointed needle-like spines, and its outline blurred, becoming jagged. And suddenly, something happened that made Diana and Bertyona exchange confused and surprised glances - in the blink of an eye, as if a camouflage program had been activated, Om dissolved into the air, as if near a burrow under the magical tree, merging with the surrounding landscape.    

“Disappearing quickly is his thing!” - Berta grumbled with feigned dissatisfaction.

Preparing for a long wait, Diana and the little one sat down on the soft grass... But they didn't even have time to enjoy the view of the surrounding forest before Om appeared before them again.    

“Did you change your mind?” - Bertyona asked.      

“No,” - he replied. - “That time was enough.”    

“I see,” - Berta said, squinting slyly, - “you're not only smart, but quick too! Unbelievable recovery speed! To get enough sleep, I need...,” - she scratched behind her ear, - “I need... well, a lot more time.”    

Diana smiled and stroked the little one's back.      

“Shall we continue?” - Om asked.    

“Yes,” - Diana replied. - “Of course.”    

This time, their joint work brought the following results: they learned that the numerical vibration frequencies of the number seven were “perfection,” eight was “balance,” and nine was “protection of higher powers.”    

“Hmm,” - Diana thought, - “of course, you can't say this brought complete clarity, but, as I said, the Threshold Guardian on the Plasma Flask can possibly become our guide... Yes, we found out three sacred words that need to be used among this chaos of signs, but how to select these three symbols from all of them and arrange them in a row to reveal the verbal code - that remains a difficult mystery for us.”    

“Ma, don't stress so much,” - Berta waved a paw towards the magical tree and, like a little genius lit up by a flash of inspiration, continued, - “Did you forget? You've got an expert on problem-solving with you! What if the Threshold Guardian is an advanced gadget? Try holding the Plasma Flask, with the Guardian on it, up to each highlighted symbol in turn, maybe it will do everything itself, and we'll just enjoy the show! Huh?”    

“Why not? It’s worth a try,” - Diana agreed. - “As one possibility.”    

She approached the trunk of the ancient tree and, reaching out her hand to the first of the symbols marked by Om, she smoothly passed her hand down. And, a miracle! The symbol, as if obeying an unknown force, followed her gesture, pulling another one along with it that was located next to it. Then she repeated the action with the second glowing symbol, but this time it remained motionless, as if chained to the trunk. Diana felt anxiety overcoming her, but, pulling herself together, she brought the flask, where the Threshold Guardian was glowing, to the third symbol. And again, success! The symbol obediently followed her hand and stood next to the first one, pulling another one with it. Then Diana, with confidence, repeated the action with the third symbol. And now, before them, on the trunk of the tree, six mysterious signs were lined up. But they only knew the meaning of three symbols as “perfection,” “balance,” and “protection of higher powers.” Although understanding why they had this specific sequence and why there were now six of them, still remained a difficult mystery.

“Om,” - Berta addressed him with the kind of resolve she’d use to announce a worldwide puppy rebellion. - “Listen, I have some doubts about your intergalactic honesty. I don't understand something. If we are currently in the World of the Ials, and they came up with this super-duper pin code for the Frozen Light, then why can’t you, the local expert on starry puzzles, by the way, read what’s written there for us? Or maybe you're just pretending you don't know? Decided to play silent? Ah, fess up, you starry silent one! Gotcha, spy of star ciphers!” - and the little one, staring at him with her eyes like two tiny lie detectors, froze, awaiting his answer.    

“But really, why? You’re an ial, after all!” - Diana also found this confusing and looked at him with distrust.    

“I knew you would ask me this,” - Om replied. - “Believe me, your suspicions are unfounded. I am absolutely sincere with you,” - and he moved a little closer to Diana. - “The thing is, whatever views my world - the World of the Ials - holds, it, like all existing worlds, has a long history, and our language also evolves over time. These symbols are written in an ancient dialect, and it is difficult for me to recognize them intuitively. My skill at reading such specific forms of language, due to my young age by the standards of the ials, has not yet fully blossomed. You can see that these symbols are presented in an unusual format - a visual hologram - and reading them requires a special way of perceiving or 'attuning' one's consciousness.”    

“But did you notice,” - Diana said, examining the Plasma Flask in her hands, - “that the six symbols on the magical tree and on the flask itself have a great similarity in their writing? And three of them are completely identical?”      

“Absolutely correct,” - Om confirmed without the slightest hesitation, - “it is the same tangled dialect - the language of the ials - and so far only a well-developed intuition helps me in understanding these symbols.” - Then he fell silent, swaying slowly in the air, as if trying to catch an elusive thought. Suddenly, his small but astonishingly deep eyes sparkled. - “I have an idea! But I’ll tell you right away, if this doesn't work, I have no more options.”    

“Just spit out your brilliant thought already, don't pull the cat's tail, or else I'm going to start shooting fireworks out of my ears from impatience!” - Bertyonka impatiently snorted, tapping her paw on the ground.    

“A thought occurred to me,” - Om said, not taking his eyes off the Plasma Flask in Diana’s hands. - “If the symbols followed the code so obediently, as if enchanted, then perhaps now that they are gathered together, the code can read them? Try to pass it over them, like a magical decipherer revealing a hidden meaning. A kind of small developer of secret writing - a decrypter, with the function of deciphering and revealing their hidden essence.”    

After his words, Diana approached the signs on the ancient tree. But she didn't even have time to hold the flask out to them, when three symbols that had found their match on the shimmering artifact suddenly shone with new force. Obeying an invisible command, they flipped over, taking an identical position, and now looked like perfect mirror images of the symbols on the Plasma Flask. 

The other three symbols retained their pristine form, untouched by the magic. Now the row was an alternation: a symbol that remained unchanged, and then, behind it, as if in response to an invisible connection, came a symbol-copy from the flask, which glowed with a brighter light. And their order created a strange, rhythmic pattern.    

“Well then,” - Diana said with determination in her voice. - “The moment of truth has arrived!” - and she slowly passed the code on the Plasma Flask over the six symbols, whose glow pulsed in a mesmerizing sequence. When her hand reached the last sign, they all flashed at once, and it seemed as if a living flame was contained within them, ready to burst out.

“Perfection - the key, balance - the path, protection of higher powers - the gate!” - Om read on the tree trunk. His tone was even and calm, which only amplified the unexpectedness of his words.    

Diana and the little one, turning to him in unison, froze in silent astonishment, awaiting an explanation for the phrase he had just uttered.    

But even if Om had immediately launched into his lengthy explanation, Berta would have outpaced him in speed by a couple of light-years. She had already taken a breath to explain to Om, with the look of an expert, that it wasn't their brains that were lagging, but his speech was so compressed this time that even his own ego probably didn’t have enough room to unfold, when the following happened…

As soon as Om uttered that phrase, the Plasma Flask in Diana’s hands lit up from within with a soft bluish glow, the symbols on its wall flickered chaotically, and the Threshold Guardian on its lid, in the form of small intertwined tree roots, which is responsible for opening and closing the flask, amplified this glow, forming a small vortex of energy that began to spin rapidly around the neck, and under the influence of some invisible force, the flask's lid suddenly disappeared.    

Diana intuitively reached out and carefully brought the Plasma Flask to the Frozen Light, which flowed motionlessly along the bark of the magical tree, resembling a frozen river of stardust. But now it began to change! An invisible heat, emanating from the Plasma Flask, slid across its surface. At the point of contact, the Frozen Light began to melt, turning into a shimmering liquid resembling molten gold, in which the reflections of light from another world played. Slowly rising through invisible channels, created by the magic of the flask between it and the tree, drop by drop, like celestial tears, this liquid flowed into its neck, where, upon contact with its inner walls, it solidified again, containing the cold radiance. It seemed the light itself obeyed the melody of the spell, dancing between solid and liquid states.    

After the necessary amount of Frozen Light had been collected, the energy vortex that had opened the flask appeared again, but now it began to spin in the opposite direction, this time pulling energy into itself and gradually collapsing. Unexpectedly, as if obeying an invisible command, the lid reappeared before the eyes of the astonished observers, its appearance, like its disappearance, looking just as mysterious. And it, making a quiet but authoritative click, closed on the neck of the Plasma Flask, protecting its precious contents. The whimsical intertwining of the Threshold Guardian solidified, tightly coiling around the lid and the flask itself.    

“Well, look at that!” - Berta blurted out, stretched out on the grass as if after a hard day’s work. - “And that’s all? So much for their vaunted protection! It was a piece of cake! And we thought there would be something scarier than their starry abracadabra called the Code of Galactic Squiggles. Some guardians of the universal light these…ials are, huh! If we had entrusted the Wi-Fi password to their genius, they would probably still be trying to enter the login. I'm afraid their entire civilization would have imploded from brain strain,” - and she gave Om a sly glance with an innocent expression. - “No offense, buddy! You... don't take it personally! As the saying goes, ‘Better a bitter truth to the face than a sweet lie to the ear...’ well, or something like that.”    

This time, Diana didn't even have a chance to apologize once again for Berta’s words before Om answered her himself: “The goal of the protective mechanism is to ensure the preservation of the Frozen Light, and that goal was achieved. Its effectiveness is beyond doubt. Protection does not have to be brute force; it can be a subtle vibration, as you could see, imperceptible but insurmountable, and simplicity can be not a sign of weakness, but a result of a profound understanding of the essence of things. I dare say, and I hope for your understanding, that it was my presence and my help that led to the desired outcome. As for hypothetical scenarios related to access to your civilization’s information networks, they fall outside the scope of the current context and cannot serve as an objective criterion for evaluating the level of development of the ial life form. In other words, regarding your assumptions about my civilization, I will note that each life form develops along its own unique path, and analogies between them are not always appropriate. Take it under advisement.”    

Berta listened to Om’s words with such a focused expression that it seemed to Diana that Bertyona had taken in the full seriousness of the moment and in her heart felt remorse for her recent irony, a pang of conscience for her sarcasm. But before this feeling could grow stronger, the little one broke the silence.

“He’s still offended,” - Berta said, with a completely innocent expression on her face, as if she were purity itself. And then she immediately added, as if coming to her senses, - “well, if my words damaged the pride of your great civilization - I ask for your forgiveness,” - and she sighed with such touching regret and such artful sorrow that even the reserved Om could not hide a faint, ial smile that touched his ethereal face.

“Bertyonka, your love for sharp words made itself known again?” - Diana said with a slight reproach, shaking her head. - “But, at least your apology says that you understood: you should not bestow irony and disrespect upon those who do not fit into your framework and do not correspond to your idea of the world. It is not excluded that you are also not a model of behavior for Om, but he demonstrates astonishing self-control, enduring your barbs, and also shows generosity by forgiving and not stooping to the level of your insults. This is because he is tactful and tolerant, knows how to communicate and avoid conflicts, and how to maintain good relationships, even in difficult situations, and he is also capable of accepting someone else’s behavior, even if it is unpleasant. His nobility is a true gift. A true example of spiritual strength and greatness of character.” - And, softening her tone, she added, - “this is not new; we’ve talked about this before, right?”

“Just kidding, okay?” - Berta said, shrugging her little shoulders, as if confirming it once more.

Realizing that the conversation had again deviated from the point, and having finally obtained the Frozen Light, Diana understood that it was time for the next step. However, the way out of the icy embrace of Abaddon, as well as the way to quickly return to their friends Soul and Kano, remained an unfathomable mystery for Diana.

With growing anxiety in her voice, she turned to Om: “But how can we leave the Ice Abaddon now, if even the path here was such a difficult trial? How can we get back?”

To Diana’s surprise, Om accepted the difficulty with astonishing calmness, his reaction was discouraging: “If we compare it to what we have already gone through, it will be just a walk in the opposite direction. I hope…” - was his answer.

Then he explained: “It was your courage, which allowed you to pass this dangerous path to the center of the Ice Labyrinth without the protective thermal field surrounding you, that helped to maximally preserve the heat energy of your yellow pearls for a more important purpose… After all, returning without loss is just as important as overcoming the dangerous path to your goal. It was the right move. Now, by creating a protective thermal aura with their help, you will be able to quickly get to the main exit. You can go straight, cutting the path, without wandering through the same icy tunnels. We will believe that their thermal power will be enough to melt this gigantic amount of ice. And it’s good if we don't encounter cold guardians and ice witches on the way, because the energy expenditure on them could be critical. I hope that the margin of safety of your protective thermal sphere will be sufficient,” - he finished, but the silence that followed still spoke of a hidden concern.

Yes, of course, a barely perceptible note of doubt still slipped into his voice. What if the pursuit of the snow monsters turns out to be relentless? What if the supply of heat in the pearls is treacherously small? After all, the true limit of their capabilities is unknown to anyone - and then there will be no way back. The echoes of these questions, raised at the beginning of the journey, still had not lost their sharpness. The possible threat, as tangible as the cold, hung over them, and in the silence, everyone felt that it was this thought that troubled them. 

Breaking the silence that had fallen, Diana looked at Om with anxiety: “You won't be able to enter our cocoon of warmth, because your nature is different. What about you?”

“Oh, your worries are unnecessary,” - Om assured her. - “I will resort to the same method as when I was your guide and led you through the icy intertwining of the labyrinth. You know that as an ethereal being, I have the ability to become invisible or even non-material for a time. And by emitting weak impulses, I distract the attention of the ice guardians: monsters and snow witches, creating temporary interference for frost spells, disrupting their cold charms.