Marina came face to face with someone who looked like Dawn but was not Dawn. He had a similar body structure but was a little taller than Dawn and had more mature facial features. And as Marina looked closely, she noticed that his hair was also longer than Dawn's. Then it suddenly hit her. 

"A-are you... Damian?" she asked hesitantly. She suddenly became aware of the other Warriors around her, who had stopped working and were looking at the stranger in the room. She gulped, trying to maintain her composure. 

However, she wasn't the only one who was trying to keep themselves calm. Damian, as unbelievable as it felt to him, had gone completely numb. He had never thought of himself as someone who would get flustered by a woman, but Marina had proved him wrong. For as he stared at her, taking in her long, black hair, large doe-like eyes and green silk robes, he forgot how to breathe. Someone near him coughed and he blinked, coming back to his senses. He cleared his throat and folded his arms.

"Who's asking?" he said, praying his voice wouldn't crack. 

"Oh uh... I-I'm Marina Mae. I'm a Helper," Marina replied, to which Damian simply nodded. 

"Would you know where I could find Dawn?" she added. 

"Why are you looking for my brother?" Damian asked suspiciously. 

"I'm a friend of his and---"

"Dawn doesn't have any friends. He never did," Damian cut her off, taking a step closer to her. Who is she?

"Really?" Marina said, started to get a little annoyed, "Well, now he has one. Can you please tell me where I can find him?" Damian's eyebrows rose slightly at the change in Marina's tone and he bit back a smile. Feisty...

"Since you said 'please', I'll tell you. He's on duty here at the mess with the rest of us but he went out for a bit," he answered. Marina felt relief wash over her. I'm at the right place!

"When will he be coming back?" she asked eagerly. 

"I'm not sure," Damian shook his head. Marina frowned and sighed. What do I do now? I'm running out of time!

"Thank you so much for you help. I'll be taking my leave now," Marina said after a few seconds of silence, nodding at Damian and turned to leave the mess hall. Just as she closed the door and began walking towards the large iron gates, she heard someone run out after her. 

"Wait!" she turned around to find Damian standing there. She raised her eyebrows in question. 

"Is Dawn in trouble?" he asked, concern lacing his voice. 

"What? No no! He's not in trouble. I had something urgent to talk to him about something but since he's not here, I'll just talk to him another time," Marina replied. Damian looked relieved. 

"Is there anything I can help with?" he asked in return. Marina looked at him and contemplated on his offer. Should I tell him instead? As she chewed on her lip and was stuck in deep thought, Damian stared at her in silence. As he felt himself getting lost in her, he blinked and forced himself to divert his attention towards the cobblestoned pathway. 

"Could... Can you convey a message to him for me, please?" she asked after a few minutes. 

"Again, since you said 'please', sure why not," he replied, cracking a smile. Marina fought the urge to roll her eyes. 

"Please tell him 'we're not the only ones'," Marina said, speaking slowly. Damian furrowed his brows. 

"Huh?" 

"Just tell him. He'll understand," Marina urged. Damian's confusion didn't lessen but he nodded nevertheless. 

"And also, if he wishes to talk, please tell him that I'm at the Grand Marketplace for another hour."

"Okay... Marina Mae," Damian said, liking the way her name sounded. 

"Thank you, Damian," Marina said, nodding her head as she turned and began walking towards the entrance of the Zone. Damian watched her leave as his heart leaped and he took in a deep breath to calm himself down. She soon disappeared into the crowd and he turned, walking back into the mess hall. As he entered, he was greeted by the questions his fellow Warriors bombarded him with. 

"Who was that, Damian?"

"You two didn't seem like strangers to me."

"Are you sure you guys met for the first time?"

"Yeah, why did you run after her?"

"Please tell us you're not interested in her, are you?"

"What did she want with Dawn?"

"Guys, calm down! Get back to work," Damian cried out, raising his hands to quiet everyone down. The other Warriors in the hall went quiet but exchanged amused glances amoungst one another as they continued with their volunteer work. Damian sighed and went back to his own work when his brother walked in from the back door of the hall, carrying some fresh produce in his hands. 

"Dawn!" Damian called out, gaining his brother's attention. 

"What?"

"I need to talk to you." Dawn nodded. 

"Let me just put these away," he said but Damian stopped him, taking the bags and handing them to another Warrior. Dawn looked at him in surprise as his brother pulled him to a corner. 

"What are you doing?"

"You just missed your friend," Damian said, letting Dawn go and folding his arms. 

"Friend?" Dawn asked, furrowing his brows. 

"I don't have any---" he trailed off as the realisation hit him. His eyes widened slightly as he looked at his brother. 

"Marina Mae," Damian said, a slight smirk making its way onto his lips. 

"When was she here? Did she say anything? You guys didn't bother her, did you?" Dawn rambled away, his mind racing. What was she doing here so early in the morning?

"Relax! She's fine. We didn't do anything. Although I think she could've held her own even if we did," Damian replied and Dawn's eyes softened slightly as he recalled the day when she tackled him to a wall with a plank of wood. 

"Yeah, she can definitely handle her own," he muttered under his breath. 

"Did she say why she was here?" Dawn asked his brother. 

"She did... But first, we have more important things to clear out. Since when do you have a friend? And a female friend at that?" Damian asked, watching his brother in amusement as his face turned pink. 

"Yeah well, it's a... Complicated story," Dawn replied, clearing his throat, "Tell me what she said."

"What's the magic word?" Dawn gave his brother a look.

"Really, Damian?"

"What? Your friend said it with every sentence. I was shocked at her etiquettes!" Damian cried out dramatically, causing Dawn to facepalm. 

"Damian," he began and let out a sigh, "Please tell me what Marina said." 

"Well, of course, my dear baby brother! Why didn't you say so before?" Damian said and Dawn was tempted to punch him in the face. 

"She said 'we're not the only ones'," he continued. Dawn looked a bit confused when suddenly his eyes widened. 

"What did she say?"

"We're not the only ones," Damian slowly repeatedly himself, confused at his brother's reaction. Dawn's mind immediately went blank before blowing up with a million questions and possible answers. She can't be serious!

"When did she leave?" Dawn cried out in desperation. 

"Oh uh, just seven or eight minutes ago?" Damian stuttered in response, not understand what was going on. Dawn's face turned completely pale and in the very next moment, he suddenly sprinted out of the mess hall. 

Making her way towards the Grand Marketplace, Marina tried to stay calm and thought of how to handle the situation with Alfa. She clenched and unclenched her fists to regulate her nerves but was unsuccessful. Her hour was close to coming to an end and she had no idea how to keep the painting from being sold to someone else. She also had to make an excuse to her parents for 'wandering off longer than she was told to'. She took in a deep breath as Alfa's stall came into view. What do I do?

"Marina!" she heard someone yell from the crowd. Marina immediately spun around and saw Dawn sprinting towards her. He skillfully skidded to a stop inches away from her, panting hard. 

"Dawn!" Marina cried out loudly in relief. She was so glad to see him that she almost hugged him. Dawn bent over to catch his breath before straightening up again. 

"I have never... Ran this hard... In my life," he said in between pants. 

"Well, that makes two of us! And I'm glad you did because we have a... Situation we need to deal with," Marina exclaimed. Dawn looked at her with furrowed brows. 

"What do you mean that we're not the only ones?" he cried out, desperate for an answer. 

"Look!" Marina said, pointing towards Alfa's stall. Near the back of the tent, the painting of the blue rose was leaning against the wall. Dawn squinted to get a better look and gasped when he made out what is was. 

"That's not what I think it is, is it?" he said hurriedly, glancing at Marina with concern. 

"It is exactly what you think it is," Marina replied, her heart beating faster. 

"She knows about the blue rose. How is that possible?" Dawn whispered as pedestrians walked passed them. Marina furrowed her brows, shaking her head. 

"There's only one way to find out."