The wooden chest opens with a creak as flickering candlelight falls on the three beads inside. One white as porcelain, one clear as crystal, one black as the night sky. The beginning of a journey is always a step into the unknown, into darkness. The young warrior's hands reach for the pearls and let them disappear into his pocket. At the beginning of a journey, it takes courage to take the first step and the acceptance that at the end of it, you may very well no longer be the person you started out as. The smoke from the extinguished candle fills the room as the young warrior steps out into the night.