I showed Zephyr the remainder of the settlement, finally bringing him to the Sen River, the exact spot where Eli had found him. He stared at the spot for a long time, as if willing the waters to surrender a piece of his past.
"How does one truly end up in Emet? What kingdom is this, and what land?" he asked, turning from the current.
"We live on the continent of Longinus. This is the Kingdom of Insatel, the largest of the four, ruled by King Chensler, the... Conqueror."
He smiled at the obvious disdain in my voice. "I assume this 'King' is either a tyrant or a fool, then?"
"What makes you think that? He might be a great one," I teased. Before answering, he knelt at the water's edge and let the current caress his hand.
"He names himself Conqueror and presides over the largest kingdom, yet divine monsters like Emet terrorize his people and occupy his lands. That alone speaks volumes," he mused, playing with the water. "And there is the issue with his feudal lords, who take too much and often seize his own people as payment for imaginary protection."
I was stunned by how much he had gleaned from only a few passing conversations. He looked at the water with a profoundly sad expression. Was he pitying the people he didn't know? Or was he pitying himself?
"I... you saw more than I gave you credit for."
He looked up, the sadness in his eyes dissolving. "I've paid attention. I had hoped some detail would return my memories to me. Perhaps Lady Vistellia was right." He opened up for the first time since he woke. "I might never find out who I was, or how someone so clearly different like me even ended up here."
His mood had darkened, and he seemed compelled to share more.
"I have these dreams. I can't tell if they are fragments of my own life or just fantasies conjured by my mind, like everyone else's." He pulled his hand from the water and looked up the Sen, toward a distant horizon thousands of miles away. "But even if they are my old memories... how could a few moments of sheer carnage possibly help me find my real home?"
I desperately wanted to offer him comfort, but the words withered on my tongue. What words could console a person facing that depth of loss? He might have a family out there—parents, siblings, a wife or fiancée—who were mourning his presumed death even now.
The rain started—a soft, cooling drizzle at first, though I quickly became soaked and felt a chill settle on my shoulders. I couldn't bring myself to leave without him.
He remained at the water for a few more seconds, watching the raindrops dimple the surface. He closed his eyes, sighed deeply, and then stood abruptly.
"We should head back. I apologize; I got lost there for a moment. You might catch a chill because of me. Your home is close; let us hurry." He walked past me, a polite smile in place—nothing like the genuine laugh I'd glimpsed earlier.
I looked at his back as he walked through the rain. Even without seeing his face, he felt infinitely sad to me.
Back home, the house was full. Along with my own family, Demelza was there with Arnold.
"You're back! How was the village? Did you enjoy your walk with... Lylly?" Eleanor was the first to pounce.
Ignoring my sister, I pushed past her and headed straight for the fire to dry my soaked hair and clothes.
"It was excellent. I learned a lot about this land and met some genuinely good people, thanks to her," Zephyr replied, placing his boots further from the heat.
Demelza, her son nestled in her lap, sat near me. Little Arnold crawled around, happily discovering the house.
"How is it you're here, Demelza? Everything is alright?" I asked, turning my attention from the drying shoes to our rare guest.
She smiled, sipping her tea. "I came to talk to your mother. The boys are still training in the rain, and Arnold was bored. So was I."
She was perhaps five years my senior, yet she sought out my mother for conversation, not me. My life choices, though my own, had left me isolated from those my age. None of my childhood friends visited just to see me anymore; they had more in common with my mother now. Watching Demelza play with her son, I was again overcome by the same distant feeling, asking myself: were my choices the right ones?
I offered a polite chuckle at her admission and poured my own tea. I considered offering Zephyr some, but Eli had already captured his attention, filling his hands and immersing him in a deep conversation about Alexander and the training for the upcoming Sacrifice.
I saw him force a laugh at something Eli said, but his eyes immediately returned to their usual guarded state. I was able to see his real laugh. This is nothing like it.
I decided to check on Granny. I felt she needed to know about Zephyr's immediate intent to leave, and perhaps I could talk to her about Eleanor, too—to clear the air before Eli fell too hard.
I found Granny tending to her mortar and pestle, humming softly.
"Hey, Granny. We escaped the rain, but we'll have to gather the rest of the flowers in the afternoon at the earliest."
"No problem, sweet one. Now tell me, how was your outing with him?" she asked, continuing her work.
I recounted the events—Alexander's foolishness, Ilianna's laughter, and Zephyr's quiet sadness by the river. My own confusion I kept private.
"...He also mentioned that he plans to leave once he knows more about... everything," I finished, putting the flowers into separate piles to help her. "He doesn't want to be a burden."
"What could possibly make him think that? He's been nothing but respectful and grateful..." Granny kept adding camomile and honey to the mortar. "Perhaps it's just his pride. I'm not surprised by the news of him leaving, Lylly. He told me not long after he woke up."
She knew?
So why let Eleanor get so entangled? Why not tell me? She let me act like a spoiled brat who couldn't even manage a genuine smile or a morning greeting, fully knowing he was planning his departure. My astonishment must have been clear on my face.
"You're thinking: why not just tell Eli, or perhaps... you as well? Because it's just one of many paths that might happen," she explained, handing me the mortar. "It might not happen. Look at today. That little girl, Ilianna, is already starting to open up to him. Maybe in time, we can help change his heart."
"W-why... you want to change his heart?"
She stopped working and looked me straight in the eye. "Be honest with me, Lylly. Knowing everything you learned since this morning—however little it may be—do you want him to go that badly?"
If she had asked me this morning, I would have said yes in a heartbeat. Now, I recalled his interactions: his strength coupled with kindness, the ease with which he made a sad girl laugh, the effort he made to extend a hand to an idiot who had tried to kill him. He was an odd one, and... something else.
How can I not want someone like that around?
My silence was enough. I didn't need to say anything embarrassing. Granny looked like someone who had known exactly what my answer would be.
"See? Why not let fate decide then? He might find everything he needs right here. Plus..." She reached out and touched my cheek. "It would be nice to see at least one of my granddaughters truly happy before my time ends."
"Granny, please don't talk like that."
"Don't worry, sweetheart, I am not planning my exit just yet. But this is a cruel world, Lylly. Life doesn't simply give us happiness. We have to fight for it, in our own way." She squeezed my wrist, and I took the advice to heart.
"Let me tell you the same words my mother told me: Love is all about timing. It can be there one second, extending its hand, then forever taken by someone else the next."
I pondered her wisdom. Did I have to wait for him to extend his hand? Or could he take mine? I didn't have time to consider it further. Eleanor burst into the room.
"Lylly, I'm taking Zephyr to the forest to search for Ilianna. He's worried." She wasn't even looking at us, only pausing long enough to grab some supplies. "Please take over my chores for me?"
"Sure, but maybe I'll sho—"
"Thanks! See you later!" She left so quickly I could practically see her outline vanish.
"...Well, next time maybe fight harder," Granny chuckled, a genuine laugh.
I was left alone by my laughing grandmother, watching a rainbow arch through the window after the rain.
Fight harder, huh?
I had already surrendered my chance to go. Then why did I feel so strongly that it should have been me out there, looking for that girl by his side?