"So you mean..." Dryad trailed off before asking again "...you went home first while your friends at the base prepared his body for burial? later, they sent the coffin to Sir Alvard's residence? Is that what happened?"

"Yes," Haze nodded.

"Was the coffin secured? I mean... you couldn't even open it the moment it arrive?" Dryad asked again.

Haze frowned slightly, hesitated for a moment before answering such a weird question, "Hm... Yes. We couldn't open it. The coffin was secured."

They were silent for a couple of seconds.

"What if Brilliant is actually the ghost of Alexey?"

Dryad was not so surprised by Haze's sudden question because she had something else in mind.

"I'm not sure about that... Sir Alvard said if one's already dead, they could no longer be connected to us in any way possible because they'll be sent directly to the Afterlife," Dryad said. "There's a barrier between our world and the Afterlife that could never be crossed."

Hazard shook his head a bit, "Sorry, Dry, I don't catch your words. That is... a confusing concept."

"What I have in mind is... If Brilliant is not my imaginary friend, like I was always thought all this time.. then maybe, he's a wandering soul, then..."

"Wandering soul?" Haze frowned.

"Yes. Now we need to make sure of the theory. I want to clarify something"

"So..." His voice was quiet and strained, "what do you want to confirm?"

A thought crossed Dryads mind.Then, she finally asked what she really wanted to know,
"where is Alexey's grave? Can you take me there?"

Haze frowned, "take you there? Tomorrow?"

"No.Tonight. Right now," Dryad said.

Haze was surprised at her request. He took a moment to think about it. "Alexey's graveyard... Why do you want to go there?"

"Haze, we strongly agree now that Brilliant and Alexey are actually the same person, even though Brilliant doesn't recall any of his memories. He looks like someone who had his memories erased completely, don't you think? But why? I don't know how this happened, but... let's put that question aside for now. There's one thing that is more important. Remember when Dervin said Brilliant's soul came back to his own body just the same way as we both did? Then... I think we need to prove something."

Haze's eyes widened in surprise as he realized what she meant.
"Don't tell me... you want to see for yourself if it is true or not?"

Dryad nodded firmly. She looked like a girl without fear, having a plan to go to the graveyard at midnight after storms.

Haze chuckled bitterly, "what do you want us to do there? You want me to dig up his grave or something?"

"Yes," Dryad said firmly, staring at him. Her expression looked more serious than before.

"Seriously, Dryad. This is crazy! Are you thinking clearly right now?" he questioned.

Dryad's gaze still locked on him. She nodded. "Yes! I am thinking clearly. But it's the only way to confirm my theories, isn't it? Haze, please... help me. Think about it, what if Alexey really comes back? What if he wakes up and finds himself in a coffin as we talk here? We need to hurry!"

Haze was taken aback.
"That's awful!" He blinked a few times and looked away. He seemed conflicted. He sighed while rubbing his forehead, "I know it is a crazy idea. Fine. I'm in. But wait at least until the rain subsides a bit. Besides, we don't want to draw suspicion. Right? Let's wait until Eurys sleep"

_________________________________________

A couple of minutes passed.

Dryad laid down on a chaise in the living room, pretending to sleep. While Haze was still in the kitchen, accompanied by the dimly lit lamps and the low fire roaring in the hearth. He took the fourth cup of coffee. It was not healthy, he knew. But he couldn't help it.

He silently examined the pocket watch on his hand, turning it over and over, thinking about what his life would be like if a moment in the past could ever be repeated in any other setting. Hastily putting away this thought, he took a deep breath. Time to execute the crazy plan.

He stood up from the chair and looked at the sleeping Dryad. He didn't understand why a small smile appeared on his face at her innocence and serene face. He kneeled down and shook her arms lightly.

"Dry. Hey, wake up." he whispered.

"What? I'm not sleeping," she opened her eyes, blinking several times. She rubbed her eyes and looked around. Then raised herself from the soft chaise. "Everyone is asleep, right?"

"Yes. My sis has retired to her own room. And Sir Alvard is still not awake,though" Haze said.

Dryad nodded, "What time is it?"

"Fifteen minutes past two," he answered.

"Alright. Let's go now, then."

Haze fetched the tools from the warehouse and handed a lantern to Dryad. After that, they quietly left the shop. The rain has subsided, but the chill and damp air made it difficult to breathe comfortably. After some minutes they arrived at a secluded road leading to the cemetery, where the graves were placed. They both stopped before entering the grave site. They exchanged looks and shared a brief nod before walking through the rusted iron gate.

The atmosphere was heavy and gloomy. The sky was so gray without any stars nor moonlight. The ground was covered in muddy water and the smell of rotten vegetation wafted through the wind. It wasn't exactly the kind of place you'd expect for fun.

"If I were alone, I swear I would be freaking out here." Dryad said, looking into the darkness. There wasn't much light coming from the lantern Haze gave her. "Aren't you scared?"

Hazard looked at Dryad and chuckled.
"By this eerie place? No. I'm just scared of what truth we might discover. And also, this is not something that I would do without any reason," Haze added.

"Look around. We don't want anyone to be aware of our visit. " Dryad explained, "well... since this is not just an ordinary visit."

Haze sighed heavily, "Right. If anyone knows we're digging up, they'll arrest us for graveyard robbery. And I don't really feel like being jailed today. Not after those nightmares earlier in Another World!"

Dryad lifted the lantern higher. "Alright, so.. which one is Alexey's," Dryad asked. She moved aside, gesturing to Haze to take the lead.

"There."

As they approached the tombstone, Haze kneeled and reached for the shovel.
"I need you to make sure no one is watching me," he told Dryad, who nodded quickly.

"Of course."

Haze stared at the name engraved on the tombstone. Again, a pang of pain stabbed his chest. He felt even more guilty and sinned to dig up the final resting of the person he respected the most.

"Haze? you okay?" Dryad asked.

Haze took a deep breath in, trying to control himself. He can't afford to show emotion when he needs to act.
"Yes. Let's just... do this quickly." With that said, he began to work. "Alright. Here goes nothing..."

This cemetery was awfully quiet... The sounds of shoveling on the dirt can be heard clearly.
Haze tried not to think too much. He focused all of his energies on excavating the grave and not on the feeling inside that was still weighing on his heart. He continued to work with more vigor and determination as they didn't want anyone else finding out about this.
Finally the shovel reached something and made a clunk sound. He froze.
There it was. An unassuming, flat surface, lying under layers of earth and moss. It was not very big. Just enough size to fit a human body.
Haze took a deep breath again and started to push aside the remaining dirt.

"Is that it?" Dryad asked him, crouching next to Haze. She lifted the lantern to better see what the coffin looked like below there.

He nodded and looked at the coffin with an uneasy expression. He placed the shovel aside then grabbed a crowbar nearby to break the lock of the coffin. Haze whispered to himself.
"This is it... We are about to find out if Alexey really came back or not..."