Those two days passed so damn quickly. I couldn't believe they had. While Rangi didn't speak another word about returning to Verelum, I could tell that he wanted to. I felt horrible for not giving him a response, but I couldn't bring myself to decide.

   That last night, I didn't come to dinner. I was laying down because I "didn't feel good," and that was an understatement. I just couldn't stand to be around Rangi because I didn't have any inkling of an answer for him. I couldn't even think about reading or trying to take notes. All I could do was just lay on my bed, absentmindedly petting Dew as she dozed next to me.

   Some time later, a knock came at the door. I was able to sit up before Cyryl entered. Pidge wasn't with them, so he was probably out with Bard in the dining room. Cyryl held a steaming mug in their hands, and they gave me a hesitant smile.

   "Are you feeling any better, Loto?" they asked. "If not, I asked if Father could make you some chamomile tea."

   I was feeling a bit queasy, though it was because of the tight ball of nerves that had knotted in my gut. I still took the mug, thanking them for their consideration.

   "Have you come to a decision yet?" they asked with some hesitance as they sat beside me, careful not to wake the still-sleeping Dew.

   My fingers tightened around the mug as I shook my head. "I hate that I haven't."

   "It's understandable," they said. "It's a huge decision."

   I took a sip of the tea, shivering as I could feel it tracing its way down my throat. I appreciated the warmth it gave me more than the taste. "Would this be irony?" I then asked.

   "Hm?" Cyryl tilted their head, puzzled.

   "I think it is," I said. "Ever since I woke up in that field, all I've wanted to do was learn who I was and see if I had anyone left."

   "But you do," Cyryl replied. "You have me, Dew, and my parents."

   I frowned. "It isn't the same..." I said. "I-I just wanted to know and be happy. For once my luck works out, and I get the chance of a lifetime, not only to learn who I am but reunite with my family. But now I don't even know if I want it! I love you guys to death, and I don't wanna give any of it up."

   "Then why don't you simply turn him down?" Cyryl asked hopefully. "If you care about us so deeply, perhaps it's an indication of what you truly want." 

   I placed the cup down on the nightstand. "I know, but at the same time, this could be my one chance to be with the rest of my family again," I said. "I don't know how much longer Guella is gonna be around for, I don't know if Rangi could come back here so easily."

   "If Rangi and your guella communicated through letters, then you could do the same with them," Cyryl proposed.

   I'd already thought of that, and I shook my head. "Again, it wouldn't be the same. I want to see her face, hear her voice, know for a fact that she's real and not just some words on a piece of paper." And there was a last, obvious Trump Card that had to be played. "I... I want to be happy, and I think this would finally make me happy."

   "Well, it seems that you have your mind made up, don't you?" Cyryl asked, their voice shaking.

   I froze, my heart dropping into that pit that had consumed me since Rangi had asked me this. Without realizing it, I had, hadn't I? Still, I couldn't! I'd be leaving so much behind, abandoning the people who accepted me as their son.

But could I stand to stay here knowing I wouldn't be happy?

   "Listen, if you truly want to go, then don't let me or anyone else stop you," Cyryl said. "Despite what you say, I am being selfish. But I can't help it." They faintly smiled, though its effect was dampened by the tears that began leaking down their cheeks. "Go, Lotario. Go to Verelum and be with your family. If you think it will make you happy, then it will."

   Dammit, now I was getting sentimental too. I hugged Cyryl, not bothering to hide the fact that I was shaking. "O-okay, I will." I pulled away from them, trying to give them as wide a smile as I could manage. "I'll go. But at least we'll have a couple more days to spend together, yeah?"

   "You're right, we will. And I'm thankful for that." They were able to give me a genuine smile then as well. "And I'm glad you're smiling. Kari would be proud."

   I nodded. "Yeah, he would."

—~*~—

I told Rangi about my decision as soon as he showed up the next morning. When I did, I was surprised at how wide a smile he gave me. It looked... strange on him. For what reason, I didn't know.

   "That's great, Lotario. I knew you'd realize what was more important," he said happily. That just made me feel even worse, but I wasn't going to budge on my decision. I wanted to go.

   "Wait, I'm still going to exchange letters with them," I said.

   Rangi nodded. "And I won't stop you. Just wait until we get settled back on Verelum first." I frowned, though I could see his reasoning in that. I'd accept it.

   Rangi didn't even wait until everyone was completely settled at the table before he shared the news, still wearing that smile.

   "I bet you're happy to finally be rid of us," Alan joked. "Iga and I won't be breathing down your neck anymore about sticking to your curfew or other obligations."

   "Oh, yeah, definitely," I replied with over-exaggeration.

   Iga sighed. "It's a shame to see you're leaving. But I can understand why. You finally have a chance to piece together what you've lost." I knew she was talking about the conversation we had before all of this happened, and I nodded in agreement.

   "So do you have any idea of how you're returning to Verelum?" Alan asked Rangi.

   "Yes, I was planning on catching a ship in Veylei," he said. "But we're not leaving right away. After all, I think Lotario should be able to spend a few more days with you."

   'Should be able to.' I frowned at that. "I'm not a kid anymore," I spoke abruptly. "Don't talk like I am one, okay?"

   Rangi nodded. "My apologies. But you'll always be one to me, che'lu," he said.

   Cyryl's face lit up at that. "Father, does this mean I'll be able to have a day off?" they asked.

"You will," Alan agreed. "However, I think you'll have to wait until that last day. I'm sure Loto will have some preparation to do with Rangi."

"That unfortunately will be the case," Rangi said. He took out a list written in a Torchic-scratch style that reminded me of my own handwriting. "Ferries don't always provide the best accommodations, so it'll be up to us to make sure we'll be comfortable. There's also a several-day trek to Primrose City since it isn't on the coast." He glanced at me. "I'm sure you don't mind walking."

"More than used to it," I said with a slight sigh.

Cyryl looked a little upset by this information, but they didn't complain. I gave them a comforting look, choked with hesitance as it was. We would just have to make that last day extra-special, and I tried my best to communicate it through my expression. It took them a moment, but they returned it.

A couple more days passed, which were much busier than the previous. I was happy with this, since I always did prefer to be busy than just sit around. Rangi and I scoured every last shop in Waywyn for what we needed, and it was a lot, surprisingly.

"How long is it gonna take for us to get to Primrose?" I asked.

"On average, it takes about four or five days depending on where you dock," he replied. "And the weather is on the damp side, so we need to accommodate for that as well."

Even without knowing about the rainy season, I could figure that would be the case. From what Cyryl had read to me, Verelum had the most bodies of water in all of Caelum, not to mention the largest, being the famous Lotus Lake. If the air currents were particularly static around Verelum, all that water would have to come right back down after it evaporated.

"That just means the stars will be obscured more..." I said, saddened at the thought of these clear nights coming to an end.

"It'll make those cloudless nights all the more special," Rangi replied. "I thought you were supposed to be more positive," he said with a chuckle.

"I try to, though it's not all the time," I said, and the amusement left Rangi's smile. He probably thought he'd slipped up again, so I quickly followed up with, "But all I can do is try, so that's what counts."

The relief was visible on Rangi's face as he replied. "It really does. And I'd like to stargaze with you again before we leave. You can't see the stars the same way here as you see them on Verelum, even on the clearest of nights."

For the first time since I reunited with Rangi, I grinned. "Of course we could!" And we did.

The day then finally came, ushered in by a brilliantly orange sunrise, my last day on Tranquelum. As I woke up, I could only imagine how Cyryl would be feeling, and I was ready to comfort them as well as myself. To my surprise, they were already out of bed. Not even Pidge was in the room still. I traded confused looks with Dew as I got up.

It seemed that breakfast was already underway when I went into the dining room. There was the clanging of pans coming from the kitchen along with Cyryl and Iga's voices. Meanwhile, Alan sat at the table as Pidge and Bard played on the floor in their corner. Dew jumped down from my shoulder to join the other Pokémon.

Alan noticed me in the doorway and greeted me. The look of amusement on his face was clear. "Cyryl wanted an early start," he said. "It seems that they have something planned for the two of you."

I didn't expect that, I thought. Intrigue sparked as Cyryl then poked their head out of the kitchen.

"Good morning, Loto!" they greeted me cheerily before ducking back in. They seemed more excited than usual.

Cyryl's high energy wasn't just for show. They devoured their breakfast with a fervor even Rangi and I couldn't match, and they impatiently waited for me to finish. As soon as I did, they leapt out of their chair. "Let's go, Loto!" they said. They whistled for Pidge, who flapped over to perch on their shoulder.

   "Stay in town!" Iga tried to call, but by then Cyryl was already out the door.

   I turned to Iga as I stood. "I'm sure they know well enough by now," I laughed. "See ya later," I said to everyone before leaving myself.

"Be careful," Rangi cautioned, and I nodded.

It was another beautiful day outside, something I could greatly appreciate. I found Cyryl by the path, shifting from foot to foot. "Your father told me that you already have an idea of what you'd like to do today," I said.

   "Yes," they affirmed with a nod. "There has been something I've wanted to go and see for a while now, but I wasn't confident enough to go by myself. I was wondering if you could accompany me to it today."

   "What is it?"

   "An abandoned coastal town," Cyryl said. "I heard of it from a couple of customers who were in the shop two or so weeks ago. It was an old magician settlement that emptied out a decade ago. It's apparently southeast of here, about halfway to Veylei, so it'll only take a few hours to walk to at the most."

   I couldn't hide my frown. I thought Cyryl wanted to take one last walk around town or explore the bazaar, not something like this.

   They looked at me pleadingly. "Unless lightning strikes, I don't think I'll have another chance to leave this town. And you'll be with me, so at least I wouldn't be going with solely Pidge. Please, Loto?"

   That was definitely something they wouldn't have said a month ago. I held in a sigh. And they were right. As much as I wanted to refuse, I had a feeling they'd try to go regardless. If not now, then when I was gone and couldn't make sure they didn't get themselves into a bad situation. "All right." I didn't know it was possible for Cyryl to look any happier, but they did.

   The closer we got to the edge of town, the antsier Cyryl became. They wound their hair around their fingers in an almost rhythmic fashion as their gaze flickered about. It was like they were expecting to be caught at any moment.

   "You okay?" I asked.

   They jumped a little before looking at me. "Sort of?" they replied, laughing nervously. "My stomach feels like it's filled with Beautifly, and I can't tell if it's from excitement or fear. I'm certainly nervous though."

   "It'll be fine," I reassured. There was no point in trying to back down now. They had to leave sooner or later. "If anything happens, there'll be five of us to contend with," I said in reference to Cyryl's Duplex Dolor spell. They smiled warmly, nodding.

   Leaving the confines of Waywyn was a normal thing for me. After all, I'd done it weekly. But taking their first step on the dirt path that wound off into the grassy distance seemed to resonate with Cyryl. It looked like they weren't sure whether or not this was truly happening.

   "I've stepped out of town once or twice before," they admitted. "But it was only a few paces, and I'd dart back a moment later. This, however," they took a breath, "is different. I think this is the first step I have to take for me to become an adventurer, you know?"

   "We haven't even gone three feet. Save the inspirational speech for later," I joked.

   Their cheeks reddened as they nodded. "R-right," they said with an embarrassed smile.

   I thought I'd seen Cyryl excited before, but that was nothing compared to now. Their gaze became lost in the rolling waves of grass, they stopped to observe nearly every wildflower that grew beside the path, they gaped at the Buneary and other Pokémon that ran about, they seemed to simply revel in the sunlight. That last one made me think of a plant, weirdly enough.

   But it was weirder to see them like this, abandoning their well-mannered and well-spoken persona and acting like a genuine child. I obviously didn't care, of course. They'd earned this.

   "So what do you think?" I asked.

   Cyryl turned to me, a huge smile on their face. "It's incredible."

   We spotted the town in the distance after an hour, and we reached it soon after. It was pretty small, only consisting of the ruins of six or seven buildings at the most. Even while it was still inhabited, it would've been a stretch to call it a town. Regardless, Cyryl was overjoyed.

   My gaze was instantly drawn to the cliffside, and I approached it. Pure, beautiful, endless blue spread out like the green of Tranquelum's plains. Somewhere out there was my chance to have my life back, or at least some semblance of it. Tomorrow morning... It still wouldn't be enough time.

   Eventually my eyes followed the natural gradient in the sky downwards into the darker blue reaches below. It reminded me of looking into a pond's depths. Seemingly not of my own will, I kneeled down and reached out over the side of the cliff. Instead of the open air, I could almost imagine water wetting my fingers. How strange would it be, if it had been water.

   That brought my thoughts to a place I reserved for my notes. Ideas, theories... Did it actually make sense that Caelum was like this? What kept these islands aloft? Was it the same brand of magic that allowed magicians to exist or Pokémon to use the abilities they had? I sighed inwardly. As much as I liked reading and learning, that reason was definitely something I'd never be able to learn.

   I looked back at Cyryl, who had finally realized where I'd gone to. My thoughts continued to wander. If I couldn't know, maybe they could. If Cyryl did become the adventurer they hoped to be, who knew what they would discover. But whatever it would be, I hoped that I could help them, even if I was so far away.

   Cyryl cautiously approached me, making sure to keep their distance from the cliff and their eyes on the dirt at their feet. "Why are you so close to the cliff, Loto?" they asked.

   "I was just curious," I replied, standing up. That was my cue to get away from the rocky edge, and I was sorta relieved to do so. Staring down into the sky was making me lightheaded, and the last thing I needed was an accidental tumble off the edge. Now only if my luck was this prevalent all of the time...

   Cyryl kept their gaze on the ground. "I-I'm glad you didn't fall off." Their face was ghost-white. I comfortingly put a hand on their shoulder, smiling.

   "Believe me, I didn't want to fall either. I'm not in the mood for skydiving today," I joked. "How about we explore the town some, y'know, away from the cliff?"

   "That would be much preferred, yes," Cyryl said more quickly than usual.

   We made our way back to the center of the town, marked by the crumbling remains of a small, bone-dry well. Whatever water source they'd tapped into was likely too shallow to last them for long. Maybe that was what drove them away from town, not guards or pirates or any other horrible threat. Just something simple, like their well going dry. It was what I decided to believe.

   "De?" Dew squeaked, looking about.

   I glanced at her. "What is it?" I asked before frowning. "You think there's someone here?" She tilted her head, puzzled, before hesitantly shaking it. I didn't take this as too comforting a sign and kept my guard up a bit more than it already was.

   Meanwhile, Cyryl's attention had been drawn to one of the more inland buildings, close to what would've been considered as the town' edge. I made my way over to them while Dew still looked around.

   "What do you think this was?" Cyryl asked.

   "A house?" I said, thinking that it was a bit obvious. That still didn't stop Cyryl from stepping over the fallen remains of a wall and into the decaying building. In no time they vanished into its shadowy recesses. I almost called for them to be careful, but I stopped myself. Despite the slight worry I felt, I knew they were smart enough to already know that.

   "Everything okay, Dew?" I asked, giving her a glance. Her fur had stopped bristling, and she nodded. I let out an inadvertent sigh of relief.

   But then I heard Cyryl cry out.

   It was a cry of surprise and fear, one that knotted my gut and instantly sent ice shooting through my veins. Then Pidge began squawking. Loudly. I threw myself over the wall's threshold and into the building.

   "Cyryl?" I called.

   Something dashed out of the shadows right at me, making me flinch and jump back from surprise. I dodged whatever it was, but I couldn't avoid Pidge, who'd been chasing it.

   The bird crashed into me, and I threw up my arm so I could save my face from being slashed by his wildly flailing talons. His beak connected with my frost-covered arm, further startling him. He loosed a wild Gust, which flung me to the ground. I hit the rotting floor with an audible "oof!" that forced the air from my lungs.

   "Pidge, stop it!" I heard Cyryl shout. Unfortunately, the bird was deaf in his frenzy to protect Cyryl. Pidge came flying at me, readying a Peck. He was intercepted by Dew, who threw herself at him. Static overtook his body as she used Nuzzle. He collapsed in a heap of twitching feathers, bringing this mess to an end.

   "Dene!" Dew spat as she scampered off Pidge. It was then that Cyryl came rushing into view, and their eyes widened when they saw me. They fell to their knees next to me as I pushed myself up into a sitting position, coughing and gasping in an effort to regain my breath.

   "I'm so sorry, Loto!" Cyryl apologized as they scooped Pidge up into their arms.

   "I-it's fine," I wheezed. "But I thought something was attacking you!"

   They looked away sheepishly. "That was what I thought as well. In actuality, I don't believe that was the case."

   "Ne!" Dew squeaked, catching our attention. She was staring outside, her tail standing straight up along with her fur. We followed her gaze as we looked past the crumbled wall where the thing had escaped out from. Then we saw it.

   Huddled in the shade of a neighboring building was what looked like a twisted-looking Pikachu, its colors faded and its head lolling to the side like its neck had been broken—a Mimikyu. The Pokémon hissed at us before shuffling away around the corner.

   "Damn Ghost-types," I sighed. Now that I knew the Mimikyu was gone, I was able to let my guard down. The frost dissipated from my skin, leaving me chilled. "Are you okay?" I asked Cyryl.

  "Besides being frightened out of my mind, yes," they said. "I shouldn't have been surprised that there was something like a Mimikyu here." They pointed a finger into the gloom behind them. "Pidge and I had entered one of the back rooms, and it had a couple molding dolls and fabric scattered about on the floor. The Mimikyu jumped out and startled us, and Pidge broke its disguise."

   I shook my head. "Good thing it didn't actually attack you."

   "That could have gotten far messier," Cyryl agreed. "But do you think that was one of the horrors of the world my parents always talk about?" they then asked.

   I snickered. "It depends on who you ask." They cracked a smile at that. "So would you wanna keep exploring?" I asked.

   They nodded. "I think I'll stick closer to you now."

   We continued to investigate the town, exploring every building. A couple houses, the remnants of a store, some kind of storage building... We encountered the Mimikyu one more time, but a screech from Pidge was enough to send it scampering away again. Pidge was truly the most frightening of foes.

   Soon we found ourselves back in the town center, sitting by the well and enjoying the lunch Cyryl had packed beforehand. I hadn't really thought to put soup in a canteen before this, and it was still great even if it was cold. Cyryl was definitely cut out for adventuring, at least in my book.

   "Thank you for coming out here with me," Cyryl said. "You don't know how much I appreciate it."

   "Of course," I said with a smile. "But you think this was worthy of being the last thing we did together?"

   "Most definitely," they replied with a nod. Their gaze fell as their expression did the same. "I'm going to miss you so much, you know."

   "I know, and I'll miss you too," I said, my smile lessening. "But we can write to each other, and maybe one day I can come back here." My smile returned as a grin. "Or maybe you can come visit me."

   Cyryl's face lit up with a gentle, cautious happiness. "I'd like that very much."

We arrived back in Waywyn an hour or so before sunset. We'd left the coastal town earlier than Cyryl wanted, but they'd agreed that we shouldn't risk cutting it close. We spent the remaining time walking around town, taking one last look at everything. Then when the sky finally began to golden, we headed back home.

   "So what did you two do today?" Iga asked.

   I answered, my excuses at the ready. "Walked around, window-shopped, just simple things."

   "Sometimes simplistic is the best way to go," Alan mused.

   "What did you do, Rangi?" I asked.

   He looked up at me. "I went over our supplies one last time, made sure we had everything," he said. "I ended up buying a couple more things."

   Iga then looked like she remembered something. "We should have told you this before, Rangi," she started, "but while you were out, Alan and I thought of something. We'd like to accompany you out of town and to Veylei. We could see you off more properly, not to mention that there's safety in numbers."

   Rangi shook his head. "That won't be necessary. Lotario and I will be okay."

   "Why not?" I asked.

   "Because I believe we can handle ourselves just fine. Also, I want to spend some more time alone with you."

   "We'll have the rest of our lives for that," I said jokingly. "I want them to come with us. I wanna spend as much time with Cyryl as I can," I said.

   Rangi muttered something to himself before saying, "Today and tonight aren't enough?"

   I frowned, my humor vanishing. "What's the problem?" I replied with a question. "Why can't they just come?"

   "It really would be for the best," Alan added.

   Rangi's eyes narrowed. But then they closed as he nodded. "All right. I'm sorry for objecting. They can come as well, but we'll be leaving quite early."

"If that's the case, then you can spend the night here if you'd like," Alan offered. Both Rangi and Iga were surprised to hear this, though Iga was a bit more wary. Alan gave her a reassuring look as he said, "I'm sure you've spent enough incos on those inn rooms."

"You don't have to do that, but I'll gladly accept it," Rangi said. "I'll set up my bedroll on the floor here so you don't have to give up any of your beds."

   "That's fine," Alan said.

   "But really, I'm sorry," Rangi said. He looked oddly downcast then. I wanted to ask if he was okay, but I didn't think it was something he wanted discuss in front of the Noseks. The relatively upbeat mood wasn't able to pick itself up completely for the rest of the meal after that conversation.

I managed to get Rangi alone after dinner, and it was then that I asked him. "You all right?"

He hesitated a moment before responding. "Y-yes, I am," he said. "I'm guessing you want to know why I acted like that earlier?"

I nodded. "What's wrong with them coming with us?"

"I didn't want to say it before, because I was worried about how they would react if I gave my reasoning." He frowned. "I don't want them to come because they're magicians."

My brow furrowed. "What do you mean?" my tone was harsher than I wanted it to be, but I didn't care.

Rangi's eyes widened slightly, like he knew he messed up. "Wh-what I mean is that we're already putting ourselves at risk enough," he said quickly. "You're a magician, and I have Justice. Bringing three other magicians with us to a place like Veylei could arouse suspicion."

"How? Normal-types don't have an advantage over anything."

"I know that. I-it had slipped my mind before. But it's the principal of four magicians traveling together." He shook his head. "I'm just worried. If we're discovered, that's it. We'll be done."

"Then maybe they could come with us to Veylei, and we just part ways before we entered," I proposed.

"That sounds preferable." He sighed. "Now I feel bad for saying that before."

I smiled, relieved that this had been cleared up. "You just had to think it out for a moment."

"You're right." He went silent then. I could see the nervousness in his gaze as his eyes wandered, and it was easy to see that he was hesitating about something. The silence lasted for so long that I was about to ask if he didn't want to talk any more, and it was then that he broke it. "Is it okay if I hug you?" he asked. "I won't if you don't feel comfortable with it."

While that had come out of nowhere, I was touched by his consideration. "Thanks for asking. And no, I don't mind." I let out an exhale of a laugh. "You've probably wanted to do this since we reunited, huh?"

Rangi chuckled awkwardly. "I felt I was imposing enough already."

He had to crouch down to meet my eye-level, and even with my permission, he still hesitated. I... didn't think he'd be so warm. It was comfortingly familiar, and I actually found myself relaxing. But unlike me, he was unbelievably tense, like he was anticipating an attack or something. But he still squeezed me tightly, as if he'd lose me the moment he let go.

Right when I started to feel uncomfortable, he pulled away. He smiled sadly. "I'm sorry, che'lu." His voice trembled a bit as he spoke.

Confusion pricked at me as I frowned. "For what? You don't have to apologize for anything."

Rangi took a few deep breaths, nodding. His face regained the stern confidence I'd grown used to seeing, and his voice had ceased wavering. "You're right, I don't."

   The night dragged on, and the inevitable came. Time to sleep. I lay in bed, letting my thoughts wander. This was finally it, huh? I still couldn't believe it. So many questions and worries swirled about in my mind, though I knew many of them wouldn't be answered. I should've been used to that fact by now.

   "I don't want to go to sleep," Cyryl said. They were staring at the ceiling. "I wish we could go stargaze, even if it was just for a little while."

   "I wish we could, too," I said. "But we can't. If we're not caught, we'll just be making ourselves tired for tomorrow, right?"

   "Yes, we would." They looked at me. "Goodnight, Loto."

   I smiled in spite of the feelings churning within me. "'Night, Cyryl." I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Tomorrow. I still couldn't help but dread it.

—~*~—

Crunch, crunch.

   The sound of footfalls on grass. I opened my eyes a sliver, puzzled. Swaying grass dappled gray by moonlight that slowly seemed to move, and a black sky dotted with stars swam before me. I thought I was dreaming, though something felt off. No, I just had to be dreaming. My eyes drifted shut again, ready to sink back under.

   But then I was jostled, physically moved, and that snapped me out of my tired haze. That really was the ground moving, I actually felt the night air brushing against my skin. I panicked and flailed, trying to move. Someone gasped in surprise, and I found myself airborne before slamming into the ground. Grass crushed under my hands as I clenched them and sat up.

   "Lotario!" Rangi hissed. He crouched down next to me, his body haloed by the light of the full moon.

   I stared blankly at him, trying to understand what was happening. Confusion spun my mind, my senses overloaded by the unnatural sensations of being outside. I frantically looked around, only seeing the rolling plains. It was just Rangi and me, not even Dew was here. My heart rate picked up, as did my breaths.

   "Lotario, calm down. You don't need to panic—"

   I scrambled backwards a few paces before staggering to my feet. "T-to hell with not panicking!" I cried. "What's going on?"

   Despite my distress, his expression remained perfectly calm. "We're leaving," he replied simply, like this was something normal.

   My mouth dropped open. "You said we were leaving tomorrow morning! Why did you lie? Why?"

   Rangi frowned. "Because I had no intention of taking the Noseks with us in the first place," he said, his voice turning cold. "They're not coming, so be quiet and let's go."

   "No!" I yelled, purposefully loud. "What happened to that talk we had? I thought we agreed on something! I'm not goin' anywhere with you until you explain what's actually happening!"

   "You no longer have a choice," he said. "Not that you had one in the first place. I just wanted to give you some last moments with those rotten jinx-flingers since you won't be seeing them again. Ever."

   My heart dropped. "What..?"

   Rangi's expression darkened. "I might as well tell the truth, but if I do it here you'll become even more uncooperative. I'll tell you when we arrive at the ship. We're going now." Rangi took hold of my wrist, seizing Justice's hilt with his other hand.

   A cry tore from me as I tried to pull away from him, fear striking me. My eyes widened when I saw him unsheathe his sword. I still didn't understand at all what was happening, or why my brother was suddenly a threat, but my instincts told me that I had to get away. Frost pulsed across my skin. Unfortunately, the transformation didn't happen quickly enough.

   Rangi struck, bringing Justice's pommel down onto my head.

   Pain shot through me in one quick bolt as I cried out again. Darkness splotched my vision while the world spun in sickening loops. My legs gave out, and I fell to my knees. Somehow I was still conscious, though barely.

   "I'm impressed," I heard Rangi comment. "I thought a single hit would have been enough."

   Why? Why was this happening? How could this be happening?

   The icicles tore themselves free, and I shakily raised a hand. Could I actually bring myself to attack him though? Rangi answered that question for me as he calmly pushed my hand away. That gesture was all I could manage, as the rest of my energy was spent. I fell limp, only being held up by Rangi's grasp.

   I heard the scrape as he sheathed Justice, then I felt his hands as he picked me up in his arms. Faint sensations of fear and disgust rippled through me, but I couldn't move. Still, I fought, even if it was to merely keep my eyes open.

   Rangi shook his head disapprovingly and raised his hand. With the tips of his thumb and index finger, he lightly pressed against my eyelids and pulled them down, forcibly blanketing my sight in darkness. I didn't have the strength to open them again, and I felt myself drift away.

   "Just sleep, che'lu," Rangi said, his words wavering to me. "And for your sake, hope you don't awaken."