"Seriously?" he muttered, with a small grin.

"Was right, then." he rolled his eyes, before fixing his black locks in place. "A few days of staying in Prope Portam to see the neater things turned into literal months because of a few accidents. Sam felt indebted to Sandy for showing him the ropes in a lot of stuff and mentioned something about him and the sister inventing a new method for sheep hoarding. One thing led to the other and through a game that I didn't even want to play, they sent me out to these waterfalls."

"For what now?" Atomu asked.

"Hell if I know. What's the leaves for you, though?"

"They're something Rowan requested I find. I have hunches, although things have been quiet on that front." Atomu shook his head, looking up. "It's for their Chicho."

The few birds flying above the colourful conifers sang quiet tunes as the two moved up a nearby waterfall.

"Ambrosia, right?" Ranpa added, and Atomu halted his moves. "I might know a thing or two from a few sources spouted around."

"Chyuuichi, I'm guessing. Haven't seen the man in a while but I know he's been digging his nose into that lab." Atomu added.

"On the money. Any clue where he might be now? Mentioning money he owes me like... four hundred silver."

"Excuse me?" Atomu quickly asked, shaking his head.

"Gambling. Card games with other royals. Terrible losses."

"You didn't have to answer I was just politely shocked," Atomu whispered.

"Sorry," Ranpa whispered back, his words mixing with the nearby water.

"Anyway, I've heard it was another place Rowan requested us to find. We originally meant to go there together but something else came up. I was to stay in and wait, but things turned out differently. Still, no other way but going back to Saphrith after this."

"Yeah." Ranpa sighed. "Even if the world or myself belonged to Prope Portam, the road back home seems more distant than ever. I promised I'd take Sam and me back to our houses, but... I don't know at this point." he scratched his head. "I guess home, to some extent, feels right where h-he is."

Atomu stopped, as for a moment there, he found himself focused on all the waters rushing in the distance.

They were loud as if trying to permeate through his thoughts and focus on those certain words Ranpa uttered.

Of course, home for him wouldn't be the same, but there was no sense in repeating those words.

"That's a little cheesy." Ranpa giggled, awkwardly, before pushing forward, sticking shoulders with Atomu.

"I get it." the Paladian answered. "I can say something even cheesier for that matter."

"So cheesy that it turns into sap?"

Atomu chuckled, looking up. "Maybe home could be right where love is, you know? You build a home with exactly that. Great memories, and people you care for. I doubt love is what y-you feel for Sam, and I don't know if I'd use such a strong word for Chyuuichi either, but... you get what I mean." he nodded, embarrassingly.

Ranpa looked away for a moment, breathing in, with his heart skipping a beat. "Yeah, that really was like sap."

The two laughed about the conversation for a bit, before rejoining in silence.

It was a simple notion, to accept love the way it was. Even if it may be hard to push through all the weariness and everything the world kept throwing at them, there could've been some kindness or a candle lit in the deepest, darkest of caves.

The power of love could combat what hate spat out.

At this point, the landscape transformed itself. The rocks from beneath grew into bigger cliffs, with tufts of grass and dirt becoming sparse. Trees made their way to a fall-off, where another river chimed in.

It became home to a stunning waterfall, with the whites of the peaks stretching into the sky and shifting towards the mountains behind. There it must've been, the treasure they sought, but without an answer, Atomu quietly pulled on the vial.

"Mentioning what you said earlier-" Ranpa continued. "I'm really glad that you found me there." he scratched his head. "Doubt I'd be able to navigate through the terrain."

"It's easier with someone you know. I suck at navigation, and that's why I have this." he took the Glyph Vial out of his pocket.

"Some royalty stuff?"

"Even better." he raised his eyebrows, before putting on a tougher smile. One shake led to the area being covered with all those purple and blueish runes in the eyes of the shocked Ranpa, but signs to the careful mind of Atomu.

He gulped as if fearing the outcome, for whatever reason, but in his eyes, every single arrow and story pointed through the rocks skipping into the rainbow veil and ending at the waterfall.

Right in the middle, as every witchtale would suggest, and now guessing, maybe a story or two appeared from this place, to begin with.

Unsought and untouched by humans, presumably. Úgau leaves supposedly grew in places where nature reigned over, and no remnants of humanity were seen.

Atomu glanced at the other Paladian, who lightly shook his head and once again, put on an awkward smile. With another roll of his eyes, Ranpa took the initiative and jumped on the first grey pedestal, before advancing.

He stopped near where the water started splashing on his furrowed brows and focused face. Leaning back, Atomu made the first jump, and carefully trod the roads.

The two met right on the last, bigger pedestal, and one glance suggested it must've been there. Atomu reached his hand out as it pierced the surface, and Ranpa did pretty much the same.

The Glyph Vial suggested, after all, that a pattern must be met. Atomu pulled down and left, and Ranpa did the opposite under his command.

Then, a noise came from behind. Something resembling bells forced them to take a gander.

The entrance lifted off the ground with the runic symbol shining with the sun.

The waterfall froze there, and when they stepped in, it quickly shifted behind them, much to Atomu's dismay.

A light shone in, nonetheless, as if responding, within the same gleam the rune suggested. Water dripped from above and ended near a blue shine, but Atomu's eyes were glued to something else.

"Man!" Ranpa stretched, closing one eye. "Never thought something like this was out there! What story was it again? Virtue Signs? Paladin? Never finished the Paladin actually, but-"

"There's a door here," Atomu uttered, and the other Paladian quickly turned.

A hole rested right in the middle of the splits, with something resembling a spot for a ring in the middle. Ranpa pointed such out, but then again, Atomu already found something else.

The wall next to him was covered in various, unreadable scribbles. Everything was written in Old Manjuno, except for some old, wary paper stapled in the middle.

Ranpa quickly lifted it, and with a quick lighting of a muna rock that Atomu conveniently found in his bag, he read forth.

"Welcome, fellow discoverers." Ranpa recited, tilting his head according to his confusion. "The light years of the Royalty resting past this checkpoint have long been gone. However, magic still lingers, and only the few who dare to be perilous enough to find what treasure we've hidden from this world may step through. The waters nearby hide the answer. Take caution with the next steps, and you might find something the world wouldn't want you to unearth."

Atomu gulped, fidgeting with his hair and earrings.

"Signed, War Customs," Ranpa added before scratching his head. "Ever heard of them?"

"No clue." Atomu gulped. "I don't like the contents of this message either."

"Hmm." Ranpa squinted. "We can't turn back now, and judging by how... faded this ink here is-" he continued. "I doubt these people might be there. Even if, you've got your ways to fight, don't you? Proved in Prope Portam already." he smirked.

"Oh, my, Ranpa...!" Atomu rolled his eyes.

"We've gone so far in this witchtale that at this point, what else is there to do?"

Atomu sighed. "Witchtales don't always end up on a good note."

"Let's not make it that, then." Ranpa strolled forward.

Crouching, his eyes met the ever-moving pool of water, with a tint creating most of the light that illuminated this part of the cave.

"The answer's there," he whispered, before sitting at the edge, taking his shoes off. With his feet dipped into the water, he trembled. "Cold."

"Really?" Atomu asked. "You're willing to trust those words?"

"I assumed it'd be the both of us." Ranpa continued, scratching his neck and looking away.

"N-No but..." Atomu raised a finger, and Ranpa took his shirt off. The Paladian stepped away, hesitantly, and Ranpa seemed embarrassed as well.

"You're gonna drown in that jacket, you know." he chuckled.

"I'd d-drown either way, that's what I mean. I don't know how to swim that well and..." he chuckled.

"Want me to hold your hand?" Ranpa asked, and his seemingly sarcastic words echoed for a bit there.

Atomu hesitated, in all honesty. Taking another step turned into him seeing his reflection in the waters. Trembling with the touch of Ranpa's finger, in both ways.

He had to push through those weary notions. The two sat at the edge, with Ranpa grinding his teeth. "Cooold," he uttered, before finding the courage to jump in, quickly pushing his head out of the water.

Atomu followed suit, his feet finding the ledge of the rocks nearby, as he used the momentum to push himself towards the arch which would force the two underwater.

...and strangely as Ranpa teased, he instinctively grabbed the other Paladian's hand before diving down.

Afterwards, the waters grew shallow, and in turn, the two found the time to appreciate what was in front of them. It was now the liquid itself painting the walls above that stunning blue and casting it on all the ores and stalactites.

The path never split, surprisingly, and grew in accordance. Various other crystals dropped off the ceiling like icicles, stopping where small dots of light appeared.

Atomu kept hugging the walls and Ranpa seldom dove in, describing what could already be seen with the naked eye. Darker hues transformed into lighter blues, with such almost resembling something of the Shimori Yule.

Still, the air itself was quite warm, opposing the temperature of the water. The humidity was later on sucked in by what was called the tempest stones, hosting the warmth inside its also blue insides. The sights reminded him of a similar ore found in Mirillis, but Ranpa seemed strangely curious and optimistic, leading the way. Again, grabbing his hand, they dove right below and found themselves near the end of their hour-long path.

The room was coated in darkness, with a few rocks and boulders growing around a circle in the middle. The centre of the room was different, with water pouring in like rain, surrounding a pedestal with a shine in the middle.

The two stood before the rains. Atomu took a deep breath and stepped through, before simultaneously popping out near the pedestal with Ranpa.

The other Paladian almost reached out to him, before both of Atomu's hands found themselves placed on the small stone tower.

The ring rested right in the middle. Gleaming, seemingly untouched, with a pool of water above it.

"This must be it," Atomu muttered, breathing out.

He glanced at Ranpa for a moment, before daring to reach in.

"Guess the old paper wasn't lying."

"I'm still not so sure about this." he shook his head.

"No other answer now, Adam. Do or don't, take the ring or stay here and die." he raised a brow, and Atomu turned, scared. "I'm joking."

"Not funny." he continued.

His fist found itself clenched, and when he raised his palm to open it, the insides were empty.

"What?" Ranpa asked as Atomu glanced back inside.

It wasn't there.

"I had it in my-"

All of a sudden, something pulled on the brown-haired Paladian's neck.

"A-Adam!" Ranpa raised his voice and hand, as the other was immediately pulled through the surface, drowning.

It felt like the entire world started sinking.

The shallow bottom grew infinite, as Atomu struggled, reaching his hand out towards the distant light.

Whatever it was kept choking, with blood appearing and forming something resembling a necklace. When the reds covered his views, however, he closed his eyes, letting his hands swim freely.

As if, there was no other answer, except for a muffled voice, destroying the other sounds nearby.

With flashes of light shining into memories, a hand pulled on his arm, and lifted him out of the waters. A caught breath led to him opening his eyes, and a few more puffs to realise.

The two rested upon a cliff nearby, with the rocks descending into the water. Atomu's body lay right atop Ranpa's. The other Paladian quickly raised himself, as the other breathed, heavily.

Water dripped down from the demon's hair and landed on Ranpa's chest, as the Paladian below reached his hand out, while the other focused on exactly that.

The water, which almost drowned him, now adorned both bodies in a cruel silence.

Atomu's huffs grew weary, and that's when Ranpa's shaky hand connected with his shoulder, grasping it, slowly moving to the neck with another guilty gasp.

As if on instinct, Atomu's eyes widened. Out of the blue, horns grew, and the sharpened nails which earlier rested near the other's hand almost pierced through the other's flesh.

Ranpa raised his brows, and the other jolted to the side, trembling with the water's breeze.

The Paladian sat up, gulping.

"S-Sorry. I forgot about you being a demon for a moment."

Atomu stared forth, without answering.

"If anything there works differently than tell me. Or... did I make the wrong guess here?" Ranpa asked.

The other eventually turned.

"Are you into... ah..." he scratched his head. "Sorry," he repeated. "I got mixed signals. Grabbing your hand and all... and..." he ground his teeth as if wrestling with his own words. "Screw me. Fuck." he covered his eyes.

"It's m-my fault. I shouldn't have stepped into t-these waters, to begin with." he gulped. "There was more than just embarrassment heading into these caves. I should be the one apologizing. I-It's not that I don't find you..." Atomu put his hand near his head.

"So. Was I right?"

"I loved another for the longest while and... I couldn't dare to give up on that, even if they're gone." he continued. "I can't just step away from that."

Ranpa glanced down.

"When you reached your hand o-out." he put his knee up. "It only reminded me of the reason why it couldn't be possible. I'm a demon, and such was my punishment for losing what I had back then."

Ranpa turned to Atomu.

"When... I started drowning, it all came back to me. The waters here aren't deep enough to kill me, but I was afraid. That it'd be happen all again. That you'd leave me."

"I'd never," Ranpa answered, almost shockingly.

"That's... how the human in me died. I pretended to be something I wasn't and-" Atomu pulled his hands closer, staring at Ranpa.

He wanted to finish the story. He wanted to spit it all out but coming back to those memories would only mean pain.

He was here now, safe and sound. With someone of the same love on the side, piercing through the barrier of hate the world forced.

Even though they could, love bloomed elsewhere.

"I... I can't do it." Atomu continued.