Although it seemed to me that we were aimlessly wandering the forest, Fukase insisted that he knew exactly where we were going. Despite that, he refused to tell me his plan of action.

Supposedly, we would try and find the seaport town where Yohio and his crew were supposedly mending the ship, but we had no idea where that was. It was hard enough to tell if we were going deeper into the forest or approaching the outer edges.

I tried to pay attention to where we were going to gather any clues of our whereabouts, but the incoming clouds coupled with the humid air were starting to make me drowsy. It took an hour of walking or so, but I could sense by the change in air and altitude that we were headed inland. There was a mountain in the middle of the island, and we seemed to be near it judging by the subtle change in flora; towering cedars of the laurel forest gave way to maple and oak as we drew further away from the shoreline.

Just when I was about to suggest that we stop and take a break, we spotted someone up ahead.

"Hey, let's ask that person for directions," I suggested, moving to follow the person up ahead.

They were wearing stark white with a blue scarf that fluttered about their shoulders, and had royal blue hair that stood out against the deep green of our surroundings. Those features alone were enough to make them easy to follow through the thick forest.

They must have heard Fukase and I coming because they turned around once we got a bit nearer.

I was about to ask for help, but he spoke first.

"What are you kids doing so deep in the forest?"

I sighed. "Actually, we're lost. We got here on a cruise ship, but it needed repairs and so we had docked at the seaport town on the northwest side of the island. Do you know how to get there?"

"I sure do," he nodded. "I'm out here to get firewood, but once I'm done, I'll head back with you guys. It shouldn't take more than an hour or so."

I smiled. By some stroke of luck, we had found a way back. "Thank you so much—um, what was your name?"

"Just call me Kaito."

"Thank you, Mr. Kaito!"

As we followed him through the forest, we headed up to higher ground in search of drier wood. In my relief at finding someone to help us, it was easier to ignore the pain and soreness from my tired legs.

"You said you were on a cruise ship," Kaito started, "Why'd you get off in the first place? It's easy for two kids like you to get lost in a forest."

"That's true," I murmured, somewhat sheepishly. "But it would've been a waste not to appreciate the island's beauty."

He scoffed as if such an idea was ridiculous. "You can see a beautiful island again, I assure you. But if you got lost in the forest and ended up stuck here forever? There wouldn't be any more island hopping after that."

I couldn't help but think that he sounded a bit sad, almost wistful, but even as he lectured us there was some kind of mirth in his sapphire eyes.

~~~

"You can't be serious." Fukase muttered just loud enough for me to hear. The feeling was plenty mutual.

After we had filled one of Kaito's bags with firewood, we hiked back through the forest and he tossed it in his jeep which was at the foot of the mountain. There weren't any paved roads that went up high enough, he had explained, so he always made multiple trips to get enough wood. This time, since we were tagging along, he didn't make any extra trips and had to be satisfied with just one hulking bag full of wood.

We piled into his jeep, despite Fukase's distrust.

"Relax, if his first instinct when he saw us in the forest was to lecture us, then he must be a responsible adult," I had told him.

"What kind of logic is that?" Fukase chastised me, but we went along with Kaito anyway. He clambered inside begrudgingly, but we didn't have any other alternative.

But when we arrived at our destination, I immediately regretted not trusting Fukase's concerns. We weren't at the seaport town. We were back at the glade where we had met with Rin and Len—where the blue building shimmered into view.

Somehow, it seemed even more ominous this time around.

We followed Kaito inside like chagrined students who had been caught skipping class. It was clear to both of us by now that we'd just have to figure out what was going on for ourselves.

This time around, I made a silent pact with myself to just observe. I had done enough damage in getting us to this point in the first place, so maybe it was better to sit back for now. In tough situations, that was often what I did best, anyway.

"Observe not just the water," Yohio had said to me years ago. "When you're caught in a storm, watch the wind. Watch the clouds and the air current and check your visibility, too. Just following the water's roughness won't be enough to get you out, after all."

I doubted that Yohio meant for that advice to be used in such a situation as the one I was currently in, but oh well. The point was to get leverage over multiple means of information—whether it was directly helpful or something more subtle.

From the dim gloom of the building, another figure approached us. A young woman with two long, blue twintails seemed to walk slightly above the grass as she came to stand before us.

"Thank you for bringing these two kids back, Kaito." Her voice tinkled like the sound of chimes in the summer breeze. "You can take Oliver to the library for now. I'll take care of Fukase."

Naturally, I wanted to question how she knew our names, but held my tongue.

"Of course," Kaito replied. "Come on, Oliver. We'll leave them for now."

I hesitated, looking to Fukase to see what he would think. To my surprise, he spoke aloud.

"It's fine. Go with him. I'll find you later." He held my gaze for a moment more before following the other woman into the building, leaving me alone with Kaito.

"Don't worry, they won't take long," he told me once the others were out of earshot.

"How do you know?"

"I could tell as soon as I laid my eyes on that boy. Miku is grossly underestimating him. Anyhow, let's go to the library, shall we? It'll give you some time to yourself."

"I don't suppose you intend to give me an explanation, do you?"

His lips twisted into a sad smile. That was all the answer I needed.

I pondered his words as he steered me towards the side of the building. To some extent, what Kaito had said made sense. Although I was the one who wanted to explore the island to start with, Fukase had been on high alert the whole time. Maybe we had all underestimated him.

To the side of the building was a tall, black gate that was overgrown with vines. Intricate designs lined the sides of the gate. I wanted to study them more, but Kaito unlocked the gate and led me inside.

A gentle breeze seemed to guide us through the garden that overflowed with hibiscus and iris and orchids. Before long, we came to a small patio with a grand double door that led inside. The colors of red and peach and violet of the garden taunted me as Kaito procured a key ring from his coat and unlocked the door to the library.

As he opened the door, a current of air blew the curtains aside, clearing a path for us to enter. With a sigh, they fluttered back to their resting place as Kaito closed the door behind me.

I tried not to show my awe as I looked around the library. Even when Yohio and I had traveled abroad, I had never seen a library of such proportions.

"Not many people come here anymore," Kaito said, his voice barely a whisper. "But it's quiet and it's a nice place to relax with the garden just outside. Feel free to visit anytime."

"Are you the one who takes care of it?" I asked, not meeting his gaze.

"I am," he said with pride, "and sometimes another friend of mine comes in to help."

He left me on my own after that, for better or for worse. The late afternoon sunlight drifted through the windows, casting a golden glow on the shelves and desks here and there. It was spacious, yet cozy; it was both vivid and dreamy all at the same time.

Fukase would love a place like this.

Well, there would be plenty of time to show him around. It seemed that we wouldn't be leaving for a while, anyway.

With that thought in mind, I chose a few books to keep myself busy: a detective novel, a book on the flora and fauna of Yakushima island, and a copy of 1984.

I set the three books down on a desk that faced a gaping window. The sunlight seemed to cast the pages aglow. Maybe I could ask Kaito for a notepad and some pens later. Fukase liked to draw, and the lighting here was ideal.

As I picked a book to start with, somewhere in the dim confines of my mind, I realized that I could occupy myself here for a very long time.

~~~

Fukase's mind was blank as he followed the woman ahead of him through the halls, weaving into the deepest areas of the building. He tried to follow a little bit behind her—there was something eerie about her presence that he didn't want to test. Her skirt of deep teal flowed around and pooled at her ankles as she floated gracefully across the floor. There was liquid in her every movement.

"I suppose the twins gave you a brief rundown of why you're here?"

"Only that magic exists here and that I'm supposed to meet some organization president... or something."

They came to a door and the woman stopped, turning to face Fukase. He tried not to flinch at her unsettling gaze as her eyes pierced his.

"You don't know who I am, do you?" She didn't wait for an answer. "I'm the president you were supposed to meet earlier today. Most of the others refer to me as Lady Miku. I'll be catalyzing your magic." She flashed him a perfectly radiant smile, then turned to the door and opened it.

He followed her inside without being told. The room was small, but not cramped; there was a desk with a chair on either side and a cabinet for papers and writing utensils. He sat down at one chair as Miku settled into her chair on the other side.

"Let's get started then, shall we?

"Fukase. You've been brought here for a special purpose. As the twins told you before, you possess magic that belongs here, on this island.

"Magic is a give and take, you see. The island will provide your soul with magical energy as long as you give back to the island and exist in harmony with the rest of us here."

Her words were strangely cryptic, as if she had been told to recite this speech without knowing the true weight of what she was saying. As if she was offering him the surface of the truth when she herself didn't know the whole story.

He didn't demand a more thorough explanation. Rather, there was something else he wanted to know.

"And if I don't? What if I choose to leave? Or what if I don't want any magic to begin with?"

The president's sparkling eyes fell as they lost their luster at his question. The corners of her lips turned down in disappointment. "The magic is binding," she explained unhappily. "It is life itself—yours and mine. You are bound to this island by life, and it will do good for you in return."

Clearly, he wasn't getting any more information. Whether it was the truth or not, he knew at that moment that he would never hear it from Miku's lips.

Fine, then. He would go along with what she said for now. Worst comes to worst, he could regroup with Oliver and devise a plan later.

Yes, that's right. As long as he goes along with it for now, he'll be fine.

Accepting his silence as agreement, the president took his hands in hers.

A soft, aquamarine glow emanated from the tips of her fingers, traveling up to the backs of her hands and finally to her wrists.

Suddenly, there was a spark between their hands. Miku pulled back; finally, her perfect facade dropped and he saw an expression of pure shock take over her features.

"You knew," she whispered. "You must've known." Fukase made no move to acknowledge her as she lowered his hands to the table. "You've already been catalyzed, haven't you?"

He sighed. He was about to explain that yes, he had been catalyzed before he had even set foot on the island, but Miku stood up sharply and called out to someone beyond the door.

"Lock all the doors leading outside! Put the building on lockdown this instant! I don't want a single soul stepping outside this institution!"

"What?!" Fukase stood up, knocking over his chair in a rage. If he had just had a little bit more time, he and Oliver could've found a way to escape. But after all his dodging around being kept here, now he was stuck?

It wasn't often that he was truly enraged. He wasn't impulsive, either; his every move was calculated and precise and carried out with purpose. He acted according to reason and his own best interest.

Until he met Oliver, with his impassioned eyes and curious grin, who acted on capricious impulse regardless of the consequences.

In that moment, he too was overtaken by his emotions—by fear and panic.

For the second time that day, he ran.

There was nothing else he could do, after all. If he couldn't find a way out of this place, at least he could find Oliver. Together they'd be able to figure something out for sure, right?

He burst out of the room in a frenzy, darting further down the hallway into the deepest holds of the institution. He threw open door after door, blinded by panic, only to slam them shut with growing frustration.

As his rampage came to a close, he reached the end of the hallway. There stood a double door, towering and sublime with its ornate carvings and polished wood.

Fukase didn't care for it, though, as he pushed the doors open with all his strength.

Before him, shelves that towered with books sprawled across the room, rivaling even the library of his childhood home in the West. And yet, they were all a blur compared to the sole figure he noticed at the opposite end of the room.

Sunlight streamed in through the windows, casting an aureate glow upon his hair like a halo. He stood up and turned to face Fukase, who was still standing in the doorway.

He sighed with relief. Finally, he and Oliver had been reunited. 

A/N:

Heyo! Sorry this chapter is so late!! 

My brain has been all over the place lately and I probably should've proofread this better but oh well. Here we are. Hopefully the length of this chapter makes up for the wait!

See you next time~

~ Stargazer