Something heavy weighed on Jack as he left the group hug. The lingering petrichor in the atmosphere simultaneously comforted and choked him, as if the moist ground beneath sucked him in. Holding him in place, still.

Holding him in place, imprisoned.

"I'm going to miss you all so much," Audrey said in a low tone, looking at the floor. She raised her eyes to Jack, smiling. "But Jack and Theo can come to visit us! Simple stuff. Yeah, come every day."

Audrey nodded furiously and Jack chuckled, hiding his insincerity too well. Theo gave a short nod and rested his arm on Jack, little wrinkled of exhaustion forming in the corner of his eyes.

"We'll need to practice a lot for that to happen," Theo replied with a small smile which grew with his next thought. "That could be something to look forward to without all of you here!"

Evelyn hit Theo's sides and Trina narrowed her eyes, earning a confused and pained expression from the boy. "You want to get rid of us that badly, huh?"

"That's not what I meant!" Theo replied defensively and turned towards Elek for help, but the Shadow turned his head away, suppressing his smile.

"I'm sure both of you will do well," Trina said softly now and Theo grinned, knowing that Trina wouldn't speak insincerely. Theo nodded slowly, but his eyes wouldn't leave Audrey's uncertain expression. Her hand fingers sometimes woke up as they tapped to a melody, usually recognisable by Jack.

"At least Ava is going with you." Jack's gentle voice woke Audrey out of her daze and she immediately wore a smile, but it soon contracted into an upside-down curve.

"Yeah but only for two days!"

"I hope I can help you with your transition," Ava said gently as she looked at Audrey, her gentle smile doing wonders to ward off most concerns.

The fingers moved again, if only for a few seconds. Jack stared at Audrey as the audio around him dulled, slowly fading away into nothingness. All sights were out of his focus and all he could see was his sister and somewhat see that complicated aura of hers. Hidden away from him. A little grey, a little orange, the sorrow of departure overpowering any excitement by leagues...

Her fingers concluded softly, now remaining motionless. There was a spark of energy in her aura, a tiny flicker of light that indicated a spark through her hand, Jack was sure of it. A smile came onto Audrey's face as she lifted her chain ever so slightly, coming back to the conversation. The world came back into Jack's perspective and he took a deep breath, blinking slowly.

Jack raised his eyes to meet the cloud-covered sky. Observing the motions of some slowed the passage of time for him... tiny flurries of dust floating so far away from him, yet so close. His eyes followed the sun rays to see it blocked by a particularly large cloud, its shadow visible a fair distance away on Sylva Vita.

The shadows of clouds make for good portals... for places that are in sight, at least.

Jack took a slightly sharp breath in, attracting his sister's attention. A flicker of worry passed through her eyes but she quickly replaced it with her warmth. 

"And we should tell the kids - hey Aud -" Trina's tone sharpened as Audrey lightly pushed her friend, taking two big steps as she threw her arms around her brother.

"I'm really gonna miss you, you know that right?"

Jack's eyes slightly widened, first looking at Theo, then bounced over to Ava after which he returned the gesture. His eyes narrowed gently, staring at the displaced shadow of that cloud.

Time is moving. People are leaving, but for now, she was his constant. 

A finger tingled across his neck. Gentler than the lightest drop of rain, softer than the quietest note of music, but it was there. Jack's grip loosened.

He wasn't hers... was he?

- - - -

The six shadow-trappers stood in a fairly large circle, holding thick wooden sticks that were as long as their forearms. Evelyn held a particularly bright glint in her eyes which everyone found unsettling, and she made sure she didn't look at anyone in particular, her eyes continuously scanning the room. Conrad was glad that he stood beside her, although his expression remained nonchalant.

"Okay, throw your stick at the count of three," Audrey started in a clear voice, relying on the empty room to reverberate her voice rather than raising the volume. Everyone gave a single, sharp nod, after which Audrey did the same. Evelyn's eyes now focused on her stick and Elek saw this opportunity to look at her. 

"One. Two."

Knock knock.

Everyone except Galen and Trina looked at the door - partly because those two's backs were towards the source of the sound. Audrey raised her hand to indicate a pause in their activity, knowing that a few wouldn't mind troubling their friends by bonking their heads. 

"Come in," Audrey called loudly, slightly annoyed at the interruption but that changed as soon as the door opened.

Jack's tiny figure imaged from behind the large wooden frame and Audrey immediately grinned. Her feet itched to move from their place but she stayed put, not wishing to break her attention. Jack's nervous expression transformed into a shy smile, and Jack stepped in further after he slowly closed the door.

He rubbed his head apologetically and sat down a fair distance away from the group, wearing a wide smile as he looked up to them. Jack nodded twice, indicating the shadows to continue their exercise.

Audrey smiled and turned her attention back to her stick, and everyone did the same.

"One. Two. Three."

Jack's eyes were peeled at the scene, but as soon as the sticks flew away he was unsure of what to focus at. 

Galen easily dodged the one that came at him which was thrown by Trina? Why with such proximity- oh, it's taking a curve and heading towards Conrad, looks like she modified the shape of her stick. Conrad can step aside and let it hit Evelyn, but he's holding his arm up. What's he focusing on? Oh, Elek's blade stopped two other blades from coming at him; Conrad's and Galen's. But he can dodge the one from his left easily, he's Elek aft- ahh.

Elek rubbed his nose, frowning towards Evelyn, and the girl wore the biggest smile of pure joy. Just then a loud clap! came from the group's right.

"You caught it!" Audrey exclaimed with a smile, stifling a laugh at her brother's wide eyes as he awkwardly held her stick in his hands. The surprise shifted to a sheepish smile and everyone nodded their heads, some laughing lightly.

"What was the point of this exercise?" Jack asked to no one in particular, although his gaze finally settled on Audrey.

"Nothing, really," Evelyn started in her upbeat tone, easing shy Jack into the environment. "But it was worth it after all as I hit Elek in the nose! He probably didn't dodge it on purpose for whatever reason, but still!"

Elek narrowed his eyes towards the girl and she responded with a whispered "hehe", slightly hiding behind Conrad. 

"Why did you all target Elek?" Jack asked as he looked at the three in question, although he didn't need an answer from Evelyn. Conrad and Galen shrugged together, while Evelyn shot the little boy a wink. She now left her friend's cover and went to Jack, sitting beside him, and Audrey followed her while the others dispersed into their respective conversations. Jack blushed ever so slightly, not expecting any of Audrey's friends to actually come to him. 

"You feeling bored?" Evelyn asked as she sat with her arms over her legs. Jack hesitated, unsure of what to respond with, deciding to shake his head. 

"You're eight, right? Two more years before you get to choose what you do!"

Jack nodded slowly, a flicker of sadness barely passing, but Evelyn saw that.

"Do things feel a little boring right now?" Evelyn asked softly, still wearing a neutral expression.

That's one way to put it, Jack thought as he responded with a short nod.

"Then, do you want to do something? Like race against me?" Evelyn asked with a sly smile. An immediate shaking of the head followed, and Evelyn broke into laughter upon seeing which Jack wore a smile, too. Her hand reached towards his head, ruffling his hair gently but firmly with a warm smile. Jack returned to his shy demeanour, his eyes focused on the floor, though the warmth reached him.

"Don't worry about anything, okay? Do whatever you want right now, it's your time to explore and have fun. If you ever need anything the six of us are here, obviously, and you can't forget to give Jay loads of trouble."

Audrey stretched her hand to give Evelyn a good punch for the last point, but it stopped midway and Audrey began nodding eagerly. Evelyn turned to her friend with a grin, blinking slowly as she returned to Jack. She then felt a small hand on her shoulder, its touch gentle but it clearly tried to weigh heavy on Evelyn.

"Oi Evelyn, don't trouble the kid. Jack if she does anything weird to you, you come to me, okay?"

Evelyn frowned with a sly smile, suddenly getting up to tower over Elek. However, before she could say anything a tiny voice came.

"You're a kid too."

Evelyn turned towards Jack who still looked shy, but now looked straight at the duo. She burst out laughing, falling back on the floor with her eyes closed.

"Audrey, you've got a gem here. Every day I get to know him I just like him more."

Audrey once again nodded furiously, she too reaching to ruffle Jack's hair and which the little boy wore an unimpressed expression.

"I look like I have a bird's nest on my head, don't I?" 

The other three had come to the scene too, now, Galen joining in to pick on Audrey while Conrad and Trina tried to untangle the mess.

"You're all bad seniors for Jack," Trina said sternly and Jack looked all the more flustered now, not wishing to disturb the group.

"Oh please, we're great. Right, Jack?" Evelyn now wore looked quite serious, staring straight into Jack. The little boy gulped, feeling somewhat odd at the sincere nature of the older girl's question.

Jack gave one swift nod, his smile beaming.

- - - - -

https://youtu.be/2tGnVEMwE88

Jack and Theo stood at the opposite ends of the rectangular field with their arms crossed as the children scurried across the thin grass. The green blades of the area between the shadows had been transformed from a neat arrangement to a representation of chaos.

"Please let us play? We've been listening to you so well these past few weeks!" A boy said as he came to a stop a safe distance away from Theo, his hair stopping with him dramatically.

"And you shall continue to do so!" The older shadow replied as he raised an eyebrow, and the little boy backed away into the crowd, his lips momentarily lopsided.

"What do you all want to play?"

The four kids immediately assembled around Jack, still choosing a safe distance even if they were confident the shadow would do nothing to them. Theo shot him a glare, crossing his arms with his arms slightly flexed but Jack chose to ignore his friend. 

"We want to talk to the flowers!" The kids exclaimed in unison, an expression so serious that Jack felt their gazes would pierce through his soul. Jack raised an eyebrow and turned to his friend who shrugged, wearing an equally confused expression.

"How do you suggest we do that?" Jack asked and it was the children's turn to be confused, as if the answer was obvious.

"Ask your new friend," a little girl with a small nose giggled and it hit Jack. The older shadow's eyes grew as he turned to Theo again who was already on the floor, fists hitting the floor as he failed to control his laughter. Jack narrowed his eyes and gave away his straight posture, slumping his shoulder.

"Go on Jack, ask your new friend," Theo said with a grin, somehow controlling his laughter as he remained seated on the ground with an arm over his knee.

"She might be busy," Jack said to the kids, but the little girl spoke up again.

"Please ask! She won't say no to us."

The sunlight shone brilliantly in each kid's eyes, a sight Jack hadn't seen before. Why did this request come up now? It wasn't as if Holly was the only one who could communicate with Nature, even if that ability was the rarest. Only four with the inclusion of her, now, but perhaps the others were not that approachable.

"Fine, I will ask her, but you should know she doesn't literally talk to flowers. They have an... understanding, a different sense of communication."

"That's okay!" All the kids replied in unison, and Jack then began to suspect if they only wanted to spend time with Holly.

Jack took a deep breath and closed his eyes, focusing on the wind as it traversed through Sylva Vita. It flew around the field he stood in through the flower bed the kids referred to, along the path made of stone and to a large tree, where Holly sat with Ava.

Ava will not like Holly being taken from her, ah. These kids... 

"Hello, Holly." Jack gently whispered in her mind. A smile came onto Holly's face as she sensed him before he spoke, letting Jack know he had her attention.

"The kids I'm training today want to talk to the flowers, so they're asking you to come. If you ask me, they just want to play with you."

Holly giggled and whispered something to Ava. As she stood up, a flicker of disappointment crossed Ava's gaze but the lady shook it off, waving her hand towards Holly as she left.

Jack opened his eyes to the kids' expectant expressions, the solemn gaze more intensifying than ever.

"She's coming."

The children resumed their running, this time their motion circular rather than randomised. Theo sighed and raised his arms up, no longer caring to get the kids under control, hoping Holly's presence would solve everything.

The four suddenly stopped and Theo whispered an "Eek!", surprised by their coordinated movements.

"How come you can talk to her from all the way over here?" One of the boys asked and Jack shrugged. Theo raised an arm up.

"Ava told me that both of you were born at the exact same moment. I know that Aqdas did something to, um, trigger the link? But maybe some of your energy went to her and some of hers came to you when the two of you were born."

"Who is Aqdas?"

Jack glared at Theo and the latter sheepishly rubbed his head, which only increased the kids' curiosity.

"Hello, everyone!" A dulcet tone exclaimed from the stone path and the kids turned towards it with big smiles, rushing forward. Jack and Theo were now relieved, and the expression of joy made its way to them, too.

I'd know that voice, those footsteps anywhere.

"Holly!"

Holly bent down on her knees, her gentle smiling welcoming the kids towards her. The shadow's attention immediately fell onto the ground beneath her.

"Oh, look at the grass."

The kids did as she said. Seeing the messy blades of grass made dulled their mood and they turned back to the girl, bowing their heads.

"S-sorry," said one of the girls and Holly gently raised her chin up, shaking her head.

"It's okay, Nature wants you to have fun."

She gently touched the ground with the same hand, now closing her eyes.

"Still, we can respect it."

The blades all lifted up, reaching towards the sky. Holly opened her eyes with a smile to see the wonder in the kids' eyes as they stared at the grass.

"Imperfections do add beauty, however."

The blades fell a little, many not completely straight but mostly remained straight, slightly curved to some direction. Free to move with the wind, restricted by Nature's laws.

"Do you want to talk to the flowers now?"

Two pairs of the kids went by her side, each holding one of her hands as they dragged her towards the flower bed.

As soon as he was out of their sight, Jack dropped to the floor and lay on it, arms and legs spread wide. Theo lost his balance from his seated position as he started laughing, causing him to lay on the ground, too.

"Should we follow them?"

"No, they're Holly's problem now."

Theo lifted his neck, narrowing his eyes. Holly wore a large smile and the children huddled around her as she focused on a single flower. "Looks like she is having fun."

"She has too much patience."

"How can you have too much- oh, she's going to get crushed by them."

All four kids leaned on Holly as she facilitated their communication between the flowers, unable to get much across due to the latter's limited thoughts. 

"What is the flower's favourite colour?"

"They don't really have a concept of colour," Holly replied softly, a look of disappointment immediately coming to the children's faces.

"Then what about sound? Smell?"

Holly shook her head slightly, still sitting on her feet with a perfect balance.

"They don't have the same senses like that of humans, right? That's why they don't have such concepts. In fact, their, hm, intelligence works in somewhat different manners and is structured differently, which is why you can't talk to them literally.

"Hmm... would you like to see a little from their perspective?"

The light returned to their eyes with their hefty nods and they leaned backwards, standing up straight.

"Here, each of you hold a finger of mine and close your eyes. I want you to tune out your senses as much as you can, as if you don't have them."

The four nodded and did as Holly said, tiny smiles suppressing their excitement. Holly touched the smooth soil with her other hand to establish a connection. A few moments passed and nothing seemed to happen, but the children maintained their patience as anticipation dwelled within them.

Everything dulled, the sense of each stimulus muddled as if it were kept in water, a pint of a stain adding to the clear water with each passing moment before everything was nearly black. A little sense of information through the chemicals that helped this part of life, but nothing as complex as they were used to.

However, the aura of everything heightened to something the kids had never seen before, transferring the mode of perception to that single sense. Something about this web of Nature amidst absolute silence overwhelmed the children, but Holly's grip remained firm and so did they, gaining comfort with this new perspective.

Holly took a deep breath, the five hands remaining connected while she slowly went back to their usual nature. The children opened their eyes, staying still for a long moment. They turned to Holly, jumping back to reality upon seeing her smile.

"That was-"

"Not what I expected at all!" The girl with a bob interrupted one of the boys, throwing her hands in the air as she spoke, receiving hearty nods from her friends. "At first it was really scary. I couldn't hear anything, I could see very little, and my touch was all fuzzy. I thought your hand disappeared! But after that it was really cool! I can't explain why though," she ended with her hand supporting her chin, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"I'm very bad at understanding auras," the boy with no hair started in a sheepish manner. "But I think now I can get better!"

Holly's smile deepened at that as she wanted them to have fun but also learn, and while she hoped they would've gained a better understanding of Nature, she knew it was difficult to do so in such a short time span.

"Nia!"

A deep voice called from afar and a girl turned immediately toward it, lightly hopping on her feet as she waved her hand, her bob swaying perfectly. Her smile diminished as soon as she saw that expression of worry. 

The tall man walked towards the kids quickly, his smile faltering as his eyebrows remained deeply furrowed. The kids stood patiently as they waited for him to come to them, satisfied for the day.

"Why aren't you training with Jack and Theo?" His voice was stricter now, but it maintained a softness. The children broke out into sheepish giggles and Nia decided to answer.

"We wanted to play with Holly!" Her smile returned as she said so, turning to Holly momentarily, but it wavered again at the man's expression. One of the boys hit her lightly on the back of her head at which Nia flinched. Upon realising what he had done the boy briefly stuck his tongue out, turning away as he was afraid to face the man.

"You have to follow your schedule, kids, I'm going to speak to those two then. Come with me, you seem to have had enough fun for the day."

The man's eyes darted towards Holly, a look of uncertainty appearing momentarily before returning towards the kids. Holly's smile remained.

As he observed the scene, anger welled within Theo's mind. He clenched his fist and stepped harshly towards the shadow, only stopped by Jack's firm grip. Theo turned to his friend, confused, and Jack shook his head.

"But dad!"

Nia stopped at her father's stern expression, nodding her head slowly. She turned towards Holly, waving her hand, but was pulled away before she could say anything.

"Bye Holly!"

The footsteps of the four kids and the older Shadow were loud on the stone path, slowly fading away along with the cheerful voices. Holly closed her eyes, standing up as she moved away from the flowers, towards a large tree that was situated in a tiny garden of grass. 

The wind picked up its pace, breaking the silence and filling the stillness with a touch of the flowers' world. Before he began taking his steps, Holly realised he was coming over and opened her eyes, facing the two shadows with a smile.

Jack wore a small, worried smile, but Elek's was wholly reassuring. Theo stopped a fair distance away, unsure of whether or not to join them, frustration still marking his expression.

Holly momentarily turned to her left, waving her hand towards Trina. The latter pursed her lips, returning a sheepish smile with a short wave of her hand as she moved again, heading back towards the headquarters. She thought it would be better to continue her conversation with Elek later.

After one last look at Holly, Theo jogged towards Trina and the girl paused, waiting for him to catch up. Jack sighed and turned towards the ground, worried his friend might give Trina a lecture instead, although he quickly realised he would be more understanding with her.

Jack turned back to Holly, wearing a small smile. His lips parted and Jack took a short breath in, but before he could say anything Elek bowed deeply towards Holly. The girl giggled at his sharp movements, but it faded away at that rare solemn expression.

"I'm sorry about Trina, but I know you understand why she's this way," Elek started in a soft voice as he stood back up straight.

"What way? She's fine, honestly," Holly replied in a soft voice, slight confusion on her face.

"She hesitates around you, you know that. But considering her past..."

As Elek's voice trailed Holly looked towards the grass, her sight glazing as she remembered the past. Those fun lectures, the sights those two exchanged... Holly missed Zeno too.

The fact that demons were responsible for his death was only one of the thoughts that constantly troubled her. His death, Jack's parents, her own parents... yet it felt unfair to feel that way. 

"It's okay, I understand."

Holly's voice was soft, dipping into monotone a little, but her smile remained. Elek stretched his arm forward, resting it softly on Holly's head as he gave her gentle taps. The girl's green pupils dilated, sparkling, a glow emanating her from expression and her smile deepened a little.

"I should go now, got a lot of work to do," Elek said as he stretched his arms, earning a giggle from Holly that immediately made him smile. With a nod he too headed for the headquarters, leaving the last two in silence.

Jack took in a short breath, wearing a nervous smile as she looked at the girl beside him, her gaze still on Elek's distant, tiny figure.

"Would you like to go on a walk?"

Holly sharply turned towards Jack, startling him a little. Her nod came as immediately and eagerly, leaving Jack with a warm feeling. Both the shadows stepped onto the path in unison, the sound producing an emotion that Jack didn't quite understand.

Holly's gaze diminished, viewing those aspects of Sylva Vita that she had come to adore more than anything else, never taking in the whole scenery. Jack stared at the ground, his eyes darting between his steps and hers. Together, a sound that was hard to separate, nearly impossible to tell which was louder. Her movement was swift, like a gentle breeze that jogged to the horizon.

Jack's eyes raised to her face. A little below his own eye level, but something about her aura levelled it with his own vision. Her smile remained as her eyes still scoured the sights, hiding that tinge of emptiness from everyone except Jack.

The moment he saw her in the land of Grace was still fresh in Jack's mind. A scent of melancholy, a mix of emotions surrounding Holly that Jack had never seen before or after. Her heart was still quiet, but a new vibrance had emerged since that day, never returning to the stillness of those years. Somedays it was because of excitement, somedays because of doubt, most days because of both.

As children, Holly's energy always seemed to mimic Nature, but if he wanted to see the genetic sort of component it was now clear as day; that sense of belonging that produced her ability so strongly born from her being as a Shadow-Trapper with flecks of a darker shade.

Where did that energy come from?  The question nagged Jack since the day he became aware of that additional composition. Audrey had her answer the moment the question came. Holly's doubt only sank deeper each day, didn't it? Would she ever get her answer? Did it even matter? It didn't matter to Jack, but it seemed to bother Holly and everyone else.

How much do these energies make us? Are we defined by nature the moment we are born, or do we fight it and become someone else? Do we need to fight? Is anything inherently bad, or do we just want to change because that's our wish? Where does this wish come from? 

Me as I am now wishing to change as a wish of me as I am now... if that is purely of nature, where does that leave me?

Jack sighed and shook his head, earning Jack's attention. His gaze remained of the girl, but was oblivious of everything outside his mind.

Holly waved her hand slightly, bringing Jack back to reality. Jack's eyes widened, startled, then he broke into nervous laughter. Holly closed her eyes as her smile grew, the slight emptiness fading away for just a moment.

None of that matters to me, Jack thought. He wasn't dishonest with himself, but the notion wasn't entirely true. Not when he was with someone who made him wish to be someone, rather than a mere observer.

Jack suddenly stopped, attracted by the scene on his left and Holly followed it.

Chirping, a frog's croak, the sound of something dropping in that tiny lake, bubbles of fished, the wind rustling the leaves, the echo of footsteps...

Nature's orchestra.

Jack turned to see Holly wide-eyed, her glow a mix of colours that was stronger than it had ever been. Her head bobbed ever so slightly, her hair in sync with the sound's rhythm. As Jack turned back to the scene and his attention left everything else, everything seemed more colourful. In bursts of moments his mind imagined additional sounds; other instruments piping in here and there, providing a brief sense of accompaniment.

Beings of Earth, turning a physical sense more abstract.

The two resumed their walk, this song fading into the next one.

- - - - -

"Come back soon, okay? By soon I mean five minutes, tops."

Jack narrowed his eyes towards Theo, but the latter remained unshaken and his firm stance remained.

"I can't time travel, Theo."

"You don't need to! Just say hi to everyone and return."

Jack shook his head at his friend's odd sense of humour, though he shared the feeling. He'd been looking forward to visiting his sister for so long, but now that the moment had arrived something felt... empty. Was he feeling tired? Lazy? Too attached to the headquarters? He could return earlier than he had intended to and Audrey would understand, but the thought of going just made him feel odd.

The two stood in the large field, only left with five minutes before it was time for Theo to train the kids. It was then that Jack noticed another man who only stood a few steps away from them, right outside the field.

"The moment you reach there you'll miss the headquarters, but within a matter of hours you will not want to leave her."

Jay's voice was soft, kind with the depth it accompanied in every sense of the notion. Jack's vision brightened and saddened simultaneously.

Theo turned towards the leader with a pout, his eyes narrowed, and the latter chuckled in response. The boy sighed, nodding slowly as turned back to Jack.

"Go. I'll get you again soon enough, she probably misses you a lot and the others will like you visiting. I need to stay here with the kiddos, can't leave them hanging now. You have fun!"

Jack smiled with a simple gesture of acknowledgement. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, losing awareness of his surroundings. The auras of wisdom and friendship floated away as he sank into another dimension, the colours dulling until everything was black.

Absolute silence, a pause in everything. A tiny movement in this place would result in his travels across a large distance in the physical world. Things he had experienced many times before, everything other than a bombardment of those dream-like images.

Moments with his two dear friends, his parents, his sisters, those children, his leader and everyone... Some were in the place he left, somewhere he was headed, others someplace far beyond his reach. In that brief space, in that brief moment of time things began to expand and everyone away from him was close to him.

"Jack!"

Jack opened his eyes to see Audrey's smile as she stood close to him, looking up with a brightness more blinding than the sun. Jack rested his harm on her head, tilting his head a little.

"Did your height decrease?"

Audrey narrowed her eyes as she raised her fist, speaking with a pout. "Hey! You grew obviously, fool."

"Yes yes, I know I'm a flower."

Audrey raised an eyebrow before shaking her head, grabbing his hand firmly to lead him to the house. Jack raised his gaze to take in that dense forest. The colour of blue and yellow pervaded amongst the flowers, leaves, water and the sky, nature culminating in the trees. The crunch of leaves under his footsteps left Jack a little comfortable and he noticed how his sister walked to avoid disturbing them. Paths she had traversed many times, no doubt. By the time he went back would he have learned the way of things that were here, too? This foreign place which seemed somewhat close to him, just because she lived here.

Ah, I see what you mean, Jay. Why am I like this? A resistance to change, perhaps? 

"Evelyn no!"

"But he won't mind!"

"Yes, you're right. He won't mind you whisking him away from his sister into a place full of humans."

"Your sarcasm is unnecessary."

"Your mischief is unnecessary!"

Jack chuckled as he heard the familiar voices, a bright warmth instilling in his heart.

What is this? I thought I came here only for Audrey, but I'm excited to meet Evelyn and Elek now. The others, too. How have they been?

Audrey turned towards her brother who was now lost in his own world, no doubt intrigued by this new place. The girl smiled and quickened her pace, bringing him forward to her world.

A nice house deep in a forest, disconnected from the outside world, still in the world of humans... 

Jack was getting excited, but he was also a little tired. The loud voices pulled him out of his daze, his attention falling solely on the scenes ahead. Conrad held Evelyn back by holding her t-shirt as the latter attempted in vain to break free, glaring at Elek who nodded approvingly. Galen stood outside as he leaned on the wall with his arms crossed, smiling directly at Jack. The boy waved his hand towards him, though his sister's convoluted steps made him nearly trip. He caught a glimpse of Trina running around inside, most likely cleaning the mess the others had made.

A bright house surrounded by deep green, home to this group that Jack had come to adore... did they miss the headquarters? They must have, surely, but Jack could see how living here wouldn't be bad at all, at least for a while.

Jack and Audrey finally came to a stop, and that's when Jack's heart began running. 

"Let the poor boy come in! Keep him away from Evelyn."

"Not you too, Treeny!"

Trina rolled her eyes while Conrad, pulled Evelyn inside, the girl finally giving up her efforts. Audrey's soft grip came again as it pulled Jack towards the entrance, but the boy's feet were firmly planted on the ground. Audrey turned to see him stare at the space in front of him as looked at everything.

"I'll bring him inside in a while!"

Audrey left his hand, unsure of where to go. All of her friends were inside now, waiting for the boy as they went away with their daily activities. Audrey decided to walk back a little, staying out of his sight within the cover of Nature.

"I wonder what he's thinking about," Audrey mumbled to the tree, almost quiet. "You probably know."

After some time passed a strong wind blew, the leaves falling faster with a few of them covering Audrey sight. Jack turned towards her with a smile, her hands resting in his pocket while he stood straight as ever.

"Show me how things work here?"

Audrey nodded immediately, once again taking his hand as she leaded him inside.

----- -------

Jack lay on the dull green grass, his hands folded behind his head as he stared at the clear blue sky. It was a place he in which he had played too many times to count, scouting the area with his family and his friend and her family... The cold covers were thrilling, the rainy days were playful, the glimpses of sun were so warm, and everything was so far away.

Travelling to their place and back again takes no time, and it isn't physically exhausting at all, Jack thought as he pictured those six faces, thinking about their temporary farewell those six years ago.

And yet... I'm tired.

All goodbyes are temporary in some form, and yet they are so...

"Take care of Audrey and Jack."

painful

"All of you make me so, so proud."

desolate

"Nothing will replace home."

unbearable

"You have fun!"

regretful

"I am always here."

sad.

"Until we meet again."

When is again?

If he, as a shadow-lifter, felt such a vastness of space, then how did the other Shadow-Trappers feel? How did living things feel?

Jack sat up and stood swiftly, his back remaining straight as he tilted his neck backwards to stare at the brighter sun.

It's a good time to go for a walk.

What was it about walking that he liked so much? He didn't need to take a step to go wherever he wished. Was it the memories that accompanied it? The scenery? The sights, sounds, scents? 

No, of course not. But such a simple activity of travelling connected time and space, did it not?

The end of a time with something or someone always marked the end of a journey and the beginning of another.

The sound of wind rushing through that thin, wooden pipe brought Jack back to reality, right outside the field of flowers. Countless circles spanned the area, each featuring a distinct flower family, the petals swaying with a wind that seemed to be generated by that song. In the centre of the garden stood a little girl, her cheeks puffed with a small smile, her sight set on Jack. She stood straight with her hands folded behind her back, the sun glowing behind her nearly barren head.

The sound disappeared as soon as it came, and Jack was now confused about its source. All of it faded with the little girl's wave, and Jack already found himself in the middle of the path that cut through the circles, from the entrance to the centre. 

Suddenly, the girl dashed towards Jack, hugging him as tightly as he could. The impact made his stance falter, his eyebrows raised as he hadn't expected such a gesture from Iris.

His hand remained midair and everything seemed to pause. The tiny space between them closed within a moment, unclear movements indicating motion beyond the earthly plane, the sound of music from the flowers perhaps a response to Iris... and that hug finally brought it to him.

Holly, Audrey, Theo, Iris... I may be one of the only shadows to have never been alone.

As the memories of forever passed through his mind, the hands fell to return the gesture, his heart a mess of emotions and information. Being alone appeared to be easier than being distant, but for the time being, that moment was enough to keep him grounded and perhaps... happy.

Jack felt a warmth he had grown to adore followed by an orange trail of fire that circled him and Iris before bouncing to the sky, dissipating towards the sky. He bent backwards, his view turning upside down to see Audrey standing loosely with her hands in her pockets, a small smile on her face.

A gust of wind blew behind Audrey, the strong vibrations reaching Jack with a startle. Audrey narrowed her eyes and they darted towards the source as she leaned on one side. Her head shook with a chuckle as she turned back to Jack, her hands falling out of her pockets.

Iris left Jack's hold, a brighter smile on her face as she looked up to him. A little surprise remained on Jack's face but it was dominated by his warmth. Both of them headed towards Audrey, meeting her halfway on that path of Nature.