IT was one thing to see it in her dreams, yet even her mind's eyes didn't do justice to the actual sight. Karyn stood, her skin exposed to the biting cold and her mind mesmerized by the beauty of the celestial display above her. During the day, it looked just like Earth, with one sun and blue skies, but at night, Wlerden and Earth truly were worlds apart.

Two radiant moons adorned the heavens above, surrounded by litters of golden stars. Some stars shimmered individually while others clustered together, creating sporadic pockets of ethereal light here and there. And the clouds that drifted had a dim golden hue to them as if they had little stars illuminating them from within.

Her breath mingled with the cool wind, which blew harsher this time, prompting her to wrap her hands around herself. If only this breeze could cool her racing mind. Not once had her wheels stopped turning.

What business did the commander-in-chief of The Red Guard have to do with these girls and their disappearance? If The Red Guard now went after those with magic, did that mean these girls were, in a way, endowed? And if they were, why didn't they just come and capture them? Why use Vesper, who hides in a shed, to do so? And what was he even doing in the shed?

The door behind her creaked, and she spun to see Jamie walk through and close it behind him.

Once beside her, his eyes also went to the sky.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" he said.

"It's nothing like I've seen before."

"You've seen it many times. You just don't remember. How did you know that name?"

Her head turned sharply toward him before she let out a dry chuckle. "And here I was thinking you came here for small talk or a pep talk, even."

"I don't do small talk."

"Of course, you don't," she said and looked back up while he was the one staring at her now.

"So?" he prompted.

"The man..." The image flashed before her eyes, vivid and persistent, even lingering when she closed them briefly. "He said the name...so I wondered if they knew anything about it. Maybe it was someone they had a vendetta with or—"

Jamie's exhausted sigh cut her off. "Karyn, that's none of our business."

A dry cough followed his words.

"Guess that's coming back."

"I'm serious," he said, not following her cue to change the subject.

"Is there any time you're not and what do you mean? We can't just leave! That man has something to do with all this."

"And how are you so sure?"

"My gut tells me so."

"Has your brain come up with any logical connections?"

"I'm... figuring it out."

"Well, don't. We stumbled upon the girl and brought her back to her family. That's all we can do for them. We can't take this up now. We have bigger things to deal with."

"I'm pretty sure The Roveñya and The Witch said something along those lines," she muttered.

"Don't call them that," Jamie sneered, but his words rang in her head.

"What do you mean, bigger things to deal with?"

Silence followed her question, and she noticed the anger and irritation on Jamie's face morph into something else.

Was he hiding something?

"Jamie, what did you discuss with Gema and Marcela?" she asked gingerly.

"That we would meet at Yhulja."

"And?"

"And nothing."

"Are you hiding something from us?" she asked.

He remained silent until he let out a sigh, releasing the tight expression on his face.

"There is something but..." He continued quickly before she could interrupt. "I can't tell any of you here. We have to meet up with Gema and Marcela first. They have more information."

"Wow, that's new," she said and when she saw his puzzled brows, she added. "Them having more information than you. I thought you took great pride in being the smartest."

He let out a huff of annoyance. "That's all I can say now. You should get some rest. We have a big day tomorrow. And don't stay out too long. I don't even know why it's this cold in Cathurva," he muttered.

Karyn paid heed to his words and bolted the door behind her once she stepped in. She didn't want to leave, and she could hear her Sense telling her that leaving was the wrong thing to do.

But she also wanted to get her memories back.

Was that enough to leave Loralai behind, even if she wasn't certain of the little girl's safety? And what did that say about her? Was she any different from The Roveñya and The Witch if she was also putting the girl aside?

The questions kept playing in her mind for what felt like hours before she sat up from the bed. She looked over at Salome wistfully and wondered what it would be like to have a regular, peaceful sleep.

She sighed. Maybe she should get a sip of water and try again. With quiet steps, she left the room, proceeded down the hallway, and entered the dining area through the open door. However, she halted in her tracks.

Beside a candle in the dining area sat Loralai, bathed in its light, her face illuminated and shadows dancing behind her. The shadows moved with a certain life to them, something Karyn couldn't comprehend. Was it because of the flickering candle? But it shone steadily.

And now in the silence of the night, the humming in her head was the only thing she could hear.

"Loralai, why aren't you asleep?" Karyn asked as she got closer, her eyes still casting wary glances at the shadow which had now stopped moving. Had she imagined it?

"Can't sleep. What of you?"

"Same," she said, her eyes fleeting around the darkness. This was the only spot of illumination. "What of your mum?"

After Heloisa's touching narration of how Loralai had disappeared, Karyn couldn't help but wonder how the woman wasn't holding on to Loralai while they slept.

"She's already had so many sleepless nights. I couldn't wake her up," Loralai said, with heavy eyes fixed on the cup in front of her.

Then she blinked. "You should try some of this. It always helps us sleep when we can't. Let me pour you a glass."

Loralai stood before she limped over to the fridge. Karyn frowned.

"I got hurt by the fire," Loralai said before she came back with a jar of pink liquid. Upon noticing Karyn's frown, she added, "You must have been wondering about my limp?"

"Yes. How did you know?" she asked tentatively, but the little girl only shrugged. "Thank you," she said as Loralai poured the juice.

Skeptically, she glanced at it before succumbing to Loralai's expectant gaze and taking a sip. At once, her doubts disappeared, washed away by the feeling of the cool liquid gliding down her throat, soothing nerves she didn't even know she had.

"Not only does it taste good, it also feels good. Mother makes it from a plant we grow in the back," Loralai explained.

They settled into a comfortable silence as Karyn took more sips.

"I still see them when I sleep. The girls, the men."

"Men? I thought it was only Vesper?"

"He was the one most of the time, but two other men would also come whenever he was taking a girl away."

"Do you know what he wanted with you or the other girls?"

"He always said we were special. One girl, Veramai, thought we had something to do with the magic leaving our land and that was why he was taking us."

Veramai. That was the granddaughter of the elderly woman who met her outside the infirmary.

"What do you mean?"

"The first girl, Dorai, had disappeared two weeks after all the magic left our land. She and Veramai were friends and Veramai said she noticed Dorai was acting strange before her disappearance."

If Veramai's reasoning was correct, then that could explain the commander's involvement in this. Did these girls have magic? Or more, did they somehow take the magic from the land? But how could that be possible?

"We always have questions, and sometimes the answers are right in front of us. Either we choose not to see them or we haven't matured enough to comprehend them."

Karyn followed Loralai's gaze to land on the window. That was when she noticed not a spot of light entered through the window, despite how bright the moon shone outside.

"You shouldn't think much about it," Loralai continued. "Grandma says some mysteries are to remain like that, mysteries."

"Your grandma said that?"

"No silly, Grandma," Loralai said with a smile and a 'duh' tone like it was something she should automatically understand. But the longer Karyn's confused expression remained, the more Loralai's smile dipped till it vanished.

The word also cast her mind on Zack. He had a grandmother back at The Lake House in Emerfield. But now he was here with them, all the way in Wlerden. And for all she knew, Emerfield could be in ruins right now.

Surely, he had to have expected this and must have made some plans for his grandma, considering he was the only one with her, unless...

"You're not from here, are you? You're not from Wlerden, right?" Loralai's questions brought her back to the candlelit dining room.

Before she could think of a reply, Loralai's smile was back and the little girl took a last gulp of her drink to finish it.

"That's alright. I won't ask further. My sister, Lura says we should know what one can say and what one can't," Loralai said and stood before taking the cup and glass jar. "Her name was Lurai actually, but married women don't have I at the end of their names."

Karyn followed the girl's every action.

"You should go tomorrow. You shouldn't waste such an opportunity and it would be best if you get to where you're going and quickly. The longer you delay, the more dire things become."

Karyn sat, too stunned to speak. The little girl sounded as if she knew exactly why she was here.

"Considering you have..."

Magic.

The unsaid word hung in the silence between them.

"Good night," Loralai said and turned, but stopped and rushed to envelop Karyn in a hug. "Thank you. For saving me," Loralai said into her clothes and Karyn felt her heart swell with something akin to pride, or perhaps joy?

She felt a dampness in her clothes as she stretched out her hands to enwrap the little girl. They remained like that for a while before the little girl sniffed and pulled away, then she wiped her eyes.

"I'm feeling sleepy now. You should finish up and head to bed, too."

Karyn responded with a smile before the girl walked away.

The next morning came quicker than Karyn had wished. Even though her sleep was short, it was quiet, and she was grateful for the juice she had with Loralai.

The little girl was smart, that was for sure, and the talk had soothed her in some ways. Maybe leaving wouldn't be so bad. Maybe Loralai could hold on. She had her whole town behind her and Karyn was sure they all wouldn't have to think twice to help the girl back on her feet.

After breakfast, Kael offered to walk them to the market square to meet up with Quain, the trader who they would travel with. Heloisa had been teary-eyed as words of gratitude overflowed from her lips. Karyn had found the woman too kind, as she had gotten up very early to prepare food for their journey. Hera and Janai had gone home the previous evening, so they weren't around to bid them goodbye.

When they had finished and packed, Loralai and Heloisa waved at them as they walked away from the house. On their way, Jamie pulled Salome and Karyn behind as Zack walked ahead, his leg seeming in better shape.

"Be careful of what you say to people," Jamie started. "We know close to nothing about these people or their loyalty to The Red Guard, so we don't want to attract any unwanted attention. The goal is to make it to Esorsi undetected and..." Jamie quickly continued as Salome was about to interrupt. "... get you to Grieon too. Yes, I haven't forgotten."

"But then, I wouldn't mind seeing Esorsi too," Salome said as she looked up in thought, tapping her chin.

"Don't you want to see your family?" Jamie asked harshly, and Salome pulled a sad face.

"I mean, I do—"

"Case closed." He said and walked ahead, not giving Salome a chance to protest.

Karyn smiled. "I would have said he's joking, but it's Jamie. He is incapable of that, even if he wanted to."

"I want to see my family," Salome started.

Karyn gave a gentle smile. "I know."

"It's been eight years now. And... I'm scared I wouldn't even know what they look like anymore. I was so young." Salome's words had reduced to a whisper, but it only sparked an idea within Karyn.

"I can tell you what they look like."

Salome's eyes rounded before they darted toward Karyn, who cast a discrete look around before she leaned closer to Salome.

"There's something I'm learning to do. I'll tell you about it later."

Although Salome's eyes shined with excitement that visibly put an extra spring in her step, she remained quiet as they threaded on.

Soon, an array of vibrant stalls surrounded them, each displaying a dazzling assortment of items. From colorful clothes to shiny shoes and stylish bags to sturdy tools, the market offered a feast for the eyes. Activity stretched from stall to stall as people kept moving around, their blend of voices creating a tune one could only find in a bustling market.

They didn't need to get clothes or any supplies as they still had the ones they brought from Louriville, and even Heloisa had kindly given them some extra garments, like the sleeveless gowns they currently wore, paired with warm, long-sleeved shirts underneath.

Up ahead, a rotund man dressed in a tunic and breeches stood. His cape flowed behind him, hood down and a silver purse securely tied around his waist. He passionately shouted to the man beside him, his words carrying through the mild chaos of the market, reaching Karyn's ears even from blocks away.

As they neared, Karyn looked around to see no one was paying mind to their little group. People devoted their attention to their different businesses and trades. This bustling market atmosphere was something she had never experienced back in Emerfield. In her hometown, they only had stores, supermarkets, and one mall. The vibrant energy and diversity of this market were completely foreign to her.

She quickly shifted, narrowly avoiding a collision with a man who rushed past her carrying a stack of heavy luggage on his head while a woman darted after him. Startled, she turned back ahead and caught the eye of the rotund man.

"Who do we have here?" the man asked and the man he had been shouting to replied.

"This is Kael, my dearest friend," the second man said before hugging Kael.

"Louir. Thank you for this."

"Are they the ones who brought her back?" Louir asked.

"Yes," Kael said and turned to the four of them. "This is Louir, my good friend, and this man here is Quain."

"So yer are the ones to travel with me, eh!" Quain said loudly and Karyn concluded that the man couldn't speak any lower even if he wanted to. "What a fine set yer are. Jo!" Quain yelled and a boy in ragged clothes materialized.

Karyn hadn't even noticed where he came from. He was small and appeared far shorter than Salome. She assumed he might be the same age as Loralai.

"Ready our cart!" Quain directed, and the boy rushed away. "Yer have payment?"

Jamie was about to open his rucksack when Kael placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You shouldn't worry." Kael dug his hand into his pocket, brought out a small pouch, and handed it to Quain.

The trader's eyes darted between the pouch, Kael, and the four of them before he collected it.

"Don't care who pays as long as it's paid. Comah!" Quain said and walked in the direction the boy, Jo, had walked off to.

Karyn's eyes followed him until he stopped beside a chain of carts. Attached to the carts were four horses ahead. Karyn couldn't remember the last time she had seen someone use horses as a means of transportation. She wondered if the whole of Wlerden was still in use of this means of transport. That would make their journey much longer should they go by the road.

"Me rules are simple," Quain started. "Sit tight! Touch nothing! And yer'll have yerself a quiet ride."

"That's it?" Salome asked when the trader said no more.

"Oh, yeh, little child! If anything goes missing, me taking a body part for it," Quain said with his friendly eyes narrowing to a menacing stare. "So yeh better keep yeh hands—"

The ground shook beneath them, stealing the words from Quain's mouth and forcing all of them to grasp onto anything stable.

A deafening silence hung in the air for a moment before a thunderous growl shattered it. All heads turned in the direction they had come from, where the bungalow houses stood, where the families left their kids when they went to work, and where Kael had left his wife and daughter.

The next moment was chaos. One scream bled into many as the gripping realization descended on everyone colder than the chill of the previous night.

Amidst the chaos, a faint whisper of "Heloisa and Loralai" escaped Kael's lips, and then he was gone, sprinting back in the opposite direction of the fleeing crowd.

Loralai flashed in her mind's eye and she knew they wouldn't stand a chance alone against the creatures. She had only taken a step to follow Kael when a strong arm held her back.

Her teary eyes shot to meet Zack's steady ones. "We cannot let go of this opportunity to leave."

"But Loralai!"

"If yeh want to be heroes, then me not stopping yer, but I didn't come to this world to die at the mercy of fear and pain!"

♛

ITNC: Still reeling in worry, the group learns about the state of things in Nosher and Zack comes up with a plan, but an unexpected turn of events awaits them and the people of Orameã.

♛

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The Sparkling Authoress,
Mis. A
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