"I saw it through his vision, my dear Bancho," Axel explained, sinking into the chair, while the setting Malikan sun cascaded through the dimmed church window. An eerie silence grew among the two Wise.

"The same thing those Mirillians saw back then?"

"Yes. An island, connected through eight bridges, with three waterfalls surrounding his statue. Hidden deep within the caves of Morta."

Bancho gulped.

"The Star Sun Cave."

***

Bancho reached his hand out, taking something out of the light grey formation, splattered with whites, hanging from the ceiling.

Atomu immediately turned, pointing his dimly lit, shining crystal in the direction of the old Morian with an unsure expression.

"What is it, Bancho?" Pollimer quickly asked, waddling over, his big body blocking the path they were soon to take.

"I didn't know you could find them here," Bancho uttered, putting a triangular, opaque white gem in the palms of both hands. He shook it a little, as some silver speck danced around the watery, cold liquid trapped inside. Atomu carefully observed the sight and then stepped closer.

"What's that?" The Paladian quickly asked, blinking a few times.

Bancho quickly turned to Atomu, raising his eyebrows, then glancing back and stuffing the crystal into one of his many pockets.

"Oh, ya could show that to me, I'd recognize it!" Pollimer said, handling a pickaxe in both hands. "I'm quite knowledgable there, ya know!"

"I know, my dear Pollimer, but I'm fully aware of what's in my pocket." he tapped the material of his pants a few times. "Right there, hidden deep inside."

"Well, that only made me more curious!" Pollimer tilted his head, one eye twitching.

"It is just a memento. Something for me to keep and tell stories about." Bancho smiled. "Whenever I come back to Mistwick, I always make sure to show the younger ones something from my travels."

"Alright, I understand." Pollimer sweated a little, quickly scratching his cheek and moving forward, leading through the cave.

In fact, that's how most of their travels played out. Pollimer led the way, Bancho stood in the middle, telling stories and Atomu kept to himself. Pearl was there too, but she followed them from a distance barely sneaking through.

The Paladian caught himself thinking either about everything or going back and worrying if Elton would make it through, not because of the hurdles on their way but because of Chyuuichi's fiery attitude and Jyuzou's more judging approach.

Then, he swiftly reminded himself of the Mirillian's sudden change. What was it that made him so different now? Atomu often caught himself in the motion but swiftly tried to move on.

For a while, they trod straight, but Bancho quickly snuck a glimpse at Atomu, stopping for a second and then matching his pace.

"Take a good look." The old Morian took the small gem from his pocket and placed it in Atomu's hands.

"What's this?" Atomu whispered.

"A Clavis Crystal," Bancho muttered, glancing at Pollimer's silhouette in the distance, making sure the Mirillian didn't hear a word, which Atomu quickly spotted. "The liquid inside this gem is something otherworldly, as one old friend once said." Bancho grinned. "It can heal the deepest of wounds and amend physical sorrows."

"Oh." Atomu gulped.

"Heh." Bancho chuckled. "I once went to the other side of this world to find it." Bancho scratched his head. "I guess I did make the right call tumbling one into the caves below." The Wise looked into Atomu's eyes. "One day, I was sure I'd find it again."

Atomu nodded, a bit unsurely.

Bancho's smile faded, turning into a dimly lit and careful glance. "You've noticed it, haven't you?" Bancho asked.

"Um." Atomu played a little with his hair.

"I didn't show the crystal to Pollimer," Bancho answered.

Atomu gulped, blinking unsurely. The two stopped. "Do you think he's a d-demon?"

"You're not one to speak on that matter," Bancho smirked. "No, Atomu. I'd never suspect my friend of anything like that. Sometimes the answer is simpler than you would've imagined." Bancho started treading, and Atomu quickly caught up.

"T-Then..." Atomu thought for a second, seldom meeting Bancho's smirk as if it was already there to answer his question. "Do you think he wants to steal it for himself?"

"Oh, honesty. Why wouldn't one want to steal such a prized possession? Not that I picture Pollimer as someone sly, rather, I know Mirillians would put their hands on anything that shines. Whisper here and there and if I wasn't fast enough you'd get another epic about what Mirillians search for." Bancho closed his eyes. "Human nature."

"S-Sorry?"

"I know you wouldn't take this crystal from me," Bancho said.

"Well... it's yours."

"But I'd steal it from you." Bancho grinned. "Nothing personal. As I said, simple things. You don't have to search for convoluted reasons to get the strangest of answers."

Atomu seemed a little offended and confused, but he pretended to understand what Bancho entailed.

"Maybe that simplicity is rooted in something else, Atomu." Bancho put both hands in his pockets, stopping for a second. "I'm a great big liar."

"Oh, come on, Mr Bancho."

"No, I don't think that's a bad thing. Sometimes you have to taint the truth to protect what you seek." Bancho shook his head. "However, that depends on the severity of your lies. Do you lie because you want things for yourself, or others? I think it's important to balance the two forces out." he signalled with his hands. "Sometimes you get so good at lying that you can't even tell the truth yourself, y'know?"

Atomu backed away a little, giving Bancho unsure glances. Soon enough though, the Paladian stumbled into an obstacle in his path, whose name was Pollimer.

"Be careful!" Pollimer informed, spreading his hands out, following all that with a nervous chuckle and a glance.

"There's nothing but darkness ahead," Bancho informed, pointing.

"Exactly my point, Frosti friend." Pollimer raised his voice. "Nothing is worse than something, because ya never know what could hide in that nothing."

"Why is everyone suddenly spouting the strangest of statements?" Atomu scratched his head. "Where's that simplicity?" he mouthed the last three words.

Bancho moved closer, taking the gleaming crystal out of Atomu's hand and lighting up the small area in front of Pollimer. However, to the Mirillian's surprise, the darkness didn't fade away, instead, it absorbed whatever shone. Bancho furrowed his eyebrows, sensing a ploy, stuffing the crystal back into Atomu's palm, and taking Saxyo from its sheath.

"Mr Bancho?" Atomu quickly asked, but all his potential questions were abruptly destroyed when the axe's sharp end landed on the gloom. The murk itself was far from anything it resembled.

A bright, white light was revealed, peeking in, and the old Morian started ripping out parts of the mohair wall at moderate speeds, before sighing. "So that was a lie." he raised an eyebrow, stepping through.

"A blanket?" Pollimer pointed, confused, now in unison with Atomu. "Man, I've never seen a-anything like that." he scratched his helmet.

Atomu shook his head, in disagreement with whatever was soon to engross.

Bancho looked around with half-closed eyes, and then the two followed, despite hesitating for a moment more. Before them, stretched a massive staircase, covered in a white, dust-like material, extending towards the dimmed fog in the distance. The formations that surrounded the ascension were either small statues resembling nothing in particular, or long, scratched rocky mountainsides.

They were outside.

Pollimer took this moment to adjust his vision, closing his eyes and rubbing them, while Atomu stared around, a bit confused. Bancho put both hands on Saxyo, thinking, gritting his teeth. Afterwards, he signalled to Pearl to stay inside, and the horse neighed.

"Oh, my." Atomu sounded, walking around, leaving foot trails in the whites. "Where are we?"

"No clue." Pollimer quickly yelled out, with one open eye eyeing something in the far distance. Both hands shook with the pickaxe in his grasp.

"R-Really?" there were traces of fear in his voice. "S-Shouldn't you know?"

"I don't know the whole world Paladian!" Pollimer laughed a little, albeit nervously.

"Then," Atomu stopped for a second. "I'm going to assume that people of the caves were here beforehand," he informed.

"Yeah, yer probably right," Pollimer added. "Stairs like these don't form themselves naturally."

"Obviously," Bancho added, with a smudge of sarcasm. "But no Mirillian ever stepped foot here," The old Morian informed, walking towards a rusty old shovel that was hidden beneath all the white dust. "This right here, a model of a tool primarily and only used by the people of Asno. We're somewhere below the Plateaus of Morta."

The wind howled in the distance, sending a shiver down Atomu's spine, and Pollimer chuckled at his reaction.

"I never thought that we'd step foot out of the caves, even if, for a moment, but being in the eastern land is certainly worse than waiting in the darkness for all eternity." Bancho sat down on a rock, putting his hand on his chin.

Pollimer wanted to argue but kept the complaints to himself.

"Wait." Atomu blinked twice. "Does that mean that someone's here?"

"He denied Mirillians so I don't think there's any humanity." Pollimer bumped Atomu's shoulder which almost sent the Paladian to the ground. Bancho smiled lightly.

"Mirillians aren't the only people in Errarion! We've been down in the caves too!" Atomu yelled. "I'm talking about like..." he played with one strand of hair. "People of Morta."

"I like your confidence, but if anyone told you that people make haste and live happily in the greys and nothing, ruins and despair, then, unfortunately, you've been lied to," Bancho announced, and Atomu frowned a little. "No people, barely any nature, and animals are as scarce as they get. However, through the thick and dim hush that splatters in the fog, hope sometimes comes, either floating or..." he looked up. "...carried by tiny little wings." Bancho put one hand on his thigh, and the noise sounded from above.

Atomu and Pollimer looked up as if alerted.

A sparrow descended from the unsure fogs onto the extended forearm of Bancho, and the latter kept beaming. "I can assure you, though, Atomu," Bancho said, and Atomu's body moved a little. "A hope for your future will come in a different shape, and I'd never lie to you about that." the old Morian inched closer to the animal, whispering something, while eyeing the Paladian. Then, as quickly as the bird came, it flew away.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Pollimer asked, scratching an itch that just wouldn't go away.

Atomu shrugged, although, on the inside, Bancho's words resonated with him.

"I wasn't sure when we'd be seeing the sky again. Even if it's Morta. I had to report to someone how things were moving along. To someone who'd understand."

"It's probably Rowan," Atomu whispered.

"Who's Rowan?" Pollimer asked.

"I'd be wasting your precious time." Atomu closed his eyes, folding his arms.

Pollimer glanced at Bancho. "So then, what are ya gonna tell 'em?"

"Hm." Bancho stood up, moving Saxyo back into both hands. "That we've found ourselves in a trap."

***

"A bite?" Elena put her hand near her mouth before her long and sharp tongue rolled out from beneath her red lips. Her piercing, yellow gaze stared back into Anna's determined and angered eyes.

"A bite," Hexia repeated, inching closer, putting one hand on the island's edge, and the other on Elena's shoulder. "That's right, my sister."

"Huh?" Elena uttered, quietly, glimpsing at the other fairy.

"It's your birthday. You deserve to be the first that eats cake!" she spoke, slowly, and Elena's wings spread on her back, turning into a crystal-like spiral and then into thick, horn-like jewels, which didn't flutter with her descent. The other fairies clapped their hands, as if in a joyous reunion of pure bliss.

Elena put her legs up, smiling at the woman who stood below the island, with furrowed brows and a tiny grin she didn't even realise was there.

Meanwhile, Morio wondered, the heat slowly spreading down his body as the wax covered his upper torso, reaching his neck and finally coating his mouth and insides in a thick substance. His breaths were heavy, yet, he valued each one. Only his eyes managed to send some message across, as they shot towards Ambrosia, who seemed to stare forward, thinking.

What could Ambrosia be pondering at such a time? Were the notions any similarity to what Morio's mind kept suggesting? That, perhaps, the aggressive fairies will eat them alive just like they implied with Anna? Morio wanted to shout, despite all the fear he had in his heart, but realised that even his experience with such vile creatures wouldn't be of any use. Back then, he found himself in a similar situation. Entranced by their charm and lured in with promises of something great. How could he fall for such a simple ruse again?

However, Morio didn't know that such wasn't Anna's first encounter with a fairy.

Elena dashed in, opening her mouth and revealing her sharp set of teeth, extending her hands out and sharpening the black nails at the end of her blue fingers. She yelled out, with that surge of power that went through her simply at the thought of another victim being enticed in her grasp. When she grew nearer, Anna stood still.

The fairy sped up, spreading her wings out, and finally hitting something sharp.

"You missed," Anna informed, the smirk now tugging at her lips, battling her usual tough demeanour. Her eyes hesitantly moved towards Elena, who looked up, clenching her jaw in pure fury.