After the meadow was torched, Evan slipped further into himself, his distant moments becoming a permanent state. Layla knew he felt as though he had lost his father again. Though they had never figured out how to use the portal, as long as it had existed, there was hope. Without that hope, Evan had only grief. He mourned the portal's destruction as if he had witnessed the torching of his father.

"We should go back." Layla tried to convince Evan to escort her to the meadow one final time.

"Why?" Evan's arms wrapped tightly across his chest. "There's nothing out there. Your father made sure to destroy everything."

"How did--I never said he did it."

"You didn't have to. Who else would have? It could have only been him or Jill. Jill doesn't like me but only Robert could have done something so hateful."

"He doesn't. He was just trying to protect his people."

"Yea. I'm sure." Evan got up to leave.

"I think I know how to get in now." Layla hadn't planned to make any promises to him, not when she'd already failed at everything else. Layla needed Evan to go with her because she wouldn't allow her father's act to rip her and Evan apart.

She rose to her feet and held his hand. "I remember. The fire started by a tree at the far end of the meadow. How it burned, you can tell that's where the fire had started. That's what he wanted to destroy. The rest was just a distraction. We were so focused on the flowers, we didn't try anything else." The banyan tree leaves rustled above their heads as if confirming Layla's story.

"Are you sure?"

"I think. We can try. We can go later."

"Not later. I have to get something before we try again."