➨ Eventually, the boat stops against the edge of the grass. Had the trip been a little more coordinated, you probably would've found an actual place to dock. For the time being, it looked like some extremely sketchy people had hijacked their way to Heart.

You didn't waste any time jumping onto solid land. Feeling the ground not shift beneath you was a relief. It was still pretty dark, so you had to pay attention to each step you took. Zora landed behind you with a grunt and stretched his arms behind his back.

"So where do we go from here?"

Truthfully, it was difficult to tell exactly where you had stopped. It would be the easiest to see when the sun entirely came up, but there was about another hour or so until that happened. And without an escort of some kind, the residents were bound to give you funny looks.

"You still have that compass?"

He hands it over, and you angle it to see better. Squinting, you faintly make out the directions. Tilting to the side, you held it up higher. "I live in the West so..." You follow the edge until it points to the W and look up. "Somewhere in this direction."

There's been a lot of general direction navigation lately—it was a blessing you hadn't gotten too lost yet.

"Just watch where you're going—" Before you can finish, you sense something rapidly approaching you. A large amount of mana. You grab Zora and pull him towards you, using Illusionist to dodge out of the way just as a streak of lightning shakes the ground where you had just been seconds before. The false puppet shatters on impact.

When the sparks dissipate, you see a male kneeling on the ground. Black and white hair stands straight up on his head. His eyes shoot open, and he stands, aiming right for you. A neon yellow magic circle forms around his wrist as he charges up another spell.

It was only when the electricity illuminated a large scar that runs down his left cheek to his neck that you came off the defensive. "Gaja?"

He freezes, but his arm doesn't come down. Not until he takes a step closer and really examines your face. His eyes widened momentarily. "Y/N? What are you doing breaking into the Kingdom?"

You sigh, thankful that it wasn't going to blow into another fight. You don't think you'd survive another one in this state. You weren't all that thrilled to see the man. "It's way too long of a story to tell you right now."

His magic burns out, and he brings his arms to his side. "My apologies. I was alerted that an unidentified vessel made it through the fog without the Queen's permission. I thought we had intruders."

Since you were fast asleep, you didn't have a chance to tell Zora about the defense mechanism for ships. Even so, it was shocking that he had managed to get through it without alerting people sooner— it should be impossible.

Fuck it.

"I'm not trying to be here for too long; I just have to get home to get my dad's research."

He bows his head. "I heard about his passing; I'm sorry for your loss." He picks it up, and his eyes glide over to Zora. "If I may ask, who is your companion?"

"Zora, my loyal guard dog." You quickly give him a random title. "He's a... family friend, I think."

Gaja steps past both of you. "I don't remember you needing a guard dog. Or anybody for that matter." He says the last bit with a hint of shade. He hadn't even been here for more than five minutes and was already being passive-aggressive.

You lean into Zora's side, not bothering to lower your voice. "He's a bit salty with me at the moment. He's holding a two-year grudge on his sensitive-ass shoulders." Gaja leads you through the forest while choosing to actively ignore your side comments about him. He can act however he wants because you didn't come back for him anyway.

A silent mutual agreement flowed between you and Zora to not say anything else, or at least keep conversations off the actual topic of your visit. Soon enough, the sun was rising fully overhead, which lit up the area, allowing you and Zora to clearly take in the sights.

Everything looked much better with the warm glow coating it. The water properly shimmered; birds were waking up and starting to chatter. People trickled out of their homes and started about their days.

Zora yawned, and his shoulders slumped. "I think I'm about to pass out."

"It's about another twenty to thirty minutes," Gaja says. "Please let me know if you need a break."

Prolonging the journey was just going to make it feel even longer. But you knew he was up all night without a break. All while being alone with his seasick thoughts. "Once we get there, you can sleep. I'm sure my mom won't care."

Gaja slows down a little bit. "Long night?" His eyes make a quiet display of staring at the arm that's out of commission.

Here, he goes with the small talk. "Yes."

"Is the Golden Dawn treating you well?"

"Got kicked out." You bluntly reply.

He keeps a carefully neutral expression. "Trouble always seems to find you. I can't say I'm surprised."

"Says the one with a real nasty scar cutting up half his face." You mutter.

"At least both my arms work, yes?" He rubs his fingers over the wound.

You glare daggers into the side of his head. That was the last thing you were directing towards him for the rest of the walk. He was lucky because you had a list of things you could say to him, but you didn't have the patience to engage anymore.

The walk is about twenty minutes, like he said, and the familiar house pops over through the thick density of trees. It's a simple place: two stories with no real roof shape—a simple cerulean rectangle with a glossy texture to it. On the front lawn, there was an array of plants, some of which had been growing since you were young and some newer.

Gaja stopped just a few steps away from the path that led to the front door. "This is where I'll depart. Enjoy your visit. Please tell your mother I send my regards." With that, he clasps his hands together, and his body vanishes in a streak of crackling lightning.

Zora blinks. "Well, that wasn't awkward as hell. Old friend of yours?"

"Something like that." You don't even let him linger longer inside your mind. If he wants to stay upset, he can.

The smooth stones lead up to the door. It goes over a small stream of glistening water. Past that, the tamed plants greet you underneath the windows. Fairy lights hang over the entrance and drape down to the bushes.

Hesitantly, you hover your fist over the door. Shaking off your nerves, you knock a few times, then step back. For a couple of moments, you don't think she was going to answer—it is early; you wouldn't be too surprised. Then nearly the entire minute passes before the lock clicks and the door opens suspiciously slowly.

Her head pops around the corner with an expression that says she's ready to stab whatever intruder lies on the other side. Once you meet her gaze, her eyes go insanely wide. "Oh, Y/N, baby!" She rushes over and scoops you up in her arms. For a woman who's nearly the same height as you, she has some damn strength in her.

"Mom, Mom, watch the arm, please." You wrap the good one around her as she tucks your head against her chest.

She pulls back quickly. "Why, what's wrong with it?" Her mom senses go off, and she immediately scans your body. Once she sees your limp limb dangling by your side, she gasps. "What the hell happened?"

"A story I don't think you're ready to hear."

"Well, you better start talking because this is unacceptable. And look at your face; you're dirty and scratched up." She mutters, her hands poking and pressing against your cheeks and forehead. "Not to mention your clothes! You look cold and soggy—"

"Yeah, I'm aware. We just ran into some problems."

She puts her hands on her hips and taps her foot. Her gaze drifts over to Zora, who's been standing there uncomfortably. She smiles all over again. "And you!" She wraps her arms around him. "You got so tall, and you've done a lot with your look. Got your eyebrow pierced up, some makeup on your eyes.

"It's good to see you again." He takes on that tone again. The nice and likeable one that has the ability to gaslight you into thinking he's always like that.

She yanks back and looks him up and down. "You're freezing, too. And it looks like you haven't slept in days—what are y'all doing over there in Clover?" She sidesteps and ushers both of you through the door. "Come in, take a seat. Y/N, set your arm up; let me see if I can help you with that."

You walk through the threshold, and the strong beach aroma smacks you right in the face. Memories rise and wrap you like a warm hug. The living room looks exactly the same since you last saw it. A single light hangs from the ceiling, spreading warm light to the majority of the space. There's another leafy plant in the corner, right next to a plush, sand-colored couch. In the center, a square coffee table with a jar of lights inside. On the floor, a rug that looks exactly like waves.

There are pictures on the wall. A few family ones, a few solo ones of yourself that you don't remember being there before you left. Followed by another new one, sitting on the shelf next to a bunch of miscellaneous knickknacks: a recent photo of your parents of them out in the front yard tending to the garden. It must've been taken not too long before he died because the plant is identical to the one you saw outside.

"Still have no idea why you'd want to leave this place. It feels like I'm being suffocated by... happiness." Zora's eyes are focused on a different photo. One of you after getting your grimoire; however, this one was taken in Clover.

"Happiness is not a bad feeling to be suffocated by." You sit down on the couch, lifting your arm painfully slow onto the armrest."

Zora contemplates sitting. Almost like the chair will swallow him whole and inject more of the mortifying happiness into his bloodstream. Eventually, he does.

Your mom comes through the archway with a plastic box of supplies. She stands in front of you and roughly takes your arm in her hand. "Does this hurt?" She asks, while shaking it.

Biting your tongue in order to not cuss her out, "Yes. Yes, it does, please stop."

She clicks her tongue and straightens it out. "I don't think it's broken—dislocated maybe. Which is a way easier fix." She goes through the box and pulls out a clear tub of a dark substance. She slathers it between her palms and then harshly rubs it onto the area around your elbow. It's gritty and has a foul odor to it.

On top of that, she's acting like she's not making the pain worse. "That hurts."

"You'll thank me in a minute." She doesn't seem to care and continues to jostle you around. It's a miracle that you haven't—

A quick pop and a snap.

"Fuck!" The woman had just popped your arm back into place.

She smiles like nothing happened—you were half-expecting her to scold you about swearing under her roof. Her hands hover over the strange mud mixture on your elbow, and her magic swirls out from around her fingertips. It's cool and satisfying. It also takes away some of the sting she just inflicted.

"Feels better, right?" She pats you on the leg and then stands back. "I know why you came here, Y/N, and you're free to go look at Kieran's stuff whenever you like. But at least let me make you breakfast. I've heard both of your stomachs growl at least four times. Give me an hour max!" Your mother doesn't sit still. While she was talking, she was already halfway into the kitchen.

If you wanted to, you could go down to the basement and look right now. Solve everything and understand what he was doing before his death. It would lead you in the right direction and answer so many questions.

Oddly enough, you weren't ready.

The journey here made you realize that in Heart, you weren't a traitor. You weren't guilty. You weren't a murderer.

If you figured everything out too quickly, you would only rush back to Clover to try and convince ignorant people who didn't want to hear of your innocence. You'd be yelling into a void.

Abruptly, you stand up. "Come upstairs with me."

It may not be the smartest choice of words, considering what happened on the boat earlier. It sounds a lot more suggestive than it actually is.

"What's upstairs?"

"For one, a hot shower, which we both need. For two, a guest room, because I know you've been up all night."

He didn't argue with that part, so he stood up behind you and followed up the stairs. At the top, the hallway stretches out to either side. On the right was the side your parents stayed on; the left was your side.

You couldn't help but crack open the door and peek inside your room. Nothing changed from when you last were in here. A string of shells hangs from the ceiling and curves over the window. The sun filters through, creating wavy shadows on the wall, followed by an array of miscellaneous items you've collected over the years. Your bed sat untouched, the covers neat and the pillows fluffed.

Everything belonged to you, but after the last few months, all the objects feel foreign. This was only your room when you were in Heart, and since you were born in Clover, most of the time you weren't in here. It was like a reward when you got to come to a home. For the special vacations and whatnot.

Your mom was adamant about keeping you here, so she was slightly upset when you decided to be a knight. Eventually, she got over it, but a part of you feels she'd rather have you under her wing at all times.

Stepping in further, you turned to the wall of pictures that you had collected. Most of them are of random things: grass, flowers, shells, and little animals. Your parents had even managed to sneak in a few of them.

While your eyes are roaming over them, you stop on a specific one that doesn't quite fit in. You pluck it off the wall, careful not to rip the tape. It looks like something you would've taken when you were younger. It's a tree, and a child is lying on one of the branches with their eyes closed.

The tree wasn't too far from your house. It was one of the big ones up the hill. You brought the picture closer to your face to see who was sleeping. Though you didn't have to get too close because the tuft of red hair is unmistakable.

You flip the photo over to see if something is written on the back. To your surprise, there is. It reads, "I got him!" in messy handwriting. Underneath that, there's something much neater that says, "Until you meet again."

"Hey," you call out to Zora, who is still idling in the hallway. "Come look at this."

He enters, and his eyes quickly scan over the new room. "Yeah?"

You put the picture out for him to see. "You know who that is?"

At first, he doesn't see the obvious right away. He tilts his head a little bit and then jerks backward. "How the hell do you have this?" He mutters as he turns it over.

You shrug and shake your head. "No idea. But that does confirm that weird feeling that we're missing something."

"Maybe like an entire chunk of our childhoods?" He stares at the image as if he can't believe it. He tilts his head to try and change the angles, as if there's got to be some logical explanation for him appearing in a picture on your wall.

There are a lot of theories running through your mind, but nothing really makes sense. Just as quickly as the hypotheticals start to pop out, a big neon red sign appears right next to them. An answer.

"You can shower first and settle into the spare room. I'll meet you in there."

"Meet me in the shower?"

You slowly turn your body to him. "The guest room."

He passes the picture off to you and takes a long stride out the door. "I knew that."

"Don't sound so disappointed." You laugh.

When he leaves, you also leave your room. Except you make a straight line for the staircase. During all this, you've been so focused on your dad and his research that you forgot that your mom was just as liable for your confusion as he was.