The spectres had us get on one of their trucks to get there. Apparently, Lystida made sure to bury my parents far enough from her home. She didn’t speak at all during the trip. While her behaviour worried me, I appreciated the silence. There was a lot to think about, after all. Some of my memories had come back, though most of them were blurry and confusing. Almost none about my parents, and I still couldn’t remember who I was.

Lystida’s eyes widened as we got out of the vehicle. Looking at the same spot revealed nothing to me. There was only a large tree and some shrubbery around it.

“Surprised?” Sir Fuchs asked her. “The desecration of the grave was necessary for our investigation, but we did our best to return it to its original state after that. They deserve respect, and so do you. You may have done it thinking they were like you, but we still thank you for the service you did.”

Walking closer to the grave, I could finally see it, hidden between all the plants. A long oval mound of dirt with a tiny wooden boat resting on top. It was surrounded by eight river rocks. Each of them had a symbol carved on it. Although Lystida hadn’t taught me about it, I assumed they represented the gods. A tablet-like stone stood at the far end. On it, there was a golden plate with the names of my parents. Karl and Madison. Our last name was written below. Lystida crouched and ran her fingers over the letters.

Seeing this, Sir Fuchs explained, “The tombstone was blank, so we took the liberty of adding that finishing touch. We believe that the names of our dead should be honoured when possible.” The knight then walked to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. “Would you like some time alone with them?”

I nodded.

“We’ll be waiting by the trucks,” he said, smiling at me.

Lystida stood up to follow him. I grabbed her hand as she walked next to me.

“Stay,” I mumbled. Knowing she heard me, I didn’t repeat myself.

She stared at me, silently nodding before she stood behind me. I looked back at the grave as I held the picture she gave me. My parents were smiling. I wanted to believe it was at me.

After taking a deep breath, I talked to them. “Mum, Dad, it’s me, Kara. I look a bit different, I guess.” I stared at myself in the photograph. “Maybe too different…” I sniffled. “I’m sorry it took me so long to come visit you.”

I stayed silent, somehow expecting a reply from them. Giving up on the wishful thought, I continued, “I just wanted to let you know that I’m fine. You don’t need to worry about me. I lost my memories, and I’m a little confused right now, but I’m alright. I… I don’t really know what else to say. I wish I could remember more.”

Looking behind me, I took Lystida’s hand again and brought her next to me. “This is Lystida. I guess you met her already when she uh… Anyway, she has been taking care of me all this time. She also hid many things from me, but I forgive her. I hope you don’t mind that I call her Mum. She’s very kind and teaches me many things. I love her.” I chuckled. “She doesn’t let me near the kitchen, though.”

I lifted my head to see Mum crying and smiled at her. I then turned back to the mound. “I promise to come visit you again. Goodbye.”

With that, we went back to the trucks. There, we let Sir Fuchs know that I would be staying with Mum from now on. He agreed, saying it would be for the best. It was better if I stayed hidden. When they headed back to their city, they would declare that Kara Druren died the same night my parents did. Lystida became my official mother after Sabine made us sign a few more documents. My name was registered as Kara Nyggry Brändryll.