I look down into the fissure at the top of the hill, wavering about whether or not I want to go inside. Syndel takes my hand.

“You'll never be content until you find out for certain,” she says, giving my hand a squeeze.

It has been two weeks since Mulogo's end. There is still evidence of his scourge, but changes are already happening. It's not uncommon to see former Soulless in villages, trying to start a new life. It will not be easy. We've also heard rumors of Bronek's fate. He, like so many others, died the moment his soul returned to him. I can only hope that he and Lenna are together again, just as Syndel promised. My thoughts, however, have been focused on the fate of someone else, yet I haven't had the courage to find out. Until now.

Nodding, I pick my way down the slight slope, guided by a globe of blue light directed by Syndel. We walk along the tunnel and enter the main chamber. Exhaling slowly, I look around. “Garreg?”

The little stone man gives no response.

With Mulogo's power gone, Garreg must be nothing more than a stone figurine somewhere alone in the dark. It's as I suspected, though it would have been nice to see him once more. Perhaps I still can. Releasing Syndel's hand, I search the room until I find his motionless form standing near the hearth. I kneel next to him, studying his frozen face and lifeless gold eyes. One of his hands is stretched out toward the empty hearth, as if he had been tending to the fire the moment the power that animated his body left him. “Thank you, my friend. I wish there was something I could do for you in return.”

I reach into my pocket and pull out a small pouch. Loosening the drawstring, I shake out a few amber shards that once were the pendant. Returning them to the pouch, I tighten the string and set the pouch in his hand. “It's not much, but we think you should have this.”

Standing up straight again I turn to Syndel, who waits at the chamber entrance. She gives me a comforting smile. I join her, setting my hand back in hers. As we head through the opening, the sound of cracking rock makes us pause. For a moment I think the chamber is caving in, but as I look back, I see a flash of blood fire and the stone man crumbling to pieces. As the ivory stone falls away, something else stands in its place.

A soul.

Its aura is the dimmest I've ever seen, almost more like a shadow. I blink at it, wondering why I can see it now that I'm no longer a Soulless. “Who are you?” I ask.

The soul, barely able to keep itself in the shape of a man, looks down at himself in wonder, and then looks back at me. “It's me, Crescent Moon,” he says, his voice like an echo. “It's Garreg.”

Syndel and I exchange glances, neither of us able to believe it. Looking back at Garreg, I say, “You had a soul this whole time? Why didn't you tell us?”

“I did not remember. I did not remember anything, but I do now. I was one of Mulogo's first attempts. My body did not survive the ordeal and my soul was not powerful enough to tempt him, so he put it in a stone body. I lived as his servant for years, never remembering who I was, yet a part of me always despised him. Now I know why.” He laughs, filling the chamber with the echoing sound. “Thank you for coming back.”

“I'm sorry I didn't come sooner,” I say, thinking of the time I wasted feeling anxious about what I would find.

“I must go now,” the soul says, rising above the floor. “We shall meet again someday, my friends.”

The soul darts upward, disappearing through the ceiling. We stand there a moment longer before retracing our steps through the tunnel and out the fissure.

Syndel shields her eyes from the sun's brightness. “It's strange that we're no longer running from something, isn't it Cress?”

I smile. I haven't told her my real name. If she asks I will tell her, but I don't think she will. To her, I will always be Cress. “It will take some getting used to.”

Her gaze moves downward as she clasps her hands together. “You could return home now and find your family.”

I hear sadness in her voice and I know she's thinking of her own family. I must admit similar thoughts have crossed my mind. I am torn between my desire to see the people I lost so long ago and wondering if I should let the life I once had stay in the past. Would it be cruel for me to suddenly reappear, looking the same as I did the day I disappeared? Perhaps it is enough to simply cherish the memories we have of each other.

Syndel is my family now.

“The only thing I know for certain at this moment is that I need you by my side.” Taking her hand, I pull it upward and press it to my lips. She smiles, squeezing my fingers.

“Now,” I continue, “I know of a waterfall with a glistening pool where you can see the stars and moon reflected on the surface when the night is clear. Would you like to see it?”

She laughs. “Sounds like a place we've been to before. You did promise to take be there again.”

We descend the hill and join Hetty on the path leading through the trees. A rustling sound ahead makes us pause. Moments later a doe and her faun step out to the path. Both regard us curiously. I have no doubt that they're the same pair we encountered the last time we were in the forest. This time, with no sign of fear in their dark eyes, they approach us. I extend my hand slowly and wait. The doe stops, yet the faun moves closer, her ears twitching, allowing my fingers to brush against her soft head. With her curiosity satisfied, the faun returns to her mother's side and the two of them continue through the forest.

Syndel and I do the same.