Jean’s eyes narrowed to a slit as Bruce hopped onto the boat.

He then rowed over to the small dock on the other side of the river.

“What is it that you wanted to discuss?” Bruce asked while crossing his filthy arms.

“You’re the one responsible for all this, aren’t you?” Jean asked, his voice low and his hand on his dagger.

Bruce’s nonchalant expression did not change.

“Yes, I summoned Gi' Kolarum and yes I begged that he awaken us all.”

“Why?” Jean asked, his voice laden with malice.

“Because that is our ultimate purpose. Tell me. What are you, Mr. Jean and why are you here?” Bruce asked.

“I am a man and… I’m here to survive. To keep those around me safe until they learn how to survive as well. Then they'll teach those who come after them and so on, I guess.” Jean said.

“That sounds… extremely tragic and pointless. What would you think if I were to tell you that death isn’t the end? That you could transcend this cruel existence.”

“I'd ask what the point of such a question was.” Jean said.

“Peace.”

“Don’t we find peace in death-"

“NO!” Bruce yelled, his eyes wide.

“To die without witnessing the miracles of the great ones is comparable to dying atop a pile of… faeces. In the cold.” Bruce hissed while rubbing his arms tenderly.

“Mmm… so you met Gi. Why aren’t you dead or why haven’t you accepted death?” Jean asked.

“Ugh, it would seem as though someone or something prevented me from witnessing lord Gi' Kolarum in all his glory. These… shackles are a curse. I want to know. I want to see, but these flaps of flesh won’t let me!” Bruce yelled, prompting Jean to look down at Bruce’s chest.

He looked beyond his tattered robe and found innumerable gashes and scars that lined Bruce’s chest.

“What if you and I weren’t meant to ever awaken?” Jean asked, causing Bruce’s jaw to drop.

Almost as if he wanted to rebuff Jean, but seemingly couldn’t.

“I-"

“Jean? Are you ok?” Ayden asked from up the path. He held a lantern with a yellow flame in his right hand.

“Who’s that with you?” The boy asked, but Jean raised his hand, assuring the boy that he was safe.

“It's actually an acquaintance of yours. Bruce.” Jean said as he hopped out from the boat.

Bruce followed him, but his eyes were distant.

“Hello, Mr. Bruce- wait a minute! Isn’t he the one who caused all of this?”

“Yes,” Jean said.

“So… why are you casually talking to him?” Ayden asked.

“Hey, we can’t just execute him or anything. We need answers first and he might have some.”

“Ok, but still…” Ayden said with narrowed eyes.

“Ah… prionnsa, it’s a pleasure to meet you again,” Jean said, albeit half-heartedly.

“Yes. What are you doing out here anyway?” Ayden asked.

“I’m… meditating.” Bruce said, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Oh? Let me guess, you’re trying to access one of the four doors of your garden.” Jean said as a cool breeze flew by.

“Yes… I am. I could show you what I’ve learnt so far. Since you’re inclined to learn more about the plane of reverie.” Bruce said.

Jean turned to Ayden.

“Mmm… where is your place of meditation?” Jean asked.

“A cave where the ancients once walked. Northwest of here-"

“Ooh! I know that place. That’s where mom and I found the journal.” Ayden said excitedly.

“Is that so? Then tell Ayanna that I’ll be there. Bruce, lead the way.” Jean said before following Bruce back onto the boat.

Ayden ran back up the path as Jean and Bruce drifted away.

Upon reaching the other side of the river, the two men hopped off of the boat, which had been carefully moored on a dry patch near the riverbank.

Bruce then led Jean into the forest, which was eerily silent.

Their steps crushed the semi damp leaves that littered the forest floor and they maintained their northeast heading.

“One of your doors are open, right?” Jean asked.

Bruce came to a complete stop.

“Y- yes.”

“Have you entered it? Have you seen what’s on the other side?” Jean asked as he walked up to Bruce’s side to see that he was trembling.

“No…”

Jean let out a deep sigh before gesturing that they continue.

The two eventually arrived at the cave and there, Jean saw a bunch of animal corpses and there was a slight smell of urine in the air, but Jean paid it little mind.

He also saw the remains of a campfire.

“Which door was it?” Jean asked.

“The one beneath the Dia rune-"

“Ok-"

“-at first,” Bruce said.

Jean’s eyes widened as Bruce slowly walked to his side.

“You see… I couldn’t accept the hand that I’d been dealt. So I tried unlocking all of my doors.” Bruce continued even as his voice shook.

“But even after I opened them all, I couldn’t enter a single one,” Bruce said.

“There has to be another way. I want to join lord Gi' Kolarum without having to go out there.”

“Mmm… speaking of Gi, he’s actually in the Dubhar-“

“Eyes,” Bruce whispered.

“What?”

“Eyes are the key,” Bruce whispered again as his body slowly rocked back and forth.

Then, in the next moment, Bruce turned around and lashed out at Jean, knocking him backwards.

Jean felt his head hit something rather hard, but he quickly realized his hands to defend himself from Bruce, who mercilessly clawed at his face.

Bruce punched Jean in the cheek before sticking three of his dirty fingers into Jean’s left eye socket.

Jean let out a pained cry as Bruce pulled at his eyeball and he watched as Bruce ate the orb, optical nerve and all.

“Yes!” Bruce sang as tears ran down his face.

“You have seen-"

Bruce’s face froze as Jean rolled around in pain.

“Who is this? This charlatan! Deceiver! He is not my lord!” Bruce said as he spat out the chunks of Jean’s eye that he hadn’t chewed and swallowed.

“You… you’ve… I… I must find lord Gi’ Kolarum. Yes.” Bruce said as he stumbled away.

Jean bit his teeth as a skull-cracking amount of pain assaulted his head.

He then heard the sound of approaching footsteps.

He couldn’t make out who the person who entered the cave was at first, but-

“Jean!” Ayanna called she wrapped her rather wet arms around him.

Jean was in far too much pain to speak, or even think.

His mind grew numb as a cold, gentle darkness embraced him.

He leaned into it, assured that it wouldn’t hurt him.

.

..

Ayanna’s face twisted in agony.

She looked out into the darkness of the forest for any signs of Jean’s attacker, but found nothing.

She let out a loud grunt before carefully picking Jean up and gently carrying him back to the river, where she placed him in the boat before rowing over to the other side.

After securing the boat's moorings, she carried Jean back to the house, where she gently placed him on the floor as a worried Ayden and Fea approached.

“What happened?” Ayden asked.

“I don’t know. Àlainn, help.” Ayanna wheezed and it wasn’t long before everyone was helping nurse Jean back to relatively better health.

.

..

Ayanna barely got any sleep.

She awoke by Jean’s side. His body wrapped in countless blankets and his head covered on bandages.

Ayden had told her that Jean accompanied Bruce to a certain cave to the northwest, but no one knew what led to Bruce attacking Jean, if that was even the case.

All Ayanna could do was wait.

Fea hopped over to her while carrying a half cup of cold tea.

He offered her some of it and she gracefully accepted it.

“Worry not for Jean. He will be fine, I am most positive.” Fea said with a caw.

Ayanna nodded, but Fea knew that she was still worried.

“Mmm… Àlainn told Ayden and I a strange story. Mind if I share it with you?” Fea asked.

Ayanna nodded before Fea recounted a story about four strange beings and something about a botanist.

Ayanna tilted her head in utter confusion.

“That was my reaction as well, hehe,” Fea said.

Ayanna reached out and rubbed his small head, displacing his monocle slightly.

“Enough of that! My work here is done-" Fea was about to hop away, but Ayanna rubbed him a few more times before letting him go.

Fea was about to hop towards his crate, but then a thought came to him.

“Say, how old is Ayden?” Fea asked.

Ayanna’s eyes widened.

She raised her fingers before mumbling several numbers.

“Fourteen?”

“What kind of mother are you?” Fea asked harshly.

“I’m sorry, I’m no good with keeping track of such things. I just know that he’s a healthy growing boy.” Ayanna whispered.

“I guess that is all that matters, but I think it is time that you taught him how to hunt. Tis the duty of a parent to impart knowledge, so I suggest that you do so as soon as possible.” Fea said as he hopped onto his crate.

He then used his extra arms to pull his little blanket over himself.

“Goodnight, Ayanna.”

“Goodnight, Fea and thank you.”

“My name is Feannag,” Fea said, but all Ayanna did was chuckle softly as time crawled by.

.

..

Ayden was exhausted.

For some reason, Ayanna had taken him out to hunt while Jean recovered.

Ayden understood that they needed more capable hands, but there was only so much his little body could do.

He shook his head before standing upright, dagger in hand and he watched Ayanna emerge from the forest deep.

Her tall figure rivalled that of the trees and her silver eyes were like stars in the darkness.

She scanned the area in search of something but eventually sighed in defeat.

"We lost it?" Ayden asked and Ayanna nodded.

He let out a deep sigh as he dropped his head, his eyes ran over the ground in search of key information.

“Sorry.”

Ayanna shook her head as she rubbed his head.

“The time will come when you can hunt on your own," Ayanna said rather firmly.

Ayden nodded before he and Ayanna made their way back home.

They had spent most of their time hunting in a forest just north of the house and on their way home, Ayden kept a keen eye on his surroundings.

Upon returning home, Ayden and Ayanna grabbed two buckets and after entering the bathroom, they washed away all the mud that covered their tired bodies.

Ayden entered the house first, after drying his thick crimson hair.

“How did it go?” Fea asked while standing atop Àlainn’s head.

“Not good. I… I lost the deer." Ayden said as he walked over to one of the four chairs around a certain table.

“Do not be discouraged. I will not repeat anything Ayanna may have said, but keep your chin up. Sulking solves nothing, ok?”

“Ok,” Ayden said as Ayanna entered the house.

Her eyes landed on Jean, who had been in a restless sleep for a couple of days. Well, it felt like a couple of days.

“How is he?” She asked.

Fea hopped over to Jean and inspected his condition as the residual water on Ayanna’s skin dried.

“He looks much better, but I still don’t know why he hasn’t awoken,” Àlainn said.

Ayanna nodded before sitting by Ayden’s side.

The house was lit by the purple flames of the candles, which didn’t help with the atmosphere.

Ayden rested his head on his mother's shoulder as they sat.

The time for dinner eventually came and after eating, everyone assumed their sleeping positions.

Their thoughts collectively cantered around Jean and when he would awake.

They took comfort in knowing that when he awoke, their faces would be the first thing he saw.

.

..

Ayden awoke with a burst of energy.

He hopped out of bed, leaving behind a sleeping Àlainn, before making his way toward Ayanna, who slept next to Jean.

Ayden took a deep breath before sneaking past her and walking over to the table where two daggers sat.

Ayden grabbed one of them before unlocking and opening the door as quietly as possible.

After closing the door, Ayden skulked up the path and made his way towards the patch of forest to the north.

His steps were quick and light meaning it wasn’t long before he found himself in the heart of the woods.

He took deep and careful breaths as he searched for something.

His senses all heightened as his blood fed the necessary organs.

Then he heard it.

The snap of a twig.

Ayden lowered himself before making his way towards the sound.

His breath grew even slower the closer he approached whatever presence hid within the bush.

He tightened his grip on his dagger and his eyes widened to an extreme degree.

He then caught sight of his prey and in an instant, he lashed out and stabbed it as it ate away at some berries.

Ayden dug his blade deep within his catch and he felt its life slowly fading in his hands.

His heartbeat grew frantic as the blood of his catch coated his hands.

Ayden took a deep breath before standing with his catch in hand.

He gave himself a quick nod before making his way back home.

Ayden then spotted a cross-armed Ayanna standing just outside the house as he approached.

His face lit up in a smile as he raised his catch.

His eyes were still sensitive due to being out in the dark and so he could see Ayanna’s face as the light of the crescent moon bathed the land.

Ayden walked up to his mother only to receive a chop to the top of his head.

“Ouch!” Ayden cried.

Ayanna let out a deep sigh as she confiscated the rabbit in Ayden’s hands.

She then gestured that he bath.

Ayden did so with a strange sense of accomplishment, but when he entered the house, everyone stared at him with strange looks.

“What you did was irresponsible, you know this right?” Fea asked.

“I know, but I didn’t go anywhere mom hadn’t taken me-"

“That is not the point,” Fea said with a loud caw.

“You could’ve been hurt, prionnsa and none of us would have been there,” Àlainn said softly.

“I know, but… I’m sorry.” Ayden said with a lowered head.

Ayanna walked up to him before wrapping her arms around him.

Silence befell the house as Ayanna tightened her hold on Ayden.

“I’m sorry,” Ayanna said.

“For what?” Ayden asked from within his mother’s bosom.

“For rushing things,” Ayanna whispered.

“No, I get it. It’s just… if I were bigger and stronger, I could help out. Like Jean.” Ayden said.

“That is not the point of all this, Ayden. Anyway, I am glad that you are back and I think we should put a pause on your hunts for now, no?”

“Indeed. Even I have grown far too afraid to have you out there and I do not even want to imagine you on your own.” Àlainn said.

“Aww.” Ayden sounded as Ayanna slowly let him go.

“At least I actually caught something, even if it was just once,” Ayden said as he looked at the rabbit with a look of accomplishment.

Unbeknownst to him, Jean’s body ached and twitched beneath the blankets.

It quivered, almost fearfully, as the night hung.