Morning sunlight shimmered down through the greenery in the trees, the air swaying softly as it cooled the outdoor temperature. The sound of shuffling could be heard as a mother and son duo, along with an accompanying maid and butler who loaded a basket prepared with food, a blanket, and an umbrella into the vehicle.

The man sporting the butler uniform readjusted his spectacle before opening the door to the parent and child duo and shortly after entered the car along with the maid. With preparations finished the vehicle started and they departed towards the site, just a bit away from the town.

The boy, who held his mother's hand, stared out into the distance bearing an elusive look that was etched onto his face. The woman holding down a book on her lap slowly turned the page as she glanced at her son every so often. As the radio played, she hummed to the tune softly, enjoying the feeling of lazing about.

Bickering with the butler the maid, fed up, turned around in her seat, offering a peeled fruit to the boy.

"Young Master, do you want a clementine?"

Turning his head to her he nodded as the fruit was then placed into his hands like a sacred offering, the boy slowly tore off pieces of the fruit and ate. His mother watching the fruit being handed over smiled softly, raising an eyebrow as she spoke.

"So, Noir, are you going to offer one to me too? If you could say a prayer before offering that would be good too."

"Ohhhh Madam Im, this maid here, will see to you right away."

"Tch, using my last name, I see you want a pay cut hmm?"

The smile worn by Noir was dropped at Valerie's abrupt words, like a dagger piercing into her gut, she robotically turned around silently and began to peel another fruit. Laughing at her response, Valerie shook her head, raising a hand and shaking Noir's shoulder, insisting all but the pay cut was a joke.

Frozen in her spot, Noir could only wordlessly plead with Valerie, tears forming around her eyes as she tugged on the butler's arm begging for assistance. The butler lifted a hand back to slick his hair back before smirking deviously at her as he shrugged his shoulders and continued driving.

"Wilford! You old senile man I need backup! ... Uuuugh, Madam Im, my precious lady I take it back and humbly offer this clementine to you. Please don't take away the raise I just received this year."

"I'm just joking Noir, just joking.... heh."

The chirp chattering in the background ceaselessly caused his translator to vibrate, however, Lang, lost in his own world stared out the window. Those big colors he saw during his time at the house, seemed that even though they were on a trip to the sight and to where the colors were, those blurry colors in the darkness that he saw did not grow as time passed.

As long as they have been driving, while he was lost from the concept of time, even Lang knew the further they were the fainter objects had to be. These colors however had been floating around lazily, the same size as the day he first saw them.

*****

How long have has it been since we left? It's been some time since I ate the small orange, but the colors... They look the same... maybe a bit smaller than before? .... Actually, I don't think anyone else can see them... they're still in the same spot. No one brings it up... Is this something good? Should I be more scared now that I think about it... What are they really?

*****

The time he waited would not be long however since the moment they left there would only be a bit more till they arrived and up reaching the site which was turned out a small tourist attraction, Wilford had pulled the car into a parking area. The vehicle bobbed slightly as the tires ran over the gravel and rocks.

Exiting the vehicle together with Noir, they assisted Lang and his mother as well, the trio had quickly equipped the items they had brought with this, Noir hand Lang's cane to him as she held his hand with a freed arm.

Treading the marked path towards the crater, the trail leading to the destination was bizarre. The frontmost reason was that the current trail was now shimmering, a dull shine that was tinged with orange, however, the stones individually were a mix of light hues that gradually grew darker as they made their way. Trunks of trees gradually grew darker as they entered near the radius of the crater and their textures changed, from the ruggedness of the bark, the ones now had turned glossy like obsidian.

Despite the darkening in colors, the scenery was still ethereal as if this area was warping into another reality. Upon reaching the crater they had laid the blanket down and set up the umbrella.

"Lang, eat something light and fill yourself up okay?"

"Yes..."

"Hey gramps, stop writing in your book and join us"

"...Noir, you've seen to have grown bolder these days... I will join you all soon, I will take this chance first to write down all I can find out of this phenomenon before that."

"Noir, it's okay, let Wilford continue, you know how passionate he is."

"...Understood, would you two like a drink? Madam, I brought a passion and grapefruit, early morning air is best enjoyed with something light and refreshing."

"Yes, thank you... Lang? Honey, you've only eaten a sandwich and some fruit..."

"Going... Mom..."

"...Wilford, will you look over Lang, this would be a chance to study more in-depth wouldn't it?"

Pausing and turning his head around Wilford's grin was all he displayed since Valerie had easily made a chance for the two to explore just as they had wished and without overthinking they hurriedly made their way.

First... It looks like... I'll have to take my time, they're all separated...

Holding onto Wilford's hand Lang guided him to the nearest colors, the primary colors. Lang had released Wilford's hand as he headed to a stream off nearby where they settled, his cane was moving to and from navigating him slowly into the slow-moving waters, a warm azure bathed him as his shoes and pants we wettening. Curiosity towards the colors only heightened as he noticed, that this color, was smaller now that he had arrived at it.

Bending down his hand swiped across the bottom, feelings each object until he noticed that one cold spherical pebble had made in the darkness of his mind moved. Grasping the pebble he slowly moved it towards his side, and surely enough, the faint hue that glowed also followed suit.

Blue! I can touch it! It feels nice and smooth, cold too... It seems harmless enough... Alright... Let's grab the other ones... The next one is...

Wiping his hands only his shirt, Lang then pulled out his clicker to call for Wilford, and a few moments later they were heading to the next destination.

This smell... lots of flowers...

"This! What a marvelous scene! Camera... camera... Did I not bring one?! ..."

In the flower field, Lang walked slowly just as he did back in the garden even with the smell jumbled together, their scent was fresh, light, ethereal, and otherworldly. As Lang continued on his path towards the stone, the onlookers noticed something in particular about this boy walking slowly with a cane.

During his path to the center, the translucent flowers he passed, glowed faintly, as if the light from the world had been sucked away, these soft hues lit up a mystical path, they were astonished as they walked, the flowers did not do the same.

Bending down and picking two pebbles up, the boy played with them in his hand before asking for his attendant and making his way to another location. As he left the dim-lit glows vanished and returned to before.

Yellow, hmm, for some reason it feels really light, comfortable too, so lively.

His travel carried on, to the reddened walls of the crater near the steps, he picked a pebble, in the shadows of a tree embedded in the bark, he dug out another one.

Green is further away... but Orange was closer to the other colors.

As they made their way back Lang had dragged Wilford to a shop that was busily selling tourist stones and other souvenirs from the changed land.

"Uncle...Wil... Want... Stone..."

You knew this was a gift shop?

"...Young Master... How did you know they sell that?"

"Guessed... Can... Have?"

Lang... I've heard you've obtained pseudo vision in the form of touch and smell... However to directly talk about stones?

"... On the premise you choose a stone for the madam as well."

"Yes..."

As he was guided to the section with barrels of colorful stones, Lang had no problem digging his hands as far as they reached into it and moving the stones one by one. Wilford who was off to the side watched Lang intently, scanning his facial expression, and hand movements as Lang had picked out three stones, a light teal, a dark green, a dark blue.

Orange... it feels so warm... just like how hot my hand was when I held red.

His final stone that was picked out was the size of a pebble and appeared completely white, not a bone ash white, but a seemingly iridescent yet translucent white.

With an unreadable stare, Wilford noted Lang's actions before stepping up to the cashier and paying for the four stones. Lang who received the small fleece bags had asked Wilford to also buy a medium-sized one.

As they exited the store, Wilford noticed that Lang, who had been crouching down and picking up random items all day had stuffed them all into the medium bag, along with the stone he had chosen. To his shock, all the stones were the same color as the one he saw Lang pick.

They're all... White?! I... Should I ask, or should the madam be the first to know?

Agonizing himself over the choices he heard Lang's translator asking for his hand and while giving out a deflating sigh he buried the thoughts for now and opted to watch him as they headed off to the last destination in Lang's list.

The outskirts of the area, bordering the site was the glossy black-colored trunks with the different tints of foliage currently known as the obsidian forest.

*****

"Leader, the kid is here, he matches the description."

"Anyone with him?"

"Looks like... a butler?"

"Lucky him for being rich with his condition, knock him out and grab the kid, our mission is just a kidnapping."

Pulling out a barbed vine laced with sleeping medicine, the shrouded man hid further ahead of the path and waited patiently. The air around them was calm, just as they did before, this was another task, albeit much more lax than usual.

However much the man waited the area underneath was still the same dirt road.

What the fuck is taking them so long.

Peeking out of the tree he saw the kid picking at the shrubs the lined the path, and with a twitching eye stared at them, waiting for them to approach.

5 minutes

...

10 minutes

...

20 minutes

...

With dry eyes bloodshot from staring for too long the man pulled out a blowpipe and blew a thin needle into the back of the butler's neck. The needle, made out of hardened potent sleeping medicine, quickly dissolved before the part that did not go into the skin fell from lack of support.

Fuck I should've done that soon, my eyes are spicy now.

The other man who waited in the bushes stealthily ran to the drowsy and falling butler, catching him and laying him on the ground. As he nodded at the trees, he slipped off one of the butler's gloves and wore it.

The sound of the clicker going off could be heard as the translator rang out.

"Uncle... Let's...Go."

"Mn..."

Holding the boy's hand they made their way away from the crater and to the parking lot.

*****

Late afternoon was approaching and two women were desperately running circles around the park, calling out two names before finally heading to the car to grab a phone. On the way, they saw a crowded area on the path back, and while squeezing their way through a familiar figure laid on the side of the road.

"Wilford!!"

"No!!"