It was to be expected that when Fynn looked in the mirror again, the first thing he wondered was whether it had all been real.

In the eyes of the others, it all happened in an instant, at the same speed that thought flashes through the head. Fynn was startled, and after that, he tried to explain what had happened. Of course, the doubt on Yue and Annui's faces was expected, but the dark-skinned boy's insistence made a difference.

On the way back to the farmstead, away from snooping ears and gossips, Fynn explained in more detail what had happened, what she had seen and heard.

"You say he appeared to you on an island?" asked Annui.

"It was a small island in a huge sea," replied the scarred boy. "Then he began to tremble and had to leave."

"Sure it was Kyrus and not something else?" said Yue, skeptical. "You don't know him. Maybe it was something else..."

"I thought so, but he was the one who mentioned Ronan and how he had begged him to look for us."

Yue hugged her legs, and soon a grimace of annoyance formed on her face.

"What's wrong?" asked Fynn.

"It's nothing," the akajsi girl replied dryly before turning that car ride somewhat awkward.

Annui hesitantly interrupted the two by turning around, "I-I think the place you were in was a mental palace. It's known as a demense. But..."

Fynn watched him expectantly.

Annui continued, "The demense is a place commonly created in mages' minds. Ledger helped me build mine. He says my mark allows me to do so more fluently."

"Kyrus is a friend," Fynn said in an attempt to tie up loose ends. "Maybe he did magic in my head or something. Ronan says he's a pretty amazing magician."

"And pedantic," Yue replied, remembering the trickster's words. At that moment, Ronan was an ambiguous figure in the girl's head.

"That wizard, Kyrus, said someone was coming for you here?" the boy wizard asked.

"He was going to warn Ronan that we are here. Then he'll come and get us, so we'll all get to Adhaz together," said Fynn with an excited smile. "Do you think Miss Aliz will let us stay a few more days?"

"Oh, I'm sure she will allow it," Annui indicated, smiling.

---

Tea time that day brought doubts and uncomfortable situations everywhere. The explanation of what happened left a face of disbelief on Aliz and Ledger. The lady and owner of those lands barely understood what the boy mentioned to her. But, on the other hand, Ledger looked even more skeptically at Fynn and Yue.

"I must admit I still don't understand the island situation, Fynn," Aliz indicated with a grimace of confusion.

"It's something magical; Annui explained it to me on the way here," the boy insisted, pointing to the marked wizard. "I'm sure Mister Ledger will explain it better."

Ledger watched the pair of children with a frown; with a twist, he gently rocked the sucker of his tea in a simple magic trick. Fynn felt the distrust in Ledger's eyes. With her eyes on that man, Yue didn't lose sight of any of his gestures.

"So, are you saying someone will come looking for you both here in a few days?" asked Aliz to the boy.

Fynn nodded, "Our master, Ronan."

"This man, Ronan, is he in Mizuna right now?"

"Why so many questions?" asked Yue in his sullen manner.

"Hold your tongue, child," Ledger spat.

"Led, please," Aliz said, trying to calm her husband before answering the girl. "I need certainties, Yue. I am sincere about the peculiar situation we find ourselves in with you here, so I need to know how this person will get to you and from where."

Fynn, trembling, interlaced her fingers nervously, "We don't know how he will get here, but he will. I-if you don't want us to stay here, I understand perfectly."

"Then go, now," said Ledger coldly.

Those unkind words caused the three marked children to widen their eyes in astonishment.

"Ledger!" shouted Aliz. "They are our guests!"

"Their presence here brings us more trouble than good. I shouldn't have let you go with them," Ledger said while glaring at Annui. "Who knows what things they may have put in your head right now."

"They d-didn't put anything in my head!" said Annui nervously. "I j-just asked them things about us..."

"Annui, you're not like them, don't compare with--" Ledger soon replied.

"Enough!" said Aliz with a light slap of her hand on the table before observing her husband with fury. "What in the name of Lithal is wrong with you?"

The old wizard fell silent. Then, after a few moments of silence, he turned to his wife.

"If I may, my dear, I must teach Annui his lessons."

Aliz snorted in annoyance, "Try to not put things in his head."

The man watched his wife for a moment and then stood up, "Come on."

Annui nodded quickly, and after giving the visitors and Aliz one last look, he left the tea room with his master. Until the very last moment, Fynn and Yue felt a heavy gaze into the back of their necks.

"I'll leave here right now," Yue said.

"Ignore my husband's words, child," replied Aliz. "I am the land owner, and I decide whether or not you are welcome here."

Fynn tried to evade the issues, "Seriously, if we are a problem..."

"Oh, of course not!" replied Aliz, rising from her seat. "As strange as your appearance here has been, nothing detracts from the fact that you are my guests, and as guests, you may stay here as long as necessary. If your master is to come for you, then you two must be in a safe place."

"And are we safe here?" asked Yue.

"Yes, certainly," Aliz affirmed confidently as she clasped her gem-set ring hands together. "The guest room is ready again. I suggest you two try to get some rest after your feelings these past few days. I will talk to my husband later."

---

Aliz called her housekeeper to take the pair of children from the living room. The elderly woman led the teens to the second floor. Mistress Estelle, without much subtlety, acknowledged how upset she was at the mess the marked children had caused.

"I swear, if Annui tears this room again, or if you kids even think of moving the furniture one more time, I'm going to be very angry. Have I made myself clear?"

Fynn nodded quickly and nervously.

The pair of teenagers closed the door behind them. Fynn soon took off his boots, a little big for his feet, and sat on the edge of the bed. His friend did the same on the bed in front of him.

"Are you all right?" asked Fynn.

"Why do you say that?" asked Yue. "Is it because that mustachioed fool doesn't want us here?"

"No, but you've been acting weird ever since I told you Ronan is coming for-"

"Do you even know if Ronan is coming for us?" asked Yue as she turned her back to her friend as she arranged her pillows.

"What are you talking about?"

Yue frowned and pursed her lips. She was angry and hurt. She clenched her fist and tried to punch her pillow, but she was still so tired that she soon gave up.

Then, she lay back down, turning her back to her friend, and curled into a ball on the bed.

"Ronan didn't seem to mind sending us on a ship full of strangers across the sea. Alone, we were alone out there."

"I'm sure he wanted to go with us--"

Yue turned quickly to Fynn. "Then why he didn't do it? why didn't he travel with us; was stealing things or what was in his journals more important than us?"

"Y-Yue, it's not what-"

"I saw one of those monsters explode Pollard's head off with his bare hands!" cried Yue. The image had played over and over in the akajsi girl's head inside her dreams as they drifted; she could still smell the scent of saltpeter and blood in the air.

Silence flooded the room. Fynn watched his friend with a pained look as if he could feel what that girl was suffering. Yue, with her lip quivering, watched the marked boy.

Fynn intended to argue, but in the state the girl was in, it was better not to make things worse; he knew to admit that what Ronan did wasn't the best idea. Still, the man was severely injured when they left port, and if he had been traveling with both of them, he would have likely died as well.

"Let's try to rest," Fynn said gently to appease her friend.

Yue turned her back on her friend again and soon settled into her bed. Fynn did the same, turning his back to his friend as he tried to soothe his head and that heavy tiredness that returned to his body as he found comfort.

Without a doubt, Fynn had too many doubts in his head; whether he was blind or had too much determination, the marked boy trusted the words of that enigmatic person he saw in his thoughts, and he knew Ronan would go for them.