Jack snarled as he was hurled against the deck of the ship, feeling the impact through his ribcage as he scrambled to get back up, planting his wooden training spear into the floor to keep himself standing.

"Uh, you sure you wanna keep going?" Boucheron asked, holding his wooden axe to the side and rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. With his knitted brows and open frown, the mountain of a man looked more like Jack's dad than anything else, which only served to make him want to stand up even more.

"Did you hear a bell?" Jack spat.

"Er, no?"

"Then I'm not done!"

"You really should give it a rest, you know," Alfred said from the sidelines, his arms crossed as he looked between Boucheron and Jack. "Listen, I know I'm probably the last guy to say this, but sometimes you need to know when to take a break. You'll only hurt yourself at this rate."

Jack took several deep breaths, wiping the sweat off his brow as he stood up fully, holding his side. "You're… right. Sorry about that. I got a little carried away."

"No harm done, just didn't wanna hurt you, is all," Boucheron said, bracing the wooden axe against his shoulder. "You know how to keep someone from closing the distance, at least. Probably a good idea you chose a spear because of that. Keep at it and I'm sure you'll do fine!"

Jack let out a breath. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Now I just gotta… sit down."

There weren't many places to sit on the deck of the ship. Although it was clearly affluent - the Firenese royal family spared no expense on it, even if it was tiny compared to, say, a cruise ship from his own world - there was very little to do for someone with zero experience being a crewmate on a ship. The giant white sails rippled overhead with the wind, and the sky and sea almost seemed to merge together, creating an endless ocean of blue. It wouldn't last much longer; according to Alfred, Firene was only a few more days away, and it was likely they'd see nothing but clear skies and good tailwinds until then, making the trip even shorter.

It didn't help Jack's already upset stomach, but it was nice to know it would be ending soon.

Jack heard Alfred and Boucheron talking for a few moments before he heard footsteps trailing off toward the grate to the belowdecks, and thought that he'd been left alone to recover.

"So," he heard Alfred say, leaning against the side of the ship beside him. "Really dead set on going into combat, huh?"

Jack let out something between a chuckle and a sigh as he leaned his head back against the railing of the ship. "I guess I am. I wouldn't submit myself to daily beatings from Boucheron, Etie, or you if I didn't wanna, huh?"

Alfred nodded his head, pursing his lips. "I guess I can understand that. I gotta wonder what you were before this, though. What kinda jobs did they have in your homeland?"

Scratching his chin and feeling the morning shadow steadily forming there, Jack replied, "I like how you automatically assumed we have different jobs to you, Prince Alfred. Do you think we don't have bakers or farmers?"

"Well, no," Alfred responded, shrugging. "Just trying to understand what you were before all this. Get to know you better. You'll be traveling with us for a while, right? Besides, we've already worked out together! Way I see it, we're already friends."

"Friends? With bonafide royalty?" Jack said, eyebrows raised as he wiped his forehead again. "Somebody pinch me, I must be dreaming."

"See? With that kinda talk, we're definitely friends!" Alfred said, practically beaming.

"For royalty, you're an absolute menace, Prince Alfred," Jack said, snickering before letting out a sigh. "What was it you asked me? What was I before coming here? Well, before this, I was studying language at a prestigious university- okay, that's a lie, it wasn't Harvard or Purdue, but I enjoyed it there."

"Language? So you were a scholar?" Alfred asked.

Jack nodded. "For anyone's definition of 'scholar', yeah. I read all the greats. Didn't have anything published, didn't know what I even really wanted to do with my life, even though I was well into my fourth year…"

Stopping for a few seconds, Jack stared off at the horizon until he felt someone gently shaking his shoulder.

"Are you alright? You just zoned out there," Alfred said.

"U-uh, yeah, I'm fine," Jack replied, waving a hand. "Just… letting it finally sink in, I guess? I've been homesick for a while now, but it hasn't hit me until just now. You know what's funny?"

Alfred hummed, letting Jack continue.

"I hated it there," he said, completely blase. "Hated it with all my heart. But now that it's so far away, it's all I want right now. Is that weird?"

"Eh, not really? Not in my opinion, anyway," Alfred said, "when I'm away from home, even if we're on our pilgrimage to Lythos and the Somniel, I'd get pretty homesick myself. Of course, I always knew we would return, and it was only a short distance away, so I suppose it's not as comparable? But I sort of understand what you mean."

Jack let out a half-hearted chuckle. "Never had to fight for my life before this. I'll be doing a lot of that soon enough. I gotta wonder if the same person who came here will one day be the same person who leaves."

"Hey, Jack?" Alfred said.

Jack looked up to Alfred. "Hmm?"

"For what it's worth, your homeland must still be there. It's not like it just disappeared," Alfred said. "You put your mind to it, I'm sure you'll be back someday. And, uh, when you do, make sure they remember the people who helped you get there, alright?"

Jack tilted his head yet nodded all the same. "I'll be sure to do that, for those who'll believe me. You gotta remember, back home, you're- well, you're obviously more than just a storybook character."

"I still can't quite wrap my head around that, I gotta be honest," Alfred said, his laugh sounding more distressed than amused. "It's like… you know, one of my sister's retainers loves fairy tales. If I told her what you told me, then she'd… she might explode."

"It's best not to think about it," Jack said, "the fact you and I are even having this conversation right now proves you exist. Cogito ergo sum, or something like that. I think, therefore I am. I… I'm sorry that I was so free with that knowledge, but I'd kinda like it if we avoided some of the horrid stuff that goes down later, you know?"

Alfred rubbed his forehead. "I guess the fact that Queen Lumera is still alive, and you said she should have died that night, is a pretty good show that all of this isn't predetermined. So, uh, I'll probably try my hardest to forget about this by… maybe getting another run in? I mean, this ship is pretty roomy. Maybe I can manage it."

"Hey, Alfred?" Jack called, stopping the Firenese royal where he stood as he turned around.

"Yeah?"

"Why'd you ask about me?" Jack continued, "just, generally, why'd you come up and ask me about myself? You said we're friends, but we've only known each other for a few days. I'm not anyone special. Probably just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Nobody."

Alfred looked down at Jack, his hand on his chin with the other on his hip. Jack fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Well, honestly? I was just curious," Alfred finally stated, "You say you're not anyone special, but I don't see anyone else from another world around here. Do you?"

Jack shrugged. "Well, no."

"And Jack? Maybe you shouldn't put yourself down like that?" Alfred suggested. "Talking like that isn't gonna do anyone any favors, least of all yourself."

Unable to respond to that, Jack merely sputtered like a car with no fuel. "W-well, advice from royalty. How can I say no to that?"

"You could always just ignore what I said, but I'd rather you didn't," Alfred said, "besides, shouldn't I want to know more about you? I'm just surprised I was able to get to it before the Divine One did! Honestly, I'm impressed you were so… personable with him, when you met him."

Jack shrugged again. "To me, he's just another person. I know your country is deeply religious, Prince Alfred; if what I'm doing is offensive, just tell me to stop."

"Oh, no!" Alfred backpedaled, "definitely don't stop doing it! It's clear to me the Divine Dragon enjoys it. He's only been awake for a few days but he's been all smiles! You've noticed that too, right?"

Standing up, Jack nodded. "Yeah. Guess I won't, then. Anyway, you said you were gonna run laps around the ship? Mind if I join you?"

"There's something you guys should know, before we head further."

The docks of Flora Port were extravagant and beautiful, a far cry from what Jack expected. Well-maintained cobble roads, a flourishing market, good, sturdy buildings with tiled roofs and painted a calming shade of blue to reflect the sky and sea; it looked like a wonderful place to live. Unfortunately, he and the others would not be staying long. While Flora Port was still relatively calm, the interior of Firene was in an uproar according to Alfred, with the Corrupted attacking villages and only the kingdom's knights and small, peasant militias to keep the peace.

Exactly how Jack remembered it, really.

They were on the docks after having disembarked when he decided to tell them the full situation. Alfred's arms were crossed as he paced back and forth, and Alear stood at attention, waiting for Jack to continue. Zander hovered over the Divine Dragon like a mother hen, his dour gaze trained on Jack as well.

"In Flora Mill Town," Jack continued, "we'll find your sister, Prince Alfred. She and her retainers are being pursued by the Corrupted. It probably hasn't happened yet, but we need to hurry."

Alfred's eyes widened as he stopped in place. "Yeah, hurry. As in, right now."

"One more thing!" Jack interrupted, keeping the athletic royal in place. "Veyle will be there after the battle is over. Alear, she'll most likely save you from a Corrupted ambush, and when she does, don't let her out of your sight. Try to convince her to come with us. Lie to her if you have to. If the worst comes to worst, I can smack her over the head with a wooden stick."

"Please tell me you are not actually considering such a tactic?" Vander said, his lips pressed into a thin line. "You are talking about assaulting a young girl. Regardless of how powerful she may be, there must be other options."

Jack shrugged. "I was half-joking about that honestly, but I- Wait, Alear, are you…?"

Alear had a hand on his chin, and a furrowed brow. "Did you say something?"

"You…" Jack hissed, "You're not actually considering that, right? I was joking!"

"I can't rule out the possibility," Alear replied. "You haven't spoken much of it, Jack, but if you're so certain that she must be taken in as soon as possible, then I will treat it like it is: a matter of life and death."

Jack held his arms out to his sides. "I was going to tell you what to say! Just tell her that you know where her brother is! That's all you need to do!"

"Perhaps lead with that next time?" Vander said, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he shook his head. "Perhaps the Divine One is right, however. Whatever it is she will do, it must be prevented."

"She does some pretty heinous things, yeah," Jack said, "I can tell you about them later, but for now, let's just focus on saving Alfred's sister and Veyle herself, right? Make sure none of it happens."

"It's at least a couple hour's journey to Flora Mill Town," Alfred stated, "Let's get going."

There was a definite tension in the air, Jack thought.

The others; Alfred, Boucheron, Etie, Framme and Clanne, Vander - while Framme and Clanne weren't battle hardened, they had seen combat, and had trained under an accomplished and grizzled knight. Alfred, Boucheron, and Etie all had some amount of combat experience and were likely trained from a young age, especially Alfred. In comparison, Jack had a week of combat training with a spear, and a light touch of endurance training. He was already decently fit when he woke up on that field in Lythos, but he wasn't superhuman, and he didn't have an Emblem.

I wonder how that would even work? I haven't seen Alear use one…

Jack didn't know who had Sigurd, but his money was on Alfred, if only because he seemed like the most obvious choice. The only way he'd truly know is if he asked, and Alfred didn't seem to be in the mood for conversation.

The Firenese countryside stretched out before them, like an ocean of green replacing the blue Jack had become accustomed to. And only a little farther along the well-traveled road laid Flora Mill Town, its windmills-

Its windmills were burning.

Jack heard and felt his heart jackhammering away in his ears as he held his spear with both hands, his dominant further down the shaft and his left farther up, exactly as he had been trained.

With the blood rushing in his ears, Jack could barely hear Alear order the others to get to the town as fast as possible. He followed wordlessly.

"Find Alfred's sister!" Alear said once they were on the outskirts of the town. "Keep each other's backs and look for survivors!"

"Her name is Céline!" Alfred said, charging forward. "We need to find her as quickly as possible! C'mon!"

The smoke from the fires trailed high into the sky, nearly blotting out the sun. That was around the time Jack saw his first Corrupted.

They were pale-skinned monsters wrapped in blackened vestments, with a grotesque helmet grafted to their head. Their movements were unnatural and exaggerated, as if every step required an enormous effort. Not a moment passed before one spotted Jack with the cyclopic eye in the center of its helmet, glowing with an unearthly red light.

It screamed, an animal-like sound that felt wrong coming from something that looked like a human. It charged with speed unlike anything Jack had ever seen with an axe braced against its shoulder. The others had already become locked in battle with the bulk of the horde, leaving Jack to fend off the lone attacker.

Just before the creature could land a blow, Jack steeled himself and flung himself to the side, avoiding the massive hit. The Corrupted's axe head slammed into the ground, planting itself there for a few precious moments as Jack lined up a stab. He thrusted forward with his spear, piercing the Corrupted's exposed skin. The blade of his spear sunk into its flesh, though no blood leaked from the wound.

The Corrupted wasn't dead yet, however, and it grabbed at the planted spear in its stomach and knocked Jack off balance, nearly sending him to his feet as the beast snarled. Jack roughly pulled the spear from the Corrupted once, before it raised its axe for another strike. Deciding to forgo caution and simply kill the thing, Jack charged with all of his mass and strength, barreling into the Corrupted and making sure its strike could never come to pass as he sunk the blade of his spear into its chest.

Jack continued, keeping the momentum as the blade was shoved deeper into the Corrupted's flesh. After a few more seconds, he pushed with all his weight before stopping as best as he could, and the Corrupted sailed forward, red sparks coming out of its quickly fading form. He had pushed it all the way to the river that ran through Flora Mill Town, and it tumbled into the flowing water below before disappearing entirely, and Jack let out a breath.

Which was immediately slammed out of him as another body tackled him into the water. Jack only saw a flash of a red eye before he was submerged and desperately scrambling to get his head above water.

The Corrupted that had forced Jack into the river pulled his leg, dragging him below the water again. Holding his breath, he could still barely see anything below him, except for a single glowing red point. He stopped struggling and aimed his spear downward, screaming into the water when he felt something pierce his pantaloons and dig itself into his thigh. At first, he thought he had stabbed himself, but he saw the light of the Corrupted's eye go out as its body shimmered away and sank further below, until it was masked by the blood that was in the water.

Jack swam as best he could to the shore, keeping his head above the water, though the current did its best to try and drag him down. He saw a figure at the riverbank, shining silver and gold, and holding out its hand. Jack struggled further forward until he could finally grasp it, and he was hoisted out of the water, shivering and drenched, but alive.

"Quite the tumble you took. I could see it from here," the knight stated, and Jack looked up to see who it was. Louis looked right back at him with a patient, closed-eye stare. "Do you need a moment? I can protect us both while you catch your breath."

Jack shook his head, limping a little farther away as blood dripped from the wound on his leg. "I-I'm fine-" he winced, "alright, I'm not fine. Where are we? W-who are you?"

"I am Louis. A pleasure to meet you, though I wish it were under better circumstances. I assume you came with the party I saw charging through the enemy lines?" Louis asked, his great shield resting on the ground nearly shining a light into Jack's eyes.

"Yeah," Jack replied breathlessly, "yeah, I am. We came with the Divine Dragon. We saw there was trouble nearby and came to help on our way to Firene Castle."

Louis' eyes opened fully. "The Divine Dragon? You are serious, yes? This is not a joke?"

"What joke? No jokes!" Jack said, pressing his arms together into an 'x'. "He's here! He's probably rescued Princess Céline by now. They're gonna move forward and attack the leader of this raid and- well, we'll get to that later. My name's Jack, by the way! In case I didn't say."

"I see," Louis said, then he placed the butt of his spear into the ground and rummaged around in a small sidepack. "Here, take this."

It was a small glass bottle filled with an unnaturally blue liquid. Jack took it, tilting his head as he looked up at Louis.

"A vulnerary," Louis explained. "Your leg wound is bad, so I doubt it will work in the long term, but if you wish to continue fighting, I recommend it."

"Recommend? I'll probably die from blood loss if I don't take this, huh?" Jack sighed.

Louis nodded his head. "Most likely. I have no desire to observe you suffering so."

"Well," Jack said, wincing as he placed too much weight on his injured leg. "Bottom's up."

Jack didn't know what a vulnerary would taste like. When it passed his lips and splashed around in his mouth a bit, he finally had a frame of reference; it was as if someone had combined sour cough syrup and raspberry preserve and then added a dash of sweat to make sure that the person drinking it would want to gag. Jack bit it back, though, and swallowed a good portion of the bottle before he stopped.

"Th-thank you. Do you want this back?" Jack asked.

Louis waved his hand back and forth briefly. "Keep it. As a royal knight of Firene, I won't have an issue gathering more. Now, can you walk?"

It took a few moments, but whatever was in the vulnerary quickly took effect. While he was still limping, soon enough the bleeding stopped, and it no longer hurt; it became more of a dull ache that he was able to ignore. Still, he decided to not pull off any stunts similar to the first Corrupted he killed.

"Yeah," Jack said, "you're the knight, so I'll follow your lead."

Louis nodded. "This way, then."

A chilly wind blew across the battle-scarred village as Jack and Louis made their way through several small orchards. Louis' armor clanked with each step the knight took, and Jack found himself counting the steps to keep his mind occupied even as he could hear the sounds of more Corrupted nearby.

Just before he and Louis could go charging through the orchard, swinging and stabbing wildly with their spears, Jack heard something. It was like hearing a small plane flying through the air, or an electric car pulling into the driveway. There was a hint of something sparkling to it too, as if a firework had been lowered in volume on a T.V.

Jack pushed forward briefly until he saw a slender sword stab through a Corrupted's chest right before his eyes, the undead falling to the ground into a heap before fading away. And just beyond that, he saw another blown apart by an explosion of some kind, bits of it landing across the scenic village.

That's when Jack saw Alear again, clearly Engaged with Marth. His outfit was adorned with a new, golden chestplate, and pauldrons, with wings floating just behind him as he glided around, his form subtly glowing with power. One half of his hair had changed color to a far lighter shade of blue. Briefly, Jack saw glowing flashes nearby as well - the other two Emblems that they had.

"Ah, so you were not lying," Louis observed.

Jack let out a sigh. "Did you think I was the entire time?"

Louis shook his head. "Oh? No, of course not. It has just been confirmed now. I would be a lot more joyous were this a more joyous time, but I think the Divine Dragon would like some back-up, so let us grant it to him."

"Yeah, let's," Jack grunted.

It wasn't long after that when the Corrupted were completely purged from the town. There weren't even any bodies to look at, only discarded weapons and the destruction wrought on the town remained. There was one body, that of the commander that Jack couldn't even remember the name of. His armored body was practically a burnt, stabbed husk, with only the hair on his head to remind Jack what he looked like.

Jack would also admit that he was starting to grow uncomfortable in his own armor. It was a simple breastplate with chainmail covering his shoulders, with hardened leather boots and pants, along with gloves, but even that had a Firenese 'flair' to it, with golden accents along the edges of the breastplate in particular. With his quick dunk in the river, the armor began to chafe, though thankfully, with it being painted, he didn't need to worry about rust just yet.

Despite all that, however, Jack knew his work wasn't done. Alear had been separated from the others, even if only briefly, and he knew what that meant. It didn't take long to find him; while the others were mopping up the remnants of the Corrupted and letting the townspeople know it was alright, there was a brief flash of purple light to the north of the village, near a few stray buildings and one of the windmills that still remained standing. Though his thigh ached from the wound as the vulnerary slowly wore off, Jack made his way there. So long as his wound didn't reopen, and he didn't overexert himself, he thought it'd be alright.

When he finally found them, Jack leaned against the building and kept himself in the shadows. He didn't have a weapon that wouldn't kill on him, so he hoped above all else that Alear proved himself to be as excellent a talker as he was a combatant. When Engaged, anyway.

Jack laid his eyes on Veyle for the first time, and was nearly taken aback by how small and fragile she looked. Her long, alternating white and black hair trailed behind her, her feather-like gown floating in the small breeze, she looked exactly as Jack remembered.

He also remembered the power of the dark magic spell she had nearly cast on him, and he felt a shiver run up his spine. If she had finished-

Only hearing a few phrases here and there, Jack didn't bother to listen in entirely, instead waiting for either the moment Veyle decided to go with Alear, or for her to try and run off. In the game, he remembered, she had simply vanished into thin air. Considering he knew there were staves that could do that, he didn't doubt that was impossible, but he kept a close eye regardless.

Jack knew that what he was doing could be seen as rather creepy, especially considering Alear was giving him a pointed look every so often. Still, the conversations continued, far longer than what Jack remembered, and before long, he decided to make his move. Stepping - more like limping - out of the shadows, he called to Alear.

"There you are," Jack said, "been looking everywhere for you."

"But you were just-" Alear began, before Jack placed a finger to his lips as Veyle turned around, her purple eyes wide with fear as a small purple light gathered in her hands briefly.

"Don't shoot! I'm with him!" Jack said, genuine fear entering his voice as he held his hands up in surrender, wincing as he nearly stumbled. "I was just looking for him! We're about to head back to the Somniel to regroup."

"I- Oh," Veyle said, her voice light and airy. "Sorry, I thought you were another one of them."

"The Corrupted," Alear said, his brows furrowing. "I think you destroyed the last of them. Thanks for that again, by the way."

"Well, I'm glad I did!" Veyle said. "I don't like those… things. And if you really know where my brother is, well- I could keep looking, but you'll let me go if it's not really him, right?"

Jack cringed as he looked away, trying to keep a serious look on his face. It was hard to imagine that the girl in front of him would cause so much pain. She still could, if things didn't go according to plan. Jack just hoped Lumera was at the Somniel.

Jack wondered if she'd like another adopted child.

"Of course," Alear said, "Although I'm pretty sure it's your brother. He was… er, rather insistent on it, actually."

Starting to think Lumera actually told him after all. Either way, he's amazing at bullshitting.

"Oh yeah? That kid?" Jack said, "he's resting in that room I think. He was in rough shape, but alive. You're saying you're his sister?"

Veyle nodded enthusiastically. "Mhm! Alear already told me what he said about me. I can't believe it, after all this time…"

Jack felt his heart sink at that. They weren't even technically lying, but he still felt like an absolute jackass.

"Well, glad we could help bring a family together," Jack said, jabbing a thumb behind him. "You, uh, mind if we get this over with? My leg's really starting to hurt now."

Alear tilted his head. "Did something happen?"

"Uh, yeah, just a small cut," Jack replied, wincing again. "D-don't worry about it. I'll get Framme to heal it later, but this is definitely more important."

Alear stood still for a moment, and Jack could almost see the gears turning behind his heterochromatic eyes before he nodded.

"Yes, let's go," Alear said, "Before the sun goes down."

Jack didn't know how, exactly, to describe the sensation of moving from one place in Elyos to the Somniel. It was like he was floating for a few seconds, with all sensation leaving him until the light of the setting sun hit his eyes again and he was almost blinded. Jack shook his head as he squinted and saw someone in the shadow of the Somniel.

Queen Lumera is here. Good.

"Welcome back, all of you. I see you…" Lumera stopped as she saw Veyle, just behind Alear with fear in her eyes. "Ah, I see you brought her here. Good."

"Yes, mother," Alear said, "We, erm, should probably go see to her brother now, right?"

"Just a moment," Lumera said, "What is your name, child? Please, there is no need to be frightened. I do not bite."

"V-Veyle," she stammered out. "My name is Veyle. This place is-"

"You are safe here, I promise," Lumera stated, lacing her hands together. "I will… show you to your brother, if you will allow me to. I trust my son has not forced you into doing this?"

"N-no! I wanted to see him!" Veyle said, "I-I realize I am defying papa by doing this, but I swear, I won't hurt anyone, either."

Not of your own volition, Jack thought.

Lumera nodded, smiling brightly. "I believe you, Veyle. I can tell that you are a thoughtful and bright young lady. Alear, my child, you should come with us. There are some things that should be revealed to you as well."

Alear's lips pressed into a thin line as he nodded. Jack saw him visibly swallow from nervousness. The Divine Dragon nodded.

"We shall be a while, so the rest of you may do as you wish in the meantime. Fear not; once we are done, the next part of your journey will begin with haste." Lumera said, and before long, they had disappeared into Alear's old bedroom.

Jack prayed to whatever god was listening that everything would be alright.

Hissing, Jack tried not to shy away from the light shining upon his covered thigh.

"Jeez, you're acting like I just threw alcohol on you. It's just a bit of healing magic," Framme lightly chided. She stood up a moment later, wiping her forehead. "There, all done! If you'd come to me even a little later, that probably would've become infected. Which, uh, considering how close that wound was to a major artery, would've been really bad.

Jack let out a hard sigh. "Yeah, tell me about it. First battlefield wound and I was almost too embarrassed to let anyone see it."

Framme snickered, turning away. "Now the only people who'll get to see the scar is anyone you're… involved with! Hehehe!"

"Oh, great," Jack mumbled, "Nice to know I'll have a story to tell my girlfriend if ever I get another one. Joyous day."

Framme began giggling again, and Jack groaned as he placed his head in his hands.

"Still laughing," Jack noted, "you have the lungs of a champion."

"Aha, what is that supposed to mean? Seriously, I have no idea!" Framme said, finally calming down as she placed a hand against her chest. "Anyway, I guess I'll leave you to it. It's a scar, yeah, but it probably won't affect you in combat any. Just keep an eye on it, alright? And come talk to me if it starts acting up."

"Will do, Doctor Framme," Jack said, giving the steward a mock-salute. All the while, Jack kept glancing at the Somniel, which had gone incredibly quiet since Lumera, Alear, and Veyle had entered. He had no idea what was going on within; no one besides the three who entered did, and he felt his heart thumping in his ears.

Was this a mistake? Was this a mistake?

"Ah, there you are."

Jack had been in the same clearing where he had spoken to Clanne and Framme when he first entered the Somniel, sitting on one of the logs around the burnt-out fire pit. In other words, out of the way. Thankfully, he didn't need to take off his pants for Framme to heal his wound, otherwise he'd look really embarrassing just sitting out in the open with his pants down. Despite all that, Jack still jumped as he turned to the side to see a petite woman with long, flowing blonde hair, and golden eyes.

"Your name is Jack, correct?" Céline asked. Jack would be hard-pressed to forget that voice, even if he hadn't seen her yet.

"Yes, that's me," Jack replied, "and you must be Princess Céline. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"You would have my brother to thank for that," Céline said, her hands clasped in front of her. "He has spoken much about what has happened these past few days. The Divine Dragon's awakening, the attack on Lythos Castle… and of course, you. And the knowledge you claim to possess."

"'Claim'?" Jack parroted, "so you don't believe it."

Céline shook her head, her expression unchanging and stony. "It is not that I do not believe you. I just wonder about your motivations. You saved Queen Lumera by, as I have heard it, throwing a spear at her assailant and missing horrifically, before you entered the most sacred place in the world, became friends with the Divine Dragon, and convinced the Divine One to bring a small girl here to… I am unsure as to the reason, but considering your knowledge, it must be important in some fashion."

"A good summary of my story so far," Jack admitted, "is it so impossible that I just want to help?"

Celine leaned her head forward ever so slightly, and despite her small stature, Jack felt as if he was being looked at and studied by a giant.

"Well, you got me," Jack said, holding his arms out to the side as he bowed his head. "I did it because I'm secretly an agent of the Fell Dragon who seeks to destroy all that is good in this world. Which is why I saved Queen Lumera, his archnemesis, befriended the Divine One, and helped keep his sole remaining child out of the clutches of his servants."

"How glib," Celine stated, "there must be some reason for the things you have done. Is it because you wish for a boon? If so, I am certain they would grant it. You have done more than enough to earn a little gratitude."

Jack shrugged. "Would you believe me if I said I don't know myself?"

"I would, actually," Celine replied, "because only someone who has no idea what they are doing would do all of this, unless they were simply so noble as to offer their help with no strings attached. And, pardon me, but you do not seem to be playing the part of the noble knight."

"I'm not, you're right about that too," Jack said, "I really have no idea. Maybe I just wanna help people. Maybe I wanna feel like I'm important. It's hard for me to say. I really can't tell if I'm being selfish or selfless. I really couldn't tell you which."

Celine looked as if she was about to reply. Unfortunately, the Somniel shook just as she was about to speak. It was like the entire floating island was having a horrific earthquake, something clearly impossible. Jack's heart hammered in his chest as he saw a purple light flare up from the Somniel and dissipate somewhere in the distance, as if someone had-

Veyle.

It was such a fast thing, and it was gone almost as soon as it had arrived. Jack stood up, his fists clenched as his breathing became shallow and rapid. There were only so many people in the world, let alone the Somniel, who could make a floating island quake in such a way.

"Fuck," Jack uttered.

Boom, cliffhanger. Take that!

Nothing much else to say about this chapter. After this, I'll work on Homebound a little before coming back to this again, which shouldn't take long.

Anyway, here's a link to our Discord server: discord. gg/u89gs745fn

See you guys next times!