The mist around her dispersed and so did every vengeful soul inside of it. Jinx fell on her knees, strength leaving her legs and she felt the weight of something smashing into her back. Two somethings.

"Pow-Pow…"

"Oh… sweetheart."

"M… Mom? Dad?"

She turned towards them and happily accepted their hugs. The family reunion was complete.

"Honey. We love you so much."

"We are so proud of you, Pow-Pow."

"You did good, kid. You did good," she heard Vander's voice. She saw him and the others standing on the other side of the waterfall where she left them, all smiling at her.

"Now, I would suggest taking your leave while you still can," Silco pointed towards the waterfall. The fox was still waiting for her.

She felt the grip of her parents loosen around her.

Don't go… We have just…

"We can talk about old times when you actually get old, sweetie." She let go of her, standing up and walking back to everyone else, forming her distinctive peace sign with her fingers, waving towards her with it.

"Until then, you have people to return to." He gave Jinx a kiss on her forehead, following her suit.

Don't go…

"Yeah, maybe by then I'll be able to beat you in a shooting contest," Mylo boasted.

"Or maybe by then you'll learn when to shut up," Claggor reprimanded him.

"Fat chance of that," Jinx laughed.

Don't go…

Isha ran up to her and they performed their signature handshake together, saying goodbye to each other.

"Pew."

"Pew."

Don't go…

Jinx wanted to hold her one final time, but she knew she would never let go of her again if she did. She stood up, walking towards the waterfall. The fox was clearly impatient now, and it didn't take long for her to figure out why. The walls of the fissure slowly started turning into mush, losing their form.

Time is up.

She had to go.

"Tell Vi that we love her, honey," his father asked.

She nodded.

"Immerse yourself in the river Weh'le."

As she stepped in the waterfall, the Spirit World started disappearing from her view. She expected to fall instantly, but instead she floated inside the storm raging around her, letting her take a final look at her extended family. She saw them all for what she knew was the final time in her life, before one day she would join them here forever.

"Let your burdens weigh you down anew."

She couldn't see them anymore, but she could hear their last wishes towards her.

"Good luck, Powder."

"Good luck, Jinx."

"Good luck, sweetie."

"Remember those you still have."

Ekko. Vi. Sevika. The Firelights. Zaun. Home.

Right before she closed her eyes, Isha appeared in front of her one last time, standing on her tiptoes. She kissed her belly button as her face lit up in a wide grin. At the same time, Jinx heard her mother's voice echoing in her ears.

"Be strong for her too."

She finally put the pieces together.

No way.

"And remember to live."

And the currents took her.

"Unexpected." The elderly woman looked at the girl who lied on the ground. This time her legs weren't saved from the fate of being covered in her vomit. "You are a curious human. Few dare to face their past and even fewer let it judge them and return alive."

"Yeah, well…" She gulped, grabbing the scarf around her neck. "I made a pinkie promise, and those are sacred, you know."

The sun had completely set, and only a few fireflies dancing in the night sky shed light on the two figures.

"A pact made with Spirits must never be broken. Are you sure you are ready to follow through?"

"Screw that. Will she be okay?"

"That's more like your usual mannerism." Took you long enough.

The woman gently turned the girl on her back and placed her hand on her belly, dim light emanating from it. After a few seconds, she gave her diagnosis.

"You will both be fine."

"From the Shimmer… from the poison running in me as well?"

"Yes. Although…" — fear flashed across the girl's eyes — "…I would be careful about leaving her unsupervised as a toddler. She might just accidentally break the entire house while you are away."

All the pent-up tension left the girl's body as she let her shoulders down, finally able to relax.

"That's… a relief. This is… unbelievable."

"So they all say," she replied, not knowing whether she was talking about her trip or her blessing but serving an answer to both.

She used up all her remaining strength to pull herself up to the Spirit Tree's trunk, leaning against it.

"Are you sure you don't want me to…" - she started, looking at the woman's legs, still covered in her puke.

"No need."

"You were right. Had I talked to them for even a minute longer, I probably would not have wanted to leave."

She didn't respond.

"Can I stay here for a while? I need to rest… and to draw."

The woman nodded.

"Until dawn comes. Then you must leave."

She pulled out a stack of paper and a pencil from her jacket, and got to work under the luminescence of the fireflies flying above her.

So that I won't forget their faces.

As the first rays of the rising sun tenderly caressed her face, the girl was ready to leave with the old woman seeing her off. She prepared to make the first step in the long journey downhill, her thoughts still in disarray. The realization still hadn't fully sunk in yet for her about the truth.

"You knew about this before, right?" the girl asked. "You could have told me before I went in, you know."

"You should have already known by then," the woman replied simply.

"I thought it was the land and its magic. I never would have thought…"

"It was not my place to interfere."

"Is that why you followed me around in that furball form? That's not usually part of the ritual, is it? Without you, I'm sure I would have met them first."

"The branch is not responsible for the decay of the tree."

So you did it for her.

"They… would have killed me too if it wasn't for her, right?"

"Yes."

And you knew it from the start.

"Then in her name… I thank you for everything, O-ma."

Dawn has arrived, and the elderly woman started to fade, the magic of the spirit blossoms turning dormant for the remainder of the year. As the girl turned to leave, the Spirit Tree gave her a final piece of advice.

"You will soon learn what you already know deep inside, child. It is not a curse to have someone who is willing to sacrifice everything for you. That is called family."