Part 7

Fuu had delivered the news, and Ferio was stunned beyond words. Meanwhile, Ryuuki, having caught wind of it, was already searching for Kotori and Dyna. The moment Dyna heard the news, she let out a joyous cry and rushed to share the news with her mother, the people of Chizeta, and Fahren. It was truly the greatest gift peace had ever bestowed upon them—the Pillar had returned. The palace erupted with activity as people dashed about, spreading the word, preparing, and setting things in motion.

Eagle returned to his quarters to recount everything to Alba. Alba shot up from her chair. "They found her?"

"Not yet. A boy named Senna came seeking us. Do you know him?"

Alba nodded slowly, "He and Shinre... they're half-siblings."

"Alba, help me find the two Cails. They need to come back as soon as possible. I'm afraid they'll regret it if they're too late..." Alba understood and nodded before disappearing down the hall.

Eagle sank into his chair, his head spinning from the whirlwind of events. The only thing he wished for now was Hikaru's safe return, to see her again, to find reassurance that he no longer had to worry. A tear of joy welled up, but even so, thoughts of Lantis clouded his mind.

"What will that man do?"

Without knocking, Umi burst through the door, startling Mira, the inn's owner.

"Big Sister?!" Mira ran up to her. "What's wrong? Why...?" Her words trailed off as she saw the two siblings who had been staying in one of the rooms emerge from behind Umi. "You?" Mira's hand flew to her mouth as recognition dawned on her.

Umi's brow furrowed.

"Oh my God, what's happening here?" Mira's voice was filled with alarm.

"How is our mother?" Senna blurted out urgently. "Is she alright?" The innkeeper stood frozen. "You've been watching over her, haven't you?"

"Answer him!" Umi's tone sharpened.

"Where is she?!" Senna's impatience was palpable. "We left her with you. You are supposed to look after her for us, right?"

"Your mother hasn't been in her room since last night. I searched for her all night and this morning, but she's nowhere to be found..."

"No! That can't be!" Senna rushed to their room, finding it empty. "No, no!"

The hope that had so recently surged through everyone at the news of Hikaru's return now sank like a stone into the abyss.

"Who is she?" Mira asked, voice trembling as she glanced at the troops outside.

"Hikaru..." Umi answered.

"Oh my God..." Mira wished she'd misheard. "How could I have not realized? I didn't recognize her at all." She sank to the floor, clutching her chest, as she remembered how sickly her guest was and how her hair had turned partly grey. "What happened to her? My daughter was with her... They were separated in the crowd last night."

Umi knelt before the little girl. "Is that true?"

That girl nodded, eyes clear with the sadness that mirrored those around her. "I wanted her to see the fireworks with me, to join the dancing outside... But she didn't like it... so she left..."

"Do you know where she went?" Umi asked again, desperation creeping into her voice. She held her breath, hoping the child would answer.

The child shook his head.

"Unbelievable. We are so close to finding her, only for her to slip away?" Umi stood, disoriented. "What should I tell to everyone?"

Serena ran out of the room, Senna following close behind. Outside, Serena collapsed onto the steps leading to the inn's entrance, hugging her knees as she sobbed. Senna sat beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"I should have stayed! I shouldn't have left her!" Serena's voice was torn with guilt. "I should have been by her side..."

Senna embraced her sister tightly, tears also spilling down his own face. "Don't blame yourself. It's both our fault. We should have known something like this could happen. Mother never wanted to come back. She never wanted to be here... We should have understood that and never brought her here."

Umi listened to their words, confusion and sadness tangling in her mind. Hikaru never wanted to return? She approached the two. "My dear, I know this is hard. Take your sister with you and go back to the castle. Have some rest there. Trust us with the search. I'll gather more men to find her," Umi said, trying to steady their spirits.

"Aunt, thank you."

"We'll find her. She can't be too far..." Can't be too far? But what state would she be in when we found her? Umi looked up at the sky. The sun was already high. Where could she have gone? What kind of night had she endured? Closing her eyes to calm herself, dark thoughts threatened to consume her.

With a contingent of troops, Senna returned to the castle, cradling Serena in her arms. The girl had fainted from the overwhelming stress, and as Senna gazed down at her, he noticed her sister was even crying in her sleep. Her face was smudged with dirt and tears, a stark testament to the turmoil they had endured.

The grim news hit the people like a thunderclap. Umi swiftly called for everyone to gather. A larger force would be deployed to search inside and outside the capital. LaFarga reactivated his troops at the defensive walls, preparing for surveillance... He was taken aback when he heard a report from one of the guards who had arrived far too late.

"Some soldiers saw her," he said hurriedly. "Right at the time of the celebration, at the east gate. If it's true..." More than twelve hours had passed since then, "she may already be far beyond the city walls."

Umi realized they were indeed running out of time. "This is difficult. There are so many roads..." she said, her foreboding instincts overwhelming her. Anxiety tightened around her chest, making it hard to breathe.

"Deploy as many troops as you need," Ferio commanded, and everyone gasped in disbelief.

"That could cause a major uproar..."

"I don't care," Ferio replied, turning his gaze to the sky beyond. "There has already been too much chaos. What's one more? She must be found... or we may never see her again. You want to see her again, don't you? Or would you rather let her go?"

Organizing a large number of people in such a short time was no easy task. By evening, the townspeople were shocked to their core. Countless troops poured out of the castle, and sorcerers soared through the sky, all moving in groups to various directions. The transformed Sentinels also joined the fray, creating a unity led by Eagle Vision, General LaFarga, Ascot, and Umi Ryuuzaki. They watched in awe, even as a sense of wonder mingled with fear gripped their hearts.

"What about them?" Ferio inquired, referring to Senna and Serena.

"They're in my tower," Fuu replied. "They're exhausted and very sad. Let them rest. I've already asked Kotori and Ryuuki to keep them company."

"And Lantis?"

"I don't know..." Fuu looked down, her voice heavy. "I truly have no idea where he is."

While the capital was in turmoil, the two Cails were blissfully unaware of the events unfolding within the city. After three years away from Cephiro, they had made the forests, rivers, and mountains their home. It was a joyful journey and adventure for father and son, a bond they finally had. They visited Lantis's memorable places across the continent; they traveled through the provinces of Cephiro and roamed Fahren and Chizeta, witnessing people's lives there. Now, they had returned to Cephiro for a time and planned to cross the Ocean to explore the sea and seek out the possibility of other worlds.

Lantis looked at Shinre, smiling. His son was asleep by the riverside, lulled by the gentle sound of the water flowing nearby and warmed by the fire near him. The sky at the end of winter was beautiful... They spent their days like this, living in seclusion, away from the crowds, making the world their own. Lantis trained Shinre, planning to continue their journey to new places... dreaming together of the future... healing the sadness and wounds in their hearts... and for Lantis, forgetting someone.

For Shinre, he knew almost nothing of Hikaru, so there were only a few things for him to share. All he had were the memories of their first and last meeting. It was truly sad that he lacked the courage to bring his mother into conversations with his father, no matter how much he longed to know more about her.

Lantis knew of Hikaru, at least until the moment she chose to leave him. He had no desire to speak of it. The beautiful memories turned bitter upon learning what path Hikaru had chosen during her time in Runes. Now, Lantis understood Zonda's words from that time. Remembering it made Lantis's heart burn with anger.

"She's in Runes. Your woman, your love, and... your wife? ... She's in the Iron Palace, living comfortably. ... I don't want to say more. … You might only hear something bad, perhaps the worst of all you could hear. Can you imagine it? Too afraid to think about it?"

As if Zonda was there, he replied. What? Her betrayal? How could she choose to give herself to the man who wanted to kill her?! And he heard Zonda laughing at his pathetic cluelessness.

Lantis could not help but think of it, and anger surged whenever he did. Years of waiting had passed, and that woman still did not return. Eventually, when he had the chance to search for her and was on the verge of finding her, she chose to leave once more.

Does she truly not know that I am still alive? Had she known I was alive, would she have chosen a different path to return to me? But what kind of loyalty did I expect from her? She had not betrayed me in the slightest. She simply moved on with her life, and I was too foolish not to do the same! Lantis thought bitterly.

The disappointment weighed heavily upon him. After years of protecting Cephiro, years of hoping she would return, years of fighting despair and remaining unaffected while still being loyal... all of it was in vain. He had truly fallen.

"Your feelings... Kill it before it destroys you. It's so pointless…" Once, I had said that to you, Zonda.

"You're a cold man! You're heartless! You're a loner! You're pathetic! May you never love anyone!"

But, in fact, I am the one who has to kill this love. It really hurts to know that two Pillars are living together. My life only proves the truth of what you said.

And to Eagle Vision who appeared before him... "How could Hikaru entrust herself to a man as cold as you?"

Eagle... You only affirm the truth in Zonda's words. I indeed cannot stand beside her. She is a warm, shining sun. I am like the cold night. She is destined to do great things as a Pillar, to build the world's future, while I am an insignificant person from the past.

"Because I know, our bond has long been severed. I should have realized it the day she chose to leave and gave me a hollow promise. Now, I am rational enough to decide that there should be nothing more between us. To her, I am dead. It is not difficult for me to believe she is dead as well…"

True. That woman is dead. When she uttered that promise, I should have known she would never be able to fulfill it. She would never return to me. I should know.

Lantis watched as Shinre stirred in his sleep, his face shaded by the shadows of the forest. Now, he felt he could shatter once more if his son were to leave him. The greatest treasure of his life, long separated from him for years, was now by his side.

Initially, he had only taken Shinre with him out of pity. He knew Shinre was in no way responsible for his suffering. He was merely a victim of the tragedy that ensnared both his parents, a product of their meaningless love, and he regretted ever loving that woman.

Lantis thought of Zagato, his deceased brother. Once, when he thought he could have had Hikaru, he felt his life was far luckier than Zagato's, who could not possess Emeraude. Now, he felt the irony that Zagato was far luckier than him in his failure to love Emeraude. Nothing was worse than betrayal!

Lantis closed his eyes. Hoping the night would fall soon and a new day would dawn so he could move forward again.