Back in the hospital, the same day that Takashi Watanabe disappeared...

Hikari curls the ends of her blonde highlights until her phone lights up. Her right hand quickly answers. Sgt Gonzalez informs that her brother hasn't come through the lobby. Her disappointment doesn't go unnoticed.

Penelope grips the railings of the hospital bed to the point they shake. "Where is he?! Did he get hurt on his way back? Did he-"

Her parents rush over to calm her down. From the stress of her mother, her daughter squirms and cries again.

Hikari walks over and holds her sister-in-law's hands firmly. She takes deep, slow breaths that Penny tries to imitate.

"Taki loves you. He wouldn't do this to you," Hikari forces a smile to alleviate her.

The shaky breaths eventually become as still as a lake. Penelope nods her head that she's better.

The self-proclaimed best aunt scoops up her niece for a gentle rocking. "Your favorite auntie is here. I know you miss your dad. He wouldn't want to miss this. He will be here."

The kind words and motions quiet her frustration.

Hikari hands her over to Nicholas who holds onto her tightly. "Hey, little one. I'm your grandpa and this is your grandma. We are the parents of your mama. We love you so much, ()."

"I'm going to call Sgt Garcia. I will be right back," Hikari informs them while calling that number. No luck on that side either which makes her sigh in frustration.

"Ms. Watanabe, I'm still going to look for him. I'm going to see if he is in any bars or restaurants nearby. There are also some hotels I will call up. It may take time, but you will hear from me shortly."

"I appreciate it. I'm just worried about my little brother."

"I understand. I have a little sister and I would be the same as you if this was in reverse. I ask that you stay with Penelope to give her comfort. Let me and my partner do the work."

"It's hard to give up control when it's your family," she twirls the ends of her hair.

He advises her to stay there in case her brother returns.

"Okay, I will. Thank you."

Sgt Garcia checks out a nearby coffee shop as the first place. After talking with the manager and checking the CC footage, no progress.

He goes to a nearby hotel and asks the same question with the same result. An hour has passed, and he remembers to update Hikari.

"Ms. Watanabe, I haven't found him yet. I'm going to keep looking for him."

"Okay. Thanks for letting me know," she tries to hide her concern.

"I do apologize for this. I will call you within the next hour."

Hikari shakes her head when asked by her family if they found anything. Penelope tries to sit up, but Delphine holds her in place.

"Maybe he went to a hotel and wanted to rest on a bed for a bit. His alarm may not have been set and he's oversleeping," her mother reasons.

"I don't believe that. He's punctual to a fault. Why do I feel like something happened to him?"

"Don't think like that. The police will find him soon. And I know he would apologize profusely for this", her mother holds her hand.

Hours turn into midnight. No progress in the search. Hikari informs her mom on a continual basis who's upset by the news. She curses the storm preventing her from being there with them.

They try to convince Penelope to sleep, but she refuses. She eventually dozes off staying up the whole night for him.

The next day (The same day as Aeolia)

Penelope is discharged from the hospital and is brought to her parents' home with her daughter. Hikari stays with them to provide comfort to her sister-in-law. She helps her by changing the baby's diaper and playing with her. Penny's silence speaks volumes. Her parents ask her questions only to get nothing in return.

Her bronze fingers type away to answer the haunting questions in her mind.

He didn't leave us. He promised me. He promised!

She tries to take a nap, but the questions keep her awake. The mental anguish affords her only a few bites of food to sustain her. Her loved ones try to uplift her, but can barely lift the tarp of darkness pinned on her.

-----

Aeolia

Takashi rests on top of a barrel by the dock to settle his mind. Fragments of six day memories fall into place like puzzle pieces.

Odysseus rushes to his side. "Have you eaten anything?"

"A bite to eat wouldn't hurt," he winces from the headache.

"Good because we are going to buy some supplies while we're here."

"Odysseus, did you feel something strange just happened?"

"What do you mean?"

He shows the face of his watch. "It was supposed to take us 6 more days to get here, but my watch says we got here within 10 minutes after my sword exercises. The day function hasn't changed one bit."

"It did take us 6 days to get here. Maybe your watch is malfunctioning?"

"It can't because my phone is saying the same thing."

"Hmm," Odysseus strokes his beard. "I don't know what to say about that. Maybe food and rest is what you need for now. Are you okay to stand?"

The pounding in his head goes away, leaving him able to think clearly. With no help, he stands on his own two feet.

"We are going to the market for a bit and we will see the king for his help that you mentioned. Our ship will be docked and guarded by the rest of the crew until we get back. By the way, I think it would be best that you hide your phone and valuables. Pickpockets can be anywhere," he whispers at the end.

Takashi puts his items into the tote bag and wears it in front of him for safekeeping.

The smell of fresh garlic, onions, oregano, and cooked meats lure the crew over to the market.

Taki's nose leads him to a vendor that is making fried zucchini balls with tzatziki sauce. Odysseus pays some drachma so he can enjoy this light snack.

"Thank you so much," he appreciates.

He pops one into his mouth. Airy yet savory to his taste buds. The rest of the group partake in some light snacks as well from other vendors.

"Reminds me of home. Don't get too full because we will have dinner later. I sent a bird letter requesting an audience with King Aeolus and he approved it," Odysseus instructs.

"That's good," Takashi smiles. "We will be home before we know it."

They then hear yelling and a man running towards them holding a bag.

"Thief! Stop that man!" An old man on a cane cries out from behind.

Takashi's instincts kick in as he trips the man with the hilt of his sword. The thief falls down on his face with coins falling out of the bag.

Whoa! Did I- –The six day gap has to explain this.

Some of the vendors pick the thief up to bring to the authorities. Takashi and Damian help recollect the money before returning it to the old man. "Here's your bag, sir."

"Se efcharisto para poly! I have worked so hard for that amount. May the gods give you good favor," the senior hobbles away.

"To you as well. Be safe."

"Seems like all that practice is paying off," Odysseus grins.

"It just happened so quickly. I didn't even think."

"Muscle memory will do that for you."

"So will that thief be tried?"

"Yes, he will. And that man will testify against him. He would probably mention how you saved his life savings."

"I don't want the credit. I owe it to you and the others for teaching me."

Odysseus' eyes almost get teary from his humility. "It's time to see the king. Does your paper mention how to get up there?" He points to the floating castle in the sky.

"I don't think so. How do we get up there?"

"To see King Aeolus, there are clouds you can take up there," the vendor nearby answers. "Just follow the signs to the castle and hop on one of them."

"A cloud? But wouldn't we just fall through?" Sander crosses his arms.

"These clouds are made by the king himself and he sends it when he's expecting company. They are perfectly safe."

"Thank you for telling us."

"Not an issue. You and your men seem like good people from what I saw. I'm happy to help you and your friends," the vendor smiles.

"Before we go, do you have the time?" Taki asks.

"Last I checked the sundial, it was 10am."

Takashi briefly checks his watch while covering it. 2pm in California. Mentally crunching the numbers, his loved ones are four hours ahead. With each step forward, he hopes to minimize the time lost.

The signs lead them up a hill with a large gap between them and the castle. Gusts of wind fly over the sharp drop that leads to the rocky waters below. The winds suddenly swirl as if on command.

Like swords, the winds slice up a portion of the clouds to form a large platform that lowers itself down to the group. Takashi drops a fried ball expecting it to fall through. To his and everyone's surprise, the ball made a thud before bouncing into the waters below.

Odysseus slowly lowers a foot until he feels its solidity. The king places both feet on the cloud to assure his group. Jaws drop out of wonder.

"Get on, everyone! It's safe," the voice from the cloud makes everyone almost jump. The tone is majestic yet calming to hear.

Once they are on, it gently raises them up to the main gate of the castle. Takashi's eyes widen from the village getting smaller and smaller. Sander gently nudges him to keep his eyes up. Walls of unbreakable bronze welcome them.

"I don't need to remind you to be on your best behavior. Let me handle the talks. We are not going to do a month here, but I can't rush our best chance at home," Odysseus implores.

Takashi understands since he's a stranger in their world.

The wooden gate opens before them.

An armored guard in bronze with a spear runs out to greet them. "Welcome to King Aeolus' castle, Odysseus! I will lead you all to the banquet hall. He will meet you there."

The guard leads them down a narrow passageway that opens into a room of numerous paintings and artworks. The most renowned artworks are separated into its own section to honor the Gods that rule over Gaia.

On one pillar is a painted silver bow with a quiver of arrows on top. To its right, a lyre plays on its own to welcome the guests. On the left of the bow, a short sword with a red plume faces a lance that has a large book as its shield. The long red plume of the weapon rests under a heart shaped pearl belonging to an open clam.

At the same time, a goblet of grapes lightly hops in place to the music while a scroll opens and closes to the rhythm. In the middle of the columns, is an anvil the size of a boulder.

A visage of a golden metal jagged bolt rests above them all on another column. A pair of conjoined wedding rings rests to the left of it while a tiny immortal fire crackles to the right.

An everlasting leaf, snowflake, spring flower, and a piece of daylight circle around each other in perfect harmony for a particular goddess. A bust of a miniature trident with different fish swimming around the weapon makes Taki's heart tremble. The deity responsible for cursing their journey.

The Greeks bow respectfully to the artifacts to garner any favor for their journey. Penny's words ring in Takashi's mind from the Greek myths she recounted.

With context clues, he knows who the other respective deities each art represents. He bows for good luck and thanks Penny for the knowledge she bestowed onto him.

However, there's a singular solid black painted canvas behind all the artifacts that confuse them. Not one can name the deity that it represents.

After paying their respects, they are led into an open courtyard with a well and abundant fruit trees. Birds tweet and fly around near the treetops.

Giggling.

They spin around to see a small girl in a blue dress with brown, well-brushed hair climbing up one of the tallest trees. She happily smiles with her baby blue eyes.

"My lady Karisa, please be careful!" The guard yells out of concern.

"I am!"

"I do apologize. She is an adventurous girl. Her parents tell her multiple stories of heroes and adventures. She's the king's granddaughter."

"Not an issue. Children are like that. Best to let them get it out of their system," Odysseus assures him.

Karisa reaches for a branch, but it is out of her reach. She stretches her hand out to it and loses her footing! She screams as she falls.

The group turns from hearing her scream as they're going up the stairs. Takashi and Sander from the rear rush in to catch her. He realizes they won't get there in time. This feeling reminds him of the Cyclops back at Sicil and a word comes to mind. He decides to trust it.

"Stop!"

His watch in the tote bag makes an audible click. With surprised relief, Karisa is frozen in the air while Sander's left foot hasn't struck the ground yet. The birds above are trapped in the middle of flapping their wings. His eyes blink numerous times from something he didn't notice until now.

The clear, blue sky is painted with a shade of green.

I did this. But h- No time to think about that!

Taki estimates where he has to be to break Karisa's fall. He drops his bag to have his arms ready...

His watch clicks. Karisa falls right into his arms. He stumbles back while placing a hand over her head as a precaution.

Giggling. "Again! Again!"

Sighs of relief come from Odysseus' crew.

Sander catches up to them. "Good catch! How did you get to her in time?"

"I just pushed myself and I was lucky to catch her. Oh, hi. My name is Takashi."

The little princess looks at the stranger. "Ta-ka-shi. Can you catch me again?"

"Lady Karisa, don't do that again. We were all scared for you. Don't trouble our guests," the guard scolds her.

An upside down smile cracks on her face with eyes drooping down. "Okay."

"If it is okay with your parents, we can play later. But no catching from tall heights. I think I aged a couple years," Taki lightly chuckles.

The smile returns with eyes of hope. "Promise?"

"Only if your parents say yes. Do this," he sticks out a pinky finger.

Karisa's eyebrows rise up, but she copies his motion. Takashi wraps his pinky around hers.

"This is called a pinky promise. When two people do this, a promise is made official and can't be broken no matter what. This is for serious promises only."

"Serious promises. Okay. I'm going to ask my mommy and daddy."

She runs off and opens a door to get to her room.

"Are you sure about that promise? She has a lot of energy. You don't have to because of your long journey," the guard cautions him.

"I think I will be okay. I just became a dad so this will be good practice when she gets to Karisa's age. Keep leading us, sir."

"Understood. And congratulations, sir."

Takashi rejoins the others and Odysseus ruffles his hair. He laughs and pushes his hand away.

"Your daughter will be happy to have you as her father."

This statement almost brings his eyes to rain, but he sucks it up. He will save these tears when he sees her for the first time.

--

A large banquet hall welcomes the group with a long table filled with plates, wine glasses, and golden silverware. The red, comfy pillow cushions await for them to be seated. The guard tells them to sit and wait before he leaves through a door.

Another door opens and multiple servants come out with trays of succulent lamb, spiced fish, breads, hummus drizzled with olive oil to join its kalamata allies, and wine. The servants place the food down the long table and fill the glasses with red wine.

More servants appear coming from different doorways. Some of them bring out a lyre, harps, and some form of tambourines. Lively music fills the air. Takashi notices some of the men clapping to the beat and joins in. Trumpets then sound over the music which grabs their attention.

A large door at the top of the stairs opens up. A stocky bearded man with a wispy white beard comes out with a tall woman with auburn hair. Fig leaves serve as their crowns of nobility. The blue and white halves of Aeolus' robe merge at the middle with his queen matching him. The woman puts her hand in the crook of her husband's arm to walk down the stairs.

Following behind them are people dressed in similar tones of blue and white with Karisa waving her little hand at Takashi and the others.

The music stops when they get to their seats. Aeolus raises a glass of wine to the group. "Odysseus and his fellow men," his gentle voice carries to the end. "Welcome to my home and my family! Eat and be merry!"

"Thank you, King Aeolus! My men and I thank you for your hospitality!"

"Here, here!" Odysseus' men join in. While the group digs into the food and wine, Aeolus takes a plate of food to the fireplace.

"Goddess, accept our offering and continue to bless our home," before dumping it into the fire. Takashi's mind recalls this offering during the six day skip. Penelope's favorite goddess, Hestia,

Takashi eats, but his mind is preoccupied. He contemplates the strange occurences with the stoppage of time. Wait, I know I wanted to get to Aeolia quickly and I thought about...

"You must be Takashi, right?" The king repeats his question.

He comes back to reality. "Pardon me, sir. I missed what you said."

"My granddaughter mentioned how you saved her life and for that I am grateful. I also heard about how you stopped a thief in the marketplace. Is that part right?"

Odysseus motions with his head to answer.

"Yes, that part is true. But I owe all of my training to Odysseus and his crew. I couldn't do all of that without their help."

The king strokes the end of his white beard. "Humility is a good quality to give credit where credit is due. It is a mark of a good man."

"I-I try to, your majesty," he stutters out.

"Maybe a little too much humility," Aeolus laughs.

The Ithacan king and the others chuckle from the fact. Takashi ends up laughing at himself.

"Odysseus? You mentioned in your letter that you needed my help?"

"That is correct, your majesty. Our journey has been cursed and you might be the one that can help us. We can talk about it when you're ready to."

"Might as well get it over with. Tell me your plight."

"Well, Poseidon cursed us that we will never return home."

Aeolus tilts his head. "Why would he do that?"

"I blinded his son, Polyphemus. But he was going to eat us in the end."

"It doesn't matter to him," he sighs while pinching the bridge of his nose. "Injuring any of his children is like hurting his pride. I understand your reasoning, but he won't listen no matter what you say. It is strange though. We never met and yet you knew I would be able to help you. How can that be?"

"Your majesty, I don't mean to interrupt," Taki interjects. "I'm -"

"He's a student from the furthest end of Asia Minor who specializes in great figures. He recommended you after we rescued him from his shipwreck," Odysseus cuts him off to answer.

The foreigner stays silent, wondering why he is lying for him.

"He mentioned how your winds have great power and can help us overcome Poseidon's ocean. He has been really helpful to us," the Ithacan king continues.

"Well, he's right about the winds I conjure. I will help you with this."

Odysseus almost stands up. "You really would do that?"

"Why not? You protected a member of my family. It's the least that I can do. Where is your home?"

"Ithaca."

The king of clouds strokes his beard. "Okay, I know how much to give you so you can get there safely. It will be ready in the morning."

Aeolus pulls out a small whistle and blows it. No sound comes out of it, but the winds outside start circling and entering through an open window. The visible white streams of coil beside Aeolus leaving everyone else speechless.

The king of winds claps his hands. "In the meantime, can you regale us with a story of your adventures so far?"

"Yes, but we are on a timetable so it will be a shorter version."

Takashi feels a tug on his sleeve. He looks down to see Karisa.

"Can we play now? Mommy and Daddy said yes."

"Certainly. What games do you know?"

"Hide and seek?"

"Alright, you're on."

Takashi excuses himself from his seat and gets up. She leads him by the hand to where everyone can see them. Karisa points Takashi to the wall and he goes to it.

"How far should I count?"

"20!" She demands which makes him laugh.

He closes his eyes and counts out loud..."20! Ready or not, here I come!"

Taki looks around the banquet hall and sees that Odysseus has stopped his story. They are all watching this unfold. Sander tilts his head to give a hint, but Takashi wags a finger.

He goes up the stairs to check behind the curtains. "Now where did Karisa go? Where could she be?" His voice inflects.

Giggling. The men try to hold their laughter.

"So not up here? Could you be down here? Aha! You could be under the table!"

Takashi looks underneath. Two little shoes are hiding under his pillow cushion.

Giggling.

"Not here. Could she be under Odysseus' plate?" He lifts up his own plate and pretends to check underneath. Karisa's continued laughter makes the men chuckle.

"She must be gone like the wind," he badly jokes.

The royal family laughs at his dumb joke. The men clutch their ribs to stifle their outbursts of laughter.

"I guess I can't find her. I'm just going to sit back down," he gently sits on the cushion. "Uh, my pillow is kinda bumpy."

The princess laughs.

"That's weird, guys. My cushion is laughing. King Aeolus, did you give me a magic cushion?"

"No. It's me, Karisa!"

"So the pillow's name is Karisa too? And it talks?"

"I'm under the pillow!"

He lifts the pillow up and picks up Karisa. "Found you!"

Laughter finally escapes from the lips of Odysseus' men.

"Why would you think I'm a pillow?" Karisa asks him.

He sets her down. "I mean stranger things have happened so far."

"Can we play another game?"

"Have you ever played tag?"

She shakes her head no. After he explains the rules, he asks if anyone else wants to play. Damian, Theo, and Sander get up while the others cleared the tables away.

King Aeolus also joins to everyone's surprise.

Taki delegates to Karisa. "You choose who becomes "it"."

"Grandpa!"

"Okay, when I start the game, we all have to run from your grandpa. You can't let him touch you."

"But I'm small," she almost whines. "Can I get on your shoulders?"

"Okay. Just hold on," Taki crouches down and Karisa climbs on the back of his shoulders. He squats up while she wraps her arms around his neck. "On the count of three, everyone starts running! 1! 2!...3!"

All the game participants fan out to get away from King Aeolus. The king decides to chase after his granddaughter. Takashi runs while Karisa laughs.

"Faster! Don't let Grandpa catch me!"

Taki jumps onto a table and runs down– Faster than he can blink, the king stands at the end with outstretched arms. Takashi pivots and jumps off to the side.

"Get to the courtyard!" Theo yells out.

The participants sprint outside with King Aeolus following behind them. The rest go outside to see the game unfold. Sander scales a tree with his bare hands while Theo hides behind a bush. Damian zig zags from corner to corner to keep moving. Takashi sees a tree and decides to run to it.

Something kicks in where he finds himself running up part of the tree and jumping off at the last second.

He jumps over Aeolus which impresses everyone, but a touch on the sole of his right sandal ends his short victory. The king of winds' index finger is aided by the streams of wind under his sandals. Takashi lands safely and admits defeat.

Everyone comes back down.

"Good game! Now I'm it!" Takashi tells the king.

"I want to be it!" Karisa chimes in.

"Alright, we are both it! One of us will have to get one person!"

Takashi crouches down so she can run. Karisa kicks off her shoes so she won't stumble.

"And go!"

The crew and the king run back inside with the duo chasing after them. Smiles adorn the faces of the soldiers. They needed a moment of brevity to get their minds off the Trojan War.

"Now there's two of them! Run!" Damian yells.

Takashi gets close to touching Theo by the back of his shirt, but he pretends to trip. Karisa turns to see him clutching his knee.

"Looks like I'm out. Avenge me, Karisa! Get one of them!"

"I won't let you down!" She yells with determination. She chases after the group while Takashi gets back up.

"Ah, good idea," Odysseus realizes what he's doing.

"I think she should win anyway. I haven't laughed this hard since I got here."

"I can see that. This will be a good memory for when you get back. Let's see who she gets."

Some of the crew use the pillow cushions as shields in a playful manner. Karisa tries to get around them, but they turn and run in another direction. She sees Damian close by and leaps at him. The wind gathers around her feet to propel her with hands outstretched. Her parents and grandparents are surprised to see this but are filled with joy.

"Tag, you're it!"

"We have a winner!" Taki shouts for everyone to hear.

"Again! Again!" Karisa pleads from all the fun she's having.

"Granddaughter, this was a lot of fun, but they need to rest up for tomorrow."

Karisa's lips quiver while making her eyes as big as saucers.

The Ithacan king intervenes. "Before we sleep, I can tell you one tale of our adventure at Cicil. I just need her and some volunteers to join Takashi. It will be a small play. Would that be okay?"

"Go ahead," the king allows.

Odysseus whispers to them both and gives them a piece of clothing. Karisa wears the piece of cloth over one eye and Takashi lifts her on top of his shoulders.

"We have just left the island of irresistible lotus flowers and found ourselves on an island that had cheese, milk, and bread. Little did we know that what we ate was actually Polyphemus' food," Odysseus opens the story.

"Who dares eat my food and drink?" Taki stomps with a deep voice. "My name is Polyphemus and I shall punish the ones responsible! They will never get out since I closed the only exit. I shall see with my one eye who is responsible. Aha! I found you men. What are you doing in my cave?"

"Oh, great Polyphemus! We are so sorry about your food. Please, let us go!" Odysseus pretends to cower.

"What is your name, human?" Karisa chimes in with a voice as low as she can get it. Her parents snicker from the antics.

"Nobody. Nobody is my name."

"Nobody? That's a weird name, but I will eat you all!" Taki replies.

"Not so fast, Polyphemus! Would you like some adult juice?" Damian offers a goblet.

"JUICE? I am quite thirsty. Give me some now!" Taki stomps his foot again before drinking from the goblet. "Delicious! But why do I feel-"

Takashi sways his body and wobbles his legs to make the "Cyclops" look dizzy. Karisa's fit of laughter has everyone joining in. a fun time with this. Taki then snores loudly.

"After Polyphemus got drunk and sleepy, we assembled a weapon to blind the creature. A simple stick with a piece of hot coal at the end," Odysseus continues for the audience. He takes a piece of bread and forms it into a stick shape.

Odysseus tosses the bread at Takashi and motions to Karisa. She covers both eyes with the blindfold.

"I can't see!" She yells.

"Curse you! I'm going to go outside and once I touch you, you are mine!" Taki declares.

"Once Polyphemus opened the cave door, we hid under the bellies of his sheep and made our escape," Theo interjects. The men baa like sheep as they walk past Takashi.

"Wait, that didn't sound like sheep! Darn you, Nobody! There goes my lunch!"

"And scene!" Odysseus finishes.

King Aeolus and everyone give a standing ovation. Everyone bows to the audience.

"Bravo! What a great tale!"

Karisa's yawn signals her bedtime.

"Time for bed, daughter," her mother tells her.

"Can I stay up a little longer?"

"Not tonight. But I will wake you up so you can see them off," her father assures her.

"Okay," she gives Takashi a big hug. "Thank you, Takashi. I had fun today."

"You are always welcome," he hugs back.

"Will you be coming back here?"

"I'm sorry. I can't. I have a child waiting on me at home. I need to be there for her."

Her eyes well up with a crinkled up nose.

Takashi pats her head. "But what I can do is this," he rummages through his tote bag. The sight of a white plush bunny stops Karisa's tears from escaping. He gives the floppy eared bunny to her which she accepts.

"That way you can have a part of me while I'm gone. You can name it whatever you want."

"Thank you. I'm going to name it Taka. Part of your name."

"That's an interesting name. Where I'm from, it means "hawk" like the bird. It suits him."

Karisa gives him a long hug and lets go. Her dad picks her up and takes her to bed.

"That was sweet of you. I know she will take good care of it," the king states.

"Yeah. I think so too."

"Everyone, get some sleep. The winds will be ready tomorrow when you wake up."

The servants hand the group blankets and pillows. Odysseus and the others organize the pillows and blankets to make beds on the floor. Takashi looks at the clear full moon.

"Penelope, I'm sorry. I will give our baby girl a new gift. I wonder how you're feeling right now," he whispers. He clutches his necklace and wishes he could somehow comfort Penelope. It makes him sad to think that she could be heartbroken right now.

As they sleep, the ethereal moonlight pours into the artifacts room. The light hits the all black painting that shows spots of white that merge together. The end result is a full moon.

------

Nighttime in California.

Hikari places a blanket over Penelope and holds her. Her daughter sleeps soundly for once in a crib near the bed.

The elder Watanabe sibling wakes up from the sound of sniffling. Tears are streaming down Penny's face.

"My heart. It's hurting. I know something bad happened to him. Taki wouldn't leave us," her voice breaks.

Hikari holds her close and lets her cry. "You're right. Taki loves you too much for that. He's a man of his word when he made that promise. He wouldn't break that."

Penelope turns to cry into her shoulder. Hikari rubs her back to comfort her.

"I don't know what I will do if he's-"

"He's going to make it back to you. I know it," her sister-in-law declares.

Takashi, you better be alive. Penelope and your daughter need you. Our family needs you too.