A small group of sprites gathered by the front garden, all murmuring and whispering to each other's pointy ears. Few dared to enter the inn, save for the local sheriff sprite who wore a red tunic and sewn hat. He wore a golden badge on the left side of his chest with a simple lotus flower carved into it. He fluttered over to the torn entrance, meeting the eerie gaze of the man in green by the reception desk.

As the sheriff gasped to greet him, the man pointed at the scene of the crime before storming up the stairs. The sheriff stood slack-jawed for a moment before shrugging and approaching the desk, oblivious to the horror he encountered mere seconds later.

The twins entered their room in a rush, pushed to the floor by Ari once the door opened. It was quiet, and many travel items and clothing were missing from their spots in the morning. Khiboreas's feather sat on the bed table, as crystalline as ever. Tiny flecks of ice were forming around it, melting into droplets of water in the afternoon sun reaching in from the window. From underneath the bed, a fluffy shadow emerged and yawned. Nino meowed and strode toward the distraught twins, nonchalant as ever.

The twins got up, catching their breath, and shaking from the adrenaline rush. Nino seemed content in rubbing his body around their legs, unaware of the events that transpired during his sleep. While gasping, Tomas turned to look at the bathroom, noticing it was wide open. Paper bags lay in disarray on the tile flooring, with many vegetables and bags of rice pouring from them.

Before he could enter to inspect, the sound of heavy, rapid footsteps coming from the hallway caught his attention. Shortly after, the man in green stumbled by their room, stopped just before the room's door and gripped its frame. With eyes wide open and a nervous grin, he slowly uttered, "Children, I fear the cloaked ones have ambushed this place. Have you... found any sign of your parents?"

The twins, caught by surprise, stared at their friend as he gasped for air. Eila slowly shook her head and pointed toward the bathroom, her eyes unmoving. The man entered and examined the dropped grocery bags while the twins looked on behind him. Directing his view towards the mirror and the sink, they both appeared to be in pristine condition. The same was for the shower and toilet. A fresh batch of towels lay on a silver rack beside the toilet, placed by the housekeepers during their morning cleaning.

"No claw marks anywhere... no apparent signs of a struggle either. That is reassuring," he murmured, supporting his chin with his hand. The twins both let out a puff of air, as they had held their breath while their friend observed the room.

The man carefully lifted the grocery bags, inspecting their insides. "Nothing but food items in these." He crossed his arms over his chest, half-closing his eyes as he pondered.

Eila tugged at the man's coat, "Um, maybe there's clues near the beds, or the closet? That's what you're looking for, right?"

The man nodded, "The grocery bags and Ari's pleas for help lead me to believe your parents did, in fact, return to the inn while we conversed with Narciso. However, the cloaked ones have made their presence in Zephyr Town quite apparent. You were fortunate to have missed the scene in the lobby."

Eila took in a sharp breath and said, "What happened in the lobby?"

The man kneeled in front of the twins, keeping a focused, serious stare on the two. He opened his mouth and quickly closed it, his eyebrows curling into a frown. "There was... an attack. A murder, just behind the receptionist's desk."

Ari's pupils narrowed as she huffed, seemingly distraught. "Yes, you must have witnessed it, Ari. Your scales embedded in the door were enough proof of it."

Ari arched her neck, letting out a low whimper. "Ari, did you try to fight them again?" asked Tomas, petting her forehead. Now that he was close enough to examine her, Tomas's eyes widened after noticing she had a few tears on the webbing in her wings. Her claws bore brown stains at their tips, as did the tip of her waving tail.

Tomas grabbed onto Ari for support, though she remained fidgety and nervous throughout the ordeal. "You... fought, huh? Barely a scratch on ya, too," he mumbled, hugging her neck. Eila joined in the hug, whispering to Ari, "You're so strong, girlie!"

The man nodded and closed his eyes, "A dragon is proud and loyal, children. It is no surprise that she fought to protect her perceived territory. You ordered her to 'look out' while we were absent, after all. She likely held back, for I saw no signs of burning downstairs."

While the twins examined Ari for other injuries, the man strode about the room, scanning the beds, chairs, and tables. Nino's uncaring attitude as he sat on the twins' bed by the window drew the man's curiosity. Sitting beside Nino, he said, "You appear suspiciously calm for someone who may have heard his masters shouting a while ago. Though, it would not be a shock if you slept through it. Humph, such a laid-back creature."

Nino lifted his head and hopped off the bed, ignoring the man addressing him. The cat sauntered over to the closet in front of the bed, turning to stare at the man. He raised one eyebrow and followed, pulling the closet's doors open.

"Aha, so you can be resourceful, furry one." The man leaned into the closet, pulling aside the few remaining clothes, most of which belonged to the twins.

On the back wall, letters belonging to Eosia's universal alphabet were carved in a crude manner, bearing bits of flesh stuck to the chipped wood. Squinting his eyes, the man slowly uttered, "Aegean City. The Siren Queen's domain. Meet Master for orders." He silently read the last words etched into the wood, its writing entirely different from the message above it. "I suggest you keep quiet on this matter, if you want them to remain safe and sound."

Stepping back, the man took a deep breath and turned toward the twins. His eyes darkened before saying, "Children, I have good reason to believe your parents have left Zephyr Town already... and are headed south as we speak."

The twins froze, Eila uttering a short "What?" before walking up to the man. Her voice cracked as she asked, "What d'you mean 'they left'? They just left Ari and Nino a-and us here? Alone? That's not- I mean, mom and dad wouldn't..."

A knot formed in her throat, preventing the words from leaving her mouth. Her heart sank as her vision became blurry from the tears welling up. Still, she staggered toward the man, where Ari caught her when her legs gave out. Tomas shot a blank stare as he joined her sister, his mind as empty as his expression.

The boy slowly wrapped his arms around Eila, letting out a soft whimper. "Why'd they leave, Mr. Green? W-what's in the closet?"

The man extended a hand toward Tomas before retracting it, averting his eyes from the twins' desperate stares. "A message is carved inside, you may, um, read it if you wish. Judging from its contents, I suspect the cloaked ones have misled your parents into following their commands."

Focusing on the carved message, he crossed his arms and murmured, "The blue one must have been preoccupied with the ambush... else she could have prevented her masters from leaving, perhaps. Then again, would she leave with them-"

Tomas broke into tears and sniffles, snapping the man out of his train of thought. The boy clutched at his sister's blouse before hugging her, which caused the waterworks to flow from Eila's eyes as well. The two sobbed as Ari rested her head on Eila, curling her tail around the two as best she could.

As the children cried, the man's expression softened. Letting out a sigh, he kneeled before the twins and placed a firm, confident hand on their heads. He stood in awkward silence as the twins slowly looked up to him, their eyes puffy and red. Pierced by their gaze, he swallowed a bit of saliva as he lowered his head and muttered, "I am...so very sorry. I should not- did not need to bring you with me. But... perhaps you have been spared from a worse fate."

Eila placed her head on the man's shoulder, looking at the floor and wiping her eyes and nose with her sleeve. After a pause, Tomas tackled the two, hugging the two as tight as he could muster. Ari and the man in green made eye contact, nodding as she purred and nuzzled Eila's hair.

The group remained together in a quiet embrace, allowing the children to calm down and wash their faces in the bathroom. Distant chatter between sprites and humans could be heard coming from the first floor, as well as guests walking up and down the hall outside the room. Within their abode, however, the sound of afternoon canaries offered a sense of comfort amidst the chaos unfolding in Zephyr Town.

Sitting on the beds, the twins mindlessly twirled and played with Narciso's flower, its silver shimmer just as captivating as when it was first picked. Meanwhile, their friend sat on a small chair to their side, his eyes half-closed and supporting his head with one arm resting on the armrest. Ari and Nino overlooked the town from the window, observing the local police restrict the area and a lone journalist surveying the area. From a distance, the journalist stood out from others by their turquoise wings and the thin, rose-colored poncho draped over their shoulders.

Two short knocks on their door resounded through the sorrowful air of their room. The man in green was the first to approach, stopping in front of the door and asking, "Who is it?"

"Zephyr police, sir. We've got the order to evacuate any and all guests in this inn, so I'm giving you a heads up. You got ten minutes to head out and follow the sheriff for questioning. Shouldn't take too long though. That alright, sir?"

After a short pause to take in the information, the man responded, "Ah, yes. My... family and I will make haste then. Thank you for the notice."

"Alright, and uh, sorry that your family has to go through this. Good afternoon."

Once he heard the police walk away, the man returned to the children and delivered the news. As their parents had taken most essential items and clothes, the twins were left with few utilities for traveling. At the least, they had a change of clothes and shoes in the closet, a single hairbrush, the feather, plus the items Eila and the man carried in their respective purse and pockets.

The group picked up the items and spilt groceries, stuffing them in the paper bags and Eila's purse. After a thorough check of their surroundings, Tomas picked up the icy feather, holding it before Ari before giving it to Eila.

As they gathered before the exit, Tomas asked the man, "So, what're we gonna do now?"

Turning the doorknob and pushing the door, the man simply said, "Follow the trail left by your parents, of course. I can secure passage to Aegean City, where I suspect we will either encounter them or the cloaked ones. Additionally, I have an orb shard to find within that area, if Narciso's report is correct. As such, I believe it is the best destination for us at the moment."

Eila, carrying Nino in her arms, asked, "How're you so sure we'll find them there?" Her head was tilted in an inquisitive manner, her lips pursed in worry.

As the group ambled down the hall, he answered, "Intuition, my child. With a hint of confidence in my own deductions." Lowering his voice, he glanced at the twins with gentle eyes, "Truth be told, I have trouble trusting my own thoughts, but... I wish to help you as best I can. You and your family have done more than enough for my sake. I am... not accustomed to such kindness. The least I can do is aid you and make amends for involving you in personal matters."

The twins remained silent afterwards, with mildly puzzled expressions on their faces. Once they left the building, the two stayed back as the man talked with the police. Sitting on a bench in the inn's front garden, Tomas twiddled his fingers and said, "I miss mom and dad... and there's just so much to take in. You ok?"

Eila raised her head from gazing at the ground and snapped at him, "No, I'm not ok! No way I'm fine after everything today!" Hiding her face in her hands, she continued, "It's too much, Tommy. So much I don't get, i-it's just... stupid! Or crazy, I dunno anymore. I wanna go home with mom and dad, I wanna see Flora a-and play in the woods. Anything except being here."

Tomas nodded, gripping his trousers as he muttered, "Yeah... same here." Looking up at the sky's orange hues, he said, "You know, it's still daytime but I feel like sleeping already. Guess it's really been a crazy day."

Eila smirked, leaning back on the bench, and saying, "No kidding. Weirdest vacation ever. Well, now it's less 'vacation' and more of a 'mission to save our parents and the world' sort of trip."

The twins awaited their friend's return from questioning by looking at the sky, the garden and the birds and bugs flying around them. The scene offered some space to reflect on what happened during such a hectic day, to take in all the emotions felt, joys and sorrows alike. A gentle breather before facing the uncertainty of their future and their next destination: the coastal settlement, Aegean City.