Silence. Ten seconds of heavy, overwhelming silence.

Eila took slow, silent sips of her pink fruit drink. Her eyes glazed over at the dialing sound, taking a big gulp. Tomas felt the cold droplets from his juice glass drip down his hand, but he didn't budge.

And then, the group heard a voice. It was so familiar; Tomas couldn't help but jump in his seat, nearly toppling over his drink. Eila pulled her body onto the table, stopped by the man in green raising his arm in front of her.

From the other side of Joanne's phone, a woman asked in a hushed, breaking voice, "Hello? Who's there?"

"Mom!" Eila shouted, slamming her hands on the table, and standing up.

Joanne asked, "It's Joanne, dear. Your hiking guide while stayin' at Mount Reilu. I met up with your kids, they're just worried sick about you two! Can you tell me where you're at?"

Mrs. Diderot paused for a moment, saying, "Joanne...Wait, my kids? They're with you?" She gave an exasperated sigh, "Where are you then? How are they?"

Joanne raised her eyebrow, exchanging confused glances with the group. "Ma'am, we're in a bakery in Aegean City, near the boardwalk. Think you can describe your place?"

Mrs. Diderot sounded straight up stunned, "What do you mean you're in a bakery? They told us they hid our kids in some dark basement, and that we needed to get some jewel or else-"

The man in green gestured at Joanne, receiving the phone from her. He attempted to explain in a calm manner, "Mrs. Diderot, I believe there is some manipulation at hand. Your children have been safe and sound in my care for the past two days. In fact, we have been searching for you as of late."

"You mean... Oh those sick sons of- "

The man raised the phone away from the twins, sparing them from their mother's colorful choice of words.

"Can I talk to them? My kids?" Asked Mrs. Diderot in a pleading tone, her voice simmering down after her outburst.

Calling the two to his side of the table, the man passed the phone to them. Unfortunately, both were keen on holding the phone, so they held a brief back-and-forth of pulling it away from each other's hands.

"Hey, I gave Jo the number, so I gotta go first!" Hissed Tomas.

"Ugh, fine. But let me hear her too, meanie."

Mrs. Diderot chuckled, getting their attention instantly. "I swear, I'm gonna need extra vacation days 'cause of you two. Why, this is the second time you scared us half to death!"

"You scared us this time, mom. That means we're even!" Said Eila with a smug grin.

"Yeah, no. You two are staying at home once we get you, okay?" She sighed, her voice cracking, "The thought of you two locked up in some dark, scary place in a big city... I-I don't think we've slept since leaving Zephyr Town, we just couldn't. I think your dad's forgotten all about his 'beauty' sleep."

Even through the phone, her laugh sounded forced. Her voice betrayed an intense, yet restrained stress, held back by her relief from listening to her children.

"So, where are you and dad at?" Asked Tomas, his hand tightening around the phone. Eila slid as close to the phone as possible, sweeping hair off the ear closest to it. Joanne and the man in green leaned toward Tomas as well.

Mrs. Diderot remained quiet for a long while, until she took a deep breath and said, "We're in a, how do I say this, a concrete building. It's very run down, and our room's got this terrible, moldy smell to it. It's hard to see out the window as well, as the glass is so misty. Probably from how cold it is in here, so much that I've been sleeping with double jackets! I do see a lot of blue, so it has to be close to the sea."

Joanne scratched her hair, her forehead furrowed in thought. "Marco's told me about this abandoned set of buildin's by the ports, near the city's outskirts. T'was a walk-up decades ago, but no one's bothered to freshen up the place since the owner passed. Not a bad spot to, say, keep a hostage, me thinks."

The man raised one eyebrow, staring at her with pursed lips. Joanne tilted her head, raising her hand and outstretching it horizontally. "What? Just sayin', it ain't a bad place for criminals to hide out," she said in her defense.

Eila put her hands on her waist, "So what're we waiting for? Let's get out there, find the place, get mom and dad back before the creepy monsters find out!"

Mrs. Diderot sighed, "Oh, Eila sweetie, I wish it were that easy. They're not always here, sure, but... I can't shake this feeling that they're watching us. Always. Creeps me out at night."

A door creaked open over the phone, followed by a gruff, masculine voice talking in the distance. The voice became clear as they approached Mrs. Diderot, though muffled as if she placed a hand over the speaker. Tomas's arms tensed, thinking it could be one of the cloaked ones. A distinct, upbeat chuckle put him at ease. Eila placing a hand on his shoulder, flashing her confident smile, helped as well.

To the twins, there was only one man whose laugh could shatter walls with the strength of a giant, yet friendly, bear.

"Wait, so they're on the phone right now? What're you waiting for, dear? Toss me the thing!" Said Mr. Diderot in his usual lively tone, panting as he spoke.

"You know I can place it on speaker, right?"

And with a short click, the family enjoyed a brief reunion. Ari perked up hearing Mr. Diderot speak, while Nino's ears popped up as he napped by Mr. Green's legs. Though the twins could not see them, Mrs. Diderot's strained voice betrayed tears of relief. Mr. Diderot kept his jolly attitude, tired as he was.

The family caught up with each other's travels, from leaving Zephyr Town to Lake Eriida. Mr. Diderot remarked, "The creeps always showed up at night; they'd just pop up outta nowhere. I'm no expert on magic, but I'm thinking they're using some teleportation device. 'Cuz there's no way they're spread out enough to follow us."

The man in green clasped his hands, resting his elbows on the table. Staring at the empty plate before him, he said, "The Nether Oracle is known to use portal magic, that is how he came to be in our realm in the first place. It would be feasible to transport his henchmen around Eosia with such a method."

Mrs. Diderot burst in and asked, "How'd we know if they used a portal?"

"Aside from the obvious glowing circle and the multicolored sparks coming from it, summoned portals emanate a dull scent of incense. Very peculiar smell, like a monk burning herbs for a ritual," answered the man, closing his eyes while resting his chin on one hand. He moved his free hand in the air as if wafting said scent. Joanne followed his motions with narrow, questioning eyes.

Eila, recalling the rituals atop Mount Reilu, mouthed a brief "Oh." Shaking her head out of her trance, "Anyways, so if the monsters are watching mom and dad, how are we gonna get them back?"

"Well, since we've been instructed to go steal a jewel from the water guardian, we could meet up during her performance! With so many people going, there's no way they'll catch up to us in a big crowd. Whatd'ya say, Mr. Green?" Said Mr. Diderot in a bold, if somewhat loud tone.

Tomas could imagine his dad smiling to himself for coming up with such a genius plan. And his mother's 'pity smile' afterward.

The man in green opened his eyes, saying "Not a terrible idea, but it has, shall we say, many flaws. For example, I do not think the Nether Oracle would let two mortals speak with Suilah unattended. After all, you're his hired mercenaries."

Mr. Diderot hissed, "Don't you go calling me a mercenary!"

Despite the implications of calling their parents as such, the twins could not help grinning a little. They were separate from each other, yet it felt as if their parents were right with them. The man's unamused stare caused them to wrap their mouths back into a line. A rather squiggly line at that.

Joanne slapped the man's shoulder with some restraint, saying, "Mind bein' a little considerate? Them poor folks been livin' through their worst nightmare for how many days now?"

The man took a deep breath, crossing his arms. "I am merely stating facts as the Nether Oracle would. He might plan on 'getting rid' of Suilah once you obtain the shard, just as he attempted to do so on Khiboreas. And if he becomes aware that I am in this city as well, no doubt he will put more pressure on the Diderots."

"And why's that?" Asked Mrs. Diderot.

Tomas proudly raised one hand, pointing upwards, "Mr. Green's also looking for the shards! He needs 'em for, uh, the sky guardian, right?"

The boy gave a dimpled smile after the man's swift nod of approval, as if praised by a teacher in front of his class for answering a question.

With the flaws in Mr. Diderot's plan exposed, the grownups laid out possible means of escaping the cloaked ones' watchful eye and finding a chance to speak with Suilah during her performance.

The man in green eagerly volunteered to sneak through the crowd and meet with the water guardian. Crossing his legs, he explained, "She possesses an object of value to me, and my close connections to Xybelios and his former congregation should ease her doubts. I would prefer approaching her alone to minimize conflicts and drawing attention from our foes."

Eila shook her head, insisting on going together. With her eyebrows furrowed and sparks of determination in her eyes, she said, "You told us how last time you got your butt kicked by the monsters when you fought alone. Well, with all of us, we could take 'em on!"

Though Tomas and Joanne grinned and seemed interested, they were not fully convinced. Both agreed that starting a fight in a public place was not the best idea. The man in green agreed as well, though he compromised by splitting their group. Taking a final sip of orange tea, he asked for Joanne's map of the city. Taking out a navy-blue pen, he drew out a series of letters and arrows near the boardwalk area. Each letter stood for everyone's possible positions on the day of the performance, as he detailed a rough plan to follow.

He proposed having Joanne, Nino, and the twins together, leaving himself with Ari as extra defense. The twins would walk among the crowd in the boardwalk, looking for their parents. The man in green and Ari were to contact Suilah in whichever way they could, preferably in person. As for the Diderot couple, they were to follow their given orders and reunite with their children covertly.

"We're gonna need to improv some stuff in this plan, bud. So much o' this can go wrong, you know," said Joanne, resting her head on one hand.

"Of course. With so many unknown factors, I believe flexibility is key for this plan."

The man handed the map to Eila, sharing it with Tomas. Though Mrs. Diderot expressed worry in said plan, especially since it meant spending two nights in such a dreary, suffocating building. Tomas settled with hoping that his friend's plan would work. After all, 'Mr. Green' always seemed so wise and capable, not to mention cool, so the boy figured it would be alright in the end. Eila and Mr. Diderot, however, shared an immense impatience for the days ahead. She even tapped her foot while saying their goodbyes to their parents, wishing she could run straight to their building and tackle them with a hug.

Once Joanne outstretched her arm, waiting for her phone, Tomas and Eila whispered one more "bye" to their parents. Tomas hesitated to click the button to hang up, as if an invisible balloon floated between his finger and the button. He mentally yelled at his finger to push down, handing the phone to Joanne in defeat.

As the group finished the remains of their drinks and sandwiches, Dolce pranced out of the kitchen doors, followed by her master, Marco. His plump, red cheeks and handlebar moustache complimented his huge smile and swagger. After Joanne greeted and paid for their meal, she led the group out of the bakery before Marco could drag her into an eternal "small talk".

While waiting for their chance to cross the road, Eila frowned and tapped her foot. She muttered to Tomas, "Wish I knew portal magic, we'd be with mom and dad in a flash! It'd be so easy..."

Tomas put his hands behind his neck, looking at the distant sea ahead. "Yeah, we'd be out of this mess already," he sighed.

Joanne and the man walked in front of them, making their way to the hotel. The scent of salt in the air grew stronger, as the sound of gentle waves touching the coast manifested.

It was a hypnotic, hopeful sound to Tomas, yet he felt his guts tumble. Behind the waves, he felt as though a tsunami loomed somewhere in the distance, waiting to crash into them.