"Morio!" Jyuzou waved, and the other Morian promptly raised his head, blinking a few times. He quickly trod over.

"Yeah?" Morio replied.

"Did you finally finish it?"

"Finish what?"

"The new map of Galliath." Jyuzou beamed. "You know, with sudden changes, nature finds a new path as well!"

"I thought you'd given up on that," Morio smirked.

"C-Considering we have more time nowadays." he looked embarrassed.

"Aw." Morio unnecessarily raised his voice.

"Look, the flowers on this island are unlike any in Errarion. Isn't that remotely interesting?" Jyuzou asked, stiffly, while Morio laughed.

Morio stopped his giggles, wiping a tear. "Yeah, I made the map."

"Hopefully we get enough time to do all that." Genni fixed her glasses with her wrists. "Considering..."

Jyuzou turned to her, a bit worried. Morio searched for something in his brown vest pockets, struggling.

"With all we have left, it only means more time for training, you three!" Ingo yelled from afar. "Don't slack off!"

Genni stuck her tongue out, blowing a raspberry.

"You just did not do that." Ingo seemed hurt.

"Got it!" Morio raised the sheet triumphantly, before handing it to Jyuzou.

"See? You spent your free time properly sketching out a map." Genni stated.

"It's far more than a sketch." Morio folded his arms.

"...and you never leave Wonder Flora at home anymore." she pointed to Jyuzou, who hid the book behind his back.

"Wonder why, my dear Morians." Koyote stepped in from the side, trodding earlier with big steps. "Wonder why?"

"My theory's correct, right?" Ingo ran forward. "Free time means we're training on our own."

"No, Ingo. You four know why I'm giving you this much leisure. I've said it before and I'll say it again, experience shapes you, no matter what it is. Another map in Morio's hands, a new flower that Jyuzou stumbled upon, even the journals you keep writing in, Genni." she put her hands in her pockets. "Back then you refused to understand."

Jyuzou sighed out.

"Your training's-" Koyote said, before clearing her throat.

"Coming to an end." Jyuzou finished her sentence, and Koyote turned towards the Morian.

She didn't need to repeat herself. The closer the date, the harder it became to choose if you were to go up the staircase or back down into Omer Narrows.

"Which means, sooner, than later, you'll be setting out back home, or... wherever the map takes you." she turned to Morio, who looked back at her.

Koyote breathed out and then analyzed each of the confused stares of the Morians. Despite the rigour, despite the ever-present exhaustion, despite already knowing, they all seemed taken aback.

One glance passed to the other, and Koyote scratched her head, before turning on her heel. The four looked at each other, and eventually, walked away, the same way she did.

***

The town seemed emptier than on most days. The streets were mostly silent, despite the citizens wandering here and there, and any sign of storefronts, stands with overpriced food or faux potions were nowhere to be found.

Passing the wreckage that wasn't already partially mended, the four kept as hush as most people. They only exchanged glances, nodded to each other or whispered, with even the quietest of conversations catching the ear of Morio or Jyuzou.

They didn't particularly listen to anything interesting but found themselves searching for at least a remnant of the past they could call back to. The library was, somewhere along all those narrow alleys, but it was surely left empty after last Gorro's mishap. Genni clenched her fist whenever something new of the disaster showed up. Even after months, things only seemed to be getting worse, but the people inside the town were used to such conditions.

"You three are not going to say anything?" Ingo suddenly asked, stopping, and the others did as well.

Jyuzou looked at the ground, unsurely. Morio wasn't too focused, and Genni revealed a small frown.

"What are we supposed to say?" Genni fixed her glasses with her wrists.

"That you're going to miss Galliath," Ingo huffed. "Despite how stupid it sounds." he scratched his head, a little embarrassed.

"Stupid?" Genni asked.

"Because why would you?" Ingo shook his head. "Harabara doesn't have a crazy cult with their base in the caves. Harabara doesn't have a town inside something that resembles a crater." he looked up. "Despite Harans composing literally everyone here except for us four, it's a completely different place from that desert, and much wilder than I could've ever imagined it to be."

"Y-Yet, it already feels like home," Jyuzou added, and Morio turned, a little surprised.

Genni's eyes wandered in his direction as well. She recalled the thoughts and feelings she felt back during that disastrous day. Even though she wished to never come back there, everything Jyuzou and Genni said came from an honest heart.

Jyuzou eventually moved his head up and Ingo stared at him for a little longer.

"Yeah." Ingo turned around. "I guess you could say that."

Morio breathed out, after taking a long one in. Genni and Ingo began treading forth, blindly in the direction of the staircase leading up to Mount Yosei, their new, albeit poor home for the last two seasons. Jyuzou hesitated for a few seconds, before taking a step forward as well, and that's when Morio's hand landed on his shoulder.

"This isn't home." Morio shook his head.

"W-Well." Jyuzou stuttered a bit, before fixing his glasses. "I can't say that you aren't right. Home is Mistwick."

Morio nodded, opening his mouth a bit.

"Over time, though, I've learnt that we could extend that definition a little further. Home is where you feel safe, where you can settle down and know you won't be judged for whatever you did. Home is where you can do nothing the entire day and there wouldn't be any consequences. It doesn't matter if the bed is uncomfortable or the room is too cramped. Inside..." he stopped, looking into Morio's gleaming eyes. "You're safe."

"You feel that way about Galliath?" Morio asked a little quiet.

"You don't?" he replied with a question.

Morio stopped himself from saying anything else, perhaps, without a real answer to Jyuzou's words.

Jyuzou fixed his sheath. "It's going to be hard leaving all of this behind, and coming back to what once already was. Maybe we're stronger now."

Morio subtly clenched his fist.

"Maybe we can arrive somewhere with an answer already in mind." Jyuzou smiled. "Maybe there's a new flower I can only find because I'm stronger now. Because we're stronger."

Morio shook his head.

All of a sudden, something hit Jyuzou's head.

"J-Jyuzou?" Morio asked, taken aback, with shrunken eyes. Ingo and Genni turned, quickly running up to the Morian.

Jyuzou lay on the ground, rubbing his head in one, aching spot. He sucked in air through his teeth, before sitting up, furrowing his brows. Even the melancholic smile was gone, facing the sudden yet mild annoyance.

"Were they throwing the ball again?" Jyuzou screamed out, gritting his teeth.

"Hide it," Ingo muttered to Genni, stuffing something inside her jacket.

"We're not guilty, we threw it forward!"

"It bounced back, damn it!"

"No." Jyuzou shook his head, quickly standing up and brushing 'whatever' off his clothes.

Genni and Ingo glanced at each other for a second.

"It hurt far more!" Jyuzou rolled his sleeves up. "Must be that Kahana game you were talking about!"

"Isn't that what we-" Genni whispered, silenced by Ingo.

Morio turned around, scanning the area for the said suspect. Yes, there were a few kids throwing something back and forth, but it didn't resemble that weird game where someone had to catch a ball coated in some strange, yucky syrup. He took a few steps forward, before stopping himself, as his boot floated above something that chirped on the ground.

"O-Oi, Jyuzou!" Morio raised his voice, while the latter fixed his glasses.

"What?" Jyuzou asked.

"I've found the culprit!" Morio continued.

Jyuzou trod his way, before crouching in front of whatever Morio pointed at. "Huh." he fixed his glasses again, and then took a closer look, rubbing his chin.

"It's a bird!" Genni commented.

"Well-spotted." Jyuzou smiled, before extending his arm, as the small sparrow flew up a bit before landing on his hand. "Asparrow." he continued. "Not the first time I've seen one, after all. It's not from Shimori though, it doesn't have those three spots under its beak." he rubbed its back, before turning to the others. The mild annoyance from earlier quickly turned into a smile. Nature healed all of Jyuzou's wounds.

Genni and Ingo looked at each other.

"Morio, do you remember our meeting in the palace?" Jyuzou asked.

"Palace?" Ingo tilted his head.

"Hard to not remember considering I had to clean the whole thing before your arrival." Morio scoffed.

"I believe it was Bancho who sent us a message. With a sparrow's arrival, it hummed a song only Chyuuichi could recognize, which finally led all of us there." Jyuzou scratched his head. "I'm not sure how that worked out, but sparrows are known to carry burdens from one world's end to the other's."

"So why isn't the thing singing?" Ingo pointed.

"I don't know. Could've just flown from here. I'm pretty sure sparrows aren't from Galliath, but..." he shrugged. "Wonder Flora says practically nothing about what isn't the Mainland."

Amidst their discovery, something else came to light, in the distance. Standing in the main street, despite its astounding emptiness, people's hands landed on the morning newspaper, with promised news from across the sea. It was common for news to arrive a little late over there, despite the connections to the well-informed Malikan or Harabara.

"Did menn see this?" one showed to the other. "A ceremony's going to be held!"

"Where?"

"Saphrith, they say!" another voice answered.

"What for?"

"They're going to finally decide amongst royalty!"

"Decide what?"

Ingo and Genni often turned their heads to the surrounding words, while Jyuzou remained focused on the sparrow resting on his hand. It meant something, and when he searched, he finally found his answer.

There was a small piece of paper, barely visible under the beak's tight clench. Jyuzou opened his mouth a little, before unravelling the mystery hidden behind how many times it was folded.

Morio jumped towards him, as the two scanned the contents of the letter.

With a shaky hand, Jyuzou gulped, before his eyes drifted forwards. Amongst the crowds, he flew right above the ground. Half-a-crown was tilted, and its ghostly apparition soon disappeared.