Chapter 166: Episode 166 - Up to him

I sat on the edge of the sofa bed, watching Joe move with that tireless energy, folding and stacking as if order could keep chaos at bay. My hands trembled slightly, and I clenched them, forcing stillness. The silence between us was thick, but not empty; it carried the weight of everything left unsaid. Tobias's voice echoed in my mind: "Together. Whatever awaits us on the other side, we'll face it."

I closed my eyes, letting the memory soothe me.

Ness - We'll face it. Even without them for now.

I nodded, mostly to myself. Joe paused; in his hand, I could see tiny sparks that still reminded us of everything we had been through.

Joe - For now. But not forever.

The wind rattled the cabin windows, carrying with it the scent of damp earth and pine. I felt as if the forest itself were listening, holding its breath with us. I lay back, staring at the ceiling beams; every creak reminded me that we were home, in our world, but we weren't whole. I looked at Joe, his hands gripping the edge of the sofa, I looked at myself, and he was wearing the same clothes I hadn't seen in months, the clothes we had worn when we arrived in the forest that time, looking for an adventure that turned into the most unforgettable experience of our lives. I took a deep breath and sighed sharply while looking at Joe with determination. The lantern light dimmed, shadows stretching long across the cabin walls. Outside, the same forest whispered, endless and watchful.

The search had only just begun.

Joe finished tidying up in silence, his hands tense on the folded fabric. The rustling of the wind against the windows seemed to punctuate every pause between us. I sat up slowly, determination growing in my chest.

Ness - Joe… what if we look for Kris?

He looked up, surprised, as if the name had ignited something he'd been trying to keep dormant.

Joe - Kris… yes. If anyone can understand what happened, it's him… He lived with the consequences of all this long before we did.

Silence fell again, but it wasn't empty anymore: it was expectant. The thought of Kris became a beacon in the midst of uncertainty.

Ness - Then we'll go see him. We can't just stay here waiting.

The orange glint in Joe's eyes flickered, casting a strange shadow across his face. He stood still for a moment, as if weighing the risk of speaking Kris's name aloud.

Joe - At dawn, then. We'll leave before anyone notices. If there's something outside Regum distorting time, Kris might already know what we don't.

I nodded, my pulse racing. The thought of seeing Kris again filled me with both fear and hope. From the first time we saw him, his eyes showed they held more than just secrets. He spoke slowly and animatedly, as if he knew more than he ever let slip. The cabin creaked, the wind pressing harder against its structure. I pulled the blanket tighter, but the chill didn't come from the air, but from the uncertainty of what lay ahead.

Ness - Yes... For now, Kris is the only person who can give us an answer or a clue.

Joe's jaw tightened, his flame blazing brighter, almost defiant.

Joe - Or maybe he's been hiding something since before we left. Either way, we'll get answers.

The silence that followed was thick, but no longer suffocating. It was the silence of determination, of two people who had already chosen their path. Outside, the forest whispered like a conspirator, its branches leaning toward the cabin as if listening. I lay back once more, staring at the roof beams, Tobias's voice echoing in my mind.

Tomorrow we would look for Kris. And with him, perhaps, the first thread that could unravel the mystery of Tobias and Luke's fate.

Ness - I already miss them.

I said, with a sigh and a soft, bitter laugh. Joe froze at my words; he let out a sigh as if he shared the pain in my chest. He didn't look at me right away; instead, he stared at the ground, his jaw clenched and his shoulders heavy.

Joe - Me too. We've been together so long... But missing them won't bring them back.

His voice was rough, but beneath it lay the same pain as mine. I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees, letting the silence spread between us. Outside, the forest moaned against the wind; its branches clawed at the cabin walls like restless hands.

Ness - So tomorrow isn't just about Kris. It's about proving we haven't lost them.

Joe finally met my gaze, and for a moment, the fire in his eyes softened. He nodded once, firmly, as if sealing a pact.

Joe - It's all we have left. But if Kris lied to us... we'll make him tell the truth.

The flashlight flickered, shadows curled across the room like specters from the past. I lay back, clutching the blanket, as Tobias's voice echoed louder, almost as if the forest itself had carried it to me: "Together." A thousand ideas raced through my mind, combined with the constant thought that I had considered it from the moment that portal appeared in front of us. I imagined that it was possible we wouldn't return together, and my fear became a reality. The night dragged on, heavy and restless. Every creak of the cabin felt like a warning, every whisper from the forest a reminder of what we had lost. Sleep never came, only fragments of dreams where Tobias's hand slipped from mine again and again. Where Luke spoke of what he wanted to do when he returned to Earth.

When the first light of dawn filtered through the cracks in the shutters, Joe was already standing, his flame faint but steady. He didn't speak; he didn't need to. The pact we had silently made was enough.

We went outside, the cold air whipping against our skin. A grove of trees rose up, infinite and watchful, its branches bending as if to mark our path. I felt the weight of time pressing down on us, the uncertainty of what Kris might reveal to us.

Ness - Whatever she tells us… it won't change the fact that we will continue searching.

Joe looked at me, his jaw clenched, his eyes burning with a silent fire.

Joe - No. But you could tell us where to begin.

The whole place was still asleep, lanterns flickered, shadows stretched along the stone paths. We moved quickly, silently, as if the world itself might try to stop us. Each step brought us closer to Kris, to the answers, to the truth that had been denied us. He had told us which cabin was his, and we knew it well.

To be continued..