MEMELAND

The journey back felt longer than before.

Neither Kai nor Ethan spoke.

The forest remained silent.

Moonlight filtered through the branches above, illuminating the narrow path ahead.

Kai carried Lily carefully in his arms.

The torn cape covered most of her injuries.

Most.

He made sure Ethan couldn't see the rest.

The boy walked several steps behind him.

Head lowered.

Shoulders trembling.

Every now and then Kai could hear quiet sobbing.

But he said nothing.

There was nothing to say.

No words could fix what had happened tonight.

No apology would bring Lily back.

So they simply walked.

One carrying the dead.

The other carrying guilt.

---

The village lights eventually appeared between the trees.

Torches.

Lanterns.

Dozens of them.

People were waiting.

Kai could see them gathered near the entrance.

Men holding spears.

Women clutching lanterns.

Children peeking from behind adults.

The moment someone spotted movement in the darkness, voices erupted.

"They're back!"

"I see them!"

"Over there!"

Hope spread through the crowd.

For a moment.

Just a moment.

Then they saw what Kai was carrying.

And everything became quiet.

The kind of silence that only tragedy could create.

Kai stepped into the torchlight.

Ethan immediately broke into a run.

His father rushed forward.

The two collided.

The man dropped to his knees and wrapped his son in a crushing embrace.

Ethan finally broke.

The tears he had been holding back flooded out.

The sight made several villagers look away.

No one wanted to watch.

No one wanted to imagine their own child in that situation.

Then Lily's mother stepped forward.

Slowly.

Almost afraid.

As if she already knew.

As if she hoped reality would somehow prove her wrong.

Kai stopped in front of her.

The woman looked down.

At the small body in his arms.

At the cape covering her daughter.

Her knees gave out.

A broken sound escaped her throat.

Not a scream.

Not a cry.

Something worse.

The sound of a heart shattering.

Kai carefully lowered Lily into her mother's arms.

The woman hugged her daughter tightly.

As though warmth might somehow return.

As though refusing to let go could change reality.

Around them, villagers quietly lowered their heads.

Several began crying.

Others stared into the darkness beyond the trees.

Fear replacing grief.

Because if it happened once—

It could happen again.

---

Lee eventually stepped forward.

He already understood.

For several moments he said nothing.

Then he noticed the blood.

A lot of blood.

Kai's blood.

The front of his clothes was soaked red.

Fresh wounds covered his arms and chest.

The villagers noticed too.

Concern quickly spread through the crowd.

"What happened to him?"

"He's hurt!"

"Get a healer!"

Kai swayed slightly.

Only now did he realize how exhausted he was.

The adrenaline keeping him standing had finally begun fading.

Lee immediately grabbed his shoulder.

"Let's get you inside."

"I'm fine."

"You look half dead."

Kai opened his mouth.

Then closed it.

Fair point.

---

The next few days passed in a blur.

Kai spent most of them unconscious.

The village healer was an elderly woman named Rosa.

She informed him that he was lucky to be alive.

Three separate times.

Every day.

Without fail.

"You should be dead."

Kai quickly learned it was her favorite sentence.

When he finally managed to walk again, the village had already buried Lily.

A small grave rested beneath a tree overlooking the fields.

Kai visited alone.

The wind was gentle that afternoon.

The sky was clear.

The village seemed peaceful.

It felt wrong.

Like the world had already moved on.

He stood there for a long time.

Eventually footsteps approached.

Ethan.

The boy stopped beside him.

Neither spoke.

The grave sat quietly before them.

After several minutes, Ethan finally broke the silence.

"You killed it?"

Kai nodded.

The boy stared at the ground.

"Good."

That was all he said.

Yet somehow it carried more weight than an entire speech.

The two remained there a little longer before returning to the village.

---

Weeks passed.

Kai recovered steadily.

The villagers repaired his clothes.

Someone donated a shirt.

Someone else gave him boots.

Life slowly returned to normal.

Or as normal as it could.

The livestock stopped panicking.

No more disappearances occurred.

No more bodies appeared in the forest.

Yet the memory of that night lingered.

For everyone.

Especially Kai.

Because every night the dreams returned.

The voices.

The darkness.

The whispers.

Hero.

Murderer.

Save us.

Kill.

Each dream ended before he could understand them.

Each morning left him with more questions than answers.

---

One afternoon, a familiar knock sounded at Lee's door.

Kai looked up.

"Come in."

The door opened.

Lily's parents entered.

Followed by Ethan.

The family carried several baskets.

Food.

Clothes.

Supplies.

Far more than they could reasonably spare.

Kai immediately stood.

"You don't need to do this."

Lily's father shook his head.

"Yes we do."

The man looked uncomfortable.

As though struggling to find the proper words.

Finally he simply bowed.

A deep bow.

One filled with sincerity.

"Thank you."

Kai froze.

The man's wife bowed as well.

"T-Thank you for bringing her home."

Her voice nearly broke.

"But thank you."

Ethan followed shortly afterward.

The gesture left Kai speechless.

Because he didn't feel like a hero.

He failed.

Lily still died.

Yet somehow these people were thanking him anyway.

The realization stayed with him long after they left.

---

A week later, Kai and Lee stood near the edge of the village.

A dirt road stretched toward the distant mountains.

Far away, barely visible against the horizon, stood a massive fortress-city built into the mountainside.

Yggdrasil.

Kai stared at it.

Even from here, its size was impressive.

Lee folded his arms.

"So."

Kai nodded.

"So."

The letter rested safely inside his bag.

King Akshay still needed to hear what happened to Elrick.

And if Lee was right, whatever killed him might only be the beginning.

"You don't have to go."

Kai looked toward his friend.

Friend.

The realization surprised him.

Lee smiled.

"You can stay here."

Kai considered it.

For a moment.

A very brief moment.

Then he shook his head.

"No."

The answer felt natural.

Instinctive.

"I need to go."

"Why?"

Kai looked toward the mountains.

Toward Yggdrasil.

Toward the unknown.

"I don't know."

Lee laughed.

"That's the most Kai answer I've ever heard."

Kai rolled his eyes.

"I've only been here a few weeks."

"Still counts."

The two shared a brief laugh.

Then silence returned.

A comfortable silence.

The kind shared between friends.

Finally Lee extended a hand.

Kai shook it.

"Take care of yourself."

"You too."

"And try not to punch any monsters."

"I'll do my best."

"No you won't."

"Fair."

Lee laughed.

Kai adjusted his bag.

Then turned toward the road.

Toward Yggdrasil.

Toward answers.

Toward the next chapter of his journey.

As he walked away, Lee watched from the village entrance.

The young man eventually became a silhouette against the afternoon sun.

Then a distant figure.

Then barely visible.

Yet Lee remained there.

Watching.

Hoping.

"Good luck, Kai."

The wind carried the words away.

And ahead, beyond the mountains, fate was already waiting.