MEMELAND

Kai remained standing on the cliff.

The breeze rolled across the valley below.

His chest still ached from Zane's palm strike.

"..."

He looked down.

From above...

The Order looked even smaller.

People carried on with their daily routines as if nothing extraordinary had happened.

A pair of children chased one another across a bridge.

Someone was hanging laundry.

Several members trained beneath a tree.

Near the center of the village...

A larger wooden building stood among the others.

Unlike the houses...

Its doors were always open.

People occasionally entered...

Stayed for a while...

Then quietly left.

"..."

Kai narrowed his eyes.

"...Guess that's the hall."

"Keen observation."

Kai jumped slightly before looking behind him.

"...Seriously?"

Chocomint stood a few steps away with his hands tucked inside his sleeves.

"You people really need to stop sneaking up on others."

"I wasn't sneaking."

"You were thinking too loudly."

Kai stared.

"...Thinking..."

"...Too loudly?"

Chocomint tapped the side of his own head.

"Your face."

"It says everything before your mouth does."

"..."

"...That's just reading expressions."

"I know."

"I wanted to sound cooler."

Kai let out a long sigh.

"...You're impossible."

"I've been told."

Chocomint turned and started walking.

"Come on."

"We've got somewhere to be."

---

The two began walking down the mountain.

Kai instinctively followed the same rocky path Zane had taken.

Chocomint suddenly stopped.

"...Wrong way."

He pointed toward a narrow stone pathway hidden between the trees.

Kai blinked.

Instead of following the rocky path back down...

Chocomint stepped into a narrow trail hidden between thick bushes.

Kai followed.

Only a few moments later...

The trail opened onto a neatly paved stone road.

Kai stopped.

"..."

"...Hold on."

He looked back toward the cliff.

Then toward the road.

Then back again.

"...There was a road?"

"There is."

Kai slowly turned toward Chocomint.

"..."

"...Then why the hell did Zane drag me up that rocky-ass cliff?"

Chocomint laughed.

A genuine laugh.

"Because she's Zane."

"...That's not an answer."

"It kind of is."

Kai folded his arms.

"...Seriously."

Chocomint wiped a tear from the corner of his eye.

"She thinks it's fun."

"..."

"...You're kidding."

"I'm not."

Kai looked back toward the cliff one last time.

"...Fuckin' hell."

---

The two continued through the village.

Several members waved as they passed.

Chocomint greeted each of them by name.

Eventually...

They stopped beneath one of the largest trees in the valley.

Kai looked up.

"..."

A wooden house had been built high among its branches.

Several rope bridges connected it to neighboring trees.

"...Someone lives up there?"

"Mhm."

Chocomint nodded.

"They've been waiting."

Kai frowned.

"...Who?"

Chocomint smiled.

"You'll see."

"...I hate when people say that."

"I know."

---

A wooden staircase spiraled around the massive trunk.

Kai climbed.

Step after step.

The higher he went...

The more of the valley came into view.

Finally...

He reached the front porch.

A simple wooden door stood before him.

Kai raised his hand.

Just as his fingers touched the handle—

BANG!

The door exploded outward.

"...WHAT THE—"

The impact sent Kai stumbling backward.

His foot missed the edge.

"...Shit!"

The ground rushed toward him.

He instinctively shut his eyes.

"..."

"..."

Nothing.

Instead...

He felt an arm supporting his back.

Another beneath his knees.

"..."

A familiar voice spoke.

"Yo."

Kai slowly opened his eyes.

"..."

"...A-Andre?"

The man carrying him grinned from ear to ear.

Andre smirked.

"...Who else, bitch?"

Kai simply stared.

Unable to say a word.