The tense discussion between Tristessa and Tiara had caused a prolonged silence among the travelers.

A silence infrequently interrupted by the occasional roar from Gladiolus to scare away herds of farross wandering nearby, looking for lush vegetation to graze.

A silence that should have been banished by the storm clouds Tristessa remembered covering the central territory of End-World in the previous loop.

But… During that evening, there was only a gray and sad but peaceful sky covering everything to the horizon.

"Huh?"

Tristessa frowned, very confused by the weather. Sitting next to Jin, she thought back to that evening when water and mud covered her heels. Even the Vilecrosses pulling the passing carriages that were leaving or returning to Entrana had difficulty moving through all that flooded road.

Now there was no sign of even a drop of water that was about to fall.

"Almost nothing about the future seems to be written… It makes sense about the weather. After all, it's a probability." Her own reasoning led her to slump her shoulders, lamenting. "If only it were the same with the [inescapable future] predicted by that Moebius…"

More than a prediction, the extermination of the Mercer-Archeos family was the will of a single person, and the Coven was the means to carry out that will. That was why Daiana's anger had been so great in the projection shown by Lucahn's Divinity. Neither she nor her Lord had predicted the intrusion of a random variable like Tristessa into that established configuration, forcing them to change their plans to achieve their goal.

Chaos Theory at its finest. Something Vel'Moran himself might have been proud of.

"Mommy, look. It's the Pillar." Under different circumstances, Lucahn would surely be jumping with excitement. But at least his curious spirit could save him even from the pain of such a close loss, observing with his mother that mystical architectural structure that reached and pierced the heavens. "Can we go see it up close?"

"If we have time," Tiara replied, barely able to hide the growing concern she felt.

And she wasn't the only one. Tristessa knew the climax of that cycle was approaching. The turning point that would define the fruits of her decisions.

"If the plan fails... If the Lady of the Dominion turns a deaf ear to my pleas... And the Wraiths..." Thinking about possible failure sent her into a spiral of uncertainty. It shattered the little confidence she had managed to accumulate and made fear for the fate of that family lodge in her mind. "...what will I do?"

Doubts flowed like the Maturín River, noisy and fast. They crossed over it, through the stone bridge that divided the wild fields from the cultivated land. Soon, the Meridion Highway began to run parallel to the body of water, leading them to the city that made both Jin and Tiara barely maintain their composure.

The city itself gave the couple a feeling of foreboding, unlike Lucahn, who was still too young to understand the implications of what was at stake by returning to this place.

"Are you okay, dear?" Jin heard her ask in a low voice.

"Yes, it's just… So many years have passed. It's all coming back to me so quickly." Tiara ran her right hand over her sweaty forehead and then over her chestnut-colored hair, in a vain attempt to calm her nerves and nagging thoughts of the past. "All those screams, rivers of blood running down the streets… Damn, their looks. Their damned looks! Judging us for raising a monster…"

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"Tia…" Jin hugged his distraught wife and kissed her temple. And on the other side, Lucahn also hugged his mother. "We're in this together."

Tristessa couldn't help but smile at this display of tenderness. A melancholic smile that made her want to lower her gaze as if it carried an enormous weight.

The weight of envy.

"Amid so many misfortunes, it's a comfort that they're all together," she thought, forcing herself to focus both eyes on the north. The Evil-Warding Pillar was now impossible to ignore, and the great circular walls of Entrana also appeared in the distance. "So close…"

Soon, those black towering walls were all that could be seen. Defenses of smooth, polished black stone, reaching great heights to end in lines of military equipment and watchtowers, guarded by permanent patrols armed with rifles. Outside, at the foot of the walls, dwelled the poor refugees who had nowhere else to go. Living in makeshift tents and relying on the river that eventually ran underground into the city as their only source of sustenance.

And at the end of that black brick path, the large black metal double door illustrating the symbol of the Night's Watch Empire.

"The Shield Against the Darkness." Standing on tiptoe, Lucahn pointed over the constantly moving shoulders of the Vilecross, toward the only entrance to the city in the south. "Like in the books."

"Yes…" Jin was struggling to hold back his tears. Whether from fear, melancholy, or joy… from seeing his son discover the city of his ancestors. "The symbol that unites us all, son."

Distracted by the hunter stroking the boy's head, Tristessa almost lost her balance when the wagon shook with a sudden decrease in speed: Lufreya had ordered the Vilecross to stop with a shake of the small chains, and Gladiolus slowed down until both he and the vehicle finally came to a halt.

"GRAAA!"

The demon shook his head as he roared, proud of his feat, and turned his head to the side to receive a firm caress from Lufreya.

"Very good work, big boy." The mercenary looked at the travelers, her eyes visible through the slits of her helmet. "End of the journey, people. I hope we were of help."

"Y-yes… Thank you very much, and for the risks you took," Jin said to her, bowing his head with respect. Then he shook hands with Melian, who had stood up to help them pack their belongings into their bags. "Where will you spend the night?"

"We'll stop a little further ahead, before heading into the forest. The big guy deserves a good night's rest, eh?" Lufreya waved goodbye to Tiara and Lucahn, but for Tristessa, she had a few words to say, somewhat discreetly: "I admire what you're doing, lass. I hope that your efforts will bring you and that family good fortune."

"Thank you very much, Miss Solsong," she said, the trepidation of someone frightened immortalized on her face, and she mustered up the courage to look into the eyes of the thaumaturge behind her and shake his hand. "And you too, Mr. Nicodemus. I hope to meet again."

The last time they had been face to face, at that distance, he had been strangling her with both hands… Now, there was only cordiality and good wishes for her and her companions.

"I'm sure we will. Madame Luchie may be acting out of charity, but she'll find a way to get you to return the favor," the thaumaturge said, laughing, but not intending to be joking. He walked Tristessa to the edge of the wagon and helped her out. "Good fortune!"

Naturally, the Fireclaw Company mercenaries quickly turned the wagon Jin had given them as payment and made a U-turn, in order to get out of there as quickly as possible. Tristessa and the Mercer-Archeos family understood that it was counterproductive to be seen with them.

After all, for the time being, the Mercer-Archeos were exiles who should never have left the vicinity of the former House of Royal Hunters. If they wanted to, the soldiers waiting for them at the entrance to the wall could kill them without any repercussions… Such were the consequences for the sins and tragedies committed during the Massacre of the Endless Night.

"Goodbye!"

It was a good sign that Lucahn's spirits were raising among the pain. He waved to the mercenaries, blessed with ignorance despite being such an intelligent and knowledgeable child, as the wagon moved away along the dirt road toward the wooden houses and their large plots filled with the season's harvest.

"Let's go, Lucci." Jin and Tiara took their only living son by the hand, and in the presence of a silent Tristessa, they took the first step onto the black and shining path that would lead them to redemption for the crimes they didn't commit, or into the embrace of Death. "Let's not keep the lady of the house waiting."

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