Percy didn't have any memory of leaving the temple. He simply opened the path out for the others then disconnected himself from the generator circle.

The moment his hands left the Spellcore connected to the center of the circle his vision went black.

He woke up a short time after. His body was on top of something that kept shaking and his eyes felt too heavy to even move. So he went back to sleep.

The next time he woke up, the world was stable and there was something hot beside him. But this time his limbs felt wooden and painful to move so he went back to sleep.

He went through the cycle a couple of times before his body finally felt like his again. When he woke up this time, his body hurt but it wasn't impossible to move. He opened his eyes slowly.

It was night.

Stars glowed in the sky, weaving a complex tapestry across the silver clouds and dark sky. The chill wind of the night made him stretch and exhale a satisfied breath. Beneath his body was a sleeping bag laid over grass.

When he turned his neck, a camp spread out around him. White tents and a small fire at the center, set in an open field of grass. Near the fire he could hear voices.

The Ramlos family. Nine red-haired children whispering between each other, with their mother, Ura, tending to a boar over the fire. They sat in a circle around the fire; Percy could see Dina and her two sons there too.

He smiled softly and rose to his feet, pulling the sleeping bag down. He smelled himself for a moment but he smelled alright, even the sleeping bag smelled somewhat fresh. They took care of him while he was out.

His eyes searched for Thalos, his father, to thank him, but the man was nowhere to be found. Some metres from the tents was a stone road cutting through the grassy hills—the road they had been following to Yarol.

Thalos must have been out hunting monsters while they were camped. George and Hugo seemed to have gone with him, leaving Dina behind to protect the family. He sighed, wishing his father would rest.

He tried walking but stumbled over his feet and stepped on some dry grass, breaking the monotonous sounds of nighttime. All the heads at the fire turned to him immediately, their faces going through many states of shock.

Flynn stood, her red hair bright against the campfire's light. She tried to speak, but she just stood there, amber eyes wide with disbelief.

Percy's laugh broke the awkward silence. He stumbled a bit from his lack of control, prompting the others to stand and stretch out their hands, but he was still laughing.

"Why are you people looking at me like I was dead? I told Thalos I would only be out for a couple of days."

Flynn swallowed, finally finding her voice.

"Well, it's been three days, and we were really worried. You looked so pale. And there was nothing we could do to even help."

"Did you use the Clearwater magic tool I gave Thalos on me every day for five hours?"

"Yes, but—"

"Then you did enough," he concluded. He then tried walking over to the fire, but his legs were rather weak.

Before he could fall over, however, a pair of shadowy hands rose from the darkness under him and helped him get his balance. He smiled at Dina.

"Thank you."

She nodded, smiling softly as she helped him walk over to the fire. They all cleared out some space for him. As he sat, a tired sigh escaped him involuntarily.

"Maybe you shouldn't sit so close to the fire," Flynn suggested. She raised her hands innocently when Percy glared at her.

"I'm a bit weak, not half dead." He brushed his hands through his black and white hair, sighing.

"How aren't we in Yarol yet?"

Flynn glanced nervously at her mother, who offered Percy a warm smile. Ura cut out some meat, answering as she shared the food.

"We decided it was best to take it slow till you woke up, just in case."

Percy facepalmed, groaning a bit.

"I told them that I would be alright. The longer we spend out here the less time we have to get home. Isn't George a knight of a barony? Won't they be mad if he comes back late?"

Ura calmly continued what she was doing. The efficiency at which she dissected the boar made Percy simmer down a bit—sharp, fast strokes at certain spots, without even worrying about her fingers.

She detached a piece of meat and placed it beside the rest of his meal, before walking over to him.

Percy might have been a bit paranoid, but she was creepy. Ura knelt beside him and ruffled his hair.

"It's nice to see you doing well, Perseus. But you have to leave some decisions to us adults, or we feel incapable of protecting our children."

Her words made him think of Thalos. He lowered his head and nodded somberly. She was right; he needed to think of how worried Thalos must have been.

At least, his head didn't hurt anymore, and his sore body was healing. His memories of the things in the temple were a bit blurry, but he knew with the help of the spirits and some meditation, he could remember the method he made for constructing spells.

That was something he needed to get into soon. Once he reassured Thalos that he was okay, of course.

Flynn patted him on the shoulder with a smile.

"It's good to have you back, master—"

"Stop it."

"It's been really boring without you. Don't worry about the journey either, we're close to Yarol already. We just thought it'd be better if you attended your spirit affinity ceremony while conscious."

Percy actually chuckled, imagining all those pompous nobles seeing the viscount's son arrive half-alive only to reveal he had dual affinities.

Voices approached the camp from the left, drawing him from his thoughts. Percy raised his head to catch Thalos, George, and Hugo returning from their outing. They all shut up one by one, Thalos being the last to see him.

He raised a hand to wave at his father, and Thalos laughed unwillingly. For some reason, they all began laughing, running over to the camp.

"I don't know why I worry," Thalos muttered, smiling. "You make almost dying look trivial."

"I honestly thought you would die," Hugo said, shrugging. "Especially after everything he did. I owe you some coins, George."

"No, no, no, you pay me now," George said, laughter stopping immediately. "You should have heard him, Lord Perseus. Such an unbeliever."

"Pay that man, Hugo," Percy joked, receiving a hug from his dad. "Sorry for making things so hard, Dad."

Thalos frowned. His black hair glowed under the moon's light; paired with his kind smile, he looked like an ancient painting to Percy sometimes.

"I hope the next time we get caught up in a conspiracy to destroy us, the people are nicer."

Percy laughed softly, looking up at the stars. "Me too."

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