What Amarok saw was a face but not his. The figure resembled him but it wasn't him. His eyes were bloody. His smile devilish like a handsome devil. The figure smiled at amarok. He jolted in fright stepping back.

"What is it scared of your own face " Dwland couldn't help but mock out loud.

"No way am a handsome guy," Amarok declared, staring cautiously into the water, but only his normal face appeared.

"Impossible, I am cuter," Dwland stated, fixating on his reflection in the water. "Who has kept you in the dark?" Amarok sneered. Suddenly, his body was pushed into the water. "Wow... How beautiful. Dwland, have you ever seen this part of the infinite lake?" he said, rising back to the surface, his hair now wet, accompanied by a mischievous smile.

"Forget it; you can't trick me."

"You clearly don't know what you miss."

"... What is it? Just tell me."

"Take a closer look. It's really amazing," he smirked. As the little boy cautiously got closer, his body flopped into the water.

"Is the water not amazing?" Amarok grinned, unaffected. "Liar!" Dwland waved his hand, sending water crashing in his direction.

"What are you two doing? Get out of there," Yuni suddenly said, smiling as she looked at the little boy. He had never been so happy. Since Amarok and Wisdom came, they seemed to have breathed life into him. She couldn't help but smile, her heart melting at their laughter. She hoped it would never end, but reality was harsh; she knew they would have to leave.

"I wasn't aware strangers were allowed here," a stern voice interrupted. Dwland froze, and he quickly rushed out of the water. "Uncle, it's..." Yuni was at a loss for words.

"It's his fault," Dwland quickly pointed. Amarok blinked. The little devil was throwing everything at him.

"We wanted to test the temperature of the water. It's quite good," he said with an awkward smile. Folk lifted an eyebrow. "Leave," he said.

The trio quickly left, but the mood was still intact. Three days went by in a flash. Amarok spent his whole time exploring Freud, marveling at its beauty. Dwland was as annoying as ever, while Yuni was still lively and always tried to cover their disorder.

The trio sat perched atop a building rooftop, their feet dangling in midair. The wind caressed their bodies, and the air seemed pure. The sky was as foggy as ever. Amarok was curious; this place never received any light, neither from the sun nor the moon. It was quite sad, he thought, especially when he remembered the bright colors of the golden flowers reflecting in the light.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"Amarok, will you leave?" Dwland suddenly asked. Amarok turned to look at the little boy, who had been down, avoiding training and spending all his time with him.

"I will eventually have to. Our initial destination wasn't here," he said awkwardly, recalling their less-than-glorious arrival from the sky.

"It will not be as interesting without you," Yuni murmured in a low voice. Amarok's eyes darted to the figures, and she turned away, gazing into the horizon.

"Yuni, the Great Elder wants everyone in the Great Hall today," Folk's voice sounded from below. Amarok nodded. That only meant one thing—Mist was finally stable, and it was certainly their farewell.

The trio went to the Great Hall, lively and full of people, with a huge round table at the center adorned with exquisite fruits. The hall had unique rune markings that Amarok had never seen. He quickly spotted Neo and Mist in the crowd.

"I will be right back," he said. "Okay, Dwland, come with me," Yuni took the little boy to their people.

The people stared at Amarok, but he couldn't care less. He straightened his body as he went forward. "Master, Mist, I'm glad you are both all right," he said, softening his features.

Mist stared at him and left, startling him with the uncertainty of her anger. "Finish fooling around," Neo asked with a frown.

"I wasn't fooling around," Amarok said with a lowered head. "You can't always run away when things become tough and then come back as if nothing happened," Neo continued.

"I didn't run away. I wasn't in the mood to train some stupid sword technique," he spat out.

"Stupid, you say. Ignorant brat. You know nothing. If I say you learn something, then you learn it. You don't ask why or how; you just do it. Got it?" Neo raised his voice, attracting the stares of everyone.

Amarok stared with a wronged expression. "Don't blame me; it's not my fault. If you gave me a rune weapon earlier, it would have been different. I wouldn't be this weak."

"Don't use excuses to blame your incompetence. The truth is you're lazy and don't want to put in the hard work," Neo couldn't stand it anymore and shouted.

"Shut up! I am not lazy; you're just a poor master," Amarok shouted back. Slap! A resounding noise echoed. Amarok held his jaw as his eyes turned wet. The crowd was startled, staring at the show. Yuni stood like an electrical pole rooted on the spot.

"Where are you going? Stop right there! You dare disobey me?" Neo was fuming, covered his face with his hand, and left too.

"How disrespectful to his elder," one person from the crowd commented. "Are all people from outside this ill-mannered?" another continued. "It's such a shame; I never want to go there."

Neo's face darkened when he heard their comments. "Please be my guest, just for today," the Great Elder's voice suddenly rang out, interrupting the two parties.

Amarok stared at the elder. "It's but normal to have a different point of view. Why don't we discuss that after this little feast?" he added.

"I'm sorry; we have been impolite," Neo quickly said. "It's fine. Let's eat; it's all thanks to you Gian is finally back. We are all grateful for that," he added.

Although the feast resumed, it was clear the atmosphere was tense between certain individuals. "Thank you," Gian arrived behind the Great Elder. Everyone smiled instantly, forgetting the incident.

Freud wasn't very big. All the people knew each other, and they were all very solidary. When he had gone missing, it had created a vacuum for everyone. Despite their pain, they couldn't leave the town. Now that he was back, everyone was delighted. Each of them was as precious as the other.