[Takes place between Chapter 8 – Terayla and Chapter 9 – Taken Away: Part 1]

In Krall, the southern region of Kartha, West of Mannea—the motherland of the Lei Realm.

Moko walked up to a lone Domain and knocked on the door. The building climbed three stories tall. Wood adorned the warping walls, curving in and out. All sides of this Domain were uneven, embellished in brown hues imitating a tree trunk. Streaks of darker shades striped the ascending tower. The thickness of the structure accompanied life within, lights shining out from instilled windows in various and misaligned rows. The artificial leaves draping from the top in strands swung in unison in the afternoon breeze.

An elderly woman wearing an apron emerged from the door. The eyeglasses settled on her hair. She squinted a moment and observed the boy standing before her. Wrinkles appeared on her lids. Veins swiveled through her aged skin. Moko waved to gesture his abrupt appearance to the woman kindly. She let out a gleeful hum.

“Ah, are you a wanderer, dear?” She asked, analyzing Moko’s simple getup and the large bag strapped around him.

He shook his head. “No, ma’am. I have a System.”

She tilted her head. “Then what brings a gentleman here? Do you want to come in? One of the wanderers who took shelter here left just a while ago. I worry if a child like him would be okay. But I have a spot for you to rest anytime.”

–A child? He thought. “I appreciate it, but I have to get going right after this. I just want to ask if you could spare some of your Entities for food and water.”

“Oh, of course,” the elderly woman eagerly nodded. Just when she tried turning around, she made a squinting expression at Moko. “Asking for food and water... while having a System? Is yours new?”

“It’s complicated.”

She clapped her hand with a bright gesture. “Ah! I forgot about the graduation. The Scholo–… uh, that place… Skark? School… No, ah, what is it…?”

“Scholomark.”

“Right, Scholomark! You must’ve graduated recently! Was it yesterday? Maybe it wasn’t. Darn, I think my days are counting soon. Well, new Systems do take time to develop, doesn’t it? Makes sense why you’re out here!” She giggled heartedly. “I have to ask my son about giving food and water and whatnot. You see, he owns this Domain, and he’s taking care of me. Just hang on tight; I’ll be with you in a bit!”

She then disappeared inside the Domain, leaving the door open. Moko exhaled, waiting for her return. Distant sounds of commotion erupted, a sound of a man and the grandma. The man’s tone was sharp—probably not his day. Waiting, he darted his eyes around the sophisticated Domain. Some of these buildings blending in with nature was something worth remembering. He imagined what it’d smell like inside. Wafting the cool air from the interior, there was a faint smell of coffee brewing and papers.

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Moko then felt a slight nudge from behind, pushing him off balance. He caught himself and widened his stance. From his back, a muffled voice softly emerged, hidden by a layer of garments. The sounds and movement came from beneath his cloak. He lifted his arm to feel a small body sliding its way from the concealment. Terayla stuck her head out of the cloak, keeping her body hidden from plain sight.

“Terayla,” Moko sighed. “It’s not that bad. You heard the grandma, right? She sounds nice.”

“Yeah, but…” Terayla looked up and gave a reluctant response. She tucked his fabric closer around her. “I still can’t do it.”

“Come on. Get out.”

With a forceful push, Moko brought Terayla out of his cloak. She stumbled forward with a panic fumbling out of her mouth. He grabbed her hand in case she was going to fall. (It was an impulse at this point from their time of traveling.) Moko couldn’t count how many times she fell from random pebbles or branches.

When Terayla situated herself, she realized she was no longer hidden. Flustered, she looked up at him. “M–Moko!”

He tightly wrapped the cloak, giving her no chance to crawl back in. She reached her little hands on his sleeve, tugging him with plead.

“We visited many people over the past 11 days, but you still couldn’t show yourself in front of anyone. I think I gave you enough time.”

“No! I want more time!” Terayla said with a sobbing tone, trying to rush behind him so she couldn’t see the gaping door.

“Wish declined.” Moko spun and leaped away. Her grip slipped, and before she knew it, she stood in front of the door. She tried running after him, but she sensed a pair of eyes looking at her. Terayla raised her head. The woman was staring back.

“Oh, who might this youngster be?” Despite her welcoming smile, Terayla looked back with shaking eyes. She tried searching for Moko, but he was nowhere to be seen—completely alone, and feeling timid. Her cheeks blushed and her legs weakened. Light whimpers escaped her. With a loaded bag in her grasp, the elderly woman peeked over the entrance and also looked around. “Where is the gentleman that was here just a minute ago?”

Terayla kept standing idly. Her voice left her lungs and tears flowed out of her eyes. She couldn’t control her rattling lips. Her hands fiddled together. Moko watched from behind a bush and scratched his head. –Terayla…

After giving her a few seconds with the lady, Moko left his hiding place. He calmly walked to the woman. “Sorry about that,” he said, caressing Terayla’s head. She quickly slipped from his hand and ran behind him. He sighed and focused on the elder. “Is the food here?”

The woman lifted her head to meet Moko’s gaze. She smiled, presenting the bag to him. “It’s right here. Enjoy! I couldn’t ask for more. My son is currently hogging all his Entities to buy an Upgrade, but I tried getting the most out of him. I got you some packaged meat, vegetables, and some fruits. Those are always a must.”

“They sure are,” Moko chuckled as he grabbed the bag, feeling the weight behind the plain texture.

“And if I may ask, dear, who was the little girl? Is she with you?” She asked, smiling with wrinkles gracing her cheeks.

“Uhm...” Moko reached behind to feel her presence. Terayla slapped his hand away. He jolted from the hit. –She’s mad… He faced the woman again and nodded. “Yeah. She’s with me.”