After we returned to the settlement, we were approached by angel Sophie. In a second all of my injuries were gone, all that remained was deep-seated tiredness.

“Sometimes, a single word is all that matters,” Sophie said.

“Thank you. It’s two words but I think those are the ones I’m supposed to say,” I looked at the angel quizzically. She didn’t explain herself and flew away without looking back.

“Do you need help reaching your home?” Richard disrupted the silence.

“I’ll manage, thanks for asking.” He already did more than I could have expected.

I reached my hut and slumped onto the bed. Dream didn’t come. Today was the fourth day, meaning that tomorrow was the last chance to explore the caves. The day after tomorrow will be the second trial.

I had enough adventures for today. It seems like I will only be able to enter the caves tomorrow. But was it really alright for me to explore them? Before I acted on a presumption of my own immortality but according to shark Jedediah, I was really lucky to stay alive for so long. If I were an easy prey as the shark had claimed, how was I able to survive through my marine travels?

Should I stay in the settlement, away from danger until the time of the trial? No. However dangerous it was to explore, my desire to find out the meaning of what was going on was at its strongest. I’ll find the answers no matter the price.

At some point my musings were interrupted by a knock on the entrance door. “Come in,” I invited whoever was there. President floated in my hut’s premises, his pages rustling ever so slightly.

“How did you knock on the door? Don’t you lack hands for that?” Hopefully my question wasn’t too rude.

“It’s a magic trick I learned. More importantly, Richard explained Jedediah’s matter to me. We made a decision to lock him up until a trial, I used my magic to make sure he won’t escape. So don’t worry, there should be no issues with that. I’m sorry for what you went through,” I felt that President’s voice was a bit distant. Did something else happen?

“You don’t sound too good, President. Did something I’m not aware of take place during my absence?”

The book eyed me in spite of it lacking organs for that, “My cave exploration today didn’t yield enough information. Tomorrow is the last day. Hopefully I will find crucial information. I want not to vote blindly again.”

And as such I was left to my devices yet again. Thanks to angel Sophie’s intervention I was feeling good enough for a stroll in just a few hours. I left the settlement going in one direction of the island I have yet to visit.

Trees and clusters of bushes were everywhere. I didn’t expect to find anything mind-blowing in the first place, so it was fine even if my little adventure won’t yield any meaningful results. But even if we are set on receiving nothing in return, deep down we still hope for surprise.

My efforts brought a result as I came across a lonely hut in the middle of the island’s forest. It didn’t look dilapidated nor conquered by the plant life, that overwhelmed everything around.

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I knocked on the door not expecting an answer but remaining true to the basic manners. Whether ghosts or spirits took this as their abode, they won’t be able to find fault with me entering unannounced. My knock however was answered by a familiar voice, “Come in.”

Inside the house I saw doll Reina. I didn’t see her in the village, so did she decide to settle here? But living alone in the forest seemed like a wacky idea no matter how I looked at it.

“Don’t you feel lonely living alone in here?” I asked Reina.

“It’s alright,” Reina lowered her eyes. “It’s curse related. Would you like some tea?”

I nodded, my eyes wandering around. Reina managed to procure a decent amount of porcelain utensils for her house. One would guess she would be extremely careful with them, but no. I noticed a few shards, which belonged to different tableware, lying around. “Do you need my help with cleaning up those shards?” I asked the doll.

“No, it’s fine,” she shook her head while taking an intact cup and pouring some tea in it. It seems like her living conditions were much less wild than I initially thought.

She never was a loud type of person. Even if something wasn’t right, I think she would just stay silent.

“Reina, are you sure everything is fine? I really can try to help, be it with cleaning or something else, this wasn’t meant only as a courtesy,” however clumsy the doll was, I doubted she was the one to break that lot of tableware. Was there something dangerous around?

“It’s fine, don’t worry,” she placed a steaming cup in front of me. I took a sip and was surprised in a good way. The tea was delightful, though it had some sort of subtle flavor to it which seemed to disappear the moment I took another sip.

Reina sat on a chair across from me, watching as I drank the tea, “You know, that traitor who took Raphael’s place was truthful about one thing.”

“Oh?” what was this about?

“Raphael didn’t control Vlad. I did,” Reina admitted.

It was wrong. One of the main reasons we exiled Raphael was because he controlled unicorn Vlad, didn’t he? Why would Reina claim that she was the one behind mind control now? Something didn’t add up.

“There’s something else I wanted to say. Thank you for saving me back then, during shades attack. I wanted to make sure to express my gratitude in time,” Reina added.

“Why did you control Vlad though? And why stay silent?” I inquired.

“He was a time bomb, a one that will surely explode if left alone. But when my control slipped and he claimed to be mind-controlled, the issue inflated to a decree where I was too afraid to confess,” Reina explained in an even tone.

And so we sat. I continued to drink the tea, as it was too good to be left unfinished and Reina was watching me, her eyes unblinking.

It grew increasingly darker. Dense array of clouds covered the sky, blocking the sun. Soon it rained and it rained hard. I was glad that such inclement weather didn’t catch me on my way. I looked at the sky absentmindedly, as Reina refilled my cup, “Cumulonimbus.”

“I’m sorry?” Reina looked at me quizzically.

“Cumulonimbus. It’s what those clouds are called,” I had a nagging feeling that I was forgetting something of much importance.

I was looking at the sky with an increasing frown. The second cup gave place to the third, yet the weather still was as gloomy as it could get. I don’t remember as much as a cloud in the sky for all those days I spent here, on the island. Why must it rain the only time I left towards the island’s corner?

Well, I wanted an adventure and here it is. It will be a real adventure to return home during such weather. I saw a lightning in the distance, the sound of thunder coming right after. I exhaled, even tea couldn’t mend that bitter feeling.

“You could stay here for a night, in the next room. That’s, if a couch is good enough for you,” Reina offered, my plight didn’t go unnoticed.

“I’ll take you on that offer,” I smiled. It seems like my night won’t be as disastrous as I thought.

After another cup and with Reina’s promise that she would brew that tea again, she showed me another room, the one where the couch, and as of now my supposed bed, was located.

The room seemed good enough, if cozier than my own hut, and with a ‘good night’ wish we separated. I reclined on the couch and immediately joined Sheep in the dreamland. My time there, unfortunately, was cut short.