Aster ran at the front of the group, leading the way once again, but unlike before, the carefree smile was nowhere to be seen; instead, panic and worry were painted on his face. On the other hand, Pit followed behind as he carried both Carter and Priya over his shoulders. Aiyah and Weiss flanked both sides carrying the burning sticks while Aster held the last alchemic lantern. Aiyah had a calm facade, her eyes darting to the location of every sound, judging what could be hiding behind the noise. While Aiyah showed maturity, Weiss jumped and cried from every slight movement of the clawing shadows and creaking sounds.

Aster moved his legs as fast as he could; his breath came in short, shallow gasps as he pushed himself to take just one more step. With his eyes tightly shut, he ignored the burning pain as his legs kept yelling for him to stop. What about my brother? If I can just take one more step, he will be able to make it back. That was the only motivation that Aster held as he kept moving forward.

Suddenly, his feet felt something hard as the terrain under them had changed from soft dirt to something much harder. Then his body thudded face-first against a flat surface, sending him tumbling backward before landing on his back.

"What did I just hit?" Aster asked, rubbing his nose.

Pit looked at Aster, sitting on the ground, and the wooden wall he had just run into, question marks floating around his mind as he glanced around.

"Pit, do you know where we are?" Aiyah asked

"I have no idea, but it seems like some kind of village?" Pit said, unsure of what he was looking at.

Pit gazed at the dilapidated and rotting structures, their walls covered in different plants seeming to help hold the falling buildings from collapse. The cobbled stone that made the paths were worn and rounded, with some missing, creating holes in the ground where more plant life was growing. He couldn't help but wonder what this place used to be and how it had become as it was now.

"We should look for somewhere else. It might be a little dangerous in these crumbling buildings."

"We can stay outside. We don't even have to go in any buildings... The trees and this wilderness and those things that attacked are scary, and I feel better when there is something like this close instead of the trees."

"Weiss, it's dangerous in the open, and Pit can't protect us all night, and we can't do anything..."

"Enough! We are staying here. I don't want to go farther away from my brother... somewhere he couldn't find us. At least here we have a chance, and it's not like we can't find a building that is not collapsing to stay just one night in."

"Aster!"

"Aiyah, enough. We can give this to Aster... Why don't we take some time to look around and see if we can find a building that is safe enough to spend the night in?"

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After some time, Pit tried to put the children to sleep, but Aster refused to leave the door and kept staring at their path to get there. Aiyah sat beside Aster in silence while Pit sat outside in the middle of the overgrown path. The other three were sleeping soundly inside.

Pit sat on the cobbled path, his fingers twiddling nervously as he gazed into the endless night sky. The silence was almost deafening, broken only by the occasional rustle of nearby trees, Aster and Aiyah's subtle movements, or the crumbling building's creaking. As he sat there, lost in thought, a small pillar of green light suddenly caught his eye, shining brightly in the distance.

Turning to Aster and Aiyah, he saw that they had both fallen asleep, their heads resting gently against each other. A sense of frustration and powerlessness welled up within him as he saw their peaceful and hopeful sleeping faces.

The complex emotions bubbled over, and he tightly clenched his fists; his knuckles cracked, and the sound echoed through the air. However, he quickly took a deep breath and calmed himself, reminding himself of the importance of staying composed in such a dire situation. He gently scooped up Aster and Aiyah, bringing them inside. He pulled himself outside, determined to observe the green pillar slowly fade away into the darkness. This would be his last respect for the friend and rival that he had had for the last couple of years.

The man left by Hermes to watch the group had stayed close by, enjoying as he watched Pit and the children wonder their way through this ordeal. There were some close calls with some beasts, including the Night Beast, coming close, but it was easy for him to deal with them. He was surprised when the children stumbled upon the old Ambrosia village, but it was good for them. When Morin rose tomorrow, he would let those two children Hermes had put in charge of the orphanage know where the children were, and then he could return to Hermes.

The shimmering green light caught his attention, and he moved from the tree where he had been resting to a nearby roof to get a better look.

"Was it you, the beast, or both?"

***

Hermes made his way through the narrow streets with a calm and steady pace. The dimly lit surroundings didn't seem to hinder his progress in the slightest as if he knew every inch of the place by heart. With each step, he took in every detail of his surroundings with a smile - the flickering flames of the street lamps, the rustling of the leaves, and the occasional creaking of the old wooden buildings. Despite the quietness of the village, a sense of anticipation lingered in the air, as if something was about to happen. But Hermes remained unfazed, his eyes fixed on the path ahead.

"How was your son?" Hermes asked with a smile

A ghostly figure emerged from a nearby alleyway and began to follow his every step.

"I did not speak to him."

"I see that you at least meet his spouse."

"..."

"I remember that you were quite proud of that girl. She was too good for your son, right."

"..."

"Everyone makes mistakes, Cherese, and it is never too late to fix those mistakes."

"I understand, Grandmaster, but I would like to handle this problem on my own if you allow it."

"If you need help, just let me know, child."

"Thank you, Grandmaster!"

With a slight turn, Hermes caught sight of the shadowy figure standing in the shadows of the nearby buildings. His eyes locked onto theirs, and he couldn't help but feel a bit of pity. The stranger's features were blurred by the dim light, but their stance was poised and ready to bolt at any moment.

"Cherese, do not be blinded by the emotions of the past when making a decision on the future. It will only leave more scars."

The shadowy figure halted for a moment before darting into the obscurity of the night, disappearing from sight in a matter of seconds.