My second proper conversation with Bamm wasn't what I expected, it was a gut punch and even now, long after the conversation, my eyes are swelling up again, as I try to write down what happened.

I don't know how to write this, I feel like writing it down will solidify it as being the truth and I don't think I am ready to face this reality... but I have to move on.

I thought Bamm's new ability "Aping of the Monkeys" would be a blessing, it allowed us to finally talk like we could back before we got pulled into this surreal mess. I had many questions on my mind, I was curious how he felt, when he was roaming the forest alone. How he survived and what he encountered. The bliss I felt, as my mind was filled with ideas and imagination, the thrill of being able to sit together, joke around and laugh.

The loneliness I had felt this whole time made me feel like I was walking around with an empty stomach, but without appetite. Just the excitement alone tingeled my sense of smell and the aromas in the are, that had always been there, but was never felt, now covered my tastebuds with sensation.

Without no one else around, Bamm and I sat in the forest, we were preparing our only little feast over a nice little campfire. The sun was still high in the sky, when we sat, cooked and laughed. We had just been talking about making the feast at this point and I wish I had not brought it up until much later, as the warmth disappeared like seeing candlelight being blown out by the wind. I now feel alone in the dark, scared for my future.

I brought up our past, I asked him if he thought we could ever return to the lives we once had. It was an innocent question, but it upset him and he told me not to ask such a question and let the past be the past. Then he paused. It felt like minutes went by without breathing. His facial slowly relaxed and changed from being stiff and vexed to being troubled and distressed with his chin up and wringled, as he was holding back his tears.

Then he looked me straight in the eyes and broke it to me: "I am not your brother... and you are not my daugther." he turned away and wiped his eyes on his arm. "The day I saved you from that aggressor, I decided to take you in. To me you are family, even if we aren't related by blood."

I wasn't responsive and it felt like I wasn't truely present, it was like I was watching me and him from another angle. As a fly on the wall listening in on someone recieving devastating news. Bamm must have felt he wasn't breaking through to me and clarified, giving me certainty, that my brother wasn't among the gorillas. "I was the only gorilla calling out for someone, everyone else were there alone. Your brother must have been one of the unfortunate, who couldn't breath under the weight of everyone else. I am sorry."

At the time, I reacted poorly. I simply screamed at him and shouted in denial: "NO! No! What are you saying!? STOP!" I was immature and panicking, I just wanted to shut him up, as if they could preserve the past I believed in. Not ready to accept the implications, I slapped Bamm across the face and he stopped talking. I was selfish, I didn't consider him and his feelings at all.

"You killed my brother!" - I continued to act out like a horrible brat. I even went so far as to claim that he stole my chance to be with my brother the moment he grabbed me and ran away from the fight, that was escalating at the dumping grounds we woke up in.

He was clearly shaken, yet it was like he had been prepared to hear it for a long time and he responded calmy "I understand" and walked away. I cursed him, but didn't give chase. He was humble and mature and I knew better. It just felt like Bamm had taken away my brother.

That night I had a nightmare. I dreamt of back when Bamm rescued my from the gorilla who wore the satchel by crushing him with his whole body weight from above. But instead of the satchel wearing gorilla, it was my brother standing there, he just smiled at me and extended his hand just before he got squished into a bloody pulp. I woke up in a cold sweat, screaming anguishly and jumped out of bed with every intention to find and kill Bamm, but the feelings faded away shortly after I stood up.

I was a wreck and I isolated myself from Bamm, I didn't want to see him out of fear of my own irrational temper. I didn't want to cause a scene with a tantrum and I didn't truely want to hurt Bamm. I just want my brother back.

Since then, I spend many nights in grief and in the day I was completely dysfunctional, hating him and grieving over my brother, who likely had died in silence under the pile of corpses at the dumping grounds. My brother may never have been given the chance to live.

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My brother's passing have ignited a fire inside me, my goal since I came to this world has been to unmask the Cerberus Cult and retrieve the bodies of my brother and I. The loss of my brother has only intensified my search. There may be people walking around in our bodies, with our faces and doing unspeakable acts. I will find them, my brother's body will be burried and I may burn my own, depending on what has happened to it.

I shouldn't be blaming Bamm for what has happened, he is as much a victim as my brother and I. He has saved me, taken care of me and helped at every turn. Sadly, he isn't in the village at this time. He had been given orders to go and fight a new threat. Petramus, the wizard who has been building and expanding a garden around a tower he erracted in our forest, has recently begun actively burning down our trees again. His latest expansion has been deemed the final straw and Shirley send out soldiers to prevent him from bringing down any more of our nature. Rumours has it that Petramus has poured life into stone and made these animated rocks walk and do his bidding. Bamm was among the soldiers disbatched to deal with this new foe.

Rumours has it that this wizard is keeping a large library of books inside his tower. If I could have just shared this with Bamm, then maybe we could have come up with a plan together and infiltrated the tower. These books are bound to prove useful for understand this world and may help lead us to the Cerbeus Cult. I regret having lashed out at Bamm, he did nothing wrong.

I've asked Shirley to lend me the stick of mending once more and let me chase after Bamm and the others, but she disapproved my request and told me to wait in the village for further instructions. I am restless and pray for Bamm's safe returns. I need to make things right.

While I wait, I must research Petramus and his garden. I need to be useful, my brother wouldn't want me to grief and linger when I can be of use.

Once they are back, I will apologize to him and ask for his forgiveness. I'll listen to his story and be there for him, the way he has always been there for me. I want him by my side, as I unravel the mysteries of the Cerberus Cult. I need Bamm. My brother by heart, I'll bite my thumb and offer him my blood. If he does not accept, I will stay by his side and seek redemption by offering him my life and eternal servitude.

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I was tasked with aiding our people at one of our outposts after reports came in. They have suffered casualties from a plague invasion and needed assistance in keeping the diseases from taken any more of their people. Shirley bestowed me with the stick of mending once more and I went on my way. I hoped to make the round-trip quickly and pressured my escorts to get their faster. We arrived days earlier and thanks to this we were able to save many lives. The outpost may have been lost to the plague, had I not rushed.

My demands had honestly been selfish once again, as I rushed there hoping I could get back in time for Bamm's arrival. Yet it wasn't enough and Bamm had come back moments earlier. He had been treated without the stick of mending the best they could and Shirley had personally seen to it.

Bamm had passed out from internal bleedings just before I arrived on scene. I tended to him right away, the touch of his body was alarming to say the least. Every place I pushed with my finger tips gave way, suggesting his bones had been shattered, it was a miracle he was alive. I used the stick to mend every vital first and proceeded to put his bones in place and coating them and assisted the body in its healing.

The green leaves quickly wittered away, my experiences have served me well and the ability to mend was used carefully with speed. Bamm was out of danger and I continued to provide support throughout the night, waiting impatiently for a new leaf to grow.

That night, one of the monkeys who had overseen Bamm's fight, which put him in this horrible condition, came to me and shared what he had seen.

He told of Bamm's bravery and how it seemed he had the golem at it's ropes, but got caught and brought down in an instant. There were two curious points to his story. Bamm had peneltrated the golem's chest and revealed, that underneath the rubble was a metallic core - It was likely the same kind of core as people had mentioned was in the room before the Cerberus Cult changed it out with animals.

Secondly, the golem had suddenly changed its behaviour completely and rushed back through Petramus garden and broke down the entrance of the tower, trapping itself and Petramus inside. It had originally walked on two legs, but when it rushed back it charged on all four.

I only sat and listened, I avoided sharing my thoughts, but when I heard this, a fear of what may have happened build up inside of me and I haven't been able to let it go.

I believe there was a soul inside the metallic sphere and it may somehow have switched with Bamm, who then rushed to retaliate against Petramus.

This may be drawing conclusions, I am surely overthinking it, but I can't shake it off. What if the person I am bringing back to health isn't Bamm, but a servant of Petramus? Would he stay loyal to Petramus and attack me once he wakes up?

If I am not rushing the issue and this horrible situation turns out true, I am sure Bamm is still alive somewhere, but he may need rescue. Else, if Bamm is here with me, I would want to capture the golem and find a way to question the soul within it. He may be able to tell us more about the Cerberus Cult and help us find a way back to our bodies.

If Petramus' servant is inside Bamm's gorilla body, I may have to find a way to subdue him and interrogate him.

It is time for Prio to grow up and take action. I am here for you. Brother.