Once I emerged from the remnants of the portal and left the shadows of the past behind, I was reborn. My powers were gone, and with them, any remnants of my previous life. No one remembered my face, my name, or who I had been. I wandered for half a day through the familiar lands connecting the Silverleaf Forest and Emberfield, aimless for the first time, because for the first time, I had no destination.

When I stepped out, I was no longer a child. I had grown into a man. My hair was longer, my body stronger, and my face bore the features of the man I had once been in Elyria. I had been a child for only a year before everything shattered—a perfect dream turned into a harsh reality. I began with nothing, achieved everything, and ended up with nothing again.

As I approached the outskirts of Emberfield, my former home, the village entrance came into view. The carved year on the wooden sign had changed from 9:87 to 9:94. Seven years had passed since I entered the portal; what felt like a few days to me had been nearly a decade here.

"Iris must be grown up by now," I thought, a bittersweet smile forming on my lips as I walked into the village one last time.

To my surprise, not much had changed in seven years. The marketplace was still bustling with people, the lively atmosphere filled with the constant haggling between merchants and villagers. It brought me peace of mind, knowing that the essence of the place remained unchanged and that the people were happy. Children played joyfully in the streets, their faces painted with smiles and their eyes filled with life. They didn't worry about tomorrow or think about the past; they were focused solely on the ball in front of them, living entirely in the present. Perhaps it's something I should try—but first, I needed to confront my past and finally find closure.

Soon, I found myself facing a steep hill, and a peculiar little house stood atop it. I remembered the first time I climbed this hill, my breath ragged and my legs sore for days afterward. Reminiscing now, it struck me that this little hill had changed my life forever, and all the pain had been worth it. However, this time, I climbed it with ease; it wasn't nearly as steep as I remembered.

With light footsteps, I hugged the walls of my home and peeked through the windows like some thief in the night. The hallway was empty and the living room was quiet; no one was home. Since it was around midday, Mother was probably running her bakery and Iris was...

„I don't know where she is, she is a grown woman after all,” I smiled.

"Who is?" came a tiny voice from behind me.

Turning around, I saw a young woman with shoulder-length hair and hazel eyes, looking at me with a puzzled expression.

"You're not here to steal anything, are you?" she asked.

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"Um, no, of course not..."

"Then why are you sneaking around like some common thief?" she pressed.

"I'm not sneaking around, I’m just..."

"Well, spit it out!"

"Um, I'm looking for a friend, Silas the bard!" I blurted out, the first thing that came to mind. It was the only answer that made sense, given Silas's semi-famous status.

"He no longer lives here. He left some years ago in search of inspiration. He claimed that the goddess of fine arts had abandoned him, and he needed to rekindle his relationship with his first love: adventure. If you ask me, I think life here was never good enough for him, so he decided to abandon my mother and me and search for a new life." Her eyes held a somber look, tinged with sadness and a flicker of anger.

"What is your name?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Iris."

She had grown into a fine young woman. It took me a moment to recognize that this was Iris, my little sister, now hidden behind a more mature expression. Every part of me wanted to run to her and embrace her, but I held back; she no longer remembered who I was.

"So, what’s your name?" she broke the awkward silence.

"Um, it’s... Milas," I lied, immediately regretting it.

"You're Milas? A friend of Silas?" she asked skeptically.

"Yes. We grew up together," I continued the lie.

"Who are you kidding? Silas is ancient; isn't he supposed to be hitting forty soon?"

"Yes," I admitted as the lies caught up with me.

"So, how would that work? You two growing up together? You’re no older than twenty."

"Well, you see..." I laughed nervously, trying to come up with another lie, but only making things worse. "What I meant to say was, it was me who grew up physically, and he mentally; thus, we grew up together."

"Ew, that's disturbing!" she flinched, her face contorted with disgust.

"I... I should go!" I panicked, hastily passing her, finding it increasingly difficult to continue lying.

The truth is, being next to her hurt. Seeing how she had changed hurt. Her once bright eyes are now dimmed, her warm smile taken away, and that hurt more than I ever thought it would. She was no longer the Iris I knew, and it pained me to look at her. I remembered her as my sister, but she only saw a stranger. I should leave; coming here was a mistake.

"Wait! Mother will be home soon for lunch. You should stay! She probably knows where Silas is, so... wait just a little while longer, okay?" Iris pleaded, almost begging me to stay, even though I was a complete stranger to her.

"Fine. I'll stay," I blurted out without much thought, knowing I could never say no to my little sister.

We sat down in front of the door that overlooked the entire village. Once, this view made me believe I could see all of Eldoria, and now, it made me realize just how little of the world I had seen. I had never even properly left the village, let alone crossed the border of the eastern realms. This view gave me some perspective, a push, if you will, to leave my old life behind.