Later that night, after dark in Anna’s room…

Our stuff is packed for tomorrow. We spent the evening after dinner and prayers sorting everything out. It wasn’t much work since we’re travelling light.

I’m gonna bring my phone with me this time. I didn’t in the previous timeline – I left it behind in the Chantry, forgotten amidst six Seeds of training and studying after its battery ran dry.

But something tells me I shouldn’t leave it behind again. Call it a gut feeling.

We’ve got a long day ahead of us. The ferry leaves at dawn, barely an hour after morning prayers. We’ll have to grab breakfast from the dining hall to go if we wanna board on time. And we will – because it’s the last taste of home we’ll have for a long while.

Good grief. I’m a tangled mess of emotions right now! I’m excited, but beneath that, there’s this gnawing sense of homesickness – not from being away just yet, but from knowing it’s coming… having experienced it before. It’s not the feeling itself… it’s the dread of anticipation, the certainty that I’ll miss home all over again.

Right now, we should get some sleep, but I don’t feel tired. Just… restless. Anna must feel the same way. We’re hanging out together, side by side, on her bed. Sure, it’s a little cramped… but we’re making it work!

She’s playing a game on my phone, the same one I showed her on the night she learned how to cast Sanctuary. Learning how to be gentle with that touchscreen. She hasn’t broken it yet… so I’d say she’s doing pretty well.

Honestly, it’s not a great use of my phone’s battery (there are no places to charge phones on Nisha, unfortunately!), but it’s fine. I told her she gets twenty minutes. No more, no less!

But… she’s stopped playing. And it’s been way less than twenty minutes. I look down at my phone, now resting in my hands, and turn it off before shifting my attention to her.

She’s staring at the bedsheets, eyes dark with sorrow.

“Hey, Anna…” I say, smiling gently. “Everything alright?”

She nods forlornly. “Yes. I’m sorry, Arisa…”

“For?”

“Umm, I…”

Her voice wavers, and I see the tears welling in her eyes. “Because I shouldn’t be like this. We’ve worked so hard for this together. I should be ready. And yet, I…”

Her words dissolve into quiet sobs. Tears roll down her cheeks, dropping onto the bedsheets like raindrops. And I understand. I remember. It was the same in the last timeline when we left for the Holy City.

She’s lived on the Isle of Spirits her entire life. For all she knows and remembers, this is home.

“Anna…”

I don’t hesitate. As her Healer, as hers… I pull her into my arms, letting her cry on my shoulder. It’s the same thing a close friend did for me when I left my sleepy village to study in the big city, back in my world. And in that moment, it meant the world to me.

Oh, Anna… seeing you like this again… if I can shoulder even a little of this for you – after everything you’ve done for me in this timeline and the last – I’ll do it gladly.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

It’s the least I can do.

“I’ll miss Mom and everyone in the Chantry! Arisa, I…”

“Hey, don’t worry…” I say softly, rubbing her back in slow, soothing circles. “Besides, if you’re feeling this way… it’s a good thing.”

She sniffles. “Huh? What do you mean…?”

“It means you love them. It means you care about Lady Iris and everyone in the Chantry. And when you’re on the mainland, that love will remind you why and who you’re fighting for. It’ll make you braver. Stronger!”

“You… you really think so?”

Her voice is small and fragile, trembling with unspoken emotions. I reach out, gently squeezing her hand, grounding her in the solace of my touch.

“That’s what I told myself when I left my hometown to study in the city, back in my world,” I say softly, my voice warm with reassurance. “It gave me the strength to step away from home and embrace the unknown. And you will too, Anna. This sadness in your heart… this too shall pass away.”

“Was it that easy for you?” Anna asks, her voice uncertain, caught between wanting to believe my words and the weight of her doubts. “Just thinking positive thoughts…”

I shake my head, a soft sigh escaping me as memories resurface. “It was only the first step. I struggled after that to find my place in the city… but I made a friend who helped me through it. She kept me going. It wasn’t easy... but I persevered.”

“Like everything in life…” Anna murmurs. “Perseverance, Mom says… is the key to heaven.”

“Yeah. It’s sorely needed on the road to paradise,” I say as I gently brush away Anna’s tears, my touch light, careful. “And on that road… I’d say a smile better suits a Paladin. Don’t ya think so?”

“Arisa…”

Her lips tremble, and then… finally, she smiles – soft and bittersweet. As I admire it, she leans in close and presses a feather-light kiss to my cheek.

“Heh. You’re very much welcome, Lady Silverlight!” I say with a chuckle, grinning as warmth creeps up my face. “So, that’s enough worrying for tonight, yeah? Promise?”

Anna giggles at that, the last traces of sorrow fading from her eyes. “I promise I won’t worry anymore. Not tonight, at least.” Shall we talk about something else? Anything but tomorrow.”

“That works for me!” I declare, ruffling her hair. “So, what should we talk about? Anything but tomorrow – to keep our minds occupied!”

“Hmm…”

She ponders, her fingers tapping idly against the bedsheets. I glance around her room, taking in its warmth. Even if it’s a little small, it’s so very… Anna. Plushies neatly arranged on shelves, a stack of vinyl records by the desk, yellow light casting a gentle glow over everything.

And then, my eyes land on Ascalon.

The legendary claymore rests on a wall-mounted weapon rack, alongside my staff Elizabeth. Its ornate hilt gleams silver… like moonlight.

“Have I ever told you about my blade… and my Second Mom?” Anna asks suddenly, her voice quiet. “Back in your timeline, I mean.”

I nod. “Yeah, you did. I know about Lady Claire Silverlight. She was the Executor… Lady Iris’ Paladin. She brought you here after rescuing you from a Dungeon, right?”

“That’s what Mom says…” Anna murmurs, her voice quiet, almost lost in thought. “I was ten years old. Waking up here, with Mom at my side… that’s my oldest memory. I don’t remember anything before that moment. And umm… Mom doesn’t like to talk about what happened.”

I nod solemnly. “I asked her about Lady Claire in the previous timeline. And uh… it didn’t go too well. And you told me… you never met her, ever?”

“She passed away before I woke up.”

I exhale as I look at Anna, my gaze unwavering. “So, your Second Mom gave her life to ensure yours. Damn – that’s badass!”

“Yes indeed! She was the bravest and the best of all.”

“Even better than you, my Paladin?”

Earnestly, Anna nods. Our eyes drift back to Ascalon, and then she gestures toward her desk. “That’s her, Arisa. With Mom.”

I follow her gaze and spot a framed photograph, its edges gilded in gold and silver. Lady Iris and Lady Claire stand side by side, adorned in holy regalia befitting the grandeur of the Order of Selene – regal and impossibly dignified. The picture is old… yet Lady Iris looks untouched by time, her face and body as young as ever. Perks of being a Healer, I suppose!

“Damn,” I say. “She’s really pretty.”

“She is,” Anna whispers, a touch of awe in her voice. “I’ve heard the others in the Order speak of her courage in battle and her unwavering compassion for those in need. She’s a true Paladin in every sense of the word.”

I grin. “I reckon that’s true if you’re her daughter. Apples don’t fall far from the tree, y’know!”

“I do my best to be like her every day, Arisa.”

Our gazes settle once more on Ascalon and Elizabeth. And then, suddenly…

A faint shimmer of soft, golden light. A glint of silver.

“Oh my!” Anna gasps. “Elizabeth and Ascalon… they’re glowing!”

Our weapons… it’s almost like they’re trying to tell us something. Dare I say it – something about Anna’s Second Mom.