Whuh oh, uh, huh? Wuzzat? What's going on? Snort, ugh, whoa... I must've dozed off like hell. Geez, it's warm as fuck. It's the middle of summer, so why did I cover myself up in a blanket? Let's just get that off and... there. Huh, speaking of the middle of summer, it's an awfully bright morning, isn't it?

"Brooooo!" Eleanor's little voice called out to me as she loudly opened the door, "Ugh, the room is so humid! I told you to keep the window open, otherwise you'll suffocate in this pigsty!"

"But then the bugs will come in and suck me dry..." I chuckled as she begrudgingly opened the windows for me, letting the cool morning breeze in, "Thanks, sis."

"That's not something you should be thanking me for." She sighed, "Moreover, get dressed and come out to eat before mom and dad leave for work. We oughta eat together as a family while we still can."

While we still can? That sounds ominous, makes it sound like we won't be able to do that soon. Geez, she's still a little girl, why is she seeing life so depressingly? Oh, she left the door open again as she left, typical of her...

"Sigh, I still gotta get dressed, y'know?" I chuckled, holding in my mild infuriation, "Can't really do that when the door's open, can I?"

"You sleep in your underwear anyways, so just shut up and put some shorts on or something!" She angrily retorted, "What?! Mom, dad, can't you stay a bit longer? He'll come down in just a bit!"

"Tch, looks like I was right on the money yet again..." I silently scoffed at my workaholic parents, "Why'd she even think they had even a few minutes left to spare on eating together with us? Eleanor, you're still naive, I guess... Then again, I was the same not too long ago, so maybe it isn't naivety, but hope?"

As the front doors opened and closed, suggesting my parents went to work their damned jobs and won't be coming back at least until the afternoon, I quickly put on some ragged teal shorts and a white tank top before sprinting on over to where Eleanor was sulking by the dinner table. Damn, seeing her disappointed like this, I just know she's gonna berate me for not coming over earlier.

"We only ever eat together for the weekend..." She surprisingly didn't get at attitude at all, instead just quietly slumping forward on the table as she unenthusiastically ate her porridge, "And I even made sure to add extra salt, just like how dad likes it..."

"Don't beat yourself up over it." I took dad's portion and slid it over to my plate, "It's their loss, more food for us, right? Ha-ha."

"Mn..." She groaned a bit right as she was about to say something, "Ed..."

"Yoohoo! Ed, let's play!" Grim called my name from the front gate just as he usually does, "Today's the day, so come on, get out here!"

Again with that? You said that yesterday, and the day before, and going all the way back to half a year ago. That's right, Grim's "amazing" plan to go out into the world and document what we find just like Schnell Douglas did ages ago. Such a grand and noble plan, how could two kids ever think to accomplish it?

"With willpower and perseverance..." I answered my own question as I rushed to finish my serving before getting up, "Gotta go, sis. Thanks for the food."

"W-Wait, bro!" Her voice became weaker as I ran out the door, "I wanted us to spend the day together..."

"What's up?" Grim nonchalantly asked.

"Dammit, can't it wait another day?" I really just wanted to blow him off once I heard Eleanor's sad voice, "I wanna spend some time with my sister today, so can't we reschedule?"

"Sigh, again?" He kind of sounded ticked off, "Reschedule this, reschedule that... At this point we're never leaving Whitehood."

"So then...?" I raised an eyebrow expectantly.

"Sigh, fine." He shrugged without caring all that much, "Family's important, especially if you've got such a sweet little sister that cares for you. We're really not in any rush to leave, so don't worry about it."

"Yeah, but I'd feel kinda bad if I just left you all on your own." I then got an idea, "Oh, I know! How about we take her with us today!"

"Whaaat?" He sounded apprehensive, "Take someone else to the hideout? But what if she finds out about our plans and tells on us to our parents?"

"Don't worry, we just gotta hide the supplies and she'll be none the wiser!" I smiled, "Besides, you two don't really hang out all too much. I'm sure she'll be thrilled to get to know you better!"

"Hmm, I dunno..." He looked back at my house before awkwardly turning around, "Ever since we've known each other, Ed, I always got the feeling she was staring daggers at me at every possible opportunity. Maybe it's best if I go home today and..."

"No, you're coming with us." I decided for him, "Yo, sis! I changed my mind, so let's hang out today!"

"Gasp! You really mean it!?" She swung the door wide open with stars in her Eyes, "Just the two of... us?"

"Haha, no silly!" I proudly showcased the awkwardly waving goober that was Grim to her, "The three of us! Come on, the more the merrier, am I right?"

"Not interested." She slammed the door in our faces.

"Oh come on!" I practically begged her on my hands and knees through the door, "Isn't it boring just lazing about in the house all day? Just come with us, I got something really cool to show you!"

"Hmm..." She adorably poked her head out the door, "Fine, since you asked... But I'm going right back home if it doesn't blow my socks off!"

"Oho, trust me." Grim looked smug, "It definitely wi-"

"Shut it, you." She hissed at him suddenly, "You ruined our date today, so just stay quiet if you know what's good for you."

"R-Right!" He actually gulped out of fear, which was hilarious to see, "S-Sorry, Elea-"

"And don't call me by my name!" She walked out all pouty, "You haven't earned the right to do so."

Wow, she's really taking her hatred for him to the next level. Like, he can't call you by your name? Seriously, then what if he needs to call out to you? Girls are so stupid sometimes...

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***

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"How much longer until we get there?" Eleanor groaned, "My feet are starting to hurt, it's not nice to make a girl walk for this long, you know?"

"We've barely been walking for like 5 minutes." I reminded her, "Come on, it's this really sick place that I think you'll really like! Isn't that right, Grim?"

"Mm." He nodded slightly, remaining awfully quiet the entire time.

"What's the matter? You usually talk your head off when we go to play outside." I furrowed my brows a bit.

"I can't talk." He muttered with his lips pursed, "Your sister gets mad when I do..."

Aww, what?! This guy's seriously getting all gentlemantly when someone who's not me is around!? Oh, I see how it is! So when my sister tells him off, he'll shut up in an instant, but when I tell him to shut his trap, he only raises his voice as a sign of defiance! What an ass, I hope he gets bitten by a million mosquitoes tonight!

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

"Here we are! The thing I wanted to show you...!" I excitedly pointed to the rundown two story house in the middle of the woods Grim and I turned into our hideout, "It's-!"

"Filthy." A black haired girl with Brownish Eyes snuck up behind us, "Why would anyone wanna live in such a rundown place? Come on Ed, you can do way better."

"Whoa, who the hell are you!?" Grim was a bit taken aback, "Did you follow us here!?"

"Yeah, what he said! But more importantly...!" Eleanor agreed with Grim before asking an equally as important question, "How do you know my brother! What's your name?"

"Humu, of course I know him." The girl lightly blushed before suddenly latching onto my arm, "I'm Ed's lawfully wedded wife, Anna!"

Hm? A girl suddenly proclaimed herself my lover. Of course, I'm not one to decline this offer, since she is pretty cute, but shouldn't I usually be more aversive in this situation? Seriously, how does she know who I am, and why does her calling herself my wife sound so right, despite us both being far away from the legal age of marriage?

"Dammit Ed..!" Grim bit his lips in frustration, his fist tightly clenched in front of his face, "I told you not to get too attached to the people here! Break up with her now!"

"Sorry, but we're married~!" Anna stuck her tongue out at him, still tightly holding onto my arm, "Husband and wife can't break up, that's why they say 'til death do us part!"

"Then divorce, goddammit!" Grim got even more angry before turning to me, "Seriously dude, wipe that stupid grin off your face and push her off of you!"

"Yeah, I hate to admit it, but he's totally right!" Eleanor got fussy as well for some reason, "That girl's way too suspicious! Suddenly sneaking up behind us to spout stupid stuff like marriage and all that... She must be a thief or something!"

"A thief?" A Red haired girl with hair just a tad shorter than Anna's popped her head out of the shrubbery next to Grim, "She's definitely not. I can see it in her Eyes, isn't that right, bro?"

Yet again, a Red haired spunky boy with jagged teeth and a bandaid on his nose rose up just next to her.

"Hell yeah, sis! A girlie 's dainty 's 'er couldn't mug a guy if he threw 'is wallet atter!"

"Who the hell are you!?" Grim got even more scared of the sudden company that surrounded us.

"My brother Carter, your brother-in-law." The Red haired girl pointed to the Red haired guy before pointing her thumb back at herself, "And me, your wife Cecily."

"What's with all these wives and in-laws all of a sudden!?" Eleanor started freaking out, "You're kids, dammit! Kids can't get married!"

"Nah, this has to be some sort of scam...!" A bright Red Grim started booking it to the hideout, "Ed, let's hide in the house! Screw this!"

"Oh no ya' don't!" Carter ran after him, the two of them making it inside the house.

"Hold on, Grim! Come on Eleanor!" I went to run after them, but got stopped by the two suspicious girls, "Oi, let me go! Help!"

"Ed, don't go with them!" Anna held me close to her.

"You too, Eleanor!" Cecily grabbed her as she thrashed around in her arms, "Don't go there. Once you do, you won't ever come back..."

"What do you mean!?" I shouted in a state of utter confusion, "It's just a damned abandoned house five minutes away from our homes! Just five minutes! Just five more...!"

Huh? Just five more minutes? Why is that phrase so familiar? Tears... why am I crying? I'm back home in Whitehood. Grim's here, Eleanor and my family are still together. Anna, Carter and Cecily are all alive and well, so what's the deal? No wait, what do I mean I'm "back" home? And why wouldn't Grim be here, or my family not be together? I've never met these other three weirdoes in my life either, so what gives? I don't get anything that's happening, but what I do know is that I can't say that phrase. Just five more minutes? Yeah right, screw that. I gotta get out of this place...

"Huh?" I suddenly found myself in a dreary cave, "Anna, Adam? What's...?"

"Edward!" A now very much adult Anna tightly embraced me as she cried her Eyes out, "Y-You're...! Thank Prylos-no, thank Aru, I thought I lost you!"

"Allucius, you came in the nick of time." The bulky king patted a small Purple haired girl's head as even he shed a tear, "Thanks to you, Edward gets to live another day."

"Heh, did you seriously doubt me?" The smug little girl smirked proudly, "I told you, didn't I? None of you are dying under my watch! Though I guess you spent an entire life's worth of luck on this, Edward Saint."

"Aru? What's... Ow, my head..." I tried getting up, only to realize I was lying here shirtless, and with a giant black wound right over where my heart is placed, "Holy shit! What the hell happened? Argh, my head's all fuzzy..."

"You got shot through the heart by that guy over there." Aru pointed to the giant dead scirp we fought just recently, "Thanks to my favor boosting your luck, though, it seems like the stinger didn't actually go through your heart like is should have. That pendant you were wearing blocked the damage just long enough for me to arrive and heal you up. That a good enough explanation?"

"The pendant..." I inspected the moon charm Grim had made for me back in his days as Sol Pandora, "Fuck, what kind of irony is this? Almost died the same way as the guy, and now his gift was the thing that saved me?"

"That's the pendant Lune gifted you, isn't it?" Anna wiped away her tears as she nostalgically recalled, "Next time we visit him, I oughta say my thanks..."

"Wait, by visit you mean...!?" I jolted up, still mixing up details from my dream with reality, "Is Grim alive!?"

"...Ed, looks like you're still a bit woozy from the venom." Adam shook his head slowly, "Lune died three years ago, remember?"

"O-Oh, right..." I reclined back in Anna's lap to bask in the feeling just a bit more, "Damn, I had the craziest dream just now. Looks like I still haven't woken up properly, heh."

"Go on then." Adam finally sat down across from us as he began listening intently, "While you rest, be sure to tell us everything about it."

"Yeah!" Anna then backpaddled a bit, "B-But only if you want to, that is! Don't force yourself if you feel like you need to rest!"

"Heh, no, I can talk." I then recalled that Aru had come back from a presumably dangerous fight, "Aru, what happened to Selzion?"

"He slipped away in the last second..." She grit her teeth before showing me a toothy smile, "But fuck it! If he didn't do that, I wouldn't have come in time to revive you, so just be thankful for that, at least. Point is, he got the gist once I beat some sense into him, so he won't be looking for that shadowy guy anymore, whoever he is."

"Is that so?" I turned my head back into a neutral position, looking up at Anna's face before regaling them with my little dream story, "Then, shall we begin the story time? Ahem, I woke up in Whitehood and..."