The guard assigned to Aden and Alain left after receiving orders from the priests.
The two boys were left alone, their minds full of thoughts and worries.
"So... what do we do now?" Alain asked.
"Let's just wait here. Trust Mom," Aden replied.
"Hey, Aden... do you think there's a connection between Mom and the 'witch' we suspected was living in Zaya's house, even before we knew she existed?"
"I've actually been thinking about that. Maybe, for some reason, we were searching for her there. We assumed a certain 'witch' lived in that house, and it was probably her all along."
"I thought so too. It makes sense. Instead of a regular 'witch,' we found the greatest witch of all…"
A chill ran through both of them as they remembered Zaya.
"What do you think it means that I received the power of darkness?" Alain asked.
"I'm not sure. Maybe it really is connected to what Zaya did to us."
"Or maybe I'm not really Mom's child… who knows."
Aden gave him a faint look of irritation. He knew Alain was being sarcastic, but it still made him uncomfortable to hear him direct his frustration at their mother.
"I'm kidding, Aden."
"I know, but that's not something to joke about. Mom gives us everything she has. I can feel how sincere and full of love she is toward us."
"You know, Aden, I don't remember what our relationship was like before we entered Zaya's house… but I feel like you've always been self-righteous, and something about you always rubbed me the wrong way."
Aden didn't understand where that comment came from.
"Let's just forget about that. I think we should rest a little. Mom will probably be back by morning, and then we can return to our kingdom with her."
Alain was about to agree, he was tired too, and it seemed like the logical thing to do, but something inside him didn't sit right with that plan.
"I think I'll take a walk around the city."
"Alain!" Aden snapped.
"You can stay here. I'll walk around and be back soon, don't worry."
Aden wanted to argue, but before he could say anything, he realized Alain wouldn't listen anyway. The smartest thing to do was to let him go and get it out of his system.
"Alright… I'll wait here."
Alain was surprised by Aden's sudden agreement. He hadn't expected it, and it even annoyed him a little.
He walked off without saying another word.
A few hours had passed since Alain left.
He continued wandering through the kingdom, keeping himself distracted by admiring the impressive architecture of its buildings.
His mind wandered back to his last conversation with Aden, and to everything that had happened in the last day. Frustration began to bubble inside him.
"Mom gives us her all," that's what he said. I wonder if she's really giving her all to us… or to who we used to be…
How can he act like that? Doesn't he realize the situation? It's like we didn't even exist before a day and a half ago. Like we were born yesterday! It's insane.
Maybe it's all just a dream I'll wake up from soon… and when I do, I'll find myself in a normal world, not this insane one.
How can anyone want to keep living when they don't know who they used to be? I don't get it. Aden is such an idiot. If we lost our past, then we're not the same people anymore. We don't have to be tied to who we were.
Everything that shaped us is gone. Nothing from our past selves remains.
Or maybe… there was never anything to shape us. Maybe it's all just nonsense. I can't feel any trace of who I used to be. How am I supposed to trust that what I'm doing now is what I truly want?
Alain's anger at Aden's naive attitude grew.
He spiraled further into thought, his frustration extending to everything, including himself.
But eventually, he began to calm down.
The only thing I really feel… is how wrong all of this is.
Yeah… it's not normal, and I feel it in every cell of my body.
If there's one thing I'm sure of, it's that this whole situation is completely messed up. At the very least, I need to hold onto that. Maybe one day I'll figure out what I want.
For now, I'll focus on this new reality and create a new 'me.'
He took a few deep breaths and tried to smile.
He looked at one of the buildings, glowing brightly in the dark night. He managed to smile for a moment, but it quickly faded.
Even in this new reality he'd been thrown into, he had failed to find what he truly wanted.
Even ignoring every other existence outside this bizarre world, his desires were completely at odds with reality.
That glowing building in the dark reminded him of the kind of power he and his brother had received.
---
Elsewhere in the kingdom, Tamiel climbed the stairs toward his private office.
He had tried to sleep but couldn't, so he decided to take a walk outside for some fresh air.
In the end, he chose to take care of a few things tonight to lighten his workload for tomorrow.
He opened the door to his office and prepared to sit down.
He adjusted the chair.
He was just about to sit-
When an unexpected presence caught him off guard.
"Couldn't sleep?"
Tamiel flinched.
Standing before him was a man dressed in black and purple fabric.
Tamiel tried to process the situation. After a few seconds, he relaxed and replied.
"Yeah… figured I'd take care of a few things tonight."
"Why didn't you inform us that the witch from the Kingdom of Gaia arrived? What is she doing here?"
"Don't worry. She came to deliver a message, but I handled it."
"Did you make sure no one else has access to her information?"
"Yes, I made sure of it personally…"