As Olian's story reached its end, the silence between them grew increasingly oppressive. Neither spoke. Nearby, firewood crackled softly, each faint snap briefly disturbing the stillness before fading away, but the sound did little to ease the weight that had settled over the porch.
Elifero stared at the ground, his thoughts tangled by everything he had just heard. The truth about Olian's father, the burden her mother had carried, JJ's decision to abandon his own future to support his family, Miranda's arrival, and the devastating circumstances surrounding his brother's death were not things he could simply respond to with a few comforting words. He struggled to find something meaningful to say, but every possibility seemed inadequate.
I'm sorry?
It sounded too small.
Everything will be okay?
That would be a lie.
He rubbed his fingers together nervously, searching for the right words. After several long moments, he finally broke the silence.
"Look..."
His voice came out quieter than he had expected. Olian didn't look at him; her gaze remained fixed ahead.
"I can't say I understand what you've been through. I really can't."
She remained silent, and Elifero hesitated before continuing. He remembered her final words, the certainty with which she had spoken about making Miranda pay for what she had done.
That's not anger. It's a promise.
"But..." He searched for the right way to express his thoughts. "I don't think a goal like that is something you should be chasing."
Olian's eyes shifted slightly towards him, but Elifero continued carefully.
"I understand that she ruined everything for you. For your family. Maybe even for the village. I do."
He paused, lowering his eyes as he considered what to say next.
"But revenge..." He rubbed his fingers together once more. "I don't think it's worth it."
Olian's jaw tightened, though Elifero failed to notice. His attention had drifted towards the road as he tried to organise his thoughts into something that might help her understand his perspective.
"What if one day that revenge takes you too?"
Olian finally turned towards him.
"What?"
"What if you're the one who disappears next?" His voice carried no accusation, only genuine concern. "What if you spend years looking for her, finally find her, and something happens to you?"
He turned to face her properly.
"Have you thought about how that would make your mother feel?"
Olian's shoulders stiffened, and her breathing began to change. Beneath her silence, anger was slowly gathering, but Elifero remained unaware of it.
"In my opinion..." He paused, struggling to find the right words. "You should let the past be."
Olian's fingers curled tightly against her dress.
"I don't think anything good comes from chasing revenge. You could waste your whole life searching for someone who might not even be out there anymore."
Her fists tightened, but Elifero continued.
"What if you find out she's already dead?"
His expression grew serious as he considered the possibility.
"What then?"
Olian slowly turned towards him.
"Would you go after her children instead?"
The moment the words left his mouth, something changed. The silence between them seemed to sharpen, yet Elifero still hadn't realised how deeply his words were cutting into her.
"Try fixing things at home with your mother," he continued. "Try living a better life instead of—"
"Shut up."
Elifero stopped mid-sentence and turned towards her.
"What?"
Olian's head was lowered, her fingers tightening around the front of her dress.
"I said..." Her voice grew harder. "Shut up."
His eyes widened slightly, but before he could respond, Olian snapped.
"Would you just shut up!"
Her voice tore across the porch, making Elifero recoil. The firewood continued to crackle nearby, but neither of them paid it any attention. Olian abruptly rose to her feet, her chest rising and falling as she stared down at him. Anger burned in her eyes, but beneath it lay something far more painful.
"What do you know?"
Elifero froze.
"What do you know about losing people who actually mattered to you, huh?"
Her words struck him harder than she could have known.
For the briefest instant, something flickered through his mind.
Fire.
A scream.
Someone's voice.
A terrible sensation, as though something precious were being ripped away from him.
Then it vanished.
Elifero blinked, his head suddenly feeling strange. He tried to grasp whatever had surfaced, but before he could make sense of it, Olian's voice pulled him back to the present.
"You keep talking about 'what if' like I haven't thought about any of this!"
Her voice cracked.
"You think I haven't wondered what could happen to me?"
Tears gathered in her eyes, but she fought to hold them back.
"You think I'm stupid?"
"I didn't say—"
"Then stop talking to me like I am!"
Elifero fell silent. Olian inhaled sharply, wiping at one eye before the tear could fall.
"Yeah," she said, her voice trembling. "Sometimes my emotions get the better of me. But I'm not stupid."
She glared at him, refusing to let her tears undermine what she was trying to say.
"I don't just rush into things without thinking and let my feelings destroy my life."
Her grip on her dress gradually loosened. The anger remained, but her voice dropped, becoming cold and exhausted.
"Just..." She looked away. "Mind your own business."
Elifero opened his mouth.
"Olian—"
She turned away before he could finish, leaving him helplessly watching as she walked towards the house. Julie appeared near the doorway just as her daughter approached.
"Olian?"
Olian brushed past her without answering.
"What's wrong?"
Still, she said nothing. She simply climbed the stairs, and a few moments later, a door slammed upstairs.
Julie remained near the entrance, staring after her daughter before turning her attention to Elifero. He immediately lowered his eyes, unable to meet her gaze.
He stayed on the porch, alone, with his hands resting between his knees and his eyes fixed on the ground. The conversation replayed itself in his head, each recollection making him more aware of how badly he had handled the situation.
Would you go after her children instead?
Elifero grimaced.
Maybe he'd gone too far.
No. He definitely had.
He had wanted to help her, to offer advice that might prevent her from throwing her life away in pursuit of revenge. Somehow, he had managed to make everything worse.
Was I wrong?
He still didn't believe revenge was a good thing. That part hadn't changed. But perhaps telling someone who had just opened up about losing her brother to simply let the past be wasn't something he had any right to say, especially when he knew so little about her life.
His thoughts returned to Olian's words.
What do you know about losing people who actually mattered to you?
His chest tightened.
He didn't know.
That was the problem.
He couldn't remember.
Elifero lowered his head. When Olian had walked past him, he had caught sight of a tear in her eye. She had tried to hide it, but he had seen it, and the image remained lodged in his mind. For the first time since waking in the village, he genuinely had no idea what to do.
Then the door creaked open.
Creeeak.
Elifero straightened immediately, his stomach sinking as Julie stepped outside. He braced himself for a scolding, perhaps even anger or an order to stay away from Olian. Instead, she quietly sat down nearby.
"Please..." Her voice was gentle. "Don't blame yourself."
Elifero looked up, confused.
"Huh?"
Julie offered him a faint smile.
"She's not angry at you."
He glanced towards the house.
"She looked pretty angry."
Julie almost laughed.
"Well..." She folded her hands. "Maybe she is."
Elifero's shoulders slumped.
"But she'll come around," Julie added, turning her gaze towards the upstairs window. "That's what JJ used to say whenever Olian stormed away from him."
Elifero looked at her with renewed interest.
"She used to get angry with him too?"
"Of course." Julie smiled faintly. "They were siblings."
For some reason, that simple answer relieved him. Perhaps he had been expecting Olian's behaviour to be something he alone had brought out of her, but the thought that even JJ had experienced her temper made the situation feel a little less hopeless.
"Just give her time," Julie advised.
Elifero nodded, and Julie rose to her feet.
"Come inside."
She opened the door and waited for him.
"You can speak to her when the time is right."
Elifero followed her into the house, glancing towards the stairs as he entered. For now, he decided that Julie was right. He would wait.
Morning arrived quietly.
The smell of breakfast drifted through the house as Julie hurried around the kitchen, preparing food before leaving for work. She glanced at the time and immediately realised how late it was getting.
"Oh, I'm going to be late..."
A sudden impact against the front door interrupted her.
Thump!
Julie stopped and waited a moment before opening the door. When she looked down, she found a newspaper lying outside. That alone would not have been unusual, but an envelope had been attached to it.
Frowning, she picked up both items and examined them. The moment she noticed the crest stamped onto the envelope, her expression changed.
She recognised it.
The village head.
Julie carried the newspaper and envelope inside, placing them on the table before returning to her preparations.
Later, footsteps sounded on the stairs as Olian entered the room, followed shortly by Elifero. Neither said much. The previous night's argument still lingered between them, and although they were now sharing the same room, the distance between them remained obvious.
Olian sat down, while Elifero chose a seat slightly farther away than usual. Julie noticed the change but said nothing, allowing them to begin breakfast in relative silence.
Olian picked lazily at her food until her attention wandered towards the opened envelope beside Julie.
"What's that?"
Julie glanced at the letter.
"It's from the head of the village."
Olian's hand stopped moving.
"What does she want?"
"It concerns you," Julie replied.
Olian frowned, but before she could ask anything else, Julie continued.
"After breakfast, I want you to go to the temple."
Olian looked up.
"The temple?"
"Yes." Julie then turned towards Elifero. "And take him with you."
Olian's expression immediately soured.
"Why does he have to come?"
Elifero lowered his gaze towards his food, choosing not to involve himself in the exchange.
"I can't leave him here by himself," Julie explained.
"He'll survive."
"Olian."
Julie gestured gently towards Elifero.
"He's been inside this house for days. Seeing the village might do him some good."
Elifero looked towards the window. She wasn't wrong. Aside from the porch, he hadn't properly explored anything beyond the walls of the house. If he wanted to understand where he was, perhaps seeing more of the village would help.
Olian leaned back in her chair.
"Fine."
Julie smiled.
"Thank you."
"I'm not doing it because I want to."
"I know."
Julie glanced at the time again, and her eyes widened.
"Oh!"
She quickly rose, gathering her belongings.
"I'm definitely late."
She hurried towards the door, but before leaving, she turned around one final time.
"Olian!"
"What?"
"Be a good girl."
Olian narrowed her eyes.
"And don't cause trouble."
"I don't cause trouble."
Julie stared at her.
Olian stared back.
Elifero looked between them, unsure whether he should say anything. Eventually, Julie sighed.
"Just... please."
With that, she hurried outside, and the door closed behind her.
Silence returned to the house.
Elifero slowly glanced towards Olian, who continued eating without acknowledging him. Neither spoke, and the awkwardness of the previous evening settled over them once more.
This is going to be a long walk.
It was—or at least, it felt that way at first.
Elifero and Olian walked side by side through the village, but their silence made the distance seem much greater than it actually was. Every so often, Elifero glanced towards her before quickly looking away, desperately searching his mind for something to say.
Say something.
He tried to think of a suitable topic.
Anything.
Still, nothing came to him. Every possible sentence sounded worse than the last, until Olian finally spoke first.
"The old lady lives in a big house."
Elifero blinked.
"What?"
Olian continued walking.
"There's a statue in front of it. It's not far from here, but if you're not used to the village, you can get lost pretty easily without realising it."
She pointed farther down the road, indicating their direction.
"Oh."
Elifero looked around. The paths certainly weren't helping. Some curved around houses before splitting unexpectedly, while others narrowed into passages between buildings and opened onto entirely different streets.
"Okay."
Silence returned, though this time it felt slightly less suffocating. Elifero took a breath before trying again.
"Olian."
"Hm?"
"About yesterday..."
Her steps slowed a little.
"I'm sorry."
Olian said nothing, so he continued.
"I shouldn't have said those things."
He rubbed the back of his neck, struggling to meet her eyes.
"You were right. I should've minded my own business."
That finally made her look at him.
For a moment, she studied his face before turning her gaze back to the road.
"I shouldn't have shouted at you either."
Elifero blinked in surprise.
Olian continued walking.
"I was angry."
"Oh."
"And blaming you for things that had nothing to do with you wasn't fair."
Elifero's shoulders relaxed slightly. The tension between them hadn't disappeared, but at least they were finally speaking without another argument erupting.
"So..." He glanced at her. "We're okay?"
Olian gave him a sideways look.
"Don't push it."
Elifero almost smiled.
At least that was something.
They continued deeper into the village, and for the first time, Elifero properly took in his surroundings. Children around their age ran through the streets, some chasing one another between houses while others gathered around a game he didn't recognise. Adults moved between buildings carrying baskets, tools, and supplies. A mother scolded her child for wandering too far away, someone shouted a greeting across the road, and another person answered with a laugh.
Elifero's gaze darted from one side of the street to the other, taking in everything he could.
The buildings. The people. The unfamiliar roads. Even the different smells drifting from the surrounding homes caught his attention.
Olian eventually noticed his restless curiosity.
"What are you doing?"
"Looking."
"I can see that."
Elifero ignored her, too fascinated by his surroundings to care about the remark. Everything was new to him, and for the first time since waking up, he felt something warm stirring inside his chest.
Curiosity.
Maybe even excitement.
He almost felt like a tourist visiting a place he had only ever heard about, and before long, a smile gradually spread across his face.
Then a loud voice shattered the ordinary bustle of the street.
"CHANGE THE LAW!"
Elifero stopped in his tracks.
"What?"
"CHANGE THE LAW!"
Loud cheering erupted farther ahead, immediately drawing his attention. Three boys stood near the roadside, each holding a roughly made wooden board with words painted across its surface.
CHANGE THE LAW
"Change the law!"
"Change the law!"
Elifero stared at them, bewildered.
"What are they doing?"
Before Olian could answer, an older boy dragged a chair into the open and climbed onto it. He raised one fist, preparing to join the shouting.
"CHANGE THE—"
"HEY!"
An adult stormed towards them, and the three younger boys froze.
"RUN!"
They scattered instantly, one of them nearly dropping his sign as they disappeared between the nearby houses. Elifero watched in confusion, but the older boy remained where he was. Instead of fleeing, he stood on the chair and stared defiantly at the approaching adult.
Elifero tilted his head.
"Who's he?"
Olian suddenly grabbed his arm.
"Hey—"
She pulled him forward, forcing him to resume walking.
"Don't mind him."
Elifero glanced back towards the boy.
"But—"
"And please stop leaving my sight."
"I barely moved."
"If you get lost, the blame will be on me."
Elifero sighed.
"Fine."
They continued along the road. The village didn't seem particularly large, at least not at first glance, but Elifero was beginning to understand Olian's warning. The roads twisted strangely, some seemingly looping around before branching into several directions without any obvious indication of where they led. At times, the layout almost seemed deliberately confusing.
Despite that, the people around them appeared happy. Children played in the streets, adults chatted with their neighbours, and laughter drifted between the houses.
"The people here seem to be enjoying themselves," Elifero remarked.
Olian's expression changed slightly.
Elifero smiled, glancing towards the villagers.
"Don't they?"
She didn't answer immediately. Her eyes moved across the people around them before she finally spoke, her voice quiet but certain.
"There's nothing normal about this village."
Elifero's smile faded.
"What?"
Olian kept walking.
"Those smiles you're seeing..."
She glanced towards the road where the boys had been protesting.
"They're masks."
Elifero looked around again. The laughing children, the adults greeting one another, and the ordinary homes all seemed exactly as they had moments earlier. Nothing immediately appeared wrong, and he struggled to reconcile the peaceful scene before him with the certainty in Olian's voice.
"That's what that boy was shouting about," she added.
Elifero looked back towards the place they had left behind, but he still couldn't understand what she meant. He didn't know what law the boys wanted changed or why their protest had provoked such a reaction.
Yet something about Olian's words unsettled him.
The warmth he had felt only moments earlier gradually ebbed away. He looked at the villagers again, wondering whether their smiles were as innocent as they appeared. They didn't necessarily look false, but now he couldn't help questioning what might lie behind them.
Elifero said nothing. He simply continued following Olian through the winding streets as the cheerful voices of the village carried on around them, as though nothing at all was wrong.