The Afterglow.

WAKER

There's no end to the surprises.

But you can't help how your loss sits like a bruise upon your heart, and how easily it comes to the surface. You've always been easy to read, and so, it shouldn't have come as a surprise—but somehow, it still does. Taivas turns her head towards you, her soft muzzle touching your neck. Her breath is warm. Your eyes close, and you bend to return the touch.

You hadn't expected a comforting gesture from her, not because you in any way think her cold or cruel, but because she has not struck you as one for touches. Perhaps she isn't, either, but you don't want to question what she has given you.

It is too precious to ruin.

You've never heard of Helovia before, but you will hear of it again. Your ears flick forward again, and you find yourself missing the warm touch of her muzzle. Even though the air around you is too hot to be pleasant, it feels cold.

Slowly, you turn what she's revealed over in your mind. To find out that what she sought was nothing she could find anymore... Perhaps it would be a relief. And yet, what a tragedy—an entire land lost... You frown a little, looking at the forest around you, and Uwaritace behind you. You've come to understand that such a fate is what the Rift is facing, should you, and Kisamoa, not find a way to restore it.

"Why can't you go home?" you ask gently, the one thing left unanswered in this brief tale.