I couldn't sleep, it was simply impossible to fall asleep after what I saw last night. I guess your conscience weighs heavily when you sleep next to a person who, at any moment, can restrain you and pluck out your eye at the slightest sign of anger, like Ravenna, who did just that yesterday, and it's burned into my mind.

What happened was sweet, yes, but did it really need to be so macabre immediately after? She could have just hit her with a fireball or lightning bolt, and everything would have been solved! Well, since I didn't sleep, I spent the day checking my... "house". There's nothing left after being abandoned for so long, just like that time.

Since my mother passed away, I ended up having to fend for myself with the things inside and finding food my own way. There are holes in the ceiling, the furniture is somewhat overturned, and this place has practically become a rat's nest.

"There's no better home."

At least, I would prefer to live here instead of the palace near my father, Leliana, and Kristia. There are no judging eyes here, which gives me a lot of peace. Checking the things around, I come across moth-eaten books, nothing much... hm? What's this?

Under the bed, I end up seeing something reflecting a shine. Strange. I'm sure I checked this place top to bottom before, so how did I never find this thing? I reach out, pulling whatever it is, and... it's a locket.

The chain is made of silver, with a kind of reliquary in the middle. I press the tab latching the cover.

"Seriously?"

There's a photo, or rather, a drawing. It's extremely small, it must have been done with tiny hands, judging by the size, but what stands out are the figures inside. You can tell it's poorly done, the two people are black stick figures and they're smiling.

This drawing is mine, definitely, and I only think one person would use this and keep it here of all places.

"Mom."

I can't believe she would keep such a silly thing, something that by now is all crumpled and yellowed. I sigh, leaning against the wall as I evaluate the image inside the locket, unsure what to do. I'll hold onto it for now, I guess.

There are already birds and the sun appearing outside, I need to pick up the pace and get back to the inn before they notice I'm gone.

The inn's wooden floor creaked when I pushed open the door, and the smell of fresh bread mixed with wood smoke immediately hit me. That simple routine aroma always had a strange power over me, it made it seem like nothing abnormal had happened the night before, but it only seemed that way.

Joel was leaning against the counter, wiping a glass with the same cloth he'd probably been using for weeks. His smile was the first thing to greet me.

"Well, well... who decided to show up before the sun fully warms up?"

"Insomnia" I replied, tossing my coat over the back of a chair. "Nothing much."

"Nothing much?" He raised an eyebrow, chuckling softly. "The last time I saw you with that look on your face, you'd been punched by Moema and swore you'd never leave the house again."

"That was different, I was ten and she wore iron rings on her fingers."

"Hah, good excuse." He gives a tap on the counter, indicating the stool next to it. "Sit down. Coffee is almost ready."

I settled down, resting my elbows on the cold countertop. Hah, I cherish more times like this, because I'm tired of constantly going through life-or-death situations. When is this son-of-a-bitch destiny going to give me some peace?

"So?" Joel asked, without looking directly at me. "What happened last night?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Yeah, nothing. We just... talked too much."

Joel shot me that look I always hated when we were kids, the one that says he knows you're lying but will let you hang yourself until you confess. Even worse, he had a naughty grin on his face, which made it clear he was thinking of some kind of obscenity Ravenna and I had engaged in.

"Right, so that 'nothing' left you with eyebags that look like tattoos."

"Go to hell, Joel."

He laughed, the sound was comforting somehow. The truth is, with him, I could pretend everything was still normal, that we were still just two village boys, running after frogs or stealing apples from the neighbors' orchard, and not that I was this "Rafael" who reincarnated into the body of a supporting character from a fictional work.

"Remember when you tried to teach me how to fish? And almost drowned us?"

"Hey, I wasn't the one who tripped over the bucket of worms!"

"The bucket tripped over me."

Time seemed to slow down. Old memories were the only refuge I had now. Before Scarlet, before Ravenna, before all this chaos I got myself into since leaving this remote village for the Imperial capital.

"We were idiots."

"You still are. You just get paid for it now," Joel retorted, with a slight nudge to my shoulder. "Relax, Darius. Whatever is giving you that look, it'll pass eventually and stop bothering you. Maybe you'll just get used to that kind of company."

I really want to believe that, man.

The staircase creaked, and soon the first company appeared. The beautiful silky blonde hair and that pair of blue eyes, coupled with the mountains occupying her chest, always made me smile to see something so lovely.

"Well, well, look at our little hero!"

I turned my face completely. Elizia was coming down the stairs, with messy hair and a lazy look of someone who clearly slept too well. Ravenna came right behind her, already impeccable as the usual goth mommy, and then Victorian, with a heavy yawn and the expression of someone who wished he was back in bed.

I wonder how a gorilla like that even manages to get out of bed with all those muscles.

"Darius, up early?" Elizia placed her hands on her hips, feigning surprise. "I thought it would be easier to see a girl wanting to lose her virginity in a brothel."

"Some of us still suffer from insomnia, you know?"

"Insomnia? Aww, my dear, do you need that tea I give you to go back to sleep?"

I wish I could have that tea right now, I love the kind of things you do, Elizia! Of course, I can't say anything, since a certain gothic girl is looking at me with such intensity that I prefer to keep my mouth shut to avoid giving the wrong idea.

Ravenma passes us in silence. The woman seemed to have been born knowing how to intimidate the environment, one look was enough to make the air dense.

"Hm, everyone is finally awake" she says, without taking her eyes off me. "We need to prepare to leave."

"Leave?" Joel raised an eyebrow. "Already?"

"Yes. Time is not in our favor. Veyren is a two-day trip if we go straight down the north road, and I want to arrive before the next full moon."

Elizia threw herself into a chair, grabbing a loaf of bread from the basket on the counter and speaking with her mouth full:

"Does that mean we're going to the territory of the gloomy noblewoman here?"

"Galbraith Marquisate" Ravena corrected. "And no, I'm not gloomy."

"Sure, sure, you just wear black, talk like you want to curse the world, and never smile. Super normal."

Okay, that's absolutely true, I almost choked trying not to laugh, I better hold back because I don't want to turn into dust by someone's magic first thing in the morning. Ravenna just sighed deeply, like someone who already expected this, and Victorian cleared his throat.

"I'll take care of the carriage and supplies" he said, already walking away. "If anyone has anything else to resolve here, now is the time."

Elizia raised her hand.

"I want to stop by Mrs. Mirta's perfume shop, that lavender scent from yesterday won't leave my head!"

"If you're quick, that's fine" Ravenna replied. "Darius, finish what you need to do and meet us at the stables."

She didn't wait for an answer. She just turned, letting her coat swing behind her, and disappeared out the door with Victorian. Elizia went in the opposite direction, humming something that sounded dangerously like a tavern song.

It was just Joel and me left.

"So that's it, huh? You're really leaving again." He put down the cloth and rested his arms on the counter.

"Yeah, looks like it."

"And far away this time."

"Damn far."

We were silent for a few seconds. The sound of voices upstairs and the wind passing through the half-open window was the only noise there. I hated goodbyes, especially because, in my case, they seemed to carry an air of "never again."

"Be careful with those noble girls, Darius. The last time you messed with titled people, you almost came home in a coffin."

"Relax. Now I only get involved with women who know how to really kill me."

"That's not better!"

"It's more interesting."

He laughed loudly, shaking his head.

"Still the same idiot as always."

I grabbed my coat from the backrest, patted it down to remove the dust, and adjusted the collar. It was time.

"Joel."

"Hm?"

"Give Moema a long kiss on the mouth for me, you bastard."

He burst out laughing so loudly that even the chickens outside must have been startled.

"You got it, partner. Try not to die before you visit me again!"

"I'll try."

I gave one last wave before stepping out the door, the sun burned my retinas, and the smell of the road rushed in with the wind. The carriage was already waiting, the wheels creaking under the weight of the bags, and Ravenna gave me a sideways glance as I climbed in.

It was time to continue the journey. Destination: Veyren, the Galbraith territory.

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