The wind felt different.
Not heavy.
Not sharp.
Just… quiet.
Luna sat down on the grass slowly, letting out a long breath.
"I think… I need a break."
Kenta immediately dropped beside her.
Ron stayed standing for a moment, looking around carefully.
The space beyond the gate had changed.
No more twisted paths.
No more collapsing ground.
Just a wide open field.
Soft grass.
A sky filled with slow-moving islands.
And the wind.
Always the wind.
Kai walked a few steps ahead, then stopped.
"It's safe here," he said.
Kenta looked up.
"You said that last time."
Kai didn't react.
"This time, I mean it."
Luna leaned back on her hands.
"Good," she said quietly. "Because I don't think I can run anymore."
Ron finally sat down too.
Not too close.
Not too far.
Just enough.
Silence settled between them.
Kenta broke it first.
"Okay," he said, staring at the sky. "That was the worst experience of my life."
Luna gave a small laugh.
"Same."
Ron nodded once.
"Agreed."
Kenta turned his head toward Kai.
"And you?" he asked. "Mr. Prince of Seriousness?"
Kai stood still for a moment.
Then he sat down as well.
"A test," he said simply.
Kenta blinked.
"That was not a test. That was trauma!"
Luna laughed a little more this time.
Kai didn't.
"It showed us what we needed to face," he said.
Kenta groaned.
"I needed to face snacks. Not that."
Luna looked at Ron.
"What did you see?" she asked.
Ron didn't answer immediately.
He looked down at the grass.
Then said quietly,
"Someone from my past."
Luna didn't push.
She just nodded.
"Was it… hard?"
Ron gave a small, almost invisible smile.
"Yes."
Kenta leaned up on his elbows.
"Was it like… emotional damage hard or scary hard?"
Ron looked at him.
"Both."
Kenta fell back down.
"Great. Love that for you."
Luna looked at Kai next.
"What about you?"
Kai's eyes didn't move.
"My past," he said.
Kenta raised a hand.
"Let me guess. Fire, chaos, sadness, dramatic music in background?"
Kai ignored him.
"I failed once," he said.
The tone changed.
Slightly.
But enough.
Luna noticed.
"What do you mean?" she asked softly.
Kai didn't answer right away.
The wind moved through the grass.
Then he said,
"I was supposed to protect my village."
Silence.
"But i-i... was late."
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
"They trusted me."
Luna's chest tightened.
"And I failed them."
No one spoke.
Kenta didn't joke.
Ron didn't interrupt.
The air felt heavier again.
After a moment, Kenta sat up slowly.
"That's… rough."
Kai didn't respond.
Luna looked at him carefully.
"You still protect people like us now," she said.
Kai glanced at her.
"That doesn't erase what happened."
"I didn't say it does," Luna replied. "But it means something."
Kai didn't reply.
But he didn't look away either.
Kenta suddenly pointed at Ron.
"Okay but Ron, you look like you went through a full movie in there."
Ron blinked.
"What?!"
"You came back looking like you unlocked some hidden character arc," Kenta said.
Luna smiled slightly.
"He does."
Ron sighed.
"It was just… something I had to accept."
Kenta nodded dramatically.
"Yes. Acceptance. Very deep. Very emotional. I also accepted that Ron is my son, and i am a weakling."
Luna looked at him.
"You said that?"
Kenta scratched his head.
"Fact." he said.
Ron raised an eyebrow.
"And?"
Kenta shrugged.
"And… I didn't die."
There was a pause.
Then Luna smiled.
"That's progress."
Kenta pointed at her.
"Exactly. Small steps. Very small. Tiny steps. But still steps."
The wind blew gently again.
For a while, no one spoke.
They just sat there.
Looking at the sky.
Floating islands drifting slowly.
Peaceful.
Almost too peaceful.
Then Luna spoke again.
"Can I ask something?"
Kenta raised his hand.
"No."
Luna ignored him.
She looked at Kai.
"Why are you helping us?"
Kai didn't move.
"Because you need help."
"That's not the full answer," Luna said.
Kenta leaned forward.
"Yeah, I was also thinking that," he said. "You could have just left us to die like five times already."
Ron glanced at him.
"That's not how you ask that question."
"It works," Kenta replied.
Kai stayed silent for a few seconds.
The wind slowed.
Then he spoke.
"I don't want any innocent to die anymore."
The words were simple.
No drama.
No emotion.
But they hit hard.
Luna looked at him.
"Because of your village?"
Kai nodded once.
"I couldn't protect them."
Kenta looked down.
"So now you're… trying to make up for it?"
Kai shook his head slightly.
"You can't make up for something like that."
"Then why?" Luna asked.
Kai looked at her.
"Because I don't want to watch it happen again."
Silence.
That answer stayed.
Heavy.
Real.
Ron spoke this time.
"You don't even know us."
Kai replied calmly,
"You are here. That's enough, Its my duty to...send you home."
Kenta let out a small breath.
"That's… kinda cool."
Then he added quickly,
"Still scary. But cool."
Luna smiled faintly.
"You're not as cold as you act."
Kai looked away.
"I never said I was."
Kenta stretched his arms.
"Okay, serious talk over. I have a question mister."
Ron sighed.
"That's never a good sign."
Kenta pointed at the sky.
"How do we go home?"
The mood shifted again.
Luna's smile faded slightly.
"Yeah…"
Ron looked at the horizon.
"We still need to find the portal."
Kai nodded.
"It will appear again."
"How?" Luna asked.
Kai looked at the wind.
"The same way it always does."
Kenta blinked.
"That explains nothing."
Ron spoke quietly.
"Patterns."
Luna looked at him.
"What kind of patterns?"
Ron looked at the petals drifting slowly around them.
"Movement. Energy. Changes in the air."
Kenta stared at the petals.
"So basically… we just watch wind and hope something happens?"
Ron nodded.
"Yes, for your language mister."
Kenta fell back again.
"I hate this plan."
Luna stood up slowly.
Her legs still felt weak.
But her mind felt clearer.
"Then we watch," she said.
Kai stood as well.
"We move soon," he added.
"Not yet," Kenta said quickly. "Please not yet. Give me at least five minutes of peace."
Kai laughed for the first time now.
"Okay. Five minutes."
Ron looked at the sky again.
The wind moved gently.
But something about it felt… different.
Not dangerous.
Just… watching.
Kenta suddenly spoke again.
"Hey."
They looked at him.
"If we get back…"
He hesitated.
"What?" Luna asked.
Kenta looked away slightly.
"We don't just forget all this, right?"
Silence.
Luna's expression softened.
"I don't want to," she said.
Ron didn't speak.
Kai didn't either.
Kenta scratched his head.
"Yeah… me neither."
The wind moved again.
A single white petal passed between them.
Slow.
Quiet.
Like it was listening.
Ron stood up.
"We should move soon."
Luna nodded.
"Yeah."
Kenta sighed.
"Break over already?"
Kai turned.
"Yes."
Kenta stood up slowly.
"Alright… back to survival mode."
They started walking.
Together.
This time… closer.
Not just by distance.
But by something else.
Something quieter.
Stronger.
Behind them…
The place where they had rested slowly faded.
The wind carried the memory away.
"Luna...."
"Ron"
"Kenta..."
"Prince Kai..."
Something shifted. Not a villain. Not an enemy. Just… A presence. Waiting.
TO BE CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 13.