Everyone gathered beside the bonfire once again, only this time, Korven's camera had replaced the lakesnake meat as the center of interest.
The amazed eyes of the researchers were glued to the small screen, the only sound being of the creatures from the video and the crackling of the bonfire. They were all sitting around Trixina, who'd claimed the glory of the shot footage all to herself, Arold dismissing his contribution as nothing but a little help.
Korven and Ulana had apologized to both Sylren and Malaro for endangering their kids and the adults had ultimately forgiven the teenager, for if it weren't for Korven's camera, Trixina wouldn't have been able to capture the footage of the creatures in the first place.
And the creatures: they were the mysterious Etherbeasts attacking the miners for years—the undiscovered species.
Sylren ruffled Arold's hair as the video ended. "Good job helping film the video, Arold! This will save us a lot of time and effort."
Ulana bowed, apologizing once again. "I know you expected better of me, Mrs. Sylren. I'm really so—"
Sylren chopped her head, gesturing her to raise her head. "What're you apologizing for? Without you contributing to the lighting department of this masterpiece, we never would've evolved as a species."
Ulana smiled awkwardly, her face reddening. "I think you're making fun of me…"
Sylren chuckled, slapping the side of her shoulder. "I'd never do that."
Malaro shook his daughter by the shoulders after she handed the camera to its owner. "No going inside the caves for you from now on. Do you understand, Trixina Adlem?"
Head wobbling back and forth, Trixina's voice was bouncy. "That's what I get for helping your research? How about a thanks, dad?"
"This has realistically launched our data through the Higher Skies," Lariz said, re-watching the video, his son holding the camera for him. "Now we not only know their appearance—their physical traits—but also have leads on their behavior and environment."
Prestris nodded in agreement, turning to Malaro, who was patting his daughter's head. "I'll study these tunnels they burrowed. Malaro, you study these insects they were eating."
"Right," Malaro said, joining Lariz. "But while this is a really good start, don't think this'll be enough. All this information we have is going to help us in getting on in flesh and blood. Only then can we leave the territory of speculation and into facts."
Korven looked at Sylren, who hadn't added anything. "Mrs. Sylren," he asked politely. "Did you not find this interesting? As the team leader, you're awfully quiet."
Sylren shrugged. "My job is to bring together weirdos who know their stuff. Why speak unnecessarily?"
Malaro side-eyed her. "Seriously?" he said in an unimpressed tone. "You're talking about speaking unnecessarily?"
Sylren laughed. "Good one. Unlike your beard."
Malaro shook his head as he snorted.
"You don't look too happy, Arold," Prestris said. "What's up?"
Arold shook his head. "I'm actually really happy…"
Prestris smiled. "That's good."
"Well," Lariz said. "I've organized the notes. Let's discuss them in the quarters before we sleep. You guys can get to work after tomorrow's breakfast."
"Nah," Sylren said with a yawn. "We need to get a head start tomorrow. We all journeyed here today only. Let's get the rest we deserve."
"You're only saying that because you want to sleep," Malaro said flatly.
"Maybe," Sylren said with a shrug. "But it's not like I'm forbidding you guys from doing what we came here to do. Go ahead and do your thing. I'll see you all tomorrow."
"Don't tell me you're not coming up to the quarters," Prestris said. "Sleeping here isn't a very good idea."
"That's why it came to me," Sylren said with a nod to herself. "At any rate, I can't skip sleeping under the stars when I have the opportunity to. Plus, I'll keep guard of our cooking station from all the spooky monsters of the cave."
"Say hi to them for me too," Trixina said with a smile, holding up a hand.
Sylren gave her a thumbs-up. "You got it."
Malaro sighed. "Alright. See you at breakfast then, I guess…"
"See YOU at breakfast," Sylren said, pointing to him. "All of us will be eating here only, not in that cramped cubicle they call a quarter."
Lariz picked up a small pack lying by his feet and put his notepad and pen inside it. "Let's not dillydally, everyone," he said, turning to the tunnel. "I also have to wake up early to jot down some fresh ideas for this new book I'll be publishing. Don't wake me up from deep sleep just to ask what this or that meant on these pages."
"Right," Malaro said, picking up a pack as well. "We'll discuss them right away. Let's head to the quarters." He searched inside his pack. "Was it with you, Prestris?"
"The map?" Prestris said, taking out a folded sheet from her pouch. "Here you go."
"Let's get going then," Malaro said. He turned to Sylren. "I know just how much you like your 8 hour sleeps, but please, for the love of research, try to wake up early tomorrow."
"I'll be up so early," Sylren said flatly, "I'll be waking up even those skyguards."
Malaro sighed. "We'll see about that."
They all left for the quarters on the surface eventually to discuss Lariz's notes, Sylren and Arold staying beside the warm bonfire.
"I never asked you if you also wanted to stay," Sylren said, taking out a sleeping bag from her pack. "Should I have?"
Arold shook his head. "I'd rather be with you."
Sylren smiled, taking out another sleeping bag. She unrolled them and handed the smaller one to her son. The tucked themselves inside the cozy bags, lying closer to the tunnel, fire burning by their feet.
Arold looked at the bright stars in the night sky through the broken gap in the ceiling of this dome-like place.
"Beautiful, aren't they?" Sylren said, smiling. "These lights.
"Stars?"
"Yes. Deceiving things. They fool us into thinking we're living in a paradise, while if this was indeed one, they'd be down here."
"But this is a paradise. Grass in a stony cave like this? Seems like a piece of paradise."
Sylren smiled. "Guess you're right."
"Mom," Arold said, eyes on the twinkling things scattered across the unreachable black blanket. "Do you miss dad?"
Sylren spoke after a brief pause, "Of course I miss him! I'm his wife!"
"And he's your husband," Arold said.
Sylren chuckled. "Yeah, that's how it works—"
"So why's he not here with you?"
She was taken aback by the wording of that question. "With you" not "with us."
"We've talked about this before, haven't we?" Sylren replied softly. "Your father's job does not allow him to stay in a singular place. He has to constantly be on the move or else…he'll lose it."
"You never tell me what he does," Arold said.
"But I've also told you the reason for that."
"I think I'm big enough now, mom."
"Tell me, Arold," Sylren asked, "do you miss your father?"
Arold did not speak, continuing to gaze at the stars above.
She turned her head to her right, looking at his face with a smile. "Do you?"
"I don't remember his face."
Sylren's eyes widened as her lips drew to a line.
Arold blinked twice. "Do you think he does?"
Sylren jolted onto her butt, still in her sleeping bag as she turned to her son. "Of course he does." She zipped down the bag below her breasts and took off her necklace. "He and I both bought a locket when you were, to keep each other's faces close to our heart even when we were apart."
Arold finally away from the stars, his mother opening the locket and showing him the two pictures inside of it in the lowlight. "That's…me."
"The other one, silly," Sylren said.
Arold rolled his eyes to the coin-sized circular picture on the left side of the opened locket. There he saw a red-haired man in a black suit and tie, a hat pulled close to his heart. The man's red eyes stared back at him as he looked into them, but unlike the suited man, Arold wasn't smiling.
"Did I ever see him before this?" Arold asked his mother, turning his head away.
"Of course you did," Sylren said, voice raised a little. "He came to visit with his friends when you were still in Zekzek, don't you remember?"
Arold's expression tensed a little. "I don't wanna remember a single thing about that place, to be honest."
Sylren exhaled. "Oh, right."
"But there's no point," Arold said dryly. "I'll forget. Again."
She put her hands out toward her son. "Get up."
Arold looked toward her in confusion. Then he found her holding the chain of the locket with both hands.
"You're not any good with faces," Sylren said with a smile. "Keep this with you and it might help."
Arold zipped the bag he tucked inside and pulled back the part covering his head. He lowered his head to accept the locket, his mother putting it around his neck. He tucked it inside his shirt and metal gave him a cold touch to the chest. He decided to take the locket out before zipping up his bag.
Sylren smiled as she lied down again, watching the stars.
"You never take off that earring," Arold said. "Was that also a gift?"
"Yes," Sylren said. "It was just after we got married."
"I see," Arold said absently, minding the stars—
A star zipped across the sky, leaving a white line of light curving down. It was gone the next moment.
"Did you see that, mom?" Arold eyes were wide as he turned his head to her. "What was that?"
"A shooting star," Sylren answered. "The war of the sky people is going on. Even during night, they shoot arrows of light at each other."
"Er…" Arold said, returning his eyes to the Skies. "Sky people? Why do you always have to play with me?"
Sylren chuckled. "We don't know what shooting stars actually are," she explained sincerely. "Anything upwards of the Eight Skies is beyond humanity's reach. The higher you go, the fiercer the Etherbeasts grow. So it's really hard to comprehend things outside of it.
"Rocks that fall from the Skies to the different skyreachers are speculated to be shooting stars, but the trajectory of one has never been completely mapped for it to be truly accurate. For all we know, it could be the attack of the Higher Skies' Etherbeasts."
Arold nodded. "So those arrows of light could be anything…"
"That's true in a sense," Sylren said. "After all, shooting stars are said to be capable of granting wishes."
Arold turned his face away from her. "Stop playing with me."
Sylren chuckled again. "No, this time I'm being honest."
"Really?" Arold said, turning to her.
"Nope."
Arold sighed.
Until she herself fell asleep, Sylren found her son waiting for another shooting star to appear, hopeful eyes focused up on the heavens. She smiled internally, knowing no star was needed to grant any wishes and simply existing underneath them was more than one.
'But still,' she thought fondly. 'I wish Arold finds many great people as friends and also someday…meets his father.'
They both feel asleep before the fire died.