Bene walked through the rose garden north of Snakewell holding a tray of food and a single rose. It was midafternoon now, and he went to have a chat with a friend. Once he reached the only house among the flowers he stopped and gently knocked on the door.
"Cary, how have you been? I brought you some lunch."
Bene slid the tray through a window.
"I hope you've been well, I just came to check up on you and tell you how things have been going. I've returned to my acting position as a Hunter now that I'm done training Lukas. Although, I haven't done much myself. I'm still looking for my brother, but our leads have been... tenuous at best."
He paused, fidgeting with his hands slightly.
"I haven't seen the kid since the beginning of March. I've heard bits and pieces from Wings of Night. He's killed three ghasts on his own now. You really should see him, he has a lot of potential. Maybe he'll become a hunter someday."
Bene took a long deep breath as he gathered the words his in head.
"Wings of Night said there was an upsurge in ghast south of here. The others are all south to deal with it. Vesa's had the hardest job of all of them. But she'll survive, she's always been strong. Although, when I last spoke with her, she seemed to be worried about something. I've never been good at reading her thoughts. Even when we were together, I couldn't read between that head of hers."
Once more Bene took a moment to breathe, but then Cary spoke.
"Bene... do you have a rose?"
"Oh, right. Here."
Bene handed the rose to Cary through the window.
"Someday you should come out and see the garden. It's stunning when it's in bloom. Maybe that'll help you feel a little better. But I know you're strong, maybe one day you could visit him. Or would you like me to on your behalf?"
"Tomorrow."
"I see, I'll ask when the weather clears. I hope you're doing well."
Bene stood to leave, and after waiting for any other words from Cary, he left. He continued through the garden until he returned to Snakewell.
'Cary, I do hope you gain the strength to go and see the world. It's not as cruel as you believe it to be.'
***
After midday had come and gone, Lukas returned to the Mistfell Station disappointed. Despite his growth, he wasn't able to progress any further. It felt like something was hindering his growth. He thought he needed a break, so he went to unwind and eat for a bit.
"Oh, you're back. Are you done training?"
Oak was sitting alone at a table enjoying his lunch.
"No, I just couldn't really do what I wanted. I think I'm overthinking things sometimes, I just need to take a break."
"Oh, well that's a shame. If you want I could fight with you. I'm not the best fighter but maybe it could help?"
"I'll think about it."
Lukas made a quick meal and sat down with Oak. At first, they sat in silence as Lukas thought about what he could do differently.
'No, that wouldn't work... I can't do that... That doesn't make sense... Maybe, but it's not practical.'
"What are you thinking about?"
"Huh? I'm just trying to think of how I could train. But nothing good is coming to mind."
"You seem too focused on the details. Like, you're never satisfied with how things are right now. What was that called again? Perfect... perfected... per-"
"Perfectionism?"
"Yeah! I think you're dealing with that, maybe. I heard that term once from Karve, Son of Shadows, and it sounds like what you're doing."
He paused to take a bite of his food.
"I mean, you're already quite strong. I haven't seen you fight I guess, but watching you train was kind of inspiring. So maybe you're fine for right now."
Lukas thought about Oak's words for a minute as he ate.
"You know, I think I'll take you up on your offer. Tomorrow, why don't we spar and see how each other fights? Should we try and get some practice weapons?"
"Can't you just go back in time if one of us gets hurt?"
"Yes, but I'd still remember it, and I'd prefer to use it while I'm fighting."
After they wrapped up their lunch, the two of them continued their conversation until evening. Lukas went outside to get some fresh air. But then something dawned on him.
Skyla was missing.
He wasn't too worried at first, he knew Skyla had stayed out late fighting ghasts before. He also knew that she was able to escape several ghasts before. But then the silence dragged on the corners of his mind, turning that subtle doubt into full-blown dread.
He quickly made his way through the ruins of Mistfell, heading east to where Skyla was supposed to be. But as he continued, the sounds of snapping wood and the low stomps upon the ground. Then a bright flash of light appeared from the forest.
It was like a piece of the sun had fallen from the sky, and called to him like a beacon.
'Skyla!'
He ran off as fast as he could, darting past the collapsed building faster than he had ever run before. But it wasn't enough. He only barely got to the scene. There he saw the ghast, its towering figure and multitude of long blade-like appendages frightened him. There, too, was Skyla desperately fighting with all of her life.
When he got there, he watched in horror as the ghast broke through Skyla's guard and cleanly sliced off her left arm at the shoulder. He was too far to help her, too late to make a difference.