He mentally cursed at himself. If Varian had try to just walk over to his house, the guard would have immediatly reacted and they were captured. Once again, he had been reckless. Idiot.

The girl patted his shoulder, trying to reassure him. Camalia murmured that she was about to follow him head first, and she only saw the guard out of pure luck. He had nothing to blame himself for. He had a weak smile, still feeling a bit angry at himself. She continued, whispering that she checked the other hiding spots that could have put them in danger, but the guard behind the house was really the only threat.

Varian gave her a thumb up, and even if it was mean to be serious and some kind of a "good job" message, it just seemed really silly at the moment and she couldn't help but snicker, muffling the sound into her shirt.

They walked, safe in the shadows of the forest, to place themselves behind the guard. As the angle change, the hope of being able to simply walk past the guard and enter the house vanished. He was resting on the back door, the only way in without being spotted.

-Cam, do you have a melody that...that make people sleep or something ?

-Well, I have the melody that doesn't need a guitare. It's called "rock on head". I'm pretty sure it should work. Plus, he doesn't have his helmet on.

The boy's head spun to look at his friend, his face a mix of shock and "are you serious ?". Camalia just shrugged it off and bleped as an answer. Which wasn't really helpful. Varian glanced back at the guard, his helmet on the floor, and his tired face. He rubbed the back of his neck, uncertain. If they knocked him unconscious and placed him correctly, maybe everyone would think he simply fell asleep, including him. Maybe it could work after all.

His friend was patiently waiting beside him, scanning the shadows, looking for a guard that nailed hide and seek. Varian chew his bottom lip as the last doubt left his mind and he slowly exited the forest, toward the guard that was still looking over the wall to the path.

The blue-strip boy was half-way there when he realised he was completely exposed. There was nowhere to hide, and if he ran out of luck and the guard turned his head, they were doomed.

The thought stopped him brutaly, cold sweat running down his spine. He panicked, seeing he couldn't move, paralyzed by fear and apprehension.

He was startled by the feel of a soothing hand landing on his back. He turned his head to see that Camalia was beside him. Her presence reassured him, telling him, screaming at him in the lightless night that he wasn't alone. Camalia was entirely focused on the guard, while Varian took some deep breaths, calming down.

They started progressing again, the girl's hand not leaving his back. Both their heartrates where thumping in their ears, as loud as drums, so loud they feared it might betray them.

Finally they were right there, beside the guard. The adrealine was pulsing in their veins, and yet, they took the time to detail the guard with wide eyes, unable to move or speak, strucked by the moment.

He was a giant. His shoulders could contain four times his head, and it was a miracle his tiny, yet muscular legs could held his own weight. He had a defined jaw line and blue eyes as sharp as a knife. He had the charisma and the looks, his blonde hair falling on his shoulders like a waterfall, before being reunited at the end by a red string clashing with the blue night, as if it was defying it. He had a scar running all the way from his mouth to the base of his neck, thin and yet visible.

The two friends don't know how long they stayed there, staring at the stranger, the moment frozen in time. Camalia moved first, shaking her head and breaking the spell. Varian appeared to wake up from a dream and they glanced at eachothers. They looked around and the music mage finally pointed at a rock. It was big, but light enough. Without thinking, the boy reached out for it, and quickly knocked the guard out.

His large body fell heavily on the ground, and Varian hold his breath, realising too late his mistake. The rock dropped from his hands as he was watching with horror the man descend in what will inevitably end in a large noise. It was a matter of seconds. He braced himself, ready to hear the mix of metal clashing and a big thud. He waited, clinging his teeth. And waited. A faint noise was coming from his left, and he warily opened his eyes.

The man was floating centimeter above the ground, along with the stone. They were both supported by some kind of... green fog. He turned to Camalia that was playing as quietly as possible, concentration all over her face.

She ligthly landed them, finshing the melody and tension leaving her body. She exhaled the air she accidentally contained, and slid on the ground, relief spreading it's comforting hand in her mind.

Varian also took the time to relax after the intense seconds they had just lived. He was spooked by a sudden thumb up that was thrown in his face, followed by a big smile. He giggled quietly, mostly due to his nerves having been through some rough times in the last few minutes, and pushed Camalia's hand away from his face.

The girl started positionning the giant to look like he fell asleep, without her friend having to suggest it.

Varian turned to the door and his throat tighten. At the very least, he would be greeted by the haunting image of his dad trapped in amber. At worst... Well, he didn't really know what would be worst, but never tempt the universe to play some tricks on you, so he assumed there could be worse. He approached his hand to the doorknob, trembling against his will. Camalia was done with the man, and she placed a calming hand on his shoulder.

-Are you ok ?

She said it so low that he barely heard it. He gulped, feeling like his arm had the weight of the world. He didn't want to see that again. He wanted to enter, and to see his dad standing there, ready to hug him so tight he couldn't breath anymore. But the glim of the amber radiating through the door was saying otherwise. For a second, he was tempted to say he was fine. To pretend he wasn't mortified, to act like he wasn't about to pass out. For a tiny moment, he was tempted to lie. But...

-No, but... I-I can't go back. Not... not now.

Camalia closed her eyes for a second. She wished she could say it was okay, but it wasn't. She wished she could say she would free him for sure, but she couldn't. She couldn't lie again.

-Well, whatever happens, I'm here.

That she could say for certain. Varian looked at her, worry painted on his face. He managed a slight smile, and after taking a deep breath, he opened the door.

He was greeted by the too familiar sight of his dad, reaching desesperatly at that note he was dying to read. Almost mechanically, Varian stepped inside, incapable of looking away from his father, like it was the first time, or maybe the last, he'd saw him.

He walked over to the amber, shaken yet used to that vision.

Camalia didn't move from where she stood. She couldn't. After all of what she heard from Varian, all of what he said, she should have been prepared. But she wasn't. She didn't know that man, that adult man, but his face, convulsing in pain, that last reach to liberty and life, his pose, his look, everything, it didn't leave her unfazed. How could it ? Camalia had always been empathetic, and the fact that the sky instead of a castle was above her head didn't change anything. More than just for Varian, she wanted to help this man. She wanted to help with every bit of her soul, to free him, and see relief flood his face instead of pain. She wanted to use all the magic she'd got, all the sparkle of life she had to help, until she collapse.

Holding tight on her strap, she walked over to the amber, brushing the matter with her fingertip. It was beautiful, like a death trap. It was offering a dim light to make you fall asleep before taking your life away. It was transparent so you could see all that it took from you. It was an exquisite, raffined and gorgeous way to die. But it was all it was.

Fortunately for the two teenagers, the curtains were all closed, and as long as they didn't light something up, they should be unoticeable. Plus, because of Varian's crazy experimenting, the walls were soundproofs, making it easier for Camalia to work.

After the door was closed, the alchemist turned an hesitant face to his friend.

-So... ? Do you... Do you think maybe you could...Do something ?

-I... don't know. Admitted the mage. But I will try. I'll try my best.

She didn't promise, even if she wanted to. Camalia stood before the marvelous, shining pain, her guitare ready, and so was she.

She started with the melody of heal, the counterpart to the melody of hurt, probably the one that had that best chance to work. She sang along, to make it more efficient.

The green fog hit the amber and... nothing happened.

Far from giving up, she changed and played another melody. And again, the amber remained smooth and imperturbable.

Camalia played, played and played, her eyes tired of shining so much, her fingers bleeding for playing so much, her voice hoarsing from singing so much, her legs trembling from standing so long. But she didn't give up. She played, and played, the notes filling the room, her ear and heart. She wanted to spin, to give herself to the melody and feel nothing but the soft green fog as she danced like nothing mattered. But everytime she saw the face of the man and she kept her focus.

She played, oh, did she play. Hours passed by, without a minute to rest. She played through her pain and her tiredness, she played, and played, because she had to help, she had to help, she had to do something, something to help, help Varian, help his dad, help her, help someone, like she wished she had been helped.

She played when all she saw was a blur. Who needs to see to cast spells ? She played when her legs gave up and she dropped on the ground. Who needs to stand to play music ? She played when the green fog was so thin it was almost invisible. Who needs magic when doing magic ?

She played when she couldn't hold the guitare anymore. Who needs a guitare after all ?

After hours of non-stop sounds, melodies and songs, the house fell into a weird silence. Like it wasn't supposed to be. Camalia was on the verge of consciousness, lying on the ground, facing her friend.

Varian had slid on the ground a long time ago, when he understood it wasn't going to work. His face was relaxed, like everything was fine, but the two neverending streams of tears running down his cheeks told a different story.

At some point, Ruddiger had woken up from some sort of nap he was having when the two friends arrived, and without neither of them noticing, Camalia too focused and Varian too shocked, he had made his way across the room and was now resting under the alchemist's hand, in an attempt to confort him.

The girl was about to pass out, having used all her magic on that stupid glowing rock, but she wasn't allowed to.

She told Varian she'd be there, whatever happens.

With the last of her strenght, leaving her guitare there, she crawled over to him. He was only one or two meters away, but when she finally got there, she was breathless. She layed down against him, feeling the darkness overflow everything, only able to mumble two words before everything turned black.

-'m sorry...

Varian didn't answer, didn't say anything, even if he did heard it, as clear and loud as if she screamed it in his ear. He had been holding on the thought that he could free his dad thanks to her, but now that hope was gone, and he needed to accept the fact that his father would never be freed.

But how ?

How was he supposed to accept that ?

So he was just staring, his mind blank, the tears being the only thing still showing that he was there, and he was hurt.

He wanted to escape so bad. To escape everything, to stop hurting, to just go. He wanted to be far, far away from here, and if weren't for the two anchors by his side right now, he would have been.

But they were there. Both of them. They were there when he was at his worst. They didn't leave, they didn't abandonned him, they didn't left him behind. They were there and so was he.

He kept staring, his mind still blank and his heart still aching, like nothing changed. But he moved. He lifted his hand and landed it softly on Ruddiger. With his other hand, he took Camalia's.

Suddenly the mask broke and he cried, he shrieked, he mourned. He sobbed, and every tears that escaped his eyes he tighten his grip on Camalia's hand, not enough to hurt her, and he mindlessly played with Ruddiger fur.

Every tear broke him a little more but his anchors were there.

No, it wasn't fine. It hasn't been fine in a long time, and he was tired to pretend otherwise. It wasn't fine, but maybe it will be, with work and acceptance, he could be fine again, he could make the world bright and colorful again. But as for now...

It wasn't fine.