-Come in. -shouted Dominic.

Heath's tall and strong figure appeared at the door, with the usual cheerful smile. It was practically impossible not to smile back at him.

-How about it? Did you enjoy your last day in Lyrus? -he asked after greeting us.

-In fact, yes. -I replied – This beach is the most amazing I have seen.

-Yes. But you say that because you haven't seen the beach at Fort Cliver, on the other side of the ocean. You would love it for sure. -Heath said. Apparently, he too had traveled a lot around the world. According to Dominic, in addition to his knowledge of carpentry, Heath was a great navigator and had a deep knowledge of the ocean currents.

The dinner was wonderful as always. After finishing it, we moved to the sofas and Heath started talking about the three island options we had near Lyrus while trying to guess where we were going next.

-What is the direction do you intend to take? -he asked.

-I’m afraid to say that we are going to the worst of the three options. -Joseph mumbled. Heath's expression first seemed frightened. Then it turned to confusion, and finally I saw the curiosity shinning on his eyes.

-No way! Really? Are you going to Venus Island? -he asked incredulous. – You know this is complete madness. It is said to be extremely dangerous place.

-Yes, we will go there after a short break on Toedo Island first. -Joseph continued. -We believe that we will be able to meet with Mihalk and his main soldiers hidden in Venus.

-Mihalk? So, the rumors are true? Are you really involved with the rebels? -questioned Heath. He seemed sad and happy at the same time.

-Well, it can be seen this way. But the truth is much more intriguing, and we will entrust it to you Heath. But after sharing this with you, I am afraid that you might get involved in all this situation. -Dominic said with a serious gaze. He was trying to give Heath the choice of stepping out at that moment.

-Don't worry, I am ready for it. What you tell me here will not be repeated to anyone else without your permission and you can be sure that I won’t betray you as well.

-I believe in you. -said Joseph. That was enough to convince Dominic and myself.

-Heath, what do you think is the only thing that would make us take such a radical action as to contact with Mihalk? The only thing the government fears?  -started Dominic. Those questions seemed to have their answers known to everyone.

-No… that's not possible! -shouted Heath, in shock. He immediately opened a smile, which made me sure that he had a certain sympathy for the idea. -Don't tell me you found the other Descendant? Is he alive?

Dominic and Joseph shook their heads confirming all of Heath's questions.

-New times are coming and we finally have a chance against Orion. But of course, it won't be that simple. We still have a long way to go and we are not ready yet to face him. -Spoke Dominic. -We need to form more alliances and unite the rebels, and for that, all help is needed.

-We would like you to accompany us, but it is up to you to make the decision that, once made, cannot be undone. We are going through a very dangerous path, and you must analyze all the options before choosing one Heath. -Said Joseph. I knew that everything he said was true. There was a price to pay and every day I remembered it with Dominic and Joseph. A normal life was no longer possible for any of us.

-You both know the sacrifices I made in the past… and the hope that this world will change is the only thing that keeps me sane… I don’t need to give it much thought Joseph. I am willing dedicate my life to fight with you. -Heath said. I opened a smile at the same instant, but I couldn’t help being curious about Heath’s real motivation to join us.

-I know you are. And I also know that you will be very important for the success of our journey. – said Joseph, not surprised with Heath’s decision. -I know is a very short notice, but we must leave Lyrus at dawn.

-Agreed. But before, there is one more thing I'd like to know... Dominic... -said Heath, now with a serious expression. -I still don't understand. Why did you desert? What's your reason for fighting the government? I assure you, no one expected that from you, a Knight. I know very well that you were never the cruel man as your fame says... but still, I know about your connection with Orion. What has changed?

-Let's say that my motive is practically the same as yours. I have hope of a new world. It took me a while to open my eyes, but I did. -Dominic replied. -You will soon understand better.

-What about you Joseph?

-Well, since I was a kid I go against the government. The murder of my parents and finally, the arrival of the new era took me down on this path. My powers also had great influence on it. -told Joseph.

-And you Althea? It breaks my heart to see a girl as young as you discarding her own life, even if it is for an honorable fight. You are just a kid… -he said. At that moment I remembered that he still didn't know my reasons. Dominic and Joseph looked at each other and let out a laugh. I didn't know what to answer.

-I don't want you to be disappointed Heath. -I said low, almost whispering. What would he think when he found out that I was the "hope" of humanity? I was scared that he would change his mind.

-Heath, allow me to introduce you again. -said Dominic. -This is Althea Haeres. Daughter of Calanor and the First Heiress.

Heath's face did not move for a moment. He looked at me, at Joseph, at Dominic and again at me. Then he suddenly exploded into smiles.

-Exactly like the prophecy! Dear God, how did I not realize this before?! You are the Descendant! That is magnificent! In fact, there was no one in this world more qualified for this than you. You can see from a distance that you are not a normal person. You have the characteristics of an Heir. But I didn't imagine it was possible...

- Are you not... disappointed? -I asked.

-Disappointed? On the contrary, Althea. This is something that I could only imagine in my dreams. -he answered, making all my anxiety disappear.

-Let's start the preparations. - asked Joseph. -Heath, if possible, meet us before dawn.

-Agreed. I will take my leave then to also prepare myself. I'll bring the ship here to pick you up, since it will be better than having you moving to the city.  -Heath said, leaving the cabin right after and disappearing into darkness.

In less than half an hour we finalized organizing our things. Everything was ready for us to leave and I sat down next to Joseph on deck. Dominic was still inside the boat, erasing all traces of our presence there.

-Are you tired? -Joseph asked.

-Not really. I'm still too agitated to want to sleep. There is so much happening that I feel confused. -I replied laughing. I was also too curious at that moment of some details of the conversation Joseph had had with Heath earlier. Who was Mihalk and what was wrong with going to Venus? I didn't know if I should ask him such a question or if I should wait for them to tell me.

-When Heath finally arrives, and we settle in the ship I will clarify your doubts. But I don't want to make you nervous ahead of time. - he said, with a short pause followed by a change of subject. - How was your swimming with Dominic today? As terrible as you expected?

-No, you were right. We managed to stay trouble-free. I didn't know it was possible to have so much fun. -I spoke with a smile.

-And how is your progress with your skills?

-Well, for now, swimming with someone else is much more comfortable than alone. Poor Dominic, I didn't let go of him for more than few seconds.

-I assure you that Dominic is far from not having liked it. During all this time we travel together, I have never seen him so relaxed. For me there is nothing better than to see you both having some fun. I'm also glad to see you leaving the past behind. -responded Joseph with a serene voice.

-I wish I could live like this forever. But things will change, right? -I asked him, fearing his answer.

-Yes. Things always change. But I feel that after the bad moments that are to come, everything will improve. Don't worry about that now and just let your feelings guide you. I want you to enjoy every second intensely Althea. I know that nothing will make up for the years of life they stole from you, but I'd love to see you rewrite your own story. -said Joseph. It seemed that he knew everything that was going on in my head. Maybe he already understood how I felt about Dominic and didn't seem to blame me for that.

-But I have a mission to accomplish and I know I must not allow myself to forget it. I want to be able to help people and to do what I am meant to.

-Yes. Unfortunately, only you can accomplish this mission, even though you didn’t choose to be the Descendant... but I still wish you could be happy in any case.  -he said, looking seriously at me.

It bothered me to the extreme.

-I don't want to be the only happy person. And I also don't think I could find peace and happiness knowing that there are still so many injustices in the world that I can help to fight, but above all, I want you to be happy too.

-And we are. I am fulfilling my dream every second I travel with you. My greatest desire is to free the world, and I know that I will do it beside the people I hold most dear. I can say that Dominic thinks the same. For him, just being at your side, seeing you reborn, and being part of your life is enough to make him the happiest man in this world. He has the strongest and most beautiful feelings for you, have no doubt about it.

-I also feel... that there's some kind of connection I have with Dominic. Something I don't know how to explain. But I don't want to deceive him. I don't deserve what he feels. -I replied. Dominic was too kind and too good to me. I wasn't worthy of those feelings.

-Don't say that. You know, the things your aunt said to you in the past were nonsense, said by someone who was just an unhappy person. Your modesty is indeed another quality, but it is time to accept that you deserve everything and a little more. -Said Joseph. I looked down and he lifted my head so he could see my eyes. -Follow your feelings.

-I wanted to have that confidence that you have. -I muttered. -I promise that I will try do what you said, but it will not be easy.

- It would be strange if it would be. -He laughed.

The silence stretched for a moment. Suddenly Joseph stood up and told me to look at the horizon. The wonderful ship was approaching quickly, and its painting was complete. It was even more beautiful when sailing.

-Amazing! -I exclaimed.

-Yea. It is fascinating. – Joseph agreed.

Heath had an impressive sailing ability. He commanded that monstrosity on his own and did not seem to have any difficulty with it. The ship stopped about fifty meters away from our small (now smaller than ever) boat.

We collect all our belongings on deck while Heath came down from the ship and came rowing to get us.

- Did you like it? -he asked in a loud voice so we could hear him.

-Is perfect! Impeccable. -Said Joseph. -But what scares me the most is how you managed to sail it yourself.

-Years of experience. -Heath laughed. - But I'm exhausted. Ideally, at least 3 people should prepare for navigation. But after that it is easy to just steer the rudder.

We quickly put our things on the boat and Joseph went to get Dominic downstairs. I sat next to Heath while we waited.

-My God, how slow he is! -Heath exclaimed beside me. -I already saw that during our trip he will give us a lot of work.

I could not stop laughing. Heath complained and spoke to me of all the shortcomings of Dominic, with no pity for his longtime friend. I had the pleasure of hearing some stories about when they last met, and I decided that I would want to hear everything else Heath had to say.