First, Yuu saw her mother in the manor's garden. She was sitting on a bench. For a moment, Yuu stopped and admired her mama's beauty. Surrounded by the silence of the garden, the sun illuminated her face, giving it a peaceful glow. Her deep blue eyes darted across the flowers. It was an early autumn midday. She wore her favorite sand-colored sweater on her shoulders and a white dress. Her blond hair was loose, gently caressed by the breeze. Despite the passage of time, she maintained her youthful appearance. Many people told Yuu that she takes after her mama, and sometimes others would even mistake them for sisters.

For some time, mother didn’t notice Yuu, but she heard her steps as she approached and turned her head toward her.

Yuu hesitated to talk to her mama at first, feeling overwhelmed. However, at the same time, she yearned to hug her mother and stay in her embrace after all the life incidents they had been through.

“Yuu... you came back,” mother rose from the bench, saying that in a surprised and trembling voice. “You came back,” she repeated, and soon her face was damp from all the tears.

“Not sure for how long, though,” Yuu said, smiling warmly, and then embraced her mother in a strong hug.

“I haven’t seen you since you left,” she said, putting her hand on Yuu's cheek and hugging her again.

“Well, I have been traveling quite a bit... thinking about life and stuff, you know,” Yuu said with a genuine and longing tone.

Yuu's mama was always supportive of her endeavors, and Yuu genuinely cherished her. She was a strong-willed woman, openly stating her opinions and always embracing her true self. With a love for adrenaline, exploring new places, and a passion for history, she was a one-of-a-kind beauty - a combination of intelligence and wisdom. Grandmama wasn't very happy about her either. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? However, Yuu's mama had a health condition, and as a result, she didn't leave the manor. Otherwise, Yuu thought she would have run away, considering her free-spirited nature.

Grandmother grew even angrier when Yuu's mother fell in love with a commoner and had Yuu and Victor. Grandmother had different plans for her daughter and used to say that beautiful love stories only exist in the novels Yuu's mama read, while reality is much harsher. Yuu always felt that her grandmother was unhappy with her life, complaining about everyone, and she felt like the malice in their family. However, grandmother adored Yuu's brother, who always did everything expected of him and even more. He was becoming a fine lord. Despite being twins, they followed different paths - Yuu as a commoner and Victor as a lord.

Then, the silent embrace between Yuu and her mama in the garden was abruptly interrupted.

“Yuu, you made it!” her brother shouted with excitement.

“I always keep my word, Victor,” she said, poking his cheeks. “Of course, I would come!” she continued.

“I see you still act like a child and are free-spirited,” he teased.

“What's the problem in embracing my inner child?” Yuu puffed her cheeks, and they both burst out laughing.

Mama, seeing them like that, put her hands on their heads and stroked their hair. Her facial expression was content and peaceful. She smiled warmly and genuinely at Yuu and Victor.

“Finally, I can embrace both my children.“ She closed her eyes, savoring the moment. “I wish this moment could last longer, but well, my children, I must go inside as I have an appointment with a doctor. We can catch up later,“ said their mama.

“I hope... nothing serious,” Yuu said anxiously.

“Just a regular check-up, my dear. Nothing serious,” the woman looked with her warm facial expression at Yuu as she said that and added, “I am sure you two have a lot to talk about. See you later, my dear daughter.”

When mother left them, Yuu turned to her brother.

“Look at you, Victor! You've grown up so much! I haven't seen you in two years, and you've become a fine man! I bet women are always seeking your attention, my dear brother.” Yuu always teased her brother, but this time there was no tone of teasing in her voice.

Even though they were the same age and twins, Victor looked more mature than Yuu. He was wearing a casual black suit with a white shirt, a black vest, and a blue tie that complemented his deep blue eyes. Additionally, he carried a small leather bag on his right shoulder that perfectly matched his leather shoes.

When they were standing in the garden of their manor, they heard their grandmother’s voice. Yuu felt shivers running down her spine, and she wasn’t ready to meet her yet. So, she took her brother`s arm and said to him, 'Let's run to the secluded place at the end of the garden where we used to play when we were kids.

Victor nodded in agreement. They smiled when they reached the place. It was their sanctuary, a perfect hiding spot surrounded by ancient oak trees.

“So many memories in this place… so many tears shed… so many laughs shared…,” Yuu said while looking around and touching the leaves of one of the oak trees. Then Yuu suddenly turned to Victor and said, “Remember when we used to play hide and seek here? It always used to take ages for you to find me,” Yuu giggled.

Victor chuckled and answered, “Yes, dear sister, I remember. You were always good at hiding. And speaking of memories, I have the artifact in my bag that our father left.”

Victor took the artifact out of his bag. Yuu and their father had found it during one of their explorations in ancient ruins, stumbling upon this mysterious object. It looked a bit rusty, resembling an ancient tome with sharp edges, and on top, there was a small clock surrounded by different shapes and sizes of gears. Only one last piece on the top was missing.

Yuu took the artifact in her hands and closely observed its shape. Her eyes were shining as she examined every inch of it.

“I spent quite a lot of time researching it and trying to understand the purpose behind it. But not much information was possible to find, but at least I managed to put it together,” sighed Victor.

“I always believed in you, brother. You were always a smart kid,” Yuu said while still exploring the artifact with her eyes.

Victor's lips were graced by a smile as he asked Yuu, “Would you like to put your stuff in the house first, or do you want to put the final piece together now?” Victor asked, noticing that Yuu was still holding her backpack.

“Let's do it now! It's so exciting!” Yuu exclaimed with shining eyes. The young man took out the final piece from his bag, and together they placed it where it belonged. The seemingly simple piece now found its place in the artifact, and suddenly, all the gears around the clock started moving, including the clock itself. The so-called book-artifact opened up, and after that, an excessive light filled the surroundings, prompting them to close their eyes. When they finally opened their eyes, they both understood that something was wrong. Before placing the final piece, it was still light outside, but now it was evening, and the sky was painted with hues as evening approached. Moreover, the place where they were standing was different…

They briefly looked around and then glanced at each other, confused. They were no longer in their garden near their house but... in the middle of the city.