The sun’s absence from the sky is truly no joke matter. The weather, already cold due to Valria’s extreme climate, worsens as Cenric and Ilze walk to the East. In a rational mind, their trip to the East would be considered nothing more than a preposterous decision. None of them knows where their destination is, nor the exact way to get there. The magical compass Cenric got from Erhard is not working at all. Their sole source of navigation is Vrakh, who shows them the way with a firefly, which shines as it walks alongside them, and stops whenever they need to. Vrakh insists that the firefly is the only guide he can provide for the moment. Cenric is too mentally exhausted to debate or correct Vrakh’s method, and simply goes along with whatever Vrakh wants.

When they become tired enough and find a cave that seems safe, they decide to stay for the night. They are fortunate enough to have food, water, and two very thick blankets Benette forced them to bring, which can be used as sleeping bags, although their sheer weight also hinder their trip. They spread the blankets near the cave’s entrance, then roll inside, sharing food and water for dinner, all with minimal interaction between them because of Benette’s words before they left. 

Ilze takes a peek of Cenric who has already wrapped himself tightly in the very thick blanket, sitting down near the cave wall and staring at the sky outside. She still harbors unresolved mixed feelings towards Cenric, but she knows at very least that she can not blame him for whatever has happened in the past. 

‘Apathetic, getting dragged here and there. Not much change it seems.’

Right after thinking those words, she feels sorry and pity for Cenric. When Cenric unsealed himself, Benette told her briefly what Cenric has been going through, but the past still lingers and so does her anger toward it. After closely observing Cenric’s behavior for the entire day, she now realizes that despite her harsh life and how she constantly resents it, she does not have to direct all of her anger toward him. She silently approaches Cenric, sits beside him, and gazes at the stars in the sky. 

Cenric, noticing Ilze’s presence, asks shortly without turning his head, “What?”

“Sorry that I have been kinda harsh to you.”

Cenric eyes, fixated to the sky, can no longer contain the pent-up resentment he has been holding since they left the tower. Nonetheless, he is still trying to control his voice, even though his red eyes and flushed face can not lie.

“Since when did you know? That I am Itri?”

“Kinda suspected it since we bumped into each other, but your brown hair seemed off. Also, you’re acting like we’ve never met, and I don’t really remember our father's face. If you notice, we don’t really look alike.”

Cenric nods in agreement. Despite being twins, his face resembles Daniil’s too much, while Ilze takes after Giana’s. On top of that, Daniil’s face is too different from Giana’s. Only their purple hair color indicates that they are siblings.

Silence lingers again for a few seconds, with Ilze feeling guilty and Cenric pondering what he should ask next. After figuring out his next question, he asks, “Then, how did things become like this? I don’t remember at all –father, mother, and you. Moreover, somehow my hair was brown. Mother has black hair and eyes, while father’s are purple.”

Ilze shrugs and replies, “All I know is I got separated from you after our father died. That night, Erhard sneaked me out from the castle, leaving mother and you alone inside. He left me under Benette’s care, and that’s it. He always says that mother was killed back then, so I’m surprised to hear that we have to meet her. Again, maybe it’s her grave and not her in person. By the way, can you ask the Land Lord why?”

Before Cenric can react, Vrakh already answers in Cenric’s mind, ‘No spoiler, kids.’

“He said, ‘No spoiler, kids.”

Ilze is surprised at the very casual answer, while Vrakh clucks his tongue and complains, ‘Hey. At least sugarcoat it.’

‘Why should I? The best messenger is the one who delivers the message exactly as it is. Also, You really knew what happened right?’ says Cenric.

However, all that he gets is the same response, as if it was a template, ‘No spoiler, kids.’

Seeing Cenric become quiet, Ilze taps his back and asks, “You okay?”

“I asked him whether he knew or not, but he said the same thing again, ‘No spoiler, kids’. He definitely knows, yet hides it from us.”

Cenric returns to stargazing, then says, “Can I ask something?”

“Sure. Ask away.”

Cenric points somewhere in the sky and asks, “How can you say ‘our star is moving’? Among the millions in the sky, how can you identify which one is mine?”

“Everyone is represented as a star in the sky. The only exceptions are the King, represented by the sun, and the Queen, represented by the moon. If someone became the King, his star would merge with the sun, so does the Queen will merge into the moon. I can only identify those that I know, though. Like mine and yours. Now they’re beside each other, moving to the east as we’re walking there.”

Ilze’s words tick Cenric.

“It does not make sense. How much do you know from Benette?”

Ilze leans her back against the cave's wall to adjust to a more comfortable seating position before answering, “To be honest, she only said that the country is in danger. A very great one. That’s why I have to help you. Also, she told me that you’re my long lost twin. That’s it.”

Cenric nods, asking further, “Then, let me ask you. What happens if the sun and the moon are missing? Did Benette tell you something?”

“That’s the point of the danger. It means as it is. They are absent, so do the King and the Queen.”

Ilze’s last sentence, which is said lightly, startles Cenric. He shifts his focus back on the sky, which is dark red, devoid of the moon and sun for days. His lips tremble as he remembers that the Queen, the one annoying woman in his life, is no longer breathing, corresponding to the absence of the moon. 

‘Itri, calm down.’

Vrakh’s voice echoes inside his head, yet the trembling has spread to Cenric’s hands as he now thinks about the absence of the sun.

‘No, Itri. Calm down!’