Ekoh raised their hands up to show they meant no harm, taking a shaky step forward.

“Rosalind-“

“I won’t hesitate to shoot this bolt into your skull if you come any closer!” Rosalind hissed; her grip on the crossbow remained firm and steady; their finger hovered over the trigger.

Everly pushed an arm between Ekoh and Rosalind, moving between the two. “Lower the crossbow.”

“Move out of my way, Everly!” Rosalind ushered for Everly to leave, but they remained in front of them.

Ekoh kept his hands up; their eyes were wide as she glanced at Everly. “Go, please don’t get hurt.”

"Oh, for goodness sake! Don’t act like you care. You are a murderer; you are supposed to be dead!” Rosalind refocused their crossbow on Ekoh but refused to fire until Everly moved. “My mother killed you and suffered from the guilt for years-”

“Carwyn?” Ekoh questioned, her hands lowered as confusion clouded his mind. “Rosalind, she didn’t kill me.”

“Rosey- Rosalind.” Night finally spoke up, standing a couple feet back from Rosalind. He stepped closer before placing a hand on their shoulder. “We should hear them out.”

“I’m not going to listen to someone label my mother as a liar!” Rosalind looked almost terrified, confused even, before she sharpened their stance. “Everly, I refuse to kill an innocent, so move!”

“Ekoh’s telling the truth!” Everly snapped, remaining right in front of Ekoh. “Lower your weapon, or you’d be killing an innocent either way!”

“Rosalind, please.” Night pleaded quietly to the agitated queen. 

“How can you be so sure?” Rosalind looked back at Night, then at Everly and Ekoh. She was evidently scared and in denial.

“Rosalind, we were friends. Allies even. I know I have no proof now, but I promise you. I am trying to fix things, and Carwyn was trying to protect home. Whatever lies she told people were to protect everyone.”

After several long, tense seconds of silence, Rosalind lowered their weapon. 

“I want to believe you, Ekoh. I really do. Please tell me you aren’t lying.” She nearly begged; their arm hung limply with the crossbow.

Ekoh let out a relieved sigh, allowing themself to breathe again. He stepped forward to stand beside Everly. “I promise, I’m not lying to you. She didn’t kill me. I never wanted to do anything that happened.”

“Then what happened? Why did you do everything you did?” Rosalind challenged.

“Zayn. They possessed me to carry out their chores. And someone in your colony was controlled too and killed me. I have reason to believe now that your mother may have been caught up in whatever was going on with Light Seekers and Singing Woods-”

“I knew I couldn’t trust them.” Rosalind cut Ekoh off, visibly gritting her teeth. 

Ekoh nodded. “I don’t know what sort of ties your family may have had with Zayn and Esmeray, but I don’t believe that your mother had any say or desire to do what Singing Woods wanted from her.” They tried to gently inform her, understanding how delicate of a topic this was.

Rosalind seemed to have accepted the answer Ekoh provided. Ekoh could see the look of defeat, almost as if the last scrap of certainty was ripped from her soul. 

“Ekoh, things are bad here.” Rosalind teared up, fastening her crossbow to her belt. “Really, really bad.” 

He stepped forward, hugging Rosalind tightly. “I know. I wouldn’t be here if that wasn’t the case.” Ekoh felt Rosalind almost crumble in the embrace, beginning to sob. 

“We’re all going to die. My kids, my love.” Rosalind hugged her back tightly, tucking their head against Ekoh’s shoulder. “I don’t know where my kids are. God, I don’t know where either of them are.”

Ekoh frowned at the dread from the mother, gently releasing Rosalind from the hug when Night approached them. They watched as Night carefully grabbed Rosalind’s scarred hands, holding them as if trying to keep in the dying warmth. “We’ll find them; don’t worry, dear. Maxxine and Vania can handle themselves.”

“I suppose, but I can’t help it, to be worried.” 

Ekoh recognized the two names instantly, knowing that they, along with two others, were on the same adventure that Ekoh and Everly were now involved in. Though informing Rosalind and Night of the locations of their kids would lower their worries, she was also well aware that Rosalind would interfere with the mission and risk all six of them failing. Ekoh shot a glance at Everly, who confirmed Ekoh’s own opinions when astral responded with a silent shake of their head, indicating for Ekoh to keep the parents in the dark.

“If I see them, I’ll make sure they find their way back home.” Ekoh promised, but had very little confidence in his own ability to guarantee the lives of the two.

“Thank you, Ekoh. And it was a pleasure to see you both again.” Night nodded to Ekoh, then to Everly. 

A troop of guardians emerged from the forest, once seeming more hostile, then calmed to realize Ekoh and Everly weren’t posing a threat. “Your majesty, we’ll continue the search. We advise you to go back to the colony.” The leader spoke directly to Rosalind.

Rosalind sighed in defeat but evidently trusted her guardians to maintain the safety of her young. “You always have a place in the Oasis.” Rosalind added, “I was wrong to judge so quickly, and I hope you forgive me.”

“Thank you, and don’t fuss about it. I’d have done the same.” Ekoh felt a hand wrap around their own, turning to see Everly.

“We should get moving before more people see us.” They urged, which Ekoh agreed.

“Safe travels!” Rosalind called to the two, waving as she marched off with Night. Ekoh smiled, though he noticed the troop’s leader shoot them a hostile glare. Everly grabbed Ekoh’s hand more firmly, turning away, and began to walk, which Ekoh followed without hesitation.

“Do you think the rest of the group has made it to the temple? What if something happened-?” Everly stopped Ekoh’s anxious trail of thoughts.

“They’ll be fine; we can’t worry about something we can’t control.” Everly reminded, “Besides, we need to hurry up to the Singing Woods colony, gather information, and keep them from finding the others.”

“Right!” Ekoh put on a confident exterior. She was still worried, and Everly knew that, affectionately bumping against Ekoh’s side as they walked. And soon after, a portal hub came into view. This only fueled Ekoh with more fears and dread. They looked over at Everly for reassurance.

“I know this place like the palm of my hand.” Everly spoke cheerfully, holding out astrals free hand with their palm up, casting a mini-display of the world in light. “We’ll be there in no time.”

Ekoh couldn’t help but laugh at the literal depiction of the map in their palm. "Yeah, yeah, let's go.”

The two stepped through the portal, awoken to the colony that inflicted deep-rooted memories of power and entrapment. The once bustling colony fueled with life remained silent as they approached the colony entrance, an archway illuminated by floating lights, leading farther into the woods that were home to this mighty colony. Normally, the main entrance road was blossoming with life, fueled by the lively energy of energetic people, with music playing by the commoners, vendors of all sorts hosted by merchants, and children laughing and roaming freely. 

Instead, it was oddly quiet. A single person behind each stand with dimmed lights and commoners that shopped in an almost robotic manner. Eyes followed the movements of Ekoh and Everly, leaving Ekoh feeling more and more uneasy by the second. They changed her attention to Everly, who watched the floor in a dull manner. “Everly?” Ekoh whispered, shaking astrals hand slightly. 

They snapped out of it, facing Ekoh with terror in astrals eyes. Their face was ghostly, like the blood was drained and abandoned back at the portal hub. “Ekoh, we need to go. We need to leave. Look at them!” Everly gestured ahead, where guardians began to close in on them. They wore sleek, white masquerade masks; their eyes were pale underneath. Ekoh then scanned the few folk that lingered in the open streets. Every single person was wearing a mask.

Their blood ran cold, instantly taking a step back only to bump into someone. One word shot through her mind, quick as lightning with a strike that echoed for an eternity.

Run.