"I'll have to talk to a woman... my partner. She could train you, though it won't be easy."

"I will," Diamond insisted without hesitation.

"You'll have to work very hard... it will be tough," Change warned.

"I will," she repeated firmly.

He looked at her with a more serious expression.

"Perhaps one day you'll have to do things you don't like, for the safety of others."

Diamond hesitated for a few seconds, lowered her gaze, but then raised her face with determination.

"I will..." she murmured for the third time, more convinced than ever.

Change sighed with resignation and, in the end, nodded.

"Good, after breakfast I'll take you," he agreed in a calm voice.

They continued eating together in silence. Diamond smiled happily, swinging her legs under the table as she enjoyed every bite. When they finished, Change stood up and she immediately followed him, skipping as she walked, light as a spark

As they left the house, Change took her hand and drew her close. Then, with a natural and habitual movement, she lifted her into her arms, settling her on her forearm, as she had so many times before. The path to her partner's house—the second-in-command of the village—was not short: they had to cross the entire place, from the eastern outskirts, where Change lived, to the western outskirts, where she resided.

As they crossed the center of the village, murmurs began to fill the air. Scattered voices, hushed comments, curiosity and fear mingled in the streets.

"I heard they found three heartless bodies in the cave," said a woman, a harmless-looking ceramic doll, speaking to a cloth man resting by a fruit stand.

"Oh, yes..." replied the man indifferently. "They were the three local delinquents. Those ill-mannered ones got what they deserved."

Diamond heard the words and her eyes widened. A chill ran down her spine. That phrase... "heartless bodies." The memory of her own suffering on the ship hit her suddenly, as vivid as a wound that never healed.

Change stopped when he noticed. He turned his head toward her, observing her trembling and her disturbed expression.

"Was it you?" Diamond asked, his voice trembling. "I know you retrieved the coins... but I didn't think you'd hurt them. You said you were different."

"I am," Change denied firmly, stopping completely in his tracks.

The silence between them lingered for a few seconds, broken only by the distant murmur of the village.

"I didn't absorb their hearts," he continued, his tone serious. "And this is what I tried to tell you this morning: sometimes one has to do unpleasant things to keep the peace, to protect others..."

Diamond looked at Change doubtfully, guilt weighing heavily on his chest for what had happened.

"It's not your fault," Change denied, as if he had read his thoughts.

Something silent but profound was beginning to form between them; that connection that arises when two people begin to truly understand each other, able to intuit what the other feels or thinks without the need for words

"It was their fault," Change continued, his voice choked with emotion. "Their decisions... the grave mistake of messing with..."

He paused for a moment, suppressing what was really going through his mind. With what's mine, he thought, but didn't say it.

"With you," he finished at last.

Diamond nodded, still uncertain, still with the weight of guilt hanging over him. However, his mind wandered as Change propelled himself into the air with a powerful leap. He wasn't exactly flying, but it seemed that way: rising, losing altitude, and then powerfully propelling himself again, leaping forward through currents of air.

Diamond clung to his neck, closing his eyes tightly. Change was using his technique to avoid flying through the center of town, where murmurs and comments about the incident still echoed. "I'm afraid of heights..." Diamond murmured

The words were enough for Change to suddenly remember how they had met: that day Diamond fell from the top of the ship. How reckless he had been... of course he was afraid of heights. That fall had marked him more than he wanted to admit.

Without saying anything else, Change quickly descended toward the streets, avoiding the central areas.

"I'm sorry..." he said sincerely as he touched solid ground.

"It's okay," Diamond replied, gently forgiving. His body relaxed as he felt the stability of the ground beneath his feet again, although he was still clinging to Change's neck.

From there, the walk to his companion's house was short. After a brief stroll, they finally arrived. Change helped him down, setting him down carefully before knocking on the door: a spacious, though simple, wooden house with the welcoming feel of a lived-in place.

The door opened, and a girl appeared: a rag doll. Her hair, white and curly like wool, framed an expressive face from which soft, green ears protruded, contrasting with the white of her hair. Her eyes, two green buttons matching her ears, shone with a life of their own. She wore a simple gray shirt, dark trousers, and black boots, all practical-looking but well-maintained.

She observed the two of them in front of the door and smiled enthusiastically when her gaze fell upon Diamond.

"How exciting! Are you new in town?" she exclaimed happily. It's not often that Change brings new members. I'm usually the one who finds them, convinces them... and also helps them integrate into society

The doll took Diamond's hands in hers with a warm ease.

"My name is Hitsuji, nice to meet you," she introduced herself with a broad smile.

Change couldn't help but look at her companion with a hint of annoyance, frowning at how confidently Hitsuji held Diamond's hands. Surprised by the gesture, she smiled in confusion before replying kindly,

"Nice to meet you... my name is Diamond."

Hitsuji opened the door wider and stepped aside with a friendly gesture.

"Come in," she said, inviting them inside.

They both obeyed. The house had a cozy feel, with a living room where two facing sofas occupied the center. Change sank down onto one of them, while Hitsuji took Diamond's hand naturally, guiding her to sit beside her, never letting go.

"Tell me, beautiful," she asked curiously, her button eyes sparkling with interest, "what brings you here?"

"Oh... I'd like to join the explorers," Diamond replied, a little shyly, but determinedly.

Hitsuji nodded slowly, her expression growing more serious at the response.

"That's very brave," she commented, lowering her voice slightly. "If you know what you're getting into, of course."

"Yes, Change already explained to me that it's difficult and hard," Diamond replied, looking her in the eye.

Hitsuji tilted her head slightly, as if weighing her words.

"It's not just that," she added. "Out there are enormous, dangerous creatures... and also groups of ceramic dolls that attack us simply for considering us rebels, for maintaining peaceful relations between cloth dolls, ceramic dolls, or anyone in between."