The sun was setting as Aiden and Lyra flew over her hometown.
"We're here!" Lyra said, brimming with excitement.
"Looks pretty deserted."
"I'd call it peaceful. Wait till we land—I'm sure you'll fall in love with this place."
"You sound awfully confident. You hiding something from me?"
Lyra just smiled and stayed silent, sparking a twinge of suspicion in Aiden.
. . .
After dismounting Icara and watching Lyra make her vanish, Aiden finally took in the village before him.
"Like I said, doesn't seem like there's many people around."
"There used to be a lot more, but over time, folks moved away," Lyra said. "Doesn't matter—come on, let's not waste time."
Lyra grabbed Aiden's wrist and pulled him into the village.
It was a humble place, with small houses, modest market stalls, and unassuming food carts. Nothing stood out as remarkable.
Yet, as the seconds passed, strange feelings began stirring in Aiden.
'This place… it's my first time here… isn't it?'
Lyra let go of Aiden, letting him walk ahead of her.
'What's this feeling?'
'Sadness?'
'Nostalgia?'
"Aiden, you… you really don't remember this place?"
Lyra's words made Aiden turn to face her.
He saw a hint of melancholy in her eyes, which sent his heart racing.
"HELP!"
The shout stole both their attention, and before Aiden could blink, a girl in homely clothes threw herself into Lyra's arms.
"Zetra! It's been forever! Did you miss me?" Lyra said, returning the girl's warm hug. She was about Lyra's height.
After a few seconds, the girls eased up on their affection and turned to Aiden.
"Is this…?" Zetra began.
"This is Aiden," Lyra said.
At that, Zetra's face lit up with excitement.
"Sorry, Lyra, who's this girl?" Aiden asked.
Zetra's enthusiasm vanished instantly.
"Aiden, you don't remember who…?"
"She's Zetra, Aiden," Lyra cut in quickly. "My sister."
Aiden studied them both, noticing that, aside from Zetra's hair tied back in a ponytail, she was almost Lyra's mirror image.
"Let's catch up later," Lyra said. "First, let's head to our house—night's almost here."
. . .
For the first hour, Aiden felt out of place in the small house with its thin walls, especially since Lyra focused entirely on catching up about village news.
It wasn't until dinnertime that Aiden finally relaxed. The three ate at the central table in the living room, and as he munched on bread, Aiden calmly scanned his surroundings.
"What're you staring at, Aiden?" Lyra asked.
"Those photos on the walls. Who are the man and woman in them?"
Lyra and Zetra exchanged uneasy glances, and Zetra spoke up.
"They're our parents, Aiden. They passed away some time ago."
"Oh… I'm sorry to hear that."
An awkward silence lingered for several seconds until Zetra tried to lighten the mood.
"So… what brings you guys here? Lyra, weren't you supposed to be escorting Aiden to the kingdom's outskirts?"
"That's right," Lyra said. "We hit some snags on the trip. Long story short, we're here to buy a map. Once we do, we'll head out again."
"Well, you'll have to wait till morning—nothing's open this late," Zetra said.
"Figured as much," Lyra said. "You hear that, Aiden? Hope you don't mind spending the night here."
"If it's fine with you two, it's fine with me."
With little else to say, they ate in silence.
'Please, let the hours pass quickly,' Aiden thought.
. . .
While Aiden slept in a room of his own, the sisters shared one, and at some point in the night, they chose to talk instead of sleep.
"Hey, Lyra."
"What's up?"
"Aiden… he really doesn't remember anything?"
Lyra fell silent for a moment, overwhelmed by the sadness of answering that question.
"It seems that way."
"And you're not going to tell him anything? It feels unfair to stay by his side while hiding the truth."
"Trust me, it's harder for me than you think."
"So? Why put yourself through this pain?"
Lyra shifted in her bed, covering her face with the pillow to avoid her sister's gaze.
"I don't want Aiden to suffer. He's been through enough already. And I'm scared that telling him the truth will only hurt him more."