The day passed the way John had asked it to. They finished the feast, and they held the family close, and no one spoke about the caves until the morning came and made speaking about them unavoidable.
The four of them gathered at the edge of the pocket world where the barrier thinned into open sky. There was no ceremony to it. Lily had eaten one of Ainen's breakfasts with the focus of someone loading up before a long march, Rudra had spent the early hours checking over his decks a final time out of habit rather than need, and Almond had simply watched the family sleep for a while and let himself be sure. When they came together at the threshold, they came together quietly, four people who had already decided and were only waiting for their feet to catch up to the decision.
