[Present – Thursday]
We stood outside the inn.
Me…
Aunt Melissa…
Liana…
And Vesper.
Our bags were with us—everything we needed, everything we had left of this place.
In front of us… stood the buyer.
A man who looked ordinary, wearing a brown hat and a matching suit, holding a black briefcase in a formal manner that suggested seriousness.
He said directly:
"Here's the money… where's the contract?"
Aunt Melissa took out the ownership contract and handed it to him.
They exchanged signatures.
A short moment—
But enough to change everything.
The man took the contract.
And Melissa took the money.
And just like that…
It was over.
A strange feeling crept inside me.
Just like that?
This place…
Where we lived…
Where we got used to…Was no longer ours.
But—
If that's how I felt…
Then how did Aunt Melissa feel right now?
I looked at her.
The sadness was clear… despite her attempt to hide it.
A heavy silence fell.
I was about to say something—anything to ease it—
But she beat me to it.
"It's alright…" she said calmly, as if reading my thoughts,
"I wasn't going to stay in this inn forever anyway."
She smiled.
But her smile… didn't reach her eyes.
There was something else…Something she didn't say.
Before the silence could stretch further—
Vesper said lightly:
"Come on, it's just an inn. You can replace it anytime. It's not like someone died."
For a moment—
Then…Aunt Melissa burst into laughter.
"Hahaha… you're right, Vesper."
She took a deep breath, as if shedding part of her burden, then added:
"I can always start over… somewhere better."
I laughed too.
"Heh… that's true."
Then I clapped my hands lightly and said:
"Alright, let's go. We need to buy tents—we won't reach Storn in one day."
We headed to the market.
We moved between shops, one after another, buying what we needed—tents, simple tools, things that might seem small…
but could mean the difference between comfort and hardship on the road.
With every shop…The bags got heavier.
And me—
I was the victim.
We left the last shop…And my hands were completely full.
A large bag on my right shoulder…
An even heavier one on my left…
I could barely be seen behind the load.
I was suffocating.
In a strained voice, I tried to move forward—
When Vesper said mockingly:
"Looks like someone's going to collapse… before the journey even begins."
I didn't even look at him.
I said tiredly:
"If you have time to mock… use it to walk."
He laughed softly…
As for me—
I was just trying to stay standing.
Moments later—
We reached the workplace.
The carriage was there…And everyone had gathered.
Each person carrying their bag, talking to others, as if they were on the verge of a journey… without knowing what awaited them.
We approached them.
And as soon as we got closer—
Everyone's eyes turned toward us.
One by one…
Conversations faded, and clear expressions of surprise appeared on their faces.
It wasn't hard to understand why.
Aunt Melissa… and Liana.
Two completely new faces in a group used to the same ones.
Marcus stepped toward me quickly, his face a mix of surprise and curiosity, and said:
"You finally made it… but—"
He paused, looked behind me, then continued:
"Who are those two?"
I sighed quietly, then raised my voice slightly so everyone could hear:
"Before today… I went to the boss."
I paused briefly, then continued:
"And I told him there are two people… I consider family."
A light silence fell.
"And I asked him to allow them to come with us."
Then I added more firmly:
"And he agreed."
I stepped aside and gestured toward them:
"This is… Aunt Melissa, the inn owner who took care of me since I arrived."
Then I looked at Liana, who was holding onto her mother's dress:
"And this is Liana… her daughter."
I paused for a second… then said seriously:
"I ask you… to take care of them."
For a moment—
Nothing happened.
Then—
The atmosphere completely changed.
Knox smiled first, followed by Sirion, then the rest… as if a wall of hesitation had suddenly collapsed.
"Welcome."
"Don't worry, you'll be safe with us."
"Hello!"
The words came one after another… simple, but sincere.
Aunt Melissa smiled gently and said in a calm voice full of gratitude:
"I hope we won't be a burden… and please take care of me and my daughter."
As for Liana—
She didn't wait.
She raised her hand excitedly and said energetically:
"Take good care of us!"
Some laughed.
And almost everyone replied at once:
"Of course!"
I watched the scene silently…
This was better than I expected.
There was no rejection… not even real hesitation.
Only welcome.
Warm… and surprising.
As the minutes passed—
The atmosphere became more lively.
Some crouched to Liana's level, playing with her or carrying her, while she laughed loudly, as if she had completely forgotten that we were about to leave everything behind.
On the other side—
Aunt Melissa was surrounded by some of the group, asking her light questions—about the inn, her life, her upcoming journey.
As for me—
I just watched.
Quietly.
Until—
"Looks like we've been pushed to the sidelines."
I turned.
It was Vesper, hands behind his head, watching the scene with amusement.
I smiled slightly and said:
"That's normal… new people always steal the attention."
Before he could reply—
A calm voice cut in:
"Are you sure about your decision to bring them with you?"
I looked at the speaker.
Sirion.
His eyes were steady, his tone free of judgment… but direct.
I hesitated for a moment.
Then said:
"Not entirely…"
I took a slow breath, then added:
"But… they have their reasons."
He looked at me for a second…Then said nothing.
Suddenly—
I felt a light touch on my shoulder.
My body froze for a moment—
Then I quickly pulled away, as if shocked.
I turned—
To find—
Reagan.
"Haha… sorry, didn't mean to scare you."
I took a deep breath, trying to regain my calm, then said:
"It's fine… just don't do it again."
He smiled slightly, then looked at me carefully:
"But…"
He leaned in a little, as if trying to confirm something.
"Aren't you… that guy who fell for the skull trick?"
…
I froze.
For a split second—
That memory came back.
That moment I was fooled like a child.
That feeling…But I steadied myself.
And said calmly:
"Yeah… that's me."
His smile widened slightly:
"Thought so."
Then he added confidently:
"You felt familiar."
His gaze shifted to Vesper, then back to me:
"And this one?"
"Vesper. He works with us."
Reagan looked at him and extended his hand:
"Nice to meet you."
Vesper smiled and shook it:
"Same here."
A simple moment—
But enough to show that bonds were starting to form.
Suddenly—
A strong voice cut through everything:
"Everything is ready."
Everyone turned at once.
The boss stood in front of the carriage, his gaze steady.
Then he said:
"Let's move."
The sounds stopped.
The whispers vanished.
The laughter faded.
And in that moment—
Everyone realized the truth.
This was no longer just a plan.
Or an idea.
Or a possibility.
It had—
Begun.
I breathed slowly…And looked at the road stretching ahead.
A road I didn't know where it would lead.
Nor what awaited me on it.
But—
One thing was certain.
It wouldn't be an ordinary road.