I shake my head. "It's nothing, Oliver," I say, rubbing my neck. "Just a hunch. Don't worry."
Oliver looks up. "Very well. Let us hope it does not lead us into an obstacle. We are already exhausted from the journey," he mutters.
A soft snoring drifts between Oliver and me. Rose?
"Rose, are you asleep?!" Oliver asks.
No answer. She is completely out.
"Good heavens. The journey is still long. There is no time to stop."
Oliver rises and opens the map, studying it briefly. "We truly have to move again," he says.
I look at Rose's face for a long moment. Snore after snore—and in the end, she is holding back a smile.
"She really is ridiculous," I say as I stand.
Oliver swings his bag over his shoulder. "All right. Let us continue."
—
The journey begins again. I carry more supplies now—because of Rose. She has become a burden. Oliver carries her as we walk.
I am certain she is doing this deliberately, choosing the easiest way to keep going—of course she lets her uncle carry her.
And truly, why should I make an issue of it? Even so… it still irritates me.
We eat dinner while walking. I lose track of how long we have been moving. Day turns into night. We do not need a lantern—the moonlight is bright enough.
"Hiro," Oliver calls.
"What is it?" I reply.
Oliver stops and half turns toward me. "Look ahead," he says, pointing forward. "Look carefully."
I stop. I fall silent.
"…Is that a ridgeline?"
"Exactly. I have checked the map thoroughly. The coastline is bordered by a long, stretching ridge. That means…" His words trail off.
"We have alrea—"
"Indeed. If we can see that ridgeline, then we have arrived," he cuts in, excited. The sea lies just beyond it.
The sound of wings flapping reaches us from afar. I am the first to notice it.
"Oliver," I say.
"Hm?"
"The dove has arrived."
The dove flies straight overhead and lands on his shoulder.
"Just so. You sensed it as well, Hiro?" he asks.
I do not answer, only tilt my head slightly.
Oliver gently lays Rose down on the soft ground, not too dirty. He sits and takes out a small sheet of paper and an ink pen from his bag.
Oliver steps away, then stops and looks back at me. "Please watch Rose for a moment."
He continues toward the ridgeline, the dove perched on his shoulder.
I nod quietly and sit down.
I look at Rose's face again. Once more—she is holding back a smile.
"Ridiculous," I mutter.
She opens one eye. "Blah, blah, blah. I'm exhausted, you know," she says as she sits up. "I couldn't even keep walking. Besides, we're already here, right?" she adds, tilting her head.
"Of course. With Oliver struggling to carry you the entire way," I reply.
"Ugh. He's my uncle. Don't worry—he's strong. And he didn't even wake me up," she says.
"Whatever," I answer.
I look toward where I last saw Oliver. The air grows silent. Then he emerges from that direction.
Oliver raises one hand to chest height. The dove hops from his shoulder to his hand. He ties a small, tightly rolled message to the bird's leg with a thin hemp cord. When it is secure, he lifts his hand high, and the dove shoots into the sky.
"The message is sent," Rose murmurs. "Uncle, did we find an opening?!" she calls as he approaches.
Oliver does not answer at once. He walks closer and stops between us.
He looks up at the crest of the ridge that blocks our view of the sea. "I told them to come to our position," he says. "And now… we wait for something to happen."
"Hm? What do you mean, Uncle?!" Rose asks.
"There is no opening beyond that ridge. The patrols are tighter than ever, my lady," he replies.
"Hiro?" Oliver calls, turning to me.
Rubbing his neck, he says, "I have a bad feeling as well. I hope…" His voice trails off. "…that this bad feeling does not lead us into an obstacle."
I do not respond. I simply look up at the sky with him.
"So… there truly is no way out?"
—
I close my eyes, only to steady my heart for a moment.
A ship's horn cuts through the air from far away—HWOOOM.
I open my eyes. "Did you hear that?" I ask. Oliver and Rose turn toward me at once.
"Hear?" Oliver asks. "…What?" Rose adds.
I exhale. "A ship's horn. They have arrived."
"Really?" Rose asks. "I didn't hear anything," Oliver says.
I nod and slowly stand. "I want to go to that ridge. The sea is beyond it, isn't it?" I ask.
Oliver nods. "That's right. Go. You will be surprised when you see it," he says, lifting a glass of champagne.
I do not reply and begin to walk.
"I'm coming too," Rose says, standing up.
I stop, glance back briefly, then continue forward.
"Hey, wait for me!" she calls.
I break into a run, leaving her behind.
"HIROOO!" she shouts.
—
"WHAAAT?!" Rose yells beside me the moment she sees what lies ahead.
From the top of the ridge, the sight below feels unreal. Lighthouse towers stretch across the sea, their lights flooding the waters, and massive chains link each tower to the next. Not two or three—dozens of them, fencing in the ocean itself.
"There's really no way out?!" Rose says.
I can only stare, then close my eyes. A distant roar reaches me—not from ahead, but from my left. To my right, Rose remains frozen in place.
"Do you hear that, Rose?" I ask.
"Huh?!" she replies.
I begin descending the ridge. "They have arrived."
I run, leaving her behind.
"WAIT FOR ME!"
—
Oliver rises to his feet. "Santiago, Bartra, Grizz, Gruzz—all of you. You have finally arrived," he says, pulling each of them into a tight embrace. "You are all fully healed, correct?"
Bartra nods. "Of course, Captain. If we were not, we would have been left behind at the barrier."
Oliver shakes his head. "I feel both happy and sad at the same time. Happy that you have arrived…"
"And?" Grizz asks. "Sad?" Gruzz adds.
Oliver restrains a laugh before answering. "Sad because we have no way out of here."
"WHAAAT?!" Bartra, Grizz, Gruzz, and the crew shout in unison.
They all sit in a circle on the rocks near the campfire.
The noise of the crew fills the night—Bartra, Grizz, and Gruzz clink champagne glasses and trade jokes, turning what should have been a heavy night into something lighter.
"What is the plan, Captain?" Santiago asks, a pigeon perched on his shoulder.
Oliver falls silent for a moment. "I don't know. We should not have returned. And we cannot cross over there."
"What about traveling by land, Uncle?" Rose asks.
Oliver answers without looking away. "Hiro—the mage will sense him far more clearly if we move by land. That is why."
"I see…" Rose murmurs.
Oliver stands. "I will think of a way out. Get some rest," he says, walking toward the hill.
I have no ideas. I did not start this. I did not plan any of it. I lower my gaze to the ground. I only want to do what I am supposed to do.
The night passes quietly. Everyone sleeps soundly in their tents—everyone except me.
I rise and step outside. The bad feeling still has not faded. As I leave the tent, I see someone sitting by the campfire.
Oliver.