Of course, the journey starts again, and of course it has to continue without pause. Breakfast, lunch, dinner—everything has to be done while walking. That's how it feels to me. I'll see how long that holds.
"Everything will end," Rose says into the quiet that settles once we start moving.
"Hm?" Oliver responds.
"If we're late, everything ends. What does that mean, Uncle?" Rose asks—the same question I wanted to ask earlier.
"Oh, of course. Do you know why?" Oliver says.
Rose shakes her head.
"Because I noticed one of the kingdom's soldiers where he shouldn't have been—out in a remote village. At the market earlier," Oliver says, then turns his gaze toward me.
"That's why I didn't let you get down to help Rose at the market, Hiro. Because…" He stops halfway.
"Because?" Rose presses.
"Because they've already spread newspapers with your face on them, Hiro."
"HUH?!" Rose blurts out.
I lift my head.
"How could that happen? Did someone take my picture before?" I ask.
"No. It happened because that mage saw you and sensed where you were going—through magic," Oliver answers.
"Do you have one of those newspapers, Oliver?" I ask.
Oliver nods slowly.
"Of course." His hand slips into his jacket.
He pulls out a single sheet.
"Here."
I take it. Rose steps closer. I stare at it for a long moment—my face, printed there.
"Oliver's right…" Rose whispers beside me.
My grip tightens on the paper. Because of me, this has turned into something much bigger—for everyone else too.
"Don't worry. I'll always be by your side, Hiro," she whispers again.
Morning turns into noon, and noon into afternoon.
Lunch happens just like we said—while walking. There's no stopping on this journey, not even with dinner coming soon.
"Ugh, this is exhausting. Are we still far, Uncle?!" Rose complains.
"More or less, Miss. Tiring, isn't it? Hahahaha!" Oliver answers.
"Ugh, enough… enough… I'm really tired, Uncle." Rose's body slowly gives in, and she drops to the ground from sheer exhaustion.
Oliver stops. He opens his map case and studies it briefly.
"It's not dark yet. We're almost there." He sits down near a mound of earth. "All right, let's rest for a moment—but not until night." He reaches into his bag.
"Here, Hiro. Miss." Oliver hands us two canned bottles of milk.
Rose takes hers without a word. So do I.
Sweat streams down Rose's face, her breathing sharp and uneven.
I tilt my head up to the blue sky.
"I have a bad feeling, Oliver," I say quietly.
Oliver looks at me.
"What is it? Do you sense something, son?"
I shake my head.
"No, Oliver." rubbing my neck. "It's just a feeling—"