The next morning arrived far too quickly.
Sakura stood outside the Grand Archives as the city slowly awakened around her.
The streets were quieter than usual.
Shopkeepers were only beginning to open their stalls.
The morning air carried the scent of the sea drifting through the strait.
For a moment, she simply stood there.
Bag packed.
Boots tied.
Ready to leave.
Yet not moving.
The Grand Archives towered behind her.
A place she had entered searching for answers.
A place she was leaving with even more questions.
The main doors opened.
Rowan emerged first.
Of course he did.
He looked far too awake for this hour.
Sakura immediately distrusted him.
"You're actually leaving."
"I'm standing here with a travel bag."
"Fair point."
"Also,umm..."
Rowan tried to find the right words while holding a neat letter.
"He wants you to bring a letter to his brother."
"Though,they are not blood related"
A familiar voice followed from behind him.
He shook but continued.
"I still think of him as my real brother."
The Archivist thoughtfully nodded.
"What does he look like? What is his name?"
"You know him just by looking and his name is Abel"
"Alright."
Rowan continued.
"Evidence is important."
"That may be the first intelligent thing you've said all week."
Rowan looked offended.
The Archivist stepped outside next to him.
The morning sunlight reflected softly against her silver hair.
For once, she wasn't carrying a book.
That somehow felt stranger than anything else.
The three stood together in silence for a few moments.
Eventually, Rowan pointed toward the road leading north.
"Well."
Sakura narrowed her eyes.
"No."
"I haven't even said anything."
"You were about to."
The cartographer sighed dramatically.
"I was going to wish you good luck."
"You've ruined your reputation too thoroughly for me to believe that."
The Archivist nodded.
"Reasonable."
Rowan looked betrayed.
Again.
Nobody felt particularly guilty.
The city bells rang in the distance.
The sound drifted across Aurelis.
A reminder that life was continuing.
People were opening shops.
Ships were preparing to sail.
Scholars were beginning another day of arguing over records.
The world moved forward.
As it always did.
Sakura adjusted the strap on her bag.
Then turned toward the two people who had unexpectedly become part of her journey.
"Thank you."
The words came naturally.
Simple.
Honest.
For a moment, neither responded.
Then Rowan scratched the back of his head.
"You're making this awkward."
"You're welcome."
The Archivist's response was quieter.
Yet somehow carried more weight.
Sakura smiled.
The woman studied her for a moment.
Then reached into her sleeve.
She produced a folded piece of paper.
"No maps."
The Archivist almost smiled.
"You've become suspicious."
"I wonder why."
The paper changed hands.
Sakura opened it.
Inside was a single address.
Nothing else.
No explanation.
No notes.
Just an address.
She looked up.
"What is this?"
"A bookstore."
That was not the answer she expected.
The Archivist continued.
"If your journey ever brings you back to Aurelis, visit it."
"Why?"
The silver-haired woman was silent for a moment.
Then she answered.
"Because some stories deserve a place to return to."
The response felt strangely personal.
Before Sakura could ask more, the Archivist stepped back.
The conversation was over.
At least for now.
Rowan folded his arms.
"See?"
Sakura looked at him.
"What?"
"She's doing the mysterious thing again."
The Archivist ignored him.
Naturally.
Sakura laughed softly.
Then looked toward the northern road.
The road seemed smaller than she expected.
Funny.
An entire continent separated her from the answer she sought.
Yet the journey itself began with a simple path stretching beyond the city walls.
One step.
Then another.
That was how every journey started.
The thought reminded her of something Haruto once said.
Back when they used to travel together.
Not across continents.
Just short trips.
Weekends.
Vacations.
Small adventures.
He had always insisted that destinations were overrated.
That the journey itself mattered.
At the time, she thought he was being ridiculous.
Now she wasn't so sure.
Sakura took a deep breath.
Then started walking.
The road carried her away from Aurelis.
Away from the archives.
Away from certainty.
Toward the unknown.
She didn't look back immediately.
Not because she didn't want to.
Because she knew she would stop walking if she did.
Only after reaching the crest of a distant hill did she finally turn around.
Aurelis shone beneath the morning sun.
The white walls.
The bridges.
Crown Isle standing proudly between the two shores.
Beautiful.
Distant.
Already beginning to feel like a memory.
Sakura smiled.
Then faced north once more.
Somewhere beyond the deserts.
Beyond the forgotten roads.
Beyond years of separation.
A man named Haruto continued his own journey.
Unaware that someone was finally following the trail he had left behind.