Silence lingered.
The cart owner was speechless.
Ren closed his eyes again.
He said,
“Elvan, do things because you want to…
not because you have to.”
Elvan didn’t respond.
Instead, his grip on the reins tightened.
Just as he was about to say something, he heard the sound of steady breathing behind him.
“…Asleep.”
He turned to stare at Ren’s profile.
…
…
…
“Maybe…
he is right.”
With that, Elvan turned his attention back to the road.
Behind him, Ren opened one eye, then closed it again.
The next morning arrived.
Kai was the first to wake.
Ren woke too.
Due to the early morning, the atmosphere was covered in mist.
“Beautiful, right?” Elvan said when he saw them awake.
But Kai’s eyes were locked on the butterfly now emerging from Ren’s coat.
Ren followed Kai’s gaze.
“What?”
“Nothing…
just wondering if you gave it a name or not.”
“I…
didn’t.”
Ren’s eyes fell on the butterfly.
“…Aster.”
“Aster.”
“…Your own path.”
“Hm.”
The butterfly flapped its wings, as if acknowledging the name.
Screech—
“Kids, the route is long.
Let’s rest in this town for today.”
“Okay.”
Then he glanced up at the giant board standing above the entrance.
ALREN
Beside the board, tall concrete walls surrounded the town.
Guards stood near the entrance.
Bells echoed faintly beyond the walls.
Even the walls couldn’t hide its beauty.
As the cart approached the towering gates of Alren—
“Turn back,” Kai said.
“Why?” Elvan turned toward him.
“Let’s camp on the outskirts.
Going in and booking an inn will be a waste of money, and more importantly, it’s student season, so the inn rates are probably going to be sky-high.”
Ren nodded.
“Makes sense.”
“And I have extra camping gear.
You can use it, boss.”
“Thanks, but I’ll sleep in my cart.”
With that, Elvan turned the cart around.
The cart pulled up near the entrance of a forest on the outskirts of Alren.
“Hey, boss…
you sure we won’t get lost?”
“I’ve been navigating these routes since you were a kid.”
“Okay.”
“We’ve arrived,” Elvan said.