Clutching her forehead, the girl walked numbly down the streets. Her scuffing footsteps kicked pebbles across the stone street as Felicity was riddled with confusion. All these streets, all the stone and wood buildings, were the same. They all felt like they loomed over her as massive bars, closing in on her. Feeling constricted, Felicity once again felt the desperate desire for escape or comfort. Yet, she knew it could not come. Veritas was cold towards her, and Felicity really did not like him. Shinsou was missing, who knew when he would come back. Even Gweneal had been whisked away to be judged by the Great Thayne for disobeying a direct order. The two closest people to her were out there, somewhere, in danger. Was Gweneal to be punished? Wherever he was, was Shinsou in pain? The questions stabbed her like daggers as she remembered the images of her cousin being murdered, then lying on the ground dead.

Tears flooded her eyes as Felicity sleepwalked through the streets. Why? Why does this always happen?

Her heartbeat accelerated as she remembered. Her uncle died while she was away from him, died a lonely death in an empty house from stroke. If Felicity had been there, would his death have been better? Even preventable? If she was stronger, would be have been able to save her cousin from the woes of Corone's late civil war? Tear streamed down her face as she felt the pangs of grief and guilt tear her apart.

She never took the time to grieve.

The more she spoke with her therapist, however, the more he convinced her to let her feel these things. Anxiety soared as Felicity's steps hastened, near running to her house where she could cry without being seen. She was terrified for the ones away from her. She was terrified that she was not there to protect them. She failed to be there for her uncle and cousin, she now failed to be there for her teacher and guardian.

She raced up the stone steps to her small house. A curse flew from her lips, a habit picked up from Veritas, as she rushed inside and locked the door.

Inside, the untidy house was how she left it. Dust cllected on the furniture, the floors were filthy. No rugs, no decorations, and the placing of the furniture was crooked. She threw her sword onto the floor as she darted to one of the chests. Opening it, she spotted a carving tool she threw in there and forgot about. Felicity pulled the tool out. It was about to be used again...

"Let your take time to grieve," her therapist's words echoed in her head, "You cannot be there for those in the present until you let go of the past. But running is not the answer. Let yourself feel what you feel inside."

"Take care of yourself as much as you take care of your men." General Soot's words resounded much stronger in her thoughts

Felicity darted outside, pulling two large stones from the corner. Plopping them in the center of the yard, Felicity took out the tools ad start engraving letters into them. She had needed to do this a long time ago...