I meandered out the infirmary with great ease. It felt more bearable knowing that I was safe from the New Burtiontion army.

At least for now.

I still needed to locate mother and Eiriam. It was the only thought faltering through my mind. I couldn't imagine all the hell they must be facing right now.

All because of me.

I gazed at the same photo I found just a week ago with that same message: "To Dear Phiysilya Cara Woodlin."

Now, I knew that was my full name and the photo was of me and my sister at a ferry. "I will save you," I whispered to the picture, fingering my palm at Eiriam gently.

The carriage, at last, came not long afterward. I took a seat at the very end of the carriage.

"Town Square please," I told the driver politely. For as long as I could recall, I've traveled down to Pearlrock City every summer to visit my relatives. One time, even staying with my grandparents when I was six years old for a month while my parents left on a ferry.

However, my grandparents recently passed away two years prior, not long after my 16th birthday. I remembered sorrowfully, the memories crashing aback painfully. Grandma and grandpa did leave their home and inheritance to my mother though. Hopefully, it wouldn't take too long to locate the house.

I looked on as the carriage passed through the countryside that was filled with mainly happy families having picnics and happy children laughing and playing. There was a particular pair of girls that were playing together. The tall one was tan and raven-haired while in stark contrast, the more petite one was pale with freckles and ginger-colored curls. For some reason, the ginger haired girl was giving me the Eiriam-vibe. But I wasn't sure why.

I merely observed for the rest of the way, with blurs of farms, houses, greenery, and even more happier children with their parents. Laughing, smiling... It gave me nostalgia because that was what my family used to be at one point when I was young. That time where I could give a genuine smile to a stranger, that time where my mother wasn't distant with me.

I begin to indulge deeper than ever into my thoughts, my stray pieces of hair rustling in the calm breeze. I closed my eyes, thinking just how pathetic I truly was.

Very pathetic.

My own sister was taken hostage because of me.

I'm responsible for this damage and now, I had to redeem myself. Make it up to her.

If I had the power to turn back the clock, I would have in a heartbeat. I wouldn't have been sleeping. I would have been the one to save mother and take Eiriam to the safe haven.

If only...

No.

Eiriam would have hated to see me decapitate myself like this... to blame myself... but I couldn't let it go.

It was my fault.

I was so annihilated into my self-grief that the ride went by in a huff.

"Town Square!", the driver declared.

Taken aback, I redrawn 20 gold coins from my pouch and placed them into the driver's palm.

"Thank you, have a nice day."

"You too." I respectfully replied back.

After the carriage set off, I became apart of the inner bustle of Town Square. This had to be the busiest place in Pearlrock City during the daytime.

I could tell there was some sort of sale going on at the moment looking at the crowds. People were hustling about, filling Town Square with permeated energy. I briefly checked my pouch to count how much money I had left.

"150 gold coins in total."

I still felt guilty that the sanatorium gave me money to start a life here in Pearlrock City but my inner conscience knew deep down that I had no other choice other than to accept the money. Because as of now, there was no way I'd be permitted to go back to Ellisburg. There was no life there for me any longer.

I browsed the area for only a few minutes, skimming through all the gorgeous exotic fashion and flavorful spices from other parts of the world. Swimming through crowds was never a favorite pastime of mine.

I then went on my way to locate my grandparent's house. Once I got there, I looked up at the house. The house still looked exactly the way I remembered seeing it two years ago. Three storied, with a porch out front, square windows on each floor, and chipped brown paint.

I searched for the secret emergency slot that was encrypted along with the house key by Grandpa four years prior. The key was bronze but already starting to show age. I turned the delicate key carefully in the front door lock and that was when the door opened up.

Discreetly, I then placed the key back where it belonged, observing what greeted me. The houses internal remnants remained untouched as well since grandma and grandpa died. The age old bookshelves still holding various types of literacy books that I could still recall grandpa reading to me, Eiriam, and our cousins.

Even the numerous photo albums of our family and extended family remained, some photos even splattered about in frames on each shelf. One frame even contained a childhood photo of mother. She had gold curls, twinkling emerald eyes, rosy cheeks, and an enlivening smile on her face.

I felt a tear escape my eye and run down my cheek. This photo was aging and crumbling as it was taken many years back before she even met father.

"Your mother was about 10 or 11 years old when this photo was taken." I could still remember the precise moment grandpa told me that so many years ago.

I bring the photo back to it's rightful location, coming across the 'bread kitchen' as grandma and mother liked to refer to it as. Grandma used to run a bakery to support mother and her four older brothers Carl, Edsel, Leroy, Jehan, her elder sister Clotilde, and her only younger sibling... Elizabell.

There was so little I knew when it came to the aunt I never met, Elizabell. All I know is that she died way back in 1885. This was because, for some unknown reason, everybody hesitated to talk about her. Even mother who was said to be closet with her. But I always thought it had to do with the pain of losing her at such a young age.

Regardless, I reprimanded myself for wasting time. I had to prepare myself for tomorrow as that would be the annual beginning of my quest.

My quest to reunite with my family. Once and for all.