Ro: "Why do you think Ethan let us go in the forest first?"

Barry: "You think that's suspicious?"

Ro: "Yeah, I think it is."

The two converse while walking.

Ro: "He said his goal is to bring Kais into the war, right?"

Barry: "He did say that, yes."

Ro: "I guess us trying to bring him to our side technically does end up fulfilling his purpose, but …"

Barry: "But you think there's more to it than that, don't you?"

Ro nods. Barry understands his concerns very well. He knows there is some genuinely threatening reason why Ethan let them go first.

Ro: "Could it mean he was lying to us about his intentions?"

Barry: "No, I was using aurreading on him. I would have known if he would have ever lied to me."

Seeing that both of them came here in a sort of a race with Ethan to reach Kais first, it just doesn't seem logical for him to allow his compet.i.tors have a head start.

Barry: "Were we the only ones who thought getting to Kais first is important?"

Ro: "Well, I hate to say it, but it could be that we are walking into his trap."

Barry: "But it could also be that there was never any reason to be on each other's throats."

He says in an uncharacteristically serious and calm expression.

Ro: "Huh?"

Barry: "Think about it, he was a suspicious individual so we automatically a.s.sumed whatever he is doing is going to harm us, but what if that's not the case?"

Ro: "Are you serious?"

Twitching his eyebrows, he asks with in a disgruntled tone

Barry: "Yeah, it does make sense, doesn't it? If this is true, then everything he is doing makes sense. He came here so we follow him here and is now trying to achieve his goal through us. He also shared information with us yesterday because we would only end up benefitting him in the end. Yeah, maybe we are suspecting him too much."

Barry looks at Ro for his response but Ro just stares at Barry with a cold expression.

Barry: "Ah!"

Only then does Barry realize that he is telling Ro that the person who killed him has no reason to be suspected.

Ro: "There's something wrong with you if you think that's it."

Barry: "Hey listen, try to think of this rationally."

Knowing he might be stepping on a land mine, Barry still has to go down this spiral of thought.

Ro: "Back on the beach too, what was going on? It's almost as if you had lost all hostility towards Ethan."

Ro points out the moment of Ethan coming to completely understand Barry.

Barry: "Believe me when I say that has nothing to do with this."

Ro's frustration was growing, but he did still try to think of things rationally. That is why, he wouldn't outright deny the possibility that Barry just mentioned but,

Ro: "I can't, believe that."

There is no way he can accept it either.

Barry: "Tch!"

Barry lowers his gaze.

Ro: "Why are you suddenly trying to defend him anyway?"

Barry sighs.

Barry: "All I am saying is that this is a possibility."

Ro: "… that I have no faith in."

Barry: "Why?"

Ro: "I think he said something about him having another goal last night. And he said he can't tell us what that goal is. That's plenty of reason to be suspicious."

Barry finally remembers it when Ro reminds him.

Barry: "I-I see. That was indeed suspicious."

Barry puts a hand at his chin as he remembers that detail.

Ro: "Which is why, your argument just now is pointless."

Barry: "Uh,"

Ro: "What?"

Barry narrows his gaze as he stares at Ro for a while, but then sighs and says,

Barry: "Nothing."

He wants to say that his argument doesn't fall off with just that, but he decides not to. After all, the biggest reason he thinks this possibility makes sense is because he knows the truth. He knows the truth he directed Valdis and Reid towards. They would have already found out about it, but Ro didn't get a chance to.

Barry: "If he just,"

If he just knew about Ozyllus' true nature and intentions, then maybe Ethan would want to go against those intentions and salvage his plans, which would happen if they end up succeeding in bringing Kais in the war and causing the Dragon Alliance a cataclysmic defeat. While thinking thoughts like these, Barry continues to walk.

Ro: "What did you say?"

Barry: "Nothing, don't mind it."

Even while still curious about what Barry said, Ro decides to focus on their current task. Unlike Ethan who often gets distracted from the topic whenever talking about something, Ro knows how to keep his focus on one thing.

This is the reason Barry thinks he is someone capable of dealing with Ethan. Someone like him could be capable of outsmarting Ethan given a little help. This is why he brought him on their side. But now,

Barry: "What if …"

In a voice so soft Ro couldn't hear, Barry asks himself, "what if he finds out the truth about who Ozyllus really was. Will his approach to things change? If so, then how?"

But more important than that is the question – 'who would do that?' Who would reveal those secrets to him? Barry could have easily told him before but now it may sound to him like a made-up lie to help his argument about Ethan, which also stops Barry from revealing this secret to anyone else. So, who would spill the beans?

*******************************

Dragon: "I don't think there's any point in me saying any further."

Kais: "Why?"

Dragon: "I don't have enough time or credibility to tell you everything, do I?"

I turn to take a look at Sona and realize what he is saying is true. His revealing whatever secrets he has is not going to convince her that they are the truth.

Dragon: "This is why; if you want to know the truth about everything, then try to find the Library. That's the only place that Ozyllus had no control over."

The library, huh? Is it some special library he is talking about?

Sona: "Wait a minute! Are you talking about the Psychic Library that's considered to be impossible to find."

Dragon: "Yeah, I am talking about that library."

So it's a library that no one has ever been able to find. And Sona called it 'psychic' library for some reason too. This is getting really confusing. Maybe I should stop pretending like I know what they are talking about and try to ask them directly.

Dragon: "Who knows, you might even realize I am not that big of a monster as you think I am."

Sona: "What?"

The atmosphere just got chilly all of a sudden and my words get stuck in my throat.

Dragon: "You might also find a new target for your revenge."

The dragon however continues on without flinching. At least, that's how it looks like. Because of Aura Reading, I know that he is also getting pressured from the coldness of her stare.

Sona: "Are you trying to say there is someone else who is responsible for what happened to me?"

Dragon: "I don't even know what happened to you, but since whatever it was couldn't have been about a thousand years ago, then that is what it means."

That seems like a roundabout way of saying you are not to blame for anything that has happened in the last thousand years.

Sona narrows her eyes as she stares at him, while I keep my silence. The golden fish on the other end has not spoken a word and since I can't read the expressions of a fish, I am at a loss for what she is thinking right now.

Dragon: "Well, Barry once told me that he would come here when you would come here. And now he is here."

He suddenly said something that seemed unrelated to the topic but grabbed my attention nonetheless.

Dragon: "Ethan said that the island will be in its last days when I am seen outside of the tomb, and I certainly am in my last days. Ethan predicted that after I am gone, something will probably happen to the island that would take it down."

So, what is he trying to get at?

Dragon: "From those predictions of theirs, I think those two also know about these things. If you can't find the library, then just ask them."

The dragon says as a ray of the sun s.h.i.+nes right at my face. I move aside a little. It's morning now. It was last evening when I first reached this pond. It was night when I reached Sona, and by the time we came back here, it was already past mid-night. Now, it's morning. Time sure flies by.

Dragon: "Well, I guess the sun's up, huh? That means new guests will be coming to the island."

Sona: "Huh?"

That startled both of us but I regain my composure as I had no reason to suspect it's a lie when I can read his aura. Sona probably thinks he is trying to deceive us.

Kais: "New guests, you say? Who are you talking about?"

Dragon: "Well, just …"

From the corners of my eyes, I can see a small dot in the sky far away.

Dragon: "some ghosts."

*******************************