Taiyo waited in the room for Sorai and Rei. Kyoumi never left, standing just outside the door and occasionally talking to any passerby; she mainly used the shared language. Then again, if the army was made up of both Gin and Sólstaeuric forces, that made sense.


    He heard Rei’s voice before he saw him. Taiyo managed to stand up for them, trying to ignore his headache.


    Rei’s eyes lit up and the sag in his shoulders disappeared. He entered the room more boldly than Kyoumi, aware of what he saw. He didn’t need to convince himself it was his brother.


    Honestly, it’s been long enough that Rei might have started wondering what would happen if Taiyo turned up dead. Taiyo could imagine it going either way, at least—Taiyo staying alive just for Rei to be dead, or Rei managing alone only to see Taiyo’s corpse.


    “Are you all right?” Rei asked. He observed Taiyo’s scratches and frowned. “As much as you can be, at least?”


    “Yeah, I’m fine. You?”


    “I’m not the one that’s been missing since spring,” Rei pointed out.


    Taiyo looked away and rubbed his arm. “I know. But you’re the one with the worst history.”


    “...I guess. There’s a lot to catch up on, though.”


    “We can start with what you’ve been doing?” Hopefully by then, the camp would be clear and he could avoid telling them for a little longer. He really hoped he wouldn’t have to explain everything.


    Rei glanced at their parents for permission, and both nodded. He leaned against the wall and Taiyo sat down again.


    “We had the whole Fujita family searching for a while,” Rei murmured. It didn’t look like he really knew where to start. “A message got sent out to anyone who would take it.”


    “Sorry,” Taiyo replied without thinking.


    Kyoumi shuffled into the room a little bit more to give him a kind look.


    “It wasn’t your fault. No need to apologize.”


    That’s what she thinks, the voices muttered. Those you killed and hurt would say differently…


    Taiyo flashed back a smile as if he actually believed her words, then gave his attention back to Rei.


    “It was hard, wasn’t it?”


    Rei let out a grim chuckle. “That’s an understatement. Suffice to say, you’re barely going to leave my sight. Hope you’re okay with that.”


    “The company will be appreciated,” Taiyo said, managing a genuine grin. “Thanks.”


    Rei half-smiled back, letting Taiyo lead into a further conversation.


    “Is Maeko here?”


    “Just me and Roken’s kids,” Rei replied, shaking his head. “She still sends me letters, though.”


    “How’s my favorite furry niece?”


    Joking won’t solve your problems, boy. But at least he could pretend.


    “Snowbell found another stray,” Rei said, only partially sheepish. Not that long ago he would’ve gotten embarrassed. “Maeko’s taking care of him.”Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    “A tom? I can’t wait for the furry grandnieces and nephews, then.”


    Rei rolled his eyes but his cheeks grew red. Taiyo smiled back with stupid positivity that he missed; even Kyoumi and Sorai seemed relieved, when he glanced over at them. Maybe if he didn’t bring up what kept him here, they wouldn’t ask him.


    Someone else came down the hall, catching everyone’s attention. The Sólstaeuric man from earlier came holding some clothes.


    “The camp’s mostly settled,” the stranger reported. He handed the clothes to Kyoumi, who stepped further in the room to pass them to Taiyo.


    “Thank you,” Kyoumi replied. She looked at Taiyo but gestured to the stranger. “This is Roken Andreas, Sólstaeur’s grand chief. And, Roken—this boy is my younger son, Taiyo.”


    Roken gave a nod in greeting, rather than the usual bow. Kyoumi spoke to Taiyo again after a short pause.


    “Get changed, then we can get something to eat,” she said nicely. “If you need anything, please let someone know. Whatever brought you here, I promise I won’t let it happen again.”


    He cast her a thankful look, even if he didn’t really mean it. She couldn’t tell the difference.


    So caring…yet she overlooks things all the same. She’ll never know your pain. She’ll never forgive your actions.


    Taiyo tried not to let his expression fall until everyone filtered out of the room and he closed the door so he could change. Putting on a smile would be easier than telling them the whole story.


    …


    There weren’t many people out and about in the camp; most that were didn’t even bat an eye towards him. Then again, he just looked like a normal Gin kid. They might’ve even thought he was Rei.


    Taiyo convinced Rei to ramble while he listened and ate. Kyoumi and Sorai had to leave to assess losses, leaving the boys alone. He found it easier to stay in the present when it was just his twin; the voices dulled enough that he could pretend they weren’t muttering It wouldn’t be hard to frame his death as a suicide…


    He shook it off every time; Rei noticed and tried to give a friendly smile, assuming Taiyo was recalling “whatever brought him there.” Taiyo tried to focus on the conversation more until his attention slipped for a single second and the process repeated.


    Rei gave him a curious look after he finished eating.


    “Are you up for a bit more walking around, or do you want to find somewhere to relax?”


    “Keeping my mind on something will help more,” Taiyo admitted.


    Rei nodded and stood up, trying to give a little smile. “I’ll introduce you to the Roken kids, then. They’re the closest thing we have to agemates here.”


    Rei gestured for Taiyo to follow him, but ultimately he didn’t take too many steps ahead of his little brother. He seemed to have a good idea of the camp’s layout, leading with little to no hesitation in regards to direction.


    They stopped upon reaching a small sitting area—probably set up specifically for the younger ones, if Taiyo had to guess—and Rei waved to the two kids already there. Both were Sólstaeuric, a boy and a girl, the former drawing and the other noticing the twins first. Unsurprisingly, when the girl chirped a greeting, she used the shared language.


    “Hey! Rei and stranger.”


    “Father mentioned something about Gin’s second price,” the boy murmured. He half-looked at Taiyo and gestured with his pencil. “Are you him?”


    Taiyo nodded and gave a short bow. “Gin-Fujita Taiyo, second prince of Gin. I was in Kuro for a while, but I’m here now.”


    The Sólstaeuric duo gave silent understanding. Maybe they were told to keep things light if they saw Taiyo, too. Or they hadn’t acknowledged he was ‘missing,’ per se, just that he wasn’t there alongside his brother. You can’t miss someone you never knew, after all.


    “Kasper and Emelie, by the way; we’re Andreas Roken and Miya Masaaki’s children,” the boy said, pointing to himself and his sister as he mentioned their names. “Are you here for company?”


    “More or less,” Taiyo admitted. “It’s going to be easier to adjust when I know who I’ll probably end up spending the most time with.”


    Emelie perked up. “Oh! Can we play that candy game again?”


    Rei glanced at Taiyo for permission, then nodded.


    “Taiyo and I can get them,” he decided. “That way I can show him around more.”


    Both Roken kids seemed okay with it, so Taiyo went back to following Rei around. He tried to focus on the present, without worrying about the past or future; the voices dulled a bit while he was with Rei, so at least that helped.


    If he was lucky, he might still be able to find a way to get his problem sorted out so they can really go back to normal.