After a long first dial, Jarl falls onto his bed. The effects of sleep take over as he stares up at the ceiling.

Covering the ceiling is a mural inspired by the Tripiant trybe. Pink, rose and magenta blend and swirl in a mesmerizing way. A beautiful piece of art that he can’t look away from. It reminds him of the portals he can create with his space trigger.

Even though he wasn’t a part of any quarrels, he felt tired all dial. This feeling has stuck with him back on Myalón. Perhaps it’s the shock of becoming a candidate. He does feel better after meeting the Aurist though. There were no more headaches once he ate the Hexell berry.

Now that he’s by himself, Jarl whistles with a soft tone. There’s a tune in the back of his mind that has remained since birth. He only does this when he’s alone or in a happy mood. Meeting Sagea, savoring the berry and using his trigger in public made him feel good in many ways.

Out of nowhere, there’s a rapid tapping coming from the door. Jarl stops whistling, jumps out of bed, and walks slowly across the room.

Before he reaches the handle, a vague humming is heard on the other side of the door. A feeling of nostalgia hits him once he listens intently to the humming. It sounds like the tune he was whistling earlier.

He opens the door to find a tall neytive standing before him with confidence. His dark hair and tanned complexion is radiating intimidation.

Jarl speaks first, “Who are you?”

“Jarl,” the neytive barges in and shuts the door behind him. Jarl stumbles back and feels as though he might get attacked in his own room. He prepares himself to use his space trigger and flee, until the neytive speaks again. “It is me.”

“What?” Jarl’s willingness to defend himself disappears.

“Just give it a moment,” the neytive stands still in the center of the room.

After a while, Jarl notices the neytive’s skin change pigments. His even tan changes to a pale complexion similar to Jarl’s. His hair changes as well. It looks like it’s pulling itself back into his scalp. The strands of dark blue hair become a lighter shade. The neytive is shrinking as well, to match an equal height to Jarl. The color in his eyes turns into a pair of heterochromic colors, one black and one brown. Jarl has one brown and one black.

One distinct feature that Jarl is drawn to is the gem on the neytive’s arm. The large diamond embedded on his bicep moves itself down his left arm and stops at the center of his palm. Jarl’s round pearl is placed on the opposite hand, his right palm.

“Jarl,” the neytive opens his arms wide, hoping for a hug.

The name slips out as a shout. “Jiro!”

Jarl takes a careful step forward before running into Jiro’s arms, smiling and laughing for the first time in his life. Jiro laughs as well when he can’t hold his stance and they both fall to the floor.

Jarl begins a long rant of questions. “How are you here? I did not see you get on the vessel. Who were you just now? I thought I would never see you again. I missed you so much. Did you sneak onto Auroris? When…”

“Calm down,” Jiro pulls both of them back to their feet. “I am here, and I missed you too.”

Jarl still can’t believe his brother is standing in the same room as him. Once his thoughts become clear, they sit down on his bed and resume their hug.

Jarl breaks the silence first. “How?”

Jiro gets comfortable and prepares to explain his part of the story. One thing Jarl remembers about his brother is that he likes to explain everything in detail. “When the Chancellor arrived on our isle, the Quadiant preeminent gathered the neytives in the village. She announced the candidate and he stepped forward. The neytive you saw was the candidate that was supposed to be here. His name is Horakio.

“I knew this was my only option, so I put my plan into action,” Jiro pulls a small vial filled with a clear liquid from his pocket. “Do you know what this is?”

Jarl shakes his head.

“This is the Althora Serum,” Jiro gives the vial a quick shake and the clear liquid changes into a thick red that pulsates a small yellow light.

Jarl takes the vial and shakes it for himself. “Be careful, I only have a few of those left and I need all of them.”

“How does it work?” Jarl shakes it with vigor.

“I will tell you later,” Jiro snatches the vial back. “My trybe is lucky to still receive shipments from other isles. I walked around the docks one phase and found several crates marked Morphyle. The very few items we get from the Isle of Morphyle are their serums. I swiped one vial that phase.

“Basically, the serum is the same as a Morphyle’s trigger. It gives one the ability to change their appearance with just one thought. When I got the chance, I changed my appearance to look like Horakio and took his place.”

Jiro has to stop and catch his breath. Sometimes he forgets that he’ll talk on and on without end. He places his arm over Jarl. “Somehow, I knew. I knew you would be selected. I felt it. The Chancellor and the preeminents would never want both of us on the same planet. Once she chose him as the candidate, I knew she would choose you. I do feel bad for doing what I did, but it gave me a good reason to be with my brother again.”

Jarl smiles at Jiro’s words and hugs him again. This reunion is everything he’s hoped for, dreamed of even. Myalón has kept them apart for a long time. Their only chance now is the Knyghts Voyage.

“You said you swiped one vial from the crate. How did you end up with a few?” Jarl fidgets under Jiro’s embrace.

Jiro kept quiet to think of an answer. “The Morphyle candidate dropped a few when we boarded.”

“You stole it from her.”

“Yeah.”

Jarl can’t contain his laughter.

Seeing him smiling and laughing is something that Jiro is happy to witness. He can’t help but laugh with his brother.

“I do not want to know how you convinced Horakio to stay behind.”

“Trust me, you do not.”

When they stop laughing, Jiro says something out of nowhere “You look like our mother.”

Jarl looks at him and smiles back. “You remind me of our father.”

Neither of them have spoken about their parents for so long. It feels weird and unnerving to talk about, but it was necessary.

They both fall back on the bed and stare at the mural above them. The silence comes back, but it brings something that Jiro and Jarl were both thinking of the moment they boarded Auroris.

Jiro attempts to make light of the matter with another piece of art. “I have the same mural in my room, but it is blue, turquoise and cyan.”

“We just put ourselves in danger,” Jarl rubs the pearl in his hand. Fresh tears stream down his face and stain the sheets. “This will complicate things more than before. If the others find out who we are, what we are…”

“They will not,” Jiro does his best to reassure him.

“I can not go through it again.”

Jiro notices his brother’s heavy breathing and takes his hand. “Jarl. I am not going to let anything happen to either of us. They will not separate us again, okay?”

Jarl nods. “Yeah.”

They both know what will happen if anyone finds out their identities. There’s a reason the Separation Act was passed by the preeminents and the Chancellor. Jiro can’t waste any time on the Knyghts Voyage. He needs to start planning.

“Even in space, I have a strange sense of time,” Jiro looks out the window to the vastness of space. He gets lost in his own mind again. “I have to go back to my room.”

A flash of disappointment hits Jarl.

“I know,” Jiro doesn’t want his brother to feel alone. “We just found each other after many revolutions. I do not want to leave your side either, but we have to wait a little longer.”

Jiro takes Jarl’s hand, their gems clank against one another. “There are thirteen dials left until we reach Novennéa. When I come back, we can start planning.”

Jarl tightens his grip with a sorrowful look.

Jiro gets up and uncaps the vial in his hand.

Jarl watches his brother drink the serum and concentrate on his appearance. It doesn’t take long for the stranger to return.

Horakio, Jiro, walks out the door and looks back at Jarl. “This will work. I promise.”

Jarl nods. “I will wait. I promise.”