As Cam, Winston and the remaining prisoners make their way back to Oceanica City. Winston notices Cam's stoic expression as they walk up to the Emperor's palace. They present the Crawmolith's Shell to the Emperor, to which he declares "Well, I suppose you surface dwellers aren't worthless after all. You have paid your debt.". Cam asks the Emperor "Can you tell us how to get to the Arid Fieldlands from here?". The Emperor, initially taken aback by Cam's random question, answers "You must go Eastward from this part of the city, there you will find the Surface Rising town, East Meraidia.". Winston wonders to himself "So only the East part of Oceanica emerges in the Arid Fieldlands..".

  Cam thanks the Emperor and leaves the palace, with Winston hastily following him. "Hey, Cam. Maybe we should rest up a little more before..", but Cam simply asks "Are the others okay?", to which Winston says "Uh..yeah? More importantly, what's going on with you? You've been acting...strange, since...", but steps back as he remembers Edreus' death. Cam, Leo and Winston make their way back to Twig and Sylvia, in an awkward silence.

  "Winston! You're okay!", Sylvia joyfully says, but stops when she sees the look on Cam's face. "Cam? Are you..", Twig timidly asks, but Cam simply says adamantly "The Emperor says the way back to the Human Continent is East from here, we have to leave as soon as possible.", as he looks into the distance. Everyone, stunned at his sudden change in demeanor, stand there in shock, until Twig picks up Leo, who whimpers in her arms.

  Later, Cam and the others prepare for their departure, making sure that the water breathing spell will last throughout their whole journey to Meraidia. They use some of the Crawmolith's Shell to fashion pieces of armor, which they split amongst themselves. As they walk out of Oceanica City, a sense of guilt, pain and dread hangs over all their heads. They begin their trek, as they come upon a massive underwater cave, filled with different sea plants and animals, living in peace. As Sylvia enjoys the sights, she stops herself, noticing her friends' turmoil.

  As they exit the cave, they appear in a massive clearing of land. As they continue their trek, Sylvia asks Winston "So... will you be able to get a new magic staff?", to which Winston says "Not until I cremate the remains of my old one.", Sylvia confusedly asks "Huh? Why?",and Winston says "It's a sort of..tradition among magic wielders. We must not use a new magic tool until we've bid farewell to our old one.". Sylvia, fascinated, asks further "Really? Are there..more traditions like that?". Winston smiles softly, noticing her enthusiasm, and they continue to converse, as their journey goes on.

  As night falls, they take refuge under the massive coral plants. Cam stands up, drawing his blade to hunt for fish to eat. As he swings his sword, Twig, holding Leo, looks on worriedly. Winston and Sylvia sit next to her, Winston asking "He's... not..okay, is he?", to which Twig shakes her head, and Sylvia says "He's.. mourning. I know because... when Seruda..died, I.. tried my hardest to be like him, so it felt like he was..still there. Like he was living through me..". Twig, frustrated, asks "Why..doesn't that bone head just talk to us, that way he'll feel better..".

  Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

  Winston looks at Cam's bleak face expression as he slashes away at the passing fish, and says "Because he's not just grieving... he's..feeling guilty..". Sylvia stands up and walks up to Cam, pulling him aside. "What are you doing?!", Cam angrily shouts, but Sylvia steps a few feet away, taking a battle stance. "Twig tries to stop her, but Winston says "Maybe he just needs to let out his feeling, one way or another...".

  As Cam notices Sylvia's eagerness to fight, he steps forward, his shivering hands forming fists in front of him as he breathes heavily. Sylvia simply utters "You helped me when I was at my lowest, now...let me help you..", and Cam rushes in with a quick punch to Sylvia's face. "I'm.. so useless!!", Cam screams as he tries to strike again, only for Sylvia to dodge, and kick him in the face, knocking him back. "No! You're not!!", Sylvia shouts back at him. He launches a flurry of punches and kicks at her, landing many, as she tries to block them all. "Everything I touch..ends up destroyed!!" , Cam tearfully shouts at everyone. "Look at Winston! Look at Twig! They weren't meant to deal with all this... , I was!", he shouts as he knocks Sylvia to the ground. As he pants heavily, he utters "I even ruined your life, too.. Look at what happened to Seruda-", but Sylvia kicks him in the chin, knocking one of his teeth out, and knocking him back.

  "Oh yeah?! Did I tell you that!? Did I say you ruined my life? That Seruda's death was your fault!? No!! So why do you have to put it all on yourself when something bad happens to someone you care about?". Cam just lays there, gritting his teeth, as Twig shouts out "You didn't kill Edreus! You didn't ruin our lives!!". As Winston stands up, Twig holds his hand, and says to him "It wasn't your fault, and we sure as hell don't blame you for the Prison incident, okay?". Winston's eyes well up in tears as he stands there, whimpering. He gets on his knees, to match Twig's height and hugs her tightly in his arms as he cries.

  In Cam's mind, a flaming effigy of Edreus shouts at him "Murderer! You killed me!! I died for you!!". As he struggles to get up, he hears Sylvia's voice calling to him, shouting "Please, let me help you!!", as the flaming effigy begins to fade away. Cam stands up, seeing Sylvia, Winston and Twig, all reaching out ther hand for Cam. He weeps bitterly, as he takes her hands and gets up.

  The next morning, as Twig wakes up from her slumber, she sees Cam, Winston and Sylvia discussing secretly. She walks up to them, cheerfully greeting them "Hey guys...", only to notice tension amongst the group. She timidly asks Cam "What's... going on?", to which Cam kneels down to meet her gaze, and says "Listen Twig, We're headed back home..". Twig frantically asks "W..what?! Why? Aren't we supposed to find Lydia?". As she says this, Cam winces slightly, and says "We're no longer gonna look for her. It's over..". Twig, shocked asks Winston and Sylvia "What!? Guys, help me out here! You...we can't just give up..", and Cam interupts her, by shouting "Well, where was she, huh?! We've been looking for her for 3 years, Twig! If she really cared, she would've been looking for me, after abandoning me all those years ago!". Twig stands there, stunned as she looks to the others, hoping they would talk him out of it, to no avail.

  Cam stands up, and coldly declares "I'm not giving up, I'm facing facts..". As Winston and Sylvia follow Cam's lead, Twig holds Leo tightly, as she asks herself:

  "Is this really the end?".