Soul: Tales of the Sleeping Beauty

Epilogue: The Taste of Things to Come

I would be puzzled by my experiences before and after I would off finally left Teyvat. I searched the wilderness and its forests for any sign of Goldilocks & her Three Bears, but I was unable to find them, and when the spaceship departed is when I swear I saw her gazing up towards me from the forests below. She was on top of a tree, remade in the image of Mother Nature herself, and now a spriggan that would forever watch over the forests of Teyvat. The shoulder that the Arka had pierced through was rejuvenated and her body resembled that of Aleanah Dawnblade, the elven spriggan, herself. Why did I swear it was her? Well, because she was in the companion of three bears and I damn well knew how they looked like from afar.

"The TEC-9 grounded, Drakwa Myers M.I.A., the Bloodstone Tribe crippled and what little remains off them now scattered throughout the world of Teyvat.", Thomas Hennington, my dear brother, was catching up on everything that I had told him in confidence. "That is correct.", I would speak to him in front of his own table where he would write his report down in detail.

"And you say that the light of Teyvat has finally returned to shine upon that wondrous world yet again?", he asked and I nodded my head. "Correct.", I replied while in deep thought.

"So we shall tell the Empyreal Coucil that the curse of Teyvat has finally been lifted.", explained Thomas. "But as a result, her wondrous world tree has ceased to exist for the shadows were too much for it to bare and her inhabitants are now without a kingdom due to what happened.", he implied before he would lift his head towards me and give me a serious look on his face.

I could only nod back and I didn't even mention anything about the tree. He said to me that he doesn't want the Empire to know anything about it, just like Drakwa told his crew, and I never knew why or bothered to ask for that matter. I had what I wanted, my citizenship card, hanging from a necklace that was placed over my neck and yet every time I felt it I thought of Teyvat.

"And of the Tales of the Sleeping Beauty, what shall we tell the council about that?", asked Thomas and I responded while clenching onto my shirt, still thinking of Teyvat and all I've been through. "Tell them only that the Sleeping Beauty is dead and that Talia Carabosse...", I paused for a moment and looked to my brother before I would finish my sentence with; "Died with her."

I don't know what it was, but after all the suffering I had endured I missed Teyvat or perhaps I missed someone that was there, a friend, that I realized now I was too lonely without.

"It was a beautiful world, wasn't it?", asked Thomas. "Of course it was.", I said to him. "Every world is home to its own wonders as it is home to its own horrors.", I explained.

"That is not what I meant.", he explained and I raised my head, gazing into his eyes in thought. "You've dealt with most of its horrors and what little remains of it is all thanks to your journey."

"You miss it, don't you?", he asked and I gazed into his eyes. "Or do you miss someone you didn't have proper time to say goodbye to, someone important like a friend who would accompany you through hell itself?", I immediately thought of Goldilocks when he said that and I did not say a word back to him nor did I wish to show him any emotions regarding that topic.

Thomas withdrew himself back into his seat, reached for his hair with his right hand in thought and I sat there in silence thinking about what I could possibly say to him as well. I was lost on where I would go after everything I had been through and the only friend that I lost.

"Well, you have full citizenship now and you're allowed to venture anywhere throughout the Dragonlands.", he stated what I already knew before he would continue. "However, should you be interested, I would have another task for you in mind as well?", I didn't say a word.