Please comment and like this chapter - Let me know what you think!

A seagull flew over the ship and Harper watched as its shadow crossed over the sun.

Her body was flung closer to the pole suddenly when the boat smacked on top of the water. Hyde was thrown off his feet and smacked onto the deck.

"Sorry!" Harald steadied the helm and flicked on a few switches on the panel beside it.

"I said to pull in steady!" Hyde grunted.

"I heard what you said." Harald spat. "It ain't easy gliding this craft across the ocean!"

"Hyde, we are moving kind of fast, aren't we?" Arnest voiced, concerned.

Hyde looked over the side and into the water. "Harald cut off the engines!"

"Are you out of your mind, boy? I can't cut off the engine at this speed!"

Hyde could see that the ship was sliding toward the land faster than he calculated. Surely, they would damage a pier.

Harald was right, there was no way they'd come to a stop safely if he stopped the engine. The gravitational pull would more than likely rip someone's limb off.

"Shite!" Hyde jogged over Harper. "Arnest, brace for impact!"

"Prepare for a Rocky ride!" Harald smiled wickedly and yanked the lever by the helm downward. A heavy grunt escaped from him, and Harper felt herself being slammed.

Wooden planks flew up into the air as the ship cracked into a pier. Several men walking jumped into the water to avoid getting hit.

The ship stopped, and Harald relaxed his arms.

"We've reached," Harald smirked and wiped the sweat from his face. "You'd think I'd have my ancestors' talents for this sorta thing."

"Where's Yanpu?" Harper moved away from Hyde to search for the boy. The immediate fear of him being whisked overboard coursed through her. "Yani? Yani!"

"Fun!" Yanpu clapped his hands as Arnest held him high. "I wanna go again!"

"Ey, guess it wasn't so bad since the lad enjoyed it." Harald snickered.

"Check the engines," Hyde commanded while setting Harper's hand free. "Arnest, let's go."

Swiftly, before Harper could react, Hyde swept her off her feet and held her bridal style. Before she could fight with him, he ran to the side of the boat and jumped off.

"AAH!" Harper felt her hair whip forward, before falling back to rest. Hyde landed on the part of the boardwalk that was still intact. When he set her down, a man with brown hair, dressed in a long-sleeved white embroidered shirt and black slacks jogged toward them.

"Mi docke! Mi docke! Eyu! Quello mi docke!?" The man shouted angrily at them. "Eyu ruined my docke! Freshly paintedeh! Aiy... Mai mai..." He groaned in horror.

"Scusi." Hyde frowned and set Harper beside him.

"Eyu ruined mi painteh! Feressa! Fresha! Eyu pay for it!"

"Ah, don't get your knickers in a twist, foolio." Arnest snapped as he approached the man.

"Fresh paint my arse. The planks are chipped. The sucker is a scammer. He does this even if a fishing boat docks by it."

"I had a feeling that was the case." Hyde stepped forward intimidatingly.

"Scammer? Non non non!" The man shook his head.

Hyde snatched him by the shirt.

"Non!"

"If I had to choose the one thing I loathe the most about people," Hyde held him over the water. "I'd put lies and deceit at the top of my list."

"Senor! Senor! Per favor! I can'teh swim!"

"Another lie," Hyde tossed away, and the man made a big splash as his body sank.

"Are you—" Harper rushed over to the edge, worried about the man. "What if he actually can't swim!?"

"I suppose he'd better learn if he doesn't want to drown. It's not my problem." Hyde smirked. "Lead the way, Arnest."

"No need to tell me twice!" Arnest gripped Yanpu's small hand and walked onto the concrete roads happily.

Harper walked slowly and occasionally looked over her shoulder to see if the man had resurfaced. But he didn't. That was another person dead, by Hyde's hand.

Arnest and Yanpu had ventured far up ahead, while Hyde was slowing his pace because of Harper.

They arrived at a shop with motorbikes and scooters lined up against the front. An old man was outside selling them. Hyde walked up to him, and the man's eyes lit up.

It seemed that he recognized him. With a soft smile, he gestured to the bikes and Hyde gladly took one, big enough for two people.

"Let's go, slowpoke." Hyde climbed over the seat effortlessly and tapped the cushion behind him.

"Where's Arnest and Yanpu?"

"We'll meet them there."

"Where?"

Hyde slouched forward and groaned. "You've got three seconds to climb on or else I'll place you on by force. And believe me, you don't want me to force you on here."

"How are Arnest and Yanpu getting there? Are they riding one of these?"

"Three..."

"Hyde, Yanpu is too young for this..."

"Two..."

"Are you even listening to me!?"

"One—"

Harper stopped talking and quickly placed herself behind him. Hyde chortled at her fast movement and kicked the stand holding the bike up.

"Hold on tight. Don't be shy."

"I'm going to establish early on that I find no enjoyment whatsoever out of this." Harper hesitated before wrapping her arms around his torso.

Hyde sped forward and Harper's grip tightened as a squeak jumped out of her chest.

"Hyde!"

"Killjoy." Hyde rolled his eyes and turned the corner, into a narrow alleyway. They were going too fast for Harper to process the environment, but the smells and sight of color overstimulated her.

How was it that Itaria was so sunny and green? Weren't they affected by the war? That is what the history books told her.

Westonians weren't allowed to leave the country. The borders were closed off, always. This was because various reports have been made of the critical state of other countries.

But if she knew that the blue sky and greenery were this beautiful, she would've left ages ago.

Harper felt that Westona needed to know about this.

The narrow alley of buildings opened and soon the bike was on a path going over a large grassy field of produce.

Harper gasped when she saw the vegetable plants and fruit trees.

The sounds of birds chirping in the trees shocked her. The only time she heard a bird chirp was when the Facility created simulations for Yanpu. But this was real. It was very different from made-up footage.

"It's a first for you," Hyde stated. "I advise you to close your mouth before a bug gets in there. It happens quite often to foreigners."

"Then you should take your own advice, foreigner." Harper shot back.

"We aren't the same."

"You're a Westonian. Aren't you?"

Hyde pressed his lips closed and remained quiet. Harper felt confused by his lack of response.

Hyde stayed quiet for the rest of the ride. About 45 minutes later, Hyde passed by a large vineyard. As they approached a courtyard full of homes, the aroma of freshly baked bread and cooked stew entranced Harper.

Her stomach began to growl. The soup from earlier vanished from her stomach the moment she got a whiff of the scent.

Hyde pulled to a stop in front of a fountain, and cut the engine. Another motorcycle pulled next to them, with Arnest as the driver and Yanpu in a small sidecar next to him.

"How'd you get here before us?" Arnest took off his helmet.

"I took the shortcut." Hyde shrugged.

"It feels good to be back home. Mi casa." Arnest sniffed the air and sighed. "Tomato stew. My favorite."

Arnest helped Yanpu out of the sidecar and took his helmet off as well. The moment he set it aside, one of the double doors directly across from them opened. A thick woman with long brown hair tied into a messy bun and a flowery apron walked out, before shouting.

"Arno! Mi figli! Is that eyu?!"

"Mama..." Arnest voiced shyly.

"Zio Arno?" A small child with blonde pigtails popped her head from around the corner. "Zio Arno!" The child screamed ecstatically. As if on cue, several other children a little older, about 5 others came running out of the building toward them.

"Zio Arno! Zio Arno!" They all screamed.

"Aiy... Aiy!" Arnest placed his hands in defense, but the children all tackled him into the fountain.

"Well shite..." Hyde stepped away from the chaos. Harper was beyond surprised. The children looked so happy around him. And he too gave each of them kisses on their forehead and was giggling with them.

"Arno! Mi boy! Mi figli!" The thick woman held her skirt up and scurried over.

Another woman came out of the building, and she was very pregnant, with a toddler being held in her arms. "Arnest?" She gasped and waddled forward.

Once Arnest pulled himself out of the water, the older thick woman grabbed him and pulled him in before plopping a big kiss on both cheeks. "Mi son! Mi figli! Benevo casa! Home! Eyu come back!"

"Okay, mama... graci." Arnest blushed and pulled away from her.

"Hyde!" The woman also looked at him and grabbed him by the sides of his face. She placed two big kisses on his cheeks as well and embraced him. "Mi boy!"

"Mama Giada,"

"Eyu finally return to mi! Anna, your brothers... eyu brosos has come back!"

"Aiy, mama... I see." Anna, the pregnant woman smiled.

"WOW." Arnest pointed to her very round belly. "You're fat."

"Cullo!" Anna spat and furrowed her eyebrows.

"Aiy... do no use that tongue here, Anna Bella Cazzioco." Giada, the thick woman scolded her.

"He started it!"

"Arno, be nice to eyu sorella." Giada rolled her eyes at her two children. "And Eyu? Hyde! She's magnificento!" She looked at Harper with a wide smile before placing her arms on her shoulders.

"Um..." Harper mumbled.

"Eyu must be Hyde's amora. Aiy?"

"Amora?"

"Lover, wife."

Arnest coughed, and Hyde's eyes widened. Both he and Harper were quick to deny it.

"Giada! No! She's not—"

"Silencio! Non femalia visto casa! Non!" Giada waved him off. "Eyu look bello! Beautiful! Those eyes..." Giada yanked Harper close to get a better look. "Soft skin! Oh! Hyde! She's perfeito!"

"I... but we're not..." Harper's face had disgust written all over it.

"Hyde... I thought eyu and mi figli were so close... I worried. I am happy Eyu brought amora visto mi casa!"

"What?!" Arnest spat. "You thought me... and Hyde?... What!?"

"Eyu two are like this..." Giada tusked and placed her hands together. "All the timeh." She explained her fear of Arnest and Hyde's close relationship. "Mama Giada will take care of eyu. Quello prefer pasto? Hmm? I'll cook it for Eyu."

"Mama Giada..." Hyde groaned.

"And the boy? I cook for him too! Very cute." Giada pinched Yanpu's cheeks. "Eyu look similario Hyde... Eyu figli? Your son?"

"Giada—"

"Eyu marry and give birth?" Giada encouraged Harper to answer, ignoring Hyde's protests.

Rather than being shocked by the message itself, she was shocked when she realized that Yanpu and Hyde did look a lot alike. Both of them had long black hair, the same almond-shaped eyes, and skin tone. Their facial features were extremely similar.

How come she hadn't noticed before?

"Giada, as much as I want to enjoy the reunion, please give us time to rest." Hyde chipped in and nudged Harper away. "As you can see... my... wife, Harper..." He forced out and glared at her. "She's extremely tired after a long trip."

"Oh! Aiy! Of course! Eyu must rest, bello!" Giada nodded and stepped back. "Per favor! Take her."

"Graci, mama." Arnest smiled.

"Non Eyu!" Giada scolded Arnest and dragged him back by the collar. "I have work for Eyu!"

"What? Mama! I just got back too!" Arnest whined. "Hyde, help me out!"

"I'll see you later Arnest." Hyde waved him off and pushed Harper forward. "Oh, and Giada?"

"Aiy, mi boy?"

"He might be hungry." Hyde pointed at Yanpu.

"Of course! Eyu! Boy! Come here! What is his name?"

"Yanpu," Hyde answered, and Yanpu gasped when he actually acknowledged his name. Before he could respond, Giada grabbed his small arm and dragged him into the building. The other kids followed, as well as Anna and Arnest.

Harper was shoved forward when she tried to go after Yanpu. She wasn't sure about these people. Perhaps acting so lovingly was a front.

"Ow!"

"Move in the direction I'm taking you." Hyde seethed.

"Yanpu has never been around that many kids. He's never been around anyone his age before... I'm worried—"

"The brat will be fine. He's not delicate."

"Of course he is! He's the solution to—"

"Go." Hyde opened the doors to another tall building under a massive archway.

"What was all of that earlier? Since when am I your wife? Why didn't you tell her the truth?"

"It's better she thinks this way. She becomes annoyingly persistent when she assumes otherwise."

"I'll tell her the truth."

"Just keep up the act for the time being. We won't be here that long." Hyde closed the doors after her and took off his boots. He let down his hair and sighed.

"No! I don't want to! It infuriates me that anyone would ever assume that you and I are—"

"Do you think I want her to assume shite? I don't." Hyde poked her in the head, and she went silent. "I know it's easier to just zip it and carry on as if it's nothing. Believe me, the last thing I want is for you and me to be seen as a thing. But Itarian people aren't Westonian. Clarification doesn't work on these idiots. So don't waste your breath."

Hyde grumbled and brushed past her. He walked into the large empty living room. There was hardly any furniture. Other than a small office on the right, there were only weapons in chests scattered about.

"You are insufferable." Harper spat.

"Bite me."

"And for you to let them take Yanpu away, that was so—"

"The kid didn't eat all morning. Don't you realize that? Stupid."

"What if they poison him!? How do I know they're not one of your minions!"

"It'll take a lot more than poison to kill that child. You should know it."

"You are just—"

"It's entertaining to see you like this again..." Hyde sat on a nearly stool and brushed his hair out of his face. "I thought I completely broke you before."

"W-what?"

"If you had given up earlier, I would've killed you at the pier. But you've still got that spunk." He smirked wickedly. "When you don't go far to piss me off, I admit, you're fun to mess with."

"Is my suffering that funny to you?"

"Always."

"I saved your arse years ago... and this is how you repay me." Harper pouted. "I should've let you die."

"I'm definitely going to enjoy ripping your tongue out." Hyde crossed his legs. "When Arnest is done, he'll change your bandage."

Hyde stood up and walked toward a door on the left. "Oh, and... don't try to escape. You won't get far and I'm not in the mood to chase you around. I will kill you when I find you. That's a promise."

"Where can I even go?" Harper huffed.

"Exactly. Think of that whenever you attempt." Hyde winked, before disappearing behind the doorway.

~~~

Harper was astonished by the layout of the building. It was very sturdy and made of expensive material. The painted clay walls and tile roofing made the courtyard pop.

Harper wasn't sure if the building they were in was a blacksmith shop or storage for weapons. It had two floors, and upstairs, outside of one room was a small balcony where she could get a better look at the courtyard.

From there she could see various large expensive pots of plants sitting in front of many doors as decorations. Seeing so much color was beginning to make her dizzy.

The exposure to so much sunlight was starting to get to her. After all, she had never seen the sun, the moon, or the stars because of Westona being coated in fog.

But now that it was the evening, she was sucked in by the beauty of the sunset and the moon.

In the courtyard, the children who tackled Arnest earlier were playing with a small sack of beans. They played a game, keeping it in the air by kicking it to each other.

In Westona, the kids would dream of being this carefree and happy. Because of the dangerous gas in the Capital, by law, children were required to stay shut inside all day.

The only time they were allowed outside was when school was in session. When Harper was a child, she often had to wear a heavy mask on her journey to an academy.

But it warmed her insides to see children playing with each other without worry of death, or inhaling gas.

Arnest approached the building with Yanpu fast asleep in his arms. Before he entered, Harper smiled as Giada shouted at him in their language. They went back and forth for a few minutes before Arnest gave in.

The doors below the balcony opened and closed, letting her know that he just walked in.

Harper walked through the room and down the stairs, wanting to secure Yanpu for the night.

She stopped when she saw Hyde leaning on the stair rail, eyeing her suspiciously.

"Don't touch anything." He wanted to make sure she wasn't up to anything devious. The building was full of weapons hanging on the walls, and he didn't trust her to leave her alone.

"I didn't." Harper retorted. "I just—"

"I got you some things from the village, as well as some more ingredients. I'm thinking of enhancing the recipe for the antidote." Arnest cut her off and handed Hyde a brown paper bag.

"Where should I put him?" Arnest gestured toward Yanpu.

"The room upstairs. Keep an eye on him." Hyde opened the bag and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He smiled and shoved them into his pocket.

"And what about her?"

Both of them glared at Harper.

"She stays with me." Hyde sneered.

"What?" Harper whined.

"Are you sure?"

"That's what husbands and wives do, right?" Hyde slung his arm over her shoulder. "They sleep together."

"You're a fool if you think I'm going to sleep in the same bed or vicinity as you—"

Hyde grabbed her jaw roughly and pressed his fingers against her cheeks. "Not so mouthy now, are you?" He teased her when her sentence stopped.

"Be sure to lock up." He looked at Arnest and nudged Harper in the direction of a room on the bottom floor. The hallway they walked through was decorated with landscape paintings of the country.

She was pushed into a room on the right, where there was no bed, only a large spread mat with a blanket and pillow. The door was shut and locked.

Hyde took off his shirt and threw himself onto the mat effortlessly. He wrapped himself up in the blanket.

"Where am I supposed to sleep?"

Hyde gestured everywhere else but the mat. "There's more than enough floor for you."

"You want me to sleep... on the floor. While you keep the mat all to yourself?"

"Why are you so bothered about that?"

"Even prisoners in Westona have enough manners to let a woman have comfort."

"That's outdated." Hyde scoffed.

"Are you seriously going to be so selfish and make me sleep on concrete?!"

"You're expecting me not to?" Hyde raised a brow. "Right now, you're a hostage. You're nothing special. You don't have any right to complain. My only priority is to keep an eye on you."

"Jerk!" Harper groaned in frustration.

"You'd make a great bed warmer if you weren't so sassy all the time," Hyde mumbled. "I considered sharing the pillow with you before you opened your mouth."

"How am I supposed to go to the bathroom if you keep me locked in here with you?"

Hyde held up a small plastic cup for her to see, tilting it around to mock her.

"You're disgusting!"

"Whatever. You're the one sleeping on a cold floor." He stretched his arms and tossed back onto the pillow with a smile. Harper continued to complain, but Hyde refused to acknowledge her.

Eventually, she gave up and sat by the door. Mentally and physically, she was exhausted. And because of this fact, she fell asleep despite her uncomfortable position.