The summit of Everkeep was bathed in the light of a clear blue sky as Sphene offered up a solemn prayer for the departed. Not long ago, King of Resolve Zoraal Ja had met his end upon this very ground. And since the subsequent thwarting of Calyx's plans to make Endless of the Alexandrian people, the summit had become a place of mourning. Now, many who wished to restore the memories suppressed by their regulators sought an opportunity to honor lost loved ones, and so funerals had been held here. They were modest affairs—little more than kin laying flowers at a memorial—but as long as the bereaved desired it, Sphene would always be there among them without fail.

Despite its lofty position above the tumultuous clouds covering Alexandria, Everkeep's summit offered no view of the sun. The serene, nigh-endless blue heavens were but a result of air particles dispersing the natural light that struck the kingdom's gigantic dome.

With the day's service concluded, the mourners, hearts heavy with memories of the deceased, returned one by one to their daily lives. At length only Sphene, the widow who had served as chief mourner, and a handful of ushers remained upon the summit as the sky took on hues of gold and crimson.

Today's service had been for a Tonawawtan man from Xak Tural. Around the memorial, white flowers had been laid, alongside the indulgences he had cherished in life and numerous precious mementos, which his wife was now quietly gathering. As Sphene made to address her, her eye fell upon a weathered, leather-bound tome.

"It was my husband's," the woman offered with a sad smile. "A collection of stories he purchased in Tuliyollal before the dome appeared. He would read it to our daughter, who took such a liking to it that she filled every spare ilm with her own artistic creations."

The woman riffled through the pages, and indeed, colorful creatures which Sphene guessed were rroneek leapt about the margins. The sight of them made her grin.

"They remind me of my own grimoire. I made my fair share of contributions to its pages as a child."

Her parents had gifted her the grimoire that she might one day wield it in defense of all she held dear─but its margins had first served as a canvas for her drawings of animals and mythical beasts. Even now, she still recalled Lord Captain Otis's lavish praise for them, and the burning in her cheeks which resulted. A timeless masterpiece! The work of a true artiste! His second-in-command, Zelenia, had been rather more measured. That's quite lovely, Your Highness. The kindness in her smile was worlds apart from the stern visage she wore on duty.

As the memories came flooding back, Sphene closed her eyes in a bid to keep them from slipping away. Even then, we still found reason to laugh...

"Once I have mastered my magicks, you will let me join you in battle, won't you?"

"But of course. You'll be fighting alongside us in no time."

"Over my dead body! How could you even think that I would allow you to put Princess Sphene in harm's way!?"

"I think it Her Highness's wish. And your gallantry would sound far more convincing could you boast even a single victory over me, Lord Captain."

At this, Otis could only splutter, prompting Sphene to laugh.

"Then it is my wish," she began, assuming a regal tone, "that we all do our best to protect Alexandria together!"

A wish we made upon the evening star, shining brightly in the western sky. A promise made for peace in Alexandria.

Much as she longed to continue reminiscing, Sphene willed herself back to the present. Inquiring after the daughter whose drawings filled the book, she was told that the girl had outright refused to attend the funeral. It seemed this reluctance stemmed from Tonawawtan beliefs pertaining to the afterlife. According to oral tradition, the souls of the departed journeyed skyward to become stars, the light of which guided the living below.

"When she regained her memories of her father, the old tales of the stars no doubt returned as well. She always believed so firmly in those stories. Like the ones in this book..."

Unconsciously, Sphene raised her eyes to the heavens in search of the evening star, but found nothing there. Unlike the sun's brilliance, the light of the stars was not strong enough to pierce the dome. Perhaps the daughter had realized this, and deemed the funeral unfit for her beloved father... Just as native Alexandrians held their own beliefs about death, so did those who had come from other lands. And having accepted not only her position of leadership but her place as a citizen of this new Alexandria, Sphene wanted to honor all of the customs observed in her kingdom. Just as my own recollections were preserved and respected.

Inquiring further, Sphene learned that the daughter's name was Wezikwe and that they were of an age...give or take four hundred years of slumber.

"With your permission, I should like to meet her..."

A short while later, armed with the widow's description of her daughter, Sphene descended into Solution Nine to begin her search. Wezikwe often lent a hand at Yyupye's Halo in the evenings, but as Sphene headed towards scanning port nine, she paused to speak with Leander. A merchant in the information center, he had impressed her before with his keen eye for the street's many comings and goings, and it did not seem implausible that he might have observed Wezikwe's as well.

"Yes, I've seen her. On her way to the fields, same as always—though she did seem a little downhearted, now that I think about it."

Gesturing for her to wait a moment, Leander retrieved two of his shop's most popular treats—Angel Snacks—and pressed them into Sphene's palm.

“One for you, and one for the maudlin miss,” he said with a wink.

When Sphene made to pay him, he waved her away with a smile.

“That the Queen of Reason has accepted my wares is payment enough. Should word spread, I'll have a mob of eager customers on my hands.”

In the end, all Sphene could offer Leander in return was a courteous word of thanks before she took her leave of Solution Nine.

Arriving in Heritage Found, she bent her steps to Yyupye's Halo, where she encountered Mahuwsa, an experienced farmhand and one of the first acquaintances she had made at the settlement.

After hearing who it was Sphene sought and why, Mahuwsa pointed towards the stables.

"Try in there. She always was eager to help tend the rroneek, but I never knew that was her father's influence... Regardless, it's only natural she would need time to come to terms with the memory restoration."

Entering the stables, Sphene found the Tonawawtan girl crouched in the corner. Sensing her presence, the maiden turned to look. Her cheeks were wet, eyes swollen and red, but they grew wide as she recognized the figure before her.

"Your Majesty...!?"

"You must be Wezikwe. My apologies—I didn't mean to give you a fright. I spoke with your mother earlier, and hoped you might have time to talk."

Sphene found a quiet spot outside the settlement for the two of them to sit, and presented Wezikwe with an Angel Snack. As the girl gratefully set about the dainty, Sphene spoke from the heart─making plain her resolve to serve the people of Alexandria, regardless of their birth or station. Though understandably hesitant at first, little by little, Wezikwe was able to open her heart in kind.

"The Everkeep was a perfectly fine place for a memorial service. It's just... Father told me that, beyond the storm clouds, there are countless stars burning bright in the sky─our ancestors, who continue their journey through the heavens after fulfilling their life's purpose. They are always watching over us, guiding us, granting us strength. We made a promise to go and see them together one day, and when I remembered, I..."

Here she stopped, tears filling her eyes once more. It was a while before she spoke again, and when she did, she did so haltingly, fighting waves of pent-up emotion. But Sphene listened patiently until her story was told.

She learned that Wezikwe's father had succumbed to illness before the dome had been breached, leaving their promise unfulfilled. Unable to overcome her feelings of abandonment, and finding no solace in a mother lost to her own grief, Wezikwe had eschewed the funeral to tend to the rroneek, just as her father once had.

"I...I wish we'd never made that promise..."

Unlike their memories, there was no way to bring back the loved ones they had lost. How it must have pained him to leave his daughter like that... Perhaps that was why Alexandria's former ruler─the Endless Sphene─had been so desperate to preserve and protect her people in Living Memory, forever free from the pain of loss.

But such pain must be endured if life is to retain its meaning. And Sphene knew better than most that the unfulfilled promises of those who went before could yet be realized by those who came after.

"Let us go and see the stars, then─together!"

Wezikwe looked bewildered as Sphene took her by the hand and led the way. There would be danger traveling through the wilds, but Sphene was no longer without her magic. They had only to press on, and before long they would be outside the dome, and beneath the unobscured heavens. But before they had made it very far, a familiar voice rang out.

"Hey! Sphene!"

It was Wuk Lamat. Beside her stood Koana, Tuliyollal's other reigning Vow, and Gulool Ja, the boy who had inherited half of the Alexandrian throne. Seeing them, Sphene recalled their plans for the morrow: a funeral for Zoraal Ja. To publicly mourn the late King of Resolve would be unthinkable, of course─the people still grieved the lives sacrificed for his ambitions─but a private service for family members had seemed only right, particularly for the sake of his young son.

"We managed to steal away from our duties a little earlier than expected," Wuk Lamat explained with a smirk. "I thought we'd stop by and say hello when we reached Alexandria, but it looks like you already have plans."

Sphene duly explained her intention to leave the dome with Wezikwe, and was about to bid her friends farewell when Wuk Lamat's eyes lit up.

"We could come with you! We can keep watch while the two of you are stargazing!"

While Sphene was only too familiar with Wuk Lamat's unfailingly generous impulses, Wezikwe seemed wholly taken aback. Thankfully, Koana was on hand to offer some well-chosen words.

"Your father was a son of Tuliyollal, and a precious member of our nation. It would be our honor to help you fulfill the promise you made together."

So it was that three rulers, one heir, and a girl with a promise to keep set off together on an impromptu adventure.

Heading south through Heritage Found, they eventually reached Vanguard, through which they passed without pausing. Yet when they subsequently emerged on the other side of the fort, Gulool Ja cried out in frustration.

"But the sky was so clear before we left!"

Looking up, Sphene's eyes were greeted by a darkening blanket of grey.

"I can see a break in the clouds further south," Koana offered. "If we keep heading toward Shaaloani─"

"It's fine. Really." Defeat was heavy in Wezikwe's voice. "I've put you to enough trouble as it is."

Sphene leaned down to take Wezikwe's hand and looked her in the eye.

"Come now. All is not lost. We must see this through!"

She exchanged a knowing glance with Wuk Lamat, who grinned and pressed her finger to her ear. Moments later, the Vow of Resolve was engaged in a lively chat via linkpearl with a representative of Xak Tural Railing, the company operating the route between Shaaloani and Alexandria.

"Good news!" she declared at length. "The train we came in on hasn't left yet, and they've saved us a place!"

When they arrived at the stop, the train was preparing to depart, Nitowikwe in the driver's seat. Spying them, she leaned out of the window and waved for them to come aboard.

"Let's chase some starlight!"

Seeing the open trepidation with which Wezikwe gazed at the train, Sphene deduced that the girl had never encountered such a contraption, and gently guided her into the nearest coach. Soon after, the train creaked into motion, slowly gathering speed, and the barrier that had towered over them fell away, its rounded shape becoming ever more pronounced as they raced down the tracks. It wasn't long before Gulool Ja let out an excited cry.

"Wezikwe, look! The sky's starting to clear!"

The groan of the brakes became a light screech as the train slowed to a halt in the middle of the wilds. Wezikwe's knees shook as she stepped out of the passenger car and tentatively lifted her head. Beyond the clouds lay a boundless expanse, an unfathomable multitude of white points painted upon the sky. Drawing up beside her, Sphene could not help but wonder if the sight lived up to the ancestral tales of the Tonawawta─but Wezikwe's expression of rapt attention was answer enough.

"These are the stars," Wezikwe whispered, raising her hand up to the sky. "Father..."

As Wezikwe wept quietly beside her, Sphene reflected upon her own promises─those she had kept, and those she had not. The wishes I harbor for Alexandria are the reason I stand here today.

As if reading Sphene's thoughts, Wuk Lamat broke the silence.

"Promises are important. Even if you're separated, the hopes you shared with others will continue to guide you. At least, they do me."

Just so, Sphene thought. Promises were a way to share the future with someone, and there was much she hoped to share with the people of Alexandria. A future as bright as the stars in the heavens, home to precious memories that might guide them to still greater tomorrows.

"We can get a better view of the stars from over there!" shouted Gulool Ja, already on his way to a nearby hill.

Wuk Lamat leapt from the train to give chase, followed by a chuckling Koana. Stirred from her reverie by the commotion, Wezikwe lowered her eyes from the firmament, a smile blossoming across her tear-streaked face. Sphene smiled too, and proffered her hand.

"Shall we?"