Sweet and Sour

The brief night had passed. Eventually, there was nothing we could do to get Miss Savior to open her mouth. However, because it was still early in the morning and there were no vehicles passing by, she and her family took the initiative to escort us. Ashley even tagged along.

"Here's your strawberry," Alessia said while handing me a small plastic bag containing a strawberry that was cut in half. "How could they give you one? There are two of you."

I received the strawberry without saying a word. The merchant must have given this strawberry as a tester to Harris. It was really odd to see a strawberry in the size of my palm. I hoped it wasn't another version of the poison apple from "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs".

"And this, take it with you."

A picnic basket was handed to me. The giver was none other than Veron. I wondered why he gave it as if the two of us were going on a picnic instead of going home.

Still in my astonishment at Veron, I reached my hand out to the handle of the picnic basket. The scent of vanilla wafted into my nostrils. It reminded me of the family cooking agenda that night.

"You don't need to follow us. We already know the way."

My ears caught Harris's irritated tone. I saw Veron glance at Harris flatly and chuckle.

"We're going through a forest. You may face the people in black robes in this forest again given that they attacked you there," said the dark blue-eyed man.

Even though it might sound annoying, I agreed with him. I still vividly recalled how helpless we both felt in the face of those 'ninjas' at a forest where the wind never rustled and the leaves danced as if our steps were the song the entire forest wanted to hear.

At the very least, Archtier's former top secret agent was present to ensure our safety.

Drey's words echoed in my head, turning my head at the copper-haired woman who was walking beside me and took Ashley with a bright smile.

If she didn't know about the hunters Drey warned me, wouldn't that mean those people…

My thoughts were interrupted by a person in a dark robe who suddenly jumped in front of me with the point of his sword swinging at my neck.

…Were killed on the way by the others?

A hand pushed down my back, causing me to crawl down quickly. Just as Miss Savior did it to me, Veron was spinning his kick toward the head of the man who was swinging his sword at me. Instantly, the man in black robe fell down and was unconscious.

I saw Ashley rushing toward Harris as soon as Harris told her to stay away. While Alessia held my arm and motioned for me to quickly stand up, my gaze was fixed on the man who was lying on the ground.

"Wait! Don't come close—"

Ignoring Veron's warning, I rushed over to the unconscious man, tearing off the black cloth covering his mouth and nose. I flinched to see his face.

"Tyler?" I muttered in disbelief.

The face of the man who looked for me downstairs when I was having tea with Lucia flashed through my memory. His presence when I came down the stairs in Neya's mint dress and the jokes he threw at me came to my mind.

"Hey, what are you doing?! Come—"

"Mom!"

Ashley's scream made me turn my head back. Another black-robed figure came and scratched Alessia's shoulder with the blade of their sword.

When I was about to fight the figure, Alessia suddenly pushed me toward Veron and Harris while shaking her head at me. She then pointed her handgun at the attacker.

"They use swords now, huh?" Veron said while stretching his hand to the side. "Don't get ahead, I'm warning you."

He had a point. Even a small mistake could cause our necks to be sliced before our bullets reach their chests.

Harris and I, however, didn't intend to keep quiet. Turning to face him, I could see it in his eyes. Hence, I straightened my head and said to Veron, "I can help Miss Savior."

Veron nodded. "Alright then. Hey, Reister child! Protect Ashley while I clear the way!"

Harris nodded as he pulled Ashley to a safer area.

The seven people attacked us mercilessly. It seemed as if they had been targeting all of us since Harris and I arrived. In just one second, they made three moves at us.

It'll take us forever to take them down, I thought. From the start, we were outnumbered and they planned to drain our energy. Just like they did to Harris and me on the day we arrived.

When I heard a hollow click, I turned to Harris. He irritably lowered his gun, turned to Veron and shouted, "Why don't you use your gun?!"

"Have you ever considered the risks, huh?! Brissia!"

I flinched when Veron called my name while glancing at the picnic basket in my hand. Without thinking, I rushed to open the basket. My eyes immediately fell on a small, strappy teddy bear next to a slice of strawberry cake.

"Give it to me!"

I threw it at Veron and thankfully he caught it before being knocked down by the figure in black. Ashley was surprised, making me stare intently at the figure.

"Go off!" I exclaimed as I kicked the attacker's jaw until he fell to the ground.

Veron pulled the string behind the little doll then threw it at the people in black in front of us. As soon as the white smoke obscured my view, I got up and was about to grab Ashley and Miss Savior. However, a hand grabbed me tightly, forcing me to run after him.

"They're already at the front! Who are you looking for, Brissie?!" he said.

"Huh, what?! But… I saw them in–"

When I looked back, there were only those people in black robes who were coughing while trying to stand up. My eyes widened in disbelief. However, there was no time to question what had happened.

At eight o'clock in the morning, we arrived at the harbor. Alessia and Veron, who were carrying their only daughter, hurried to direct us to a ferry as if the calmness of those passing by were merely an illusion This feeling of being chased gave me déjà vu.

"Now, go," Veron said firmly, facing us as soon as we got near the ship queue.

I looked at the three of them in turn. Veron looked at us seriously. Alessia smiled, but the look in her eyes clearly showed the worry of a mother. Ashley, the brave little girl, waved slowly at us with a restrained expression, but didn't cry a bit.

"Brissie." Harris approached me from the side. "We have to go. Now or never."

Finally, I couldn't say anything as I nodded slowly at Harris. With a picnic basket in my hand, I walked toward the ship door. We looked back one last time at Miss Savior's family that was still staring at us. In the depths of my heart, I prayed that Lord would protect them as we departed.

***

I couldn't say that the brilliant blue sky reflected how I was feeling. To me, the sound of the wind and the waves crashing did not resemble any sort of relief. Thoughts invaded my head. If the three of them were to meet those people in black robes again…

"Brissie, this."

Harris approached me and handed me a small plastic bag with a cut-in-half strawberry inside it. I stared at him in silence. The fruit's red color was the same as the red stain on his lips, which I believed was the result of the previous fight.

While taking it, I mumbled, "Thanks."

His distinctive chuckle turned my head to him.

"If I were you, I would have Benjamin check the fruit in the laboratory before I eat it."

"He's not here. Stop daydreaming."

"Ah… right."

His playful tone turned somber. Then he grumbled a little while touching his lips. I glanced at the strawberry in my hand, squeezed it a little, then rubbed the juice on my fingers.

"This can make you forget the pain a little."

His hazel eyes widened as my finger landed on his lips. We exchanged glances. I gently wiped the blood on his lips while his gaze seemed focused on me. Something was stirring me inside when I touched his supple lips. However then, a hand suddenly grabbed my finger.

"Maybe I'll forget the pain…"

He leaned closer with an intense gaze. "…But do you realize what you're trying to make me remember?"

His slightly hoarse voice lowered my gaze as his hand trailed down from my wrist to my arm. There was a tickling sensation besides the wind blowing against me.

However then, I immediately looked back at Harris, putting a strawberry in his mouth. "Yes, try to remember this strawberry flavor for the rest of your life."

"Ow, Brissie!"

I chuckled softly when he seemed to be in pain because the fruit touched the part of his injured lip.

"What if it's poisonous?!"

"Come on, this isn't Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs… Alright, alright, I'll eat the other half."

"No. The poisonous one could be the one in my mouth! Thus, come to me!"

"Ah! What are you doing?! Let go of me, Harris!"

The little arguments between us tickled us and brought a loose smile to our lips. It didn't take long for us to lean back calmly in front of the ship's deck railing and discussed the intelligence agency where Harris worked.

Just by listening to his story, I could tell how worried he was about the memory erasure penalties that SURVIVE imposed on incompetent agents. The seriousness on his face as he described how it affected his former friends had sent shivers down my spine.

I asked him a polite question about why he decided to stay, but the answer he gave me was nothing more than one word: sacrifice. It cut my curiosity in an instant because I somehow understood what he was trying to imply.

Eventually, he told me not to worry because even if he lost his memory, he had it all written down in a book. But as I sat on the edge of the bed, I kept thinking how could he pretend he wasn't scared when it sounded so horrifying?

When the ship shook slightly, I almost let the picnic basket and its items fall to the wooden floor. However, as a result of that minor shock, I discovered a white envelope hidden beneath the waxed paper that had previously served as the cake container.

An anonymous white envelope.