Return to The Ten Islands: Volume III

9. Rogue Gatekeeper

Erik allowed Alex a few minutes to process what he had just heard. "What options do I have after this?" Alex asked, resuming the conversation. "There had been four outcomes for all Wardens over the centuries. One, you run from your duty. This will result in the council hunting you down and then you'll be imprisoned until they find the next suitable Warden to replace you. The second option would be to accept your destiny as a Warden. You'll go through training at the Endless Portal, after that you'll be free to do whatever you want. You'll report back to the Endless Portal periodically, at first monthly, then three monthly, biannually and if they really trust you enough, every three to five years. You'll also be paid monthly, in Zenny of course. And you're free to roam around Nirvana or Earth without an observer." "That doesn't sound too bad." Yui commended. "So what's the other two options?" Alex urging Erik to continue. "The third would be that you find a replacement yourself. He or she will take your place and you're free to go. As for the last one, the outcome is very unpredictable. I highly against you even considering it." Erik said. "And what's that?" "Releasing the Titans." Erik replied. "What?" Both Alex and Yui were caught off guard by Erik's reply. "Surprising as it sounds, seven Wardens actually did it. But each of their outcomes were different. One of the Titans got loose and killed the Warden. In another case, the opposite happened." "Can a Titan actually be killed? If that's the case, why bother to imprison them in the first place?" Alex asked. "Look, Alex. There're exceptional cases all the time. I wasn't really there when it occurred, I'm only speaking through historical account. So I can't really say how much truth is in it." Erik answered with a sigh. "Okay, go on." Alex urged. "Another Titan was released without any repercussion. Two of the Titans were transferred to the Water Clan on Zui and Thunder Clan on Macquinol. One more died of old age. The remaining one went missing along with the Warden during the Great War. Currently, only six Wardens remain active." Alex rubbed his chin and said. "When do I have to make the decision?" "Seeing as you're having a major exam in the coming October, the council had decided to leave you be for the moment. You can take your time to think things through. The training I mentioned involves awakening the abilities of the Gatekeepers in you. I'm sure you have already met your virtual mentor in your dreams. Someone who teaches you how to use your powers." Erik replied. "How did you know that?" Alex couldn't hide the surprise from showing on his face.

"The virtual mentor is just a failsafe measure to make sure you know how to use your powers and if needed, the procedure to transfer the Titan to the next Warden. Once you master your powers after the training, it'll become obsolete and vanish from your subconscious. It was a protocol lay down since the times of war, to make sure the Wardens will be functional even when the Endless Portal couldn't provide the proper training. For example, in times of war." Erik explained. "But how do you know what my powers are?" Alex asked. "How do you think we knew?" Erik responded with another question. "You'll need the machine to tell. Don't tell me, that wasn't my first time on Nirvana." "That's right. Your mom brought you to the Endless Portal a few years back. You were probably too young to remember it. The machine was more sophisticated than the one at the Freedom Fortress. After that, we have help from Psychics to embed the virtual mentor in your subconscious." Erik explained. "Which means, I don't really have much of a choice, do I?" Alex pointed out. "I'm afraid not. I'll see you again after your exam finished. Until then, do refrain from using your powers in public. But you're encourage to practice them when you're alone, especially your teleportation. Your Gatekeeper abilities rely heavily on that. It's been a while since you last use it. Mine showing me your teleportation now?" Erik said. "Right now?" "Yes, just move to the front door if you still remember how to do it." Alex recalled the feeling he felt back then and teleported. But things turned out differently when he emerged on the other side. "What the hell!" Alex dropped to his knees and cursed. He was panting when he reappeared behind the front door of his house. His entire body was overwhelmed with a sudden unexplained tiredness. "Just to prove my point, it takes a lot more energy to use your powers here than it was on Nirvana. Do keep practicing though, it gets better after each time." Erik patted Alex on the back. "If you have something urgent to talk to me before the next time we meet, just drop your message in the locker 2315 at KL Sentral Station. I'll visit the locker monthly and get to you ASAP." Erik said. "Isn't there any other faster way? Like a phone or something?" Alex asked. "I'm afraid not. Interdimensional communication is still in its developmental stage. Is there anything else that you would like to ask?" Alex shook his head. "Yui?" Erik turned to face Yui. "If that's all, I shall be leaving then." Eric withdrew the familiar abacus from his pocket and opened a trans-dimensional portal. He gave them a parting wave before disappearing into the portal.

"Are you okay?" Yui asked when she saw Alex having difficulty getting up. "I'm fine. It's more exhausting than I thought." He replied. "You'll get used to it. Can we talk for a moment?" Yui said. "Not now. I am already having a lot on my mind now. Maybe tomorrow." Alex gave her a dismissive wave and walked back to his room. Yui nodded and left the house without another word. Everything seemed to return back to normal the next morning. Alex met Yui's disguise on the school bus as usual. They exchanged greeting as before but fell silent soon after. The awkward silence was broken once they reached school but it resumed as they took the same bus back. As they walked home from the bus stop, Yui broke the silence. "Alex, about yesterday. Is it alright if we talk later?" "Sure, what do you want to talk about?" Alex asked. "I'll tell you over dinner then." Yui said and sprinted ahead into her house. "What's that all about?" Alex muttered to himself. Dinner time came and the two of them sat opposite of each other, same as a day before, only without Erik. "So what is it?" Alex asked halfway through the meal. "You're more than a job to me. Meeting you changed my life. You not only saved me back then, you changed my destiny." Yui said. "C'mon, it can't be that big of a deal." Alex was confounded by what she said. "You remember the sister in nun habit, Madam Katherina? She was one of the instructor at the orphanage. The orphanage which I was from is a famous training ground for mercenaries." Yui explained. "Wait, isn't it illegal to train child soldiers?" Alex interrupted. "It is but the orphanage is heavily funded and received protection from many governments. They brushed off the training as nothing more than special curriculum. Most of the children will not be engaging in any conflict until they're legally adults. Then, they'll be sold to mercenaries all over Nirvana. Some are taken in by Clans and other countries as secret agents. But nobody will bother whether we live or die afterwards. To them, we're just dispensable assets." "That's terrible but I still don't see how our meeting changes all that?" Alex asked. "The Endless Portal needed someone who recognize your face but would remain inconspicuous while observing you. After sorting through a few viable candidates, they decided that I was most suited for the job. They got me out of the orphanage and I became your observer. After this job is done, I'm free to do as I please. That's why meeting you meant so much to me." Yui explained. "Wow, I didn't know it was that big of a deal." Alex said. "I owe this life and my freedom to you, Alex. If there's anything I can do to…" Alex raised his hand and shushed her.

"Just be yourself and continue doing what you did. That would be enough for me. Friends?" Alex extended his arm. Yui took it with a smile. After dinner, Alex walked to the hypermarket near his house to shop for groceries. It was almost closing time after he was done with his shopping. As he moved across the mostly empty parking lot, his eyes caught a familiar silhouette walking down the street. It was someone whom he wouldn't have recognized if Erik haven't showed up. He closed in on the shadow with long strides to get a better look at the face. After making sure that it was un-mistakenly someone he knew, he called out his name. "Chris!" The young man who had his back facing Alex turned half a circle when his name was called. "Alex? From the science camp?" Christopher said. "No, from Nirvana." Alex grinned. "Aha, I see you got your memories back." Chris said. "Erik returned them yesterday. You look older somehow." Alex pointed out. "Constant visit to Nirvana does that to you. Time is three times longer there. You should've seen Kenneth, he looks way older now." "I'll visit Nirvana again once my exams are over. What brings you here?" Alex asked. "It's a long story and I'm working now. Can we chat tomorrow afternoon? Do you have a cellphone with you right now? I'll give you my number, you can call me tomorrow. But it only works when I'm on Earth." Chris answered. "Got it." They exchanged numbers and parted ways. The next day was the usual, Alex went to school with Yui and back. As soon as Alex reached home, his cellphone rang. "You done with school? Wanna meet up now?" Chris asked. "Where do we meet?" "How about the McDonald's near the hypermarket? Jia Hao will be here as well, do you mind?" Chris asked. "Not at all. See you there." Alex replied and headed back to his room to change. "I know you're listening, don't pretend you're not." Alex walked out of his room in a new outfit. "Wanna join me?" He asked Yui.

"Wow, who's this cutie?" Chris asked the moment Alex and Yui sat down. Yui ditched her 'Natasha' disguise and went along with her natural look. "She's Yui, my observer." Alex replied. Chris and Jia Hao introduced themselves. Yui just nodded, maintaining the polite smile on her face. "Sorry about yesterday, Alex. I'm working, things been busy lately." Chris said. "Are you two Shinigami?" Yui asked. "Ah, that's the name that is currently popular. Probably due to the Japanese influences. We go by many names, Thanatos, Ankou, Jeoseung-saja, angel of death and of course the grim reaper. Though these names came from different cultures and languages, their depiction are almost always the same. We're the ambassador of death that dealt with souls. But that's just a myth. All we do is collect the energy left behind by the deceased." Jia Hao explained. "Then we send the energy back to the Spirit World. They work just like electricity. The human world or the Elders like to call it mortal world rely on electricity while the Spirit World is dependent on Soul energy. It's a boring job but it keeps the Spirit World running." Chris added. "What happens to the soul that left the body?" Alex asked. "Beats me, it was the question of the ages. Many scholars have proposed theories but they remain theories till this day. We're the ambassadors of death, Alex. Not the god of death. Some souls left for the afterlife, if you do believe in such things. Some remain in the mortal realm as ghosts. And if they were to absorb enough energy, they become spirits. We usually leave them along unless they become a nuisance." Jia Hao answered. "So what brings your guys here this time?" Alex asked. "Other than our usual soul reaping and exorcism. The entire fleet of grim reapers that roam the Earth is on the lookout for a rogue Gatekeeper." Jia Hao replied. "She goes by the name Stacey. The Gatekeepers believe she had fled to Earth. No photo of her were given since she's a shapeshifter, they think it's pointless. Our boss refuse to give us any more details. Just tell us to locate and if possible catch her. It's like a wild goose chase." Chris said. "How are you supposed to find her then?" Yui asked. "There aren't many power users on Earth, so if we detect anyone using their powers, we'll investigate. Like I said, a wild goose chase." Chris answered. "That sucks," Alex said. "I know, right? And I thought it was going to be fun working for the Spirit World." Chris sighed.

The four of them continued their chitchat late into the evening before Chris and Jia Hao had to begin their work again. The next morning, Alex walked into his classroom with his usual poker face. He couldn't help feeling bored when he think of the lessons. But something was clearly out of the ordinary that day. Lisa, the girl whom he had a crush on during primary school started idle chatter with him. The girl hardly spoken to him other than the absolute necessary since the day he confessed and was rejected. Then there was Luke who was the most popular guy in class started getting friendly with him. Even Mei Ling, the class representative who was always serious started having small talk with him. He was never this popular before. However, the change was a welcoming sight to Alex. The feeling of loneliness that he harbored seemed to be fading. He had never felt that way since his five good friends left the country. In fact, he was starting to feel happy when he noted a new face staring at him from the window seat. The girl waved and smiled at him when their gaze met. "Is she always in our class?" Alex asked Lisa. "Oh, don't be mean, Alex. Stacey has been with us since last year." Lisa replied. Not convinced by her answer, Alex turned to Mei Ling. "Huh, you never knew Stacey is in our class?" She answered him with a peculiar look on her face. Still unsatisfied, he asked two of his other classmates and they said the same thing. Alex was bewildered by her sudden existence. He raked his mind for memories of that Stacey girl but nothing came up. For him, that day was the first time he saw her, in the class, the school and his life. Her face was definitely new to him but all his classmates were convinced that they knew her. And that name, it sounded familiar. "Where have I heard it before …" Alex tried his best to squeeze an answer out of his brain but he seemed to be under some sort of mental block.

"Alex, we're paired up for the history class assignment. Do you mind if we stay back after school for the discussion?" Stacey approached Alex and said. "Sure. Say, Stacey, have we met before?" Alex replied. "Good lord, Alex! Is this some kind of sick joke? Because I find it mean! We were in the same class since last year! And we even take the same bus home!" She sounded pissed. "We do?" Stacey scowled. "Sorry." Alex quickly apologized. "Your eyes were always on that Natasha girl that you forget everyone else around you." Stacey teased. "Sorry about that. We'll meet in the library. Is that alright?" Alex couldn't help feeling embarrassed, he apologized again. Alex went to find Yui the moment his classes were over. He met her at the school gate as usual. "Alex, what happened to you?" Yui who was disguised as Natasha asked, she sounded very concerned. "What are you talking about? Look, I just come to tell you to go home first. I have a discussion regarding history assignment." Alex said. "Did something weird happened?" "Now that you mention it, there is this girl in my class. I have honestly no recognition of her but the entire class insisted that we were classmates since last year." Alex told her about Stacey. Yui cut him off before he could continue further. "Go to your meeting, Alex." Yui turned and ran towards the school field all of a sudden. She was like a predator that had just caught the scent of a prey. "Hey, where are you going?" Alex shrugged and went to the library.

Yui's eyes darted around the field, searching for the source of intense magical power that was unleashed a while ago. Her eyes caught sight of a girl opposite the field, staring right back at her. She beaconed Yui to come over. Yui walked towards the girl with slow deliberate steps, constantly watching the environment around them. "Yui is it?" The girl said. "How do you know my name?" Yui tried her best to maintain her calm composure. "Let's cut to the chase. I want you to stay out of my way and away from Alex." The girl continued. "That's not gonna happen." Yui replied, taking a battle stance. "I know," a dark portal appeared behind the girl and elongated at incredible speed. The portal swallowed the two of them before Yui had the chance to escape. "Relax, you're inside my storage dimension. This environment is very similar to Nirvana, so you can go crazy with your powers. You don't need to worry about hurting others as well. Since this is the only way you will understand." The girl explained. "Don't tell me you're Stacey, the rogue Gatekeeper." Yui said. "You catch up quick." "What do you want with Alex?" Yui demanded. "Are you ready? We don't have all day you know." She ignored Yui's question and shot a few lightning bolts at her direction. Yui dodged them easily and counterattacked with a javelin made of shadow. "Shield." The girl said. The black javelin broke in half before it made contact with Stacey. It seemed to have hit an invisible wall of sort. The two girls advanced towards each other at rapid pace. Yui leapt into the air and landed with a drop kick but her feet made contact with the same invisible shield that broke her javelin. Yui regained her balance and charged in for hand-to-hand combat. However, her fists and kicks were unable to break through the invisible barrier surrounding Stacey. "Are you just gonna play defense?" Yui taunted. "Not really, I just don't want to hurt you so bad that Alex might notice." Stacey answered. She then opened her mouth wide and unleashed a wave of high decibel sound.

Yui foresaw the attack and dodged by hiding inside her own shadow. "Big mistake!" Yui was suddenly hit by a bolt of lightning that blasted her out of her own shadow. "This is my dimension, baby. You can't really hide or shadow walk your way out of this. There are only two ways out of here. You beat me or I let you out of here." Yui recovered on her feet again. The attack left a sore on her back but other than that, it seemed Stacey wasn't really trying to kill her. Stacey opened her mouth wide again, aiming at Yui. Yui leapt to the side, knowing that hiding in her shadows won't work. She realized her mistake the moment she landed on her feet. The sonic boom was immediately channeled into a portal the moment her feet left the ground. The exit portal opened directly behind where Yui was standing. It was too late for her to dodge. She mustered all her energy to create a shield from her shadows to absorb the impact. The shockwave overwhelmed her defense and lifted her off her feet. The impact propelled her towards an invisible net made of electricity, paralyzing her. "Your spinal cord is paralyzed, you can't move. Horatio!" Stacey called out to someone. Dark mist manifested behind Stacey and aggregated to form a shadowy figure. The figure is best described as a djinn, a bipedal creature with the face of a demon. "You called, master?" It said. "Put the spell on her." Stacey ordered. "As you wish," Yui felt an intense burning sensation around her neck as the demon chanted some incantations. The feeling subsided after the incantations ended. "Listen carefully, Yui. If you try speaking to Alex or anyone else about today, about me or Horatio, this is what happens." Stacey snapped her fingers. Yui suddenly felt her windpipe tightened as if someone was choking her. "Remember this feeling, the moment you try to tell on us, it will be triggered. Now, goodbye."

Yui felt her vision darkened momentarily before they returned to normal. She was staring at the blue sky with her back lying on the field. She was able to feel and move her body again. Yui made her way back to the school gate again but stopped in her track when she caught sight of Alex, with Stacey! She ran towards Alex and grabbed his sleeve. But when her mouth opened, she gagged. "What's wrong, Natasha? I thought I told you to go home without me." Yui turned her head and saw the evil smirk on Stacey's face, mocking her. She immediately grabbed Stacey by the collar and was about to punch her when Alex stopped her. "What is wrong with you?" Alex pushed Yui away. "Your girlfriend, she's scary." Stacey's eyes became teary and she backed away from Yui, she seemed terrified. "I don't know what's got into her. And she's not my girlfriend. We're just neighbors." Alex shot Yui an angry look before accompanying Stacey to the library. All the while, Yui's hands were on her neck. Her entire face looked flushing red from the lack of air. She suffocated while trying to get the words out of her mouth. But nothing came out. She pounded the wall to vent her frustration.

10. Bargaining Chip

After spending a night at the guest house, Lenny and Iris called a cab to take them to the nearest train station. Being a weekday and in the suburb, there was hardly any traffic on the road leaving the residential area. Just as the cabbie left the suburb, Lenny noted a black SUV driving well over the speed limit on the opposite lane. It didn't seem to be slowing down despite nearing the end of the freeway. The SUV suddenly swerved towards the wrong lane and headed straight for them! The driver veered the cab to the right to avoid a head-on collision with the SUV. However, it did not manage to dodge the SUV completely. The SUV rammed into the trunk of the cab and caused it to slew out of control. Another speeding vehicle from the back clipped the cab at the midsection, causing it to flip into the air. Lenny immediately took protective measures the moment he realized that the SUV was not going to stop. The water inside the water bottles the maid gave them burst out through their caps at Lenny's command. The water enveloped the two of them and Lenny's wyvern in a protective water coating. The world tilted and spun around them as the cab was flipped into the air. And when it finally landed after two rotations, Lenny aggregated the water and shot it in one powerful impulse which knocked the rear door off its hinges. The water bubble absorbed most of the impact from the collision but they weren't unscathed. Lenny felt a sharp pain to his left arm the moment he began crawling out of the upturned cab. Iris on the other hand was unable to move her right leg. She relied purely on the strength of her upper limbs to make her way out of the wreckage.

The cab was mangled beyond recognition and the driver was undoubtedly dead, his body literally became one with the twisted metal. Lenny and Iris on the other hand were covered in cuts and bruises. There was a long, bleeding gash on the side of Lenny's forehead. Iris had a piece of glass embedded into her right forearm. The wyvern was the only creature that left the wreckage unharmed. However, the two were not able to relax just yet as five strangers left the smashed SUV and charged towards them. "We got company." Iris said. "Yeah," Lenny nodded. Gathering the water that was spilled all over the asphalt road, Lenny formed an ice sword out of it. Iris created a flaming whip using her Fire element and cracked it to intimidate her incoming foes. The three men and two women quickly surrounded the two teenagers. With the wreckage protecting their back, Lenny and Iris faced their five adversaries head-on. Lenny's wyvern growled and launched itself at one of the men. Lenny used the diversion to stab one of them on the shoulder while manipulating the wind to send glass shrapnel flying at the woman's face. The tip of the sword found its mark but Lenny received a punch to the cheek from the guy he just stabbed. A magic circle blocked Lenny's flying projectiles while his wyvern was easily brushed aside by another man. Iris's whip caught one of the ladies' throat and with a powerful yank, Iris lifted her off her feet and sent her flying towards her allies. Lenny ducked another jab at his head and swung his blade wide, leaving a gash on his opponent's chest. The other guy whom his wyvern attacked seemed to be chanting some sort of mantra. However, before he could continue further, the wyvern attacked him again. Dodging another punch from his injured adversary, Lenny slashed the man in the thigh and finished him off with a kick to the groin.

Iris's whip found one of the men's neck and pulled him to the ground. She then set him on fire with a breath of flame. Bright circles glowed around the man's body and the flame was put out. The woman that she flunked to the side recovered and pointed a wand at her direction. Since Iris couldn't stand on her injured thigh, she would have had trouble dodging the attack. Luckily, the snow wyvern lunged at the lady the moment she finished her spell. It bit her hand and disrupted her aim. A strong blast of air was unleashed from the wand. It barely missed Iris by an offset of a few degrees. "Lenny!" Iris called out. When Lenny glanced at her direction, she used her gaze to direct Lenny to the pool of gasoline that was gathering on surface of the road. Lenny nodded and sprang into action. The ice sword on his hand melted into a jello-like substance. He then threw the substance at Iris's direction while distracting the rest by throwing the glass shrapnel at them. The semi-solid substance elongated after it was thrown, forming a rope. Once the other end latched onto Iris, Lenny pulled her away from the wreckage. At the same time, Iris ignited the gasoline on the ground. The resulting explosion sent the mangled vehicle straight up into the air. It also created a deafening roar and shockwave that knocked the surrounding people to the ground. Lenny grabbed hold of Iris by wrapping one arm around her waist while using his other free hand to propel themselves away from the blast. The two of them retreated some distance from the burning scene. As they glanced back at the fire, a whitish fume put out part of the fire, clearing a path for the five people inside.

"God, they're a persistent bunch." Lenny said. Both of them were panting hard from their engagement with their assailants. In addition to that, the injuries they suffered from the accident restricted their movement. "Lenny, go without me. If you take me along, I'll only slow you down." Iris suggested. "Not gonna happen." The jello-rope that connected the two of them reverted back to an ice sword. As they took their stance to face the incoming adversaries, a new face emerged from the scene. The three men and two women that assaulted them were nowhere to be seen. The teenage girl unsheathed her long sword and slowly walked towards them. She stopped in front of them and bowed her head. "Sorry I was late, Master Lenny, Miss Iris. I was sent by Master Kazuya to escort you two but it seems I have failed." "There's no need to be so hard on yourself. As you can see, we're both alive." Lenny replied. "Yeah, thanks for coming to rescue us. What happened to the five people that attacked us?" Iris asked. "They fled when they saw me coming. An ambulance is on the way." The girl answered. "Who're they?" Lenny pointed at another two teenage boys wandering around the wreckage. "They're Haru and Walter. I'm Quy. The three of us were tasked by Master Kazuya to escort you two." Quy said. "Thanks." Lenny replied. Moments later, they could hear sirens coming from the distance. The three teenagers left them alone and went to investigate the SUV. "You should probably thank your brother for this. If it isn't for him, who knows what would happen to us." Lenny said. Iris remained silent for a moment before she spoke. "It's just not easy for me to let go of the past." "I think you two should talk things over. That's the only way you two are ever going to resolve what happened in the past." Lenny suggested. "You're probably right. I've been avoiding him for far too long."

Lenny and Iris lay on the stretchers in the ambulance as they were being driven to the nearest hospital. Quy and her two associates followed close behind the ambulance in a sedan. Both of them were admitted into the hospital for two days. Their rooms were side-by-side of each other. Iris had a right femoral fracture and a fractured radius while Lenny broke his left humerus and two ribs. Their recuperation went well and they were allowed discharge after two days. A day before they left the hospital, Kazuya visited Lenny in the dead of night. "Relax, Lenny. It's Kazuya." Lenny quickly assumed a defensive posture when he was shook awake. "Do you even know what time it is?" Lenny raised his voice slightly. "Shh. I'm usually busy with work, so this is the only time I'm really free. Mind if I sit down?" Kazuya pointed at the chair. "Sure." Lenny nodded. "How are your injuries?" Kazuya asked. "They're recovering." Lenny answered. "Who were those people that attacked us?" "They're probably from the fallen Barbosa Monarchy. They're after Iris to use her as a bargaining chip against the emperor. That's why I told you it is dangerous to be in Zui." Kazuya explained. Lenny nodded and continued with another question. "Kazuya, the three escorts you sent us. How come all of them are so young?" "You'll have to thank the government for that. Two decades ago, they implemented a new reform to clear the streets of strays. That's why you would never find a single homeless person, stray animal or beggar on the streets. The government took them all in. Providing shelter for the stray animals, jobs for the jobless and homes for the homeless. All the unwanted children were taken in by the government and trained to be future civil servants." Kazuya explained. "You meant new soldiers?" Lenny said. "Not necessarily, some goes to the administrative department, some goes to the health care, education and of course the military. It all depends on their talents and interests." "I see." Kazuya withdrew two plane tickets from inside his coat and proffered them to Lenny. "What are these for?" Lenny asked. "I heard you didn't have any places in mind to visit. So I booked a flight for you and Iris to Waf Zile. It's a mountainous region, Iris has always like mountains. I'm sure you'll like it too. Plus, it's a long way from Zui." Kazuya answered.

"Thanks, Kazuya." Lenny took the tickets. "You should probably try talking to your sister again. She might be more willing to listen to what you have to say after what happened." "That's thoughtful of you but I don't think I'll have time for that. I'm contented with just keeping her safe for now. Things been very busy since the start of the invasion campaign. Quy and her associates will escort you two to the airport but they'll not follow you onboard. Take care of Iris for me." Kazuya replied. "Sure. Thanks again." "Good night, Lenny." With a parting smile, Kazuya closed the door gently. "Good night." Lenny inspected the air tickets but could make no sense of the words on them. He kept them in the drawer at the side and went to bed again. The next morning, Lenny showed Iris the air tickets and asked if she could make sense of what was written on them. "It's in Korean," Iris said. "Where did you get these? They're flight tickets to One World Airport." "Kazuya gave them to me. He said you love mountains. And it'll be safer there than here." Lenny answered. Iris only remained silent. "He said he'll talk to you once the Bashara campaign is over." Lenny said. "Alright," Iris gave a dismissive nod, her mind was somewhere else entirely. The trio escorted Lenny and Iris till the boarding gate as instructed by their boss. Flights on Nirvana operated very differently from Earth's. Small pet such as Lenny's snow wyvern were allowed on board with its owner. The boarding process was also much smoother and swifter than Earth's. After all the passengers were accounted for, the flight attendants began explaining some emergency procedures as all flights did. Then they took off into the air. "It's gonna be a long flight. Wanna watch movies together?" Iris asked. "If they're all in Korean, I don't think I'll understand what they're saying." Lenny replied. "Don't worry, there are English and Chinese movies as well."

After finishing one movie, Lenny went to the lavatory to piss. That was when he noted a disturbing new finding. "What the hell is he doing here?" Lenny took deliberate steps to avoid being seen. The man whom he kicked in the dick was on the same plane! As he approached the area where the flight attendants operate, he found that it was completely empty, which was pretty alarming. However, the thing that bothered him the most at that moment was his full bladder. He found the nearest lavatory door ajar and went into it. The moment he entered, he saw a woman changing into an air stewardess uniform. He was about to apologize when he noted another woman in her undergarment was unconscious on the toilet seat. As the woman turned around, Lenny immediately recognized her as one of the five assailants from before. With a back kick, Lenny closed the lavatory door and placed a rear naked choke on the woman. Lenny covered the woman's mouth with his left hand to mute her while choking her with his right arm. In mere seconds, her struggle turned into frail gestures. By the twelfth second, Lenny released the choke hold and the woman fell limply to the ground. He locked the door and tied the woman to the toilet seat with her own clothes. He also gagged her mouth with a towel. As added precaution, Lenny created an ice prison around her. He then covered the near naked air hostess with her own uniform before leaving the lavatory. He quickly peed in the opposite lavatory and went back to Iris. The moment he left the lavatory he heard screams from the cabin. "What's happening, Sam?" Lenny said in his mind. "Bad guy back." He received a reply telepathically. His pet wyvern began communicating with him two days ago, telepathically. Since Lenny had no idea the gender of his pet, he decided to name it 'Sam'. It apparently was able to learn Lenny's language through their master and familiar connection.

When Lenny reached the cabin where Iris was seated, it was utter chaos. Three of the assailants were fighting with other passengers on the plane while Iris was exchanging jabs with a woman. Lenny grabbed a water bottle from the flight attendant trolley and splashed it at the nearest of the three men. The water froze around the man's face. Magic circles glowed around his cheeks and turned the ice to steam. The man shoved aside the passenger that was brawling with him and turned to face Lenny. Magic circles lit up on the man's hands, igniting fire. He threw two fire balls at Lenny which he put out with water from the catering trolley. "Are you fucking nuts? We're on a goddamn plane!" Lenny yelled and head-butted the man in the gut. He straddled the man and began raining down punches on his face. A hand grabbed Lenny from behind after he broke the man's nose. Lenny reacted by swinging his elbow backwards, catching another assailant on the chest. He leapt and sent a spinning kick to the man behind him before landing on his knees. The sounds of bones cracking followed by a loud shriek were heard when Lenny's knees connected to the chest of the man on the floor. Blood could be seen coming out of his mouth while his nose was a bloody smashed piece of flesh. The man stopped moving, only low moans could be heard. With a roar, Lenny charged into the man behind him who just recovered on his feet. He rammed him into a partition wall on the plane. Lenny followed-up with a karate chop to the neck and finished off with a clasped hand strike to the forehead. The man managed to raise his arms in defense before Lenny could deliver the final blow. With a kick to the inner thigh, the man brought Lenny down on one knee and kneed him in the face. He then shoved Lenny away. Lenny felt warm fluid oozing down his lips. He wiped his bleeding nose and charged in again.

The man raised both his arms up in anticipation. Lenny continued head-on but switched to a slide tackle at the last moment. The man was caught off guard and lost his balance. While he was down, Lenny blasted a gust of concentrated air at another man who came at him. Lenny stole a glance at Iris while punching his opponent. She had successfully taken down the lady and the other passengers helped her to tie the assailant up. Suddenly, an explosion was heard and Lenny felt strong wind pulling at him. He turned his head and noted a hole had been blown on the side of the plane. The entire plane tilted sideways and began plunging downwards. The shrieks and screams of the terrified passengers were drowned by the strong current from the outside. Some of the unlucky passengers were thrown out of the plane by the powerful suction. Lenny managed to grab onto the closest seatbelt, his feet were no longer touching the floor. The unconscious assailant fell out of the plane during the explosion. The other one which Lenny was punching clung onto the headrest of a seat in a desperate attempt to stay inside the cabin. The culprit who created the hole went after Iris. Tendrils from some sort of vine were wrapped around his body, securing him to the roof of the plane. He slowly crept his way towards Iris, using the tendrils as climbing ropes. The pilots had somehow managed to bring the plane under control and maintain altitude, making the plane horizontal again. Iris tried to burn the vine securing the man to the roof but the wind kept throwing off her aim. Iris's continuous projectile prevented the man from advancing any further. Meanwhile, Lenny tried getting near Iris by creating icicles on the floor of the cabin. Using the icicles as grips, he advanced forward against the pull of the current.

Lenny felt a hand on his ankle while he was moving forward. He turned to see the man that was holding onto the headrest had somehow managed to get close to him. He tried to free his leg by kicking the man's hand with his other foot. However, the man wouldn't budge. Turning his head around, he aimed his free palm at the man and fired pulses of compressed air at the man's wrist. It took five hits before the man finally gave in to the pain and released his grip. Lenny continued his advancement towards Iris after his ankle was freed. Iris's opponent was a sly one, while keeping her busy with tendrils from the front, a thick vine was growing outside her field of vision, heading for Iris's back. Lenny tried shouting out to warn her but the wind current was just too loud. "Dammit!" Lenny cursed. The man didn't seem to have notice Lenny approaching from the side. He was too busy dealing with Iris's flame and plotting a surprise attack behind her. When he finally got close to Iris, the entire plane shook. The cabin was shrouded by thick clouds which explained the turbulence. Lenny took the opportunity to supercool the water vapor, freezing the vines and the man controlling it. He then shattered the thick vine that was heading for Iris with a blast of air. Due to its thickness, the vine didn't completely brake into pieces. After its icy outer layer was shattered by Lenny, its inner part shot forth at Iris. Iris noted the vine a moment too late. It wrapped around her like a boa and lifted her off of her feet. The seatbelt that anchored her to the seat was snapped by the force of the vine. Lenny couldn't free her from the vine seeing as it was the only thing holding her inside the cabin. "Shit!" Lenny cursed as he noted the person controlling the plant was freed from his icy confinement. Stealing a glance behind him, the man that held his ankle a while ago was in pursue again. The lady that the passengers tied up was freed from her entanglement and seemed to have her sight locked onto Iris. Suddenly, Lenny could feel chill wind blowing towards him. The plane swayed as it dove into another thick cloud.

Under the cover of the cloud, Lenny concentrated the water vapor into semi-solid substance and projected it at three directions. They latched onto their targets like lassos. Each end of the lassos were wrapped around Lenny's waist. Iris finally caught up to what Lenny was about to attempt. She shouted on top of her voice trying to stop him. But the strong gale prevented her voice from reaching him. With a parting smile, Lenny let go of his grip on the icicle. The wind sucked him into the air and dragged the three others with him. The lady's frantic search for something to anchor herself to fail to do so before she was dragged out of the plane. The other guy wrapped his arms around a seat, trying his best to stay inside the cabin. However, an ice javelin loosened his grip and he too was flunked into the air. The final assailant who was latched onto the roof struggled to control his plants as Sam bit through the tendrils. With the weight of three people pulling on him, the tendrils finally gave way and he too was dragged into the open air. Iris's mouth was wide open, she seemed to be yelling something. But Lenny got other things to worry about. He need to keep those three off the plane. Since one of them had the guts to blow a hole in the plane, Lenny figure they must have some methods to keep them afloat. And he was right. Three parachute-like plant emerged from one of their back. "Oh no you don't!" Lenny threw the javelins which he made when the plane entered the clouds. They tore through the plants and all four of them continued free falling. "You fool! You killed us all!" The man shouted. Lenny ignored him and turned his attention to the other two. The guy seemed to be enchanting something while the lady's shoes were glowing. Without knowing what they would do, Lenny aimed his javelin at the lady's shoe. The javelin pierced through one of her foot, causing her to scream in pain. Her shoes stopped glowing which brought some reassurance to Lenny.

As all four of them were coming down hard, Lenny spotted a huge body of water below them. It was probably the ocean. By manipulating the air, Lenny tried to slow their descent but four people falling at terminal velocity was too much for Lenny to handle alone. He was unable to break their fall using the air so he looked down for inspiration. The man beside him kept on chanting. Since nothing seemed to be happening, Lenny decided to just ignore him. "Cut the rope, master." Sam suggested. It was a good suggestion, with the extra weight gone, Lenny could definitely break his fall using the wind. But Lenny decided he don't want any more blood on his hands. An idea came to mind as they were closing in on the ocean surface. Concentrating his remaining energy into his last javelin, Lenny launched it into the ocean. The javelin caused a gigantic ripple on the water surface, breaking the water tension. From the ripples came a geyser of jello-like fluid. The geyser collided with the four of them, absorbing the impact of the fall. Lenny immediately froze the water around the three of them after the impact, imprisoning them in an ice prison. He breathed a sigh of relief when all four of them had safely landed. Sam had somehow latched itself behind Lenny's back during the free fall. As he began to relax, Lenny noted the water surface began to glow. And when he glanced at the man that was doing all the enchanting moments ago, there was a wicked smile on his face. There was a burning scroll on his left hand as well. "Oh shit!" Before Lenny could react, everything around him faded like dust. In the blink of an eye, Lenny reappeared in an unknown location with men pointing their swords at him. Seeing as there was no way out, he knelt down and raised his hands to surrender.

11. Bait

Kelvin tried his watch once more to contact Calvin. He had been trying to get hold of him since morning but he wasn't picking up. "Maybe he's busy. He is a prince after all." Julee said. "I guess I'll just leave him a message then." Kelvin replied and began to type his message on the virtual keyboard. "Done," Kelvin switched off the watch. "Is there any where you would like to go?" "The entire city is new to me, anywhere will do." Julee replied. "Right. I guess we didn't really explore the city much since coming here. Shall we go have a look around?" Kelvin suggested. "Let's go, I think I saw a mall nearby." Julee said and led the way. The two entered a huge complex with flashy and colorful neon façade. The inside however was no different than a regular mall found on Earth. Even with the advancement of online purchase in Gaea, people still enjoy strolling around the mall for merchandises. After getting inside, they found that the mall was much larger than it depicted on the outside. Shop lots stretched as far as the eye could see. Everywhere they looked, there are merchandises that were both attractive and completely new to them. What they saw inside the mall was nothing short of amazing. From portable swimming pool to flying vehicles and the list goes on. Another feature that they noted which set the mall apart from all others was the variety of item sold there. They ranged from food, household appliances, electronics to laboratory equipment and even transportation. After getting lost inside for hours, they finally found their way to the exit. Kelvin checked his watch for Calvin's reply but there was nothing. "Maybe he really is busy, perhaps we can try tomorrow." Julee suggested. "Yeah," Kelvin nodded. The two of them went for dinner in a nearby restaurant before taking a cab back to Little Cannes.

After they got back to the manor, Kelvin headed to the secret chamber again. He was hoping to pick up where he left off in the morning. The device that Calvin gave him was easy to control and it came with a user-friendly manual. It didn't take long for him to open the voltage and ampere gauged combination. However, something was clearly different from the last time he entered the room. The files were neatly arranged and there was a note on the table. 'Meet me at Sim Tech HQ, District 3. 8 p.m.' Whoever left the note didn't include a name on it. Kelvin showed Julee the note but she too had no idea who had left it there. The security cameras in the manor were disabled so they couldn't use them to trace the person who left the note. "Do you think Calvin left this?" Kelvin asked. "I don't think so. If he wanted to meet us, he would've just call." Julee replied. "Guess you're right. Though, he still hasn't reply me yet." "It's getting late, maybe we can go to the palace and find him tomorrow." Julee suggested. "I think we should re-activate the security system. Whoever left this might still be in the compound. If he or she knew about the secret chamber, maybe he's involved in the murder. We should be careful." Kelvin said. Julee agreed. It took them an hour of trial-and-error before they finally learnt how to operate the security system. That night the two of them slept in the same room, for safety purposes; that was what Kelvin wanted to think. Kelvin spent an hour staring at the ceiling to calm his palpitation before he could fall asleep. Despite their concerns, nothing out of the ordinary happened.

Kelvin checked his watch the moment he woke up. He still hadn't got a reply from Calvin. After washing up and a light breakfast, he rechecked his inbox again, nothing. Feeling impatient, Kelvin dialed Calvin's number again. No one picked up. But on his second attempt, his call went through. The image showed Calvin's room but he was nowhere to be seen. "Urgh-h, who's this?" Someone moaned on the other end. "It's Kelvin." "Oh-h…Just the person I was looking for…" Calvin's voice was hoarse and cracked. "About time, what happened to you? I've been trying to call you all day yesterday." Kelvin asked. "It's that bitch. Listen, do not trust Alia, no matter how cute you might think she looks…" "What the heck?" Kelvin was unable to follow his friend's chain of thoughts. "Later you'll meet with your real aunt…Christina. She'll assign a body guard to protect you…Alia…She's a traitor!" "Dude, are you alright?" Kelvin began to feel concerned. "Listen to me, I'm you from the – future…" "Seriously, Calvin. This isn't funny!" Kelvin said. "I'm giving you a warning so that you don't make the same…" "I'm Kelvin Howard! What is wrong with you?" Kelvin yelled. "Howard? I thought this is a time machine." Calvin finally appeared on the screen. His hair was disheveled, his eyes were blood-shot. There were traces of food smudged on his cheeks. Junk food packings and half-empty whisky bottles lay near where he was sitting. The place looked a lot messy than the last time they visited him. Both Kelvin and Julee were stunned by what they saw. "How did this happen?" Kelvin managed to speak after a long pause. "Just get over here, I'll tell you all about it. Aww…" Calvin put his palms on his face. "My head hurts…" "We'll be right there," Kelvin replied and ended the call. "I think he's having a hangover." Julee said. "Yeah. I'm really curious as to what could've pushed him over the edge like that." Kelvin replied. "Probably have something to do with Alia." Julee said. "You bet."

When the two of them reached Gaea Palace, the front gate was wide open and packed with people. "What's with all these crowd?" Julee asked. "Beats me," Kelvin shrugged. They entered the guard post beside the gate and found only a single officer on duty. They recognized him as the same guy who frisked them the other day. "Hey, mister. We're here to see Prince Gaea." Kelvin said. "Oh, it's you two. Iris told me you would be coming. Just enter through the pavement to the west. It's a detour to the prince's chamber. That way you can avoid the crowd at the front." The man replied. "What's with the crowd?" Julee asked. "You don't know?" The man looked surprised. He answered after they shook their heads. "It's the Queen's coronation. His Majesty is leaving the throne to his sister, Lady Christina. The decision was made yesterday. It was all over the media yesterday." "I see." Julee nodded. "Thanks, we'll be on our way then." They waved at the officer and left the guard post. The route pointed by the guard took them through the court yard. They were lost for a moment before they found a structure they recognized from the other day. Using the structure as a guide, they managed to navigate their way to Calvin's room. "Come in," one of the double doors opened before they could knock. When they entered the room, there was no traces of the trash that they saw through their video call. The room was as clean and tidy as the last time they visited. Calvin's hair was neatly combed and his cheeks were free of smudges. However, his eyes remained swollen with dark circles underneath them. "You sure clean up fast," Kelvin commended. "I had help from the robot servants. Besides, can't dwell on the past forever." Calvin sniffled and showed them to the small round table at the corner. He activated the Arc Net before telling them everything his uncle told him in the Yellow Dune mine. He also told them about his aunt, Alia, his mother's assassination and how they were all interconnected.

"That's some deep conspiracy going on in your family." Julee said. "I know. It's about to get worse after my aunt take the throne. I can't take any action against her yet since she hasn't really done anything wrong. I must find proof so that dad would believe me." Calvin replied. "By the way, Calvin. Did you come over to my grandpa's manor yesterday?" Kelvin asked. "No, I've been in the palace all day yesterday. Why do you ask?" Calvin answered. Kelvin showed the prince the note he found in the secret chamber. "This is a surprise. Whoever put it there must have known your grandpa well." Calvin pointed out. "I think it might have been the assassin but why just leave a note?" Kelvin said. "You have a point." Calvin nodded. "Where is this place anyway?" Julee pointed at the note. "It's in Rondo, a neighboring nation to the west. They're the only nation who assign numbers to their district instead of naming them." Calvin replied. "Sim Tech is a cooperation major in biomechanical engineering. They're the company that spearheaded the Second Chance program." He added. "Do you think we should go?" Kelvin asked. "I don't know. It seems fishy to me." Calvin replied. "I think so too, it could be a trap." Julee added. "But there is a high chance I'll find whoever killed my grandpa." Kelvin argued. "I can't say you're wrong. It might well be a trap, like Julee said. But I can accompany you two there. We can scout the area before the meeting." Calvin replied. "You? But don't you have prince stuff to do? And I thought it's hard for you to get out of the palace." Kelvin said. "Since I dismissed her, the security has been lax. What's more, today is my aunt's coronation, the guards will be too busy to notice that I'm gone." Calvin explained. "Are you sure you really want to do this? Will you get in trouble again?" Kelvin asked, concerned for his friend. "It's fine. Going to a neighboring nation won't cause much of a fuss." Calvin reassured. "Besides, getting away from here might make me feel better."

"Wow, you are practically a different person." Kelvin said in awe as the three of them entered the bullet train. "My technique improved a lot from back in the days. I used to be able to only imitate looks. But now I can mimic voices and gestures as well." Calvin said. He shapeshifted into a middle-aged man with a thick moustache. With a suit and tie, he blended in well with the working middle class that boarded the train. "We should get some rest, it'll be two hours before we reach District 3." Calvin told them once they were seated. "Don't they need to check our passports once we cross the border?" Kelvin asked. "Not on Macquinol. All the nations on this continent had signed an open border agreement, allowing the free passage of their citizens. Once you're accepted into one of the nation on Macquinol, you're free to travel to any other nations on the continent." Calvin explained. "Shouldn't there be people guarding the borders?" Julee asked. "All the policing that involves more than one nation will be handle by Judgement. It's an establishment that was formed soon after all the nations on the continent came to a truce. It's something like Interpol but more than that. Judgement ensures peace between the nations on Macquinol." Calvin answered. "Do they have some kind of uniform?" Kelvin asked. "They do, but they usually only wear them when they're doing their desk job. On the field, most of them are in plain clothing." Calvin showed them a picture of the Judgement uniform. "There sure are a lot of working class on this train." Julee commended. "After the construction of the One Macquinol railroad system, people can work in one nation but stay in another. The speed of this bullet train is no joke. But District 3 is still pretty far so it'll still take some time." Calvin leant his head backwards.

Two hours later, the three of them disembarked from the bullet train and exited Railway Station 301 in District 3. "Is everything here named numerically?" Kelvin asked. "Yup, all government buildings have the same name but followed by a different numerical value. Like that police station over there." Calvin pointed at the distance. "That's a systemic way to map the place." Julee commended. "But it's boring. It makes the entire place plain and uninteresting." Calvin replied. They proceeded towards Sim Tech HQ. The place was not hard to find as the road signs in Rondo were very detailed and accurate. However, when they finally reached their destination, the place looked deserted. It was late afternoon and people should still be working in the HQ if it was running like the other factories around the area. Even the guard post was empty. They went to the opposite building which was a light industry for 3D metal printing. The security guard on duty told them that Sim Tech went bankrupt about a month ago. All its assets were liquidated and its factories deserted. After they heard the news, the trio decided to sneak into the facility. Using an obscure side door, they made their way into the deserted building. "It's empty, just like he said." Kelvin said. "Not quite, you feel that?" Calvin pointed at a wall beside them. "It's electricity." "The factory is still running. We should be careful from here onwards." Calvin advised. They put their backs against the wall and walked in single file. After making sure the coast was clear, they turned right and followed the direction of the current. A few more passageway later, they arrived at an automated sliding door. There was a palm print scanner beside it. Calvin disabled the security system with a few quick hand gestures and the door slid open.

The moment the door opened, thin white fumes escaped from the inside. The trio could instantly feel the chill air coming out. They made their way inside cautiously, taking quick glances around them for potential threats. Behind the door lay multiple giant glass cylinders. And inside each tank was a growing fetus. They were incubation tanks. "Are these humans?" Kelvin asked out loud. "I'm not sure. This isn't exactly my field of expertise." Calvin replied. "They're bio-engineered organic weapon. Vessels devoid of souls." A new voice echoed in the enclosed space. The trio's eyes darted around to find the source but they could not find it. "I thought our meeting was supposed to be at eight." A young man appeared behind the closed sliding door, his hands were clasped behind his back. The three of them turned to face him. "Don't look so surprise. It would've been embarrassing if you three youngsters were able to see through my cloaking." The man said. "Who're you and what do you want?" Kelvin demanded. "You. That's what I want." The man pointed at Kelvin. "Did you kill him? My grandpa." Kelvin said. "Oh, don't worry about that old bag of flesh and bones. It's about time it kicks the bucket." The youngster answered. "So, you did kill him." Calvin said. "No, I'm right here. I had to make my death look like a murder so you would come here." "What are you talking about?" Kelvin puzzled. "I'm Stanley Howard, Kelvin. How do you like my new body?" The young man said. "Grandpa? But how?" Kelvin asked. "Miracle of modern science. We could all be immortals if my research succeeds. But before that, I need something from you," Stanley Howard raised his right palm and pointed it at Kelvin. A powerful shockwave was generated in that instant, lifting Kelvin off of his feet and blasted him towards the wall. Before Julee and Calvin could react, metal shackles burst forth from the ground and chained them.

With a howl, the chain that shackled Calvin's hands and feet were shattered. "Just stay down," the tiles on the ground cracked to release a geyser of mud. The mud completely covered Calvin's body from the neck down. Then, some sort of creeper plant began growing on the mud. Whenever Calvin tried to struggle, he could feel his energy being drained. The harder he fought back, the weaker he felt. Julee on the other hand tried breaking her fetters with wooden spikes but each time her plant came into contact with the chain, it wilted. Kelvin recovered from the initial shock but found himself pinned to the wall, unable to move a muscle. Stanley Howard stood before his grandson with one hand on Kelvin's chest. What he did next was completely unexpected. Stanley's hand sunk into Kelvin's chest as if his body was made of water. That was followed by an ear-piercing shriek. Kelvin screamed as if there was no tomorrow. The pain he felt was worse than anything he had experienced before. It was as if his innards were being ripped out of his body. Calvin and Julee redoubled their effort to break free after hearing Kelvin's scream of agony. Moments later, the entire space was lit by a bright white light from Kelvin's chest. A bright orb that shimmered brightly at one time before flickering into total darkness and then lit back up again. "What is that?" Julee asked. "What have you done to Kelvin?" Calvin demanded. "It's beautiful," Stanley's eyes were fixed on the flickering orb. "It's the third generation Belaya Parasite. The most powerful I've seen so far." Kelvin's head lolled to the side, his entire body hung limply as if all his life force have been drained. Suddenly, a torrent of flame shot forth from below Calvin and Julee, freeing them from their imprisonment.

"Max, about time you show up. But I'm afraid it's already too late." Max appeared behind the door with his signature cane in hand. Another man whose presence was not noted by the trio appeared beside Stanley with a metal container in hand. Stanley carefully lowered the orb into the container and murmured some instruction to the man. The ground on which the man stood fissured as he propelled himself into the air with a powerful leapt. He crashed through the roof and left the facility. Flame twirled around Max's cane while an ice golem took shape behind him. "You sure you want to do this? The two of us might survive but I doubt..." Before Stanley could finish, he was forced to defend himself against Calvin. Calvin's entire body sparkled with blue lightning when he collided with Stanley. Stanley was caught off guard, his shield was not made strong enough to defend against Calvin's full force. Stanley retreated a few steps backwards but Calvin didn't give him the chance to recover. He closed in the distance between them with a long stride and shapeshifted into a dragon. Stanley crossed his arms, preparing to absorb the impact from the dragon's tail but it was a feint. Calvin slammed his tail onto the ground at the last minute, causing Stanley to slightly lose his balance. While Stanley tried to correct his balance by manipulating the air, the dragon's mouth unleashed a powerful bolt of blue lightning at Stanley's direction. Stanley formed a psionic shield with his mind to defend against the blast but it was a mistake. The lightning bolt was converted to an electromagnetic pulse the moment it made contact with the barrier. Stanley's shield was shattered instantly and every single electronics within the vicinity were fried as the pulse radiated outwards. The entire facility went dark. "Eat this!" Calvin's fist crackled with energy as it slammed into Stanley's solar plexus. Stanley was knocked to the ground. Warm fluid dribbled down Calvin's right fist but he paid no heed to it. He was in a foul mood that day.

"What the hell did you do?" Calvin stomped Stanley's flank as he tried to get up. Using a make-shift night vision goggle, Calvin was able to navigate in the dark. "Don't get ahead of yourself, kid. If you were someone else, I would've killed you already. But Queen Christina will kill me if I do." Stanley tried to get up again. He was clearly a battle-hardened veteran and accustomed to pain, he didn't let out a single cry as Calvin rained down punches on his face. "What is your connection with my aunt? Tell me!" Calvin hit harder as he demanded an answer from Stanley. An invisible shockwave knocked Calvin off his feet before he could continue his punching frenzy. Stanley quickly recovered on his feet after putting a distance between the two of them. His forehead and his nose were bleeding. His cheeks were swollen and bruised but his face showed no sign of pain. "She said I can't kill you. However, I can't let you walk out of here unharmed after you damaged my billion-dollar equipment." Stanley brushed the dirt off of his shirt. "Tell me!" Calvin began charging at Stanley the moment he got back up. He was like a mad bull. Stanley launched a bright flare into the air, causing Calvin to shield his eyes. He then got hold of Calvin's right wrist while his other hand was wrapped around Calvin's throat. "You pick a wrong guy to mess with!" Stanley's irises turned yellow and his skin roughened. His teeth grew longer and his jaws elongated. All the muscles in his body tensed and beefed up. His nails turned to claws and he gained a tail on his backside. All the wounds he suffered from before started to heal at incredible speed. Stanley twisted his hip and tossed Calvin towards the ice golem that was charging towards him. The golem shattered into pieces as Calvin crashed into it. Calvin forced himself to stand up despite the pain on his back. "That's enough, Calvin." Max grabbed Calvin's shoulder when he was about to attack.

"What are you so afraid of? He's just one man." Calvin slapped Max's hand away. "You don't know how powerful he actually is!" Ignoring Max's warning, Calvin launched himself towards Stanley once more. "You ask for this, young prince. Don't blame me later." Stanley's body blurred, closing in the distance between them in an instant. He got hold of Calvin's wrist and channeled a wave of high voltage through his hand. The current prevented Calvin from shapeshifting to escape Stanley's grip. Calvin tried to free himself by shooting lightning bolts at Stanley with his other hand. However, his aim was off when he was suddenly swept off his feet and slammed to the ground like a ragged doll. His elbow was dislocated in the process. But it wasn't over yet. Stanley dug his claws into Calvin's forearm, causing him to shriek in agony. His scream peaked when Stanley suddenly yanked his claws backwards, ripping Calvin's forearm off of his elbow. "Argh-h-h!" Calvin wrapped his left hand around his elbow stump and yelled until his voice cracked. His mind was still in the state of shock, unable to process what had just transpired. Stanley examined the detached limb with an evil grin. A pool of blood gathered on the fissured tiles. "Tsk," Stanley clicked his tongue as his wrist was cut off in the split of a second. His hand fell onto the pool of crimson fluid, still clutching onto Calvin's torn forearm. "Glad to see you're still as sharp as before, Max." Stanley said. Stanley's wrist began healing and a new hand was in the process of regeneration. "What are you?" Julee stared in disbelief. "I guess that's my cue to leave," Stanley turned to leave. "Wait! What is my aunt's plan?" Calvin said through gritted teeth. "I have to admire your stubbornness. Your aunt, she plans to raise an army. In other words, war." With a final glance at Calvin, Stanley leapt into the air and disappeared from sight.

12. Captured

Lenny closed his eyes to brace himself for the pain to come. The whip cracked, causing his entire back muscles to contract just from the sound of it. It was another attempt to intimidate him. The mental and physical torturing were taking a toll on his mind. Lenny panted weakly as his interrogator laughed out loud at the back. Time seemed to have stopped for the fifteen-year-old soon after he was captured by the enemy. They shackled him up and waste no time in interrogating him. Every bit of information was squeezed out of him but since he barely knew anything about the Jolyu Empire and Emperor Shin, they couldn't really get anything useful from him. But his close relationship with Iris made the enemy think that he was lying. As a result, Lenny was subjected to the worst pain in his life. Almost half of all his fingernails were wrenched from his nailbeds in the initial part of the interrogation. He was also electrocuted, burnt and whipped. The worst part was when they smacked his balls with a steel bat. The pain was so excruciating that he lost conscious immediately after impact. And when he regained consciousness, his suffering continued. "Just kill me already," Lenny murmured weakly. His mind had already gone beyond the hill, all he wanted at that moment was for the pain to end, even if it meant ending his mortal life. He had given up all hope of escaping. "Master, you mustn't! Let me help you." Sam said to Lenny telepathically. "No, stay back! Just get out of here! You're free! Get lost!" Lenny replied. He had wanted to end their master-familiar bond since the first time Sam offered to help. But Lenny had no idea how to do it. However, Sam didn't leave Lenny's side no matter how many times Lenny ordered it. It had many times tried to intervene but was stopped by Lenny. Sam remained camouflaged on the far side of the wall, watching its master suffer. Just as Lenny's interrogator began to raise his whip, a voice stopped him. Albeit soft, the voice seemed to carry a strong authority. The man instantly lowered his arm. He bowed to the approaching figure. The voice triggered a sense of familiarity, Lenny seemed to recall hearing it during his long interrogation session. The boy had lost track of time after he was captured. For him, the torturing seemed endless.

Lenny's vision was blurry when the figure closed in. His consciousness seemed to be slipping again. His body became too weak to endure the continuous beating after days of starvation. Before he could focus on the approaching figure, his world went dark again. He vaguely heard an order to release him before he completely went out cold. When Lenny regained consciousness, he noted that his limbs were no longer bounded by fetters. All his bleeding wounds were stitched and bandaged. He found himself inside a different cell from where he was kept before. The new concrete cell had only a single steel door acting as the sole entrance and exit. There was no bed or mattress inside. The only thing inside were a sink and toilet bowl but it was still much better than the last cell he was in. At least there weren't any rats and he did not have to sleep in his poop, blood and vomitus. Moments after Lenny regained consciousness, he heard noises outside the cell. "Princess Kirin, you mustn't go in alone. He's dangerous." The guard warned. "I know what I'm doing. Just open the door." An impatient voice replied. The steel door opened with a clank and a girl barely Iris's height entered the cell. "Leave us," the girl said to the guards beside her. The guards paused for a moment after hearing her order. But they eventually gave the girl a reluctant nod and closed the door. "Lenny Lim Qun Kai, did I pronounce it correctly?" The girl said. "Yes, that's me." Lenny moved his back towards the wall. Ever since the torturing began, he seemed to find comfort having a wall behind his back. The girl didn't seem to have any malicious intent but Lenny knew it was best to not let his guard down. "What do you want? Like I had said a thousand times over, I don't know where she is!" Lenny yelled. "I believe you," the girl touched Lenny on the cheek. The gesture was so unexpected that Lenny flinched and retreated to one corner of the cell the moment her hand touched him. "Relax, they're not going to hurt you anymore." She said. "You're going to kill me then?" Lenny replied. Images of his family, friends and major life events flashed before his eyes just like the time when he thought he was going to die. He closed his eyes as tears began flowing down the side of his cheeks. Lenny was ready to accept his fate. "You're not going to die anytime soon," the girl replied. "If you agree to help me."

"What do you want from me? I have already told you everything I know!" Lenny said, once again raising his voice. "Calm down, I know you told us everything. What I want from you is something different entirely." The girl replied. Before Lenny could answer, their conversation was interrupted by the loud growl of Lenny's stomach. "We'll talk over a meal, you must be starving." She whistled and the steel door opened once more. A maid entered, carrying two trays filled with food. The maid placed the trays on the floor before giving the girl a bow and left the cell. "Eat up, it's not poisoned." The girl sat down and began tearing apart the meat in one of the tray. She then mixed the meat with some gravy and rice. After that, she picked up the greasy lump with her bare hand and shoved it into her mouth. "If I want to kill you, you would've been dead already," she said when she noticed Lenny was hesitant to touch the food. Lenny was still hesitant despite her reassurance. However, he eventually gave in to the sweet aroma of the food in front of him. He grabbed a handful of rice with meat and vegetable all mixed up and stuffed them into his mouth. The feeling of warm food down his gut after days of starvation was a bliss beyond words. "Here, it's a show of faith." A small magic circle lit up in mid-air and a portal was opened. A shadow darted out from the inside and clung onto Lenny's shoulder. "Sam?" Lenny patted his pet wyvern on the head. Sam bared its fangs and hissed at the girl. "It's alright, boy," Lenny tried to calm it down. "It's a female actually." The girl said. "I knew that. How did you find her?" Lenny asked. "I am more observant than I look. I just choose not to notice." The girl answered. "I bet she's hungry as well." She added. "Be careful, master. She's their leader." Sam communicated with Lenny telepathically. "It's alright, she meant no harm. Not now anyway." Lenny lowered Sam near the tray of food and split a portion of his food for it. Sam began nibbling away after a few sniffs. "So, what is it that you want from me, princess?" Lenny turned to face Princess Kirin.

"Call me Kirin, there is no need to be formal with me. But before we begin," Princess Kirin produced a device from her pocket and placed it on the floor. In an instant, the cell was covered by an invisible shield. Lenny recognized the energy signature given off by the device. It was an Arc Net. Lenny grabbed another handful of rice and meat from the tray, chomped them down greedily while waiting for Princess Kirin's reply. Food had never tasted that delicious before. "I need your help to get inside the Grand Palace where Emperor Shin dwells." Kirin said. "No way! I rather die than betraying my master!" Lenny replied. "Would you still think the same way if I were to show you what he did?" "What could he possibly have done? He's one of the best master I have ever met." Lenny said. "He murdered my entire family! He burnt my castle, killed my closest friends and thrown their bodies around like ragged dolls! How could I not kill him?" Kirin's voice was raised, her expression tensed and her eyes reddened with tears. "How do I know you're not lying?" Lenny asked. "This could all be just an act to trick me into cooperating with you." Kirin responded by clapping her palms together and murmured soft words between sobs. White smoke began to disperse and surrounded the two of them. Lenny immediately stood up and assumed a battle stance. Soon, the two of them were covered by a thick layer of white fog, shrouding the entire cell. Then, the scenery in front of Lenny suddenly changed. There was a raging fire consuming a castle at one side and a giant stone golem at the other side. Screams, shouts and commands could be heard all over as a group of people were being crushed by the giant creature. They tried retaliating but their efforts were futile. Each one of them ended up crushed, smashed or torn apart by the golem. The entire place was laden with corpses and the grassland was painted red with blood. It took a moment before Lenny spotted a man holding a long katana – it was none other than Emperor Shin.

Emperor Shin cut down every single opponent that came at him. His clothes and sword were drenched with blood, leaving a bloody trail on the grass patches beneath him as he advanced. He was like a monster, butchering everyone on sight. However, none of his opponents retreated. All of them stood their ground till the very end. "Run Kirin!" A handsome young man with golden brown hair shouted. He was looking right at Lenny. "Get out!" An older man beside the young man glanced at Lenny's direction and gestured for him to leave. "We need to move now, princess!" A man suddenly grabbed his arm from the side. His appearance was so sudden that Lenny had no time to react. He also failed to sense the man's presence until he saw the hand reaching for him. Lenny flinched and pulled his wrist backwards. At the same time, he punched the man in the chest with his free hand. However, his punch went right through him, literally. "Relax, master. They're just projected images. You're experiencing things through Princess Kirin's memories." Sam's voice resounded in Lenny's mind. Lenny could feel the heat from the fire, hear all the chaos that was going on and smell the fresh blood that lingered in the air but he knew none of them were real. Before long, the two men confronted Emperor Shin together with few others but they didn't stand a chance. The young man was quickly beheaded while the older one was slashed in half by the long katana. All the rest fell as well. Then, a man Lenny recognized from the plane the other day grabbed his wrist and led him away from scene. Everything turned pitch black for a moment before Lenny found himself back in the same cell he was in a moment earlier. Princess Kirin was sitting opposite of him, her eyes were swollen and her sleeves soaked with tears. "I'm sorry," Lenny murmured. "As you can see for yourself, I have all the reasons to kill that bastard!" Kirin sniffled. "He was the sole reason the Bashara Empire fall. The main family that was on the throne is helpless without my family. They are weak. It didn't take long for the entire kingdom to fall to the bandits after that."

"Even so, I'm afraid that I can't help you, princess. I couldn't bear more blood on my hands. The nightmares are too much for me, I'm sorry." Lenny said. "You're just like my men said, a kind-hearted person. You saved them during that free fall, even though you could've let them die." Kirin said. "Do what you must, I won't betray my master." Lenny answered truthfully. "You're quite the loyal person. Something I rarely encounter these days." "Are you going to kill me now?" Lenny asked. "No, I still have other use for you." Kirin answered. "You seemed to have already know what my answer would be, why bother asking?" Lenny said. "I just want to see for myself if what my men told me were true. You're not going to die anytime soon. And there won't be anymore 'interrogation' after this. Don't worry too much." Princess Kirin turned to leave. Her words seemed reassuring enough but Lenny had difficulty trusting anything they said, not after what they did to him. "Instead of focusing on vengeance, why not direct your attention on getting rid of the bandits? And put your kingdom back on the right track." Lenny suggested. "Can you actually say the same if you witness your brother getting beheaded while your father was sliced in half before your very own eyes? Your closest friends get pounded like ground meat, your sisters flung into the air like ragged-dolls. Can you? Can…You!" Princess Kirin lost control of her emotion once more. From her eyes, Lenny could tell that nothing he said would change her mind; her hatred for Emperor Shin and desire for vengeance were simply too strong. Lenny remained silent as Princess Kirin stared into his eyes. "I'm sorry for your loss," that was all Lenny managed to say. "You have no idea!" Princess Kirin turned and stomped out the door.

After Lenny licked the tray clean, he leant against the wall. He took a deep breath and savored the warm feeling inside his full tummy. His mind on the other hand started wondering what would happen in the days to come. Potential escape plans also started popping in his mind. However, before Lenny could ponder further, his tiredness got the better of him. His heavy lids shut and he fell asleep. Sam followed suit, she coiled like a snake and laid beside her master. In his dreams, Lenny met his pet wyvern in the same snowy mountain where he first found her. "Am I dead?" Lenny asked. "No, master. You're asleep. Most part of your consciousness at least." Sam explained. "You can go into my dreams too?" Lenny wiped off the snow on a fallen trunk before sitting on it. It was snowing and the air was thickened with fog. However, Lenny didn't feel cold at all; in fact, he felt nothing. The snow beneath his feet, the log he was sitting on and the air he breathed. They all felt different somehow. It was as if they were a new sensation perceived for the first time. "What you feel here is only perceived by part of your subconscious. That's why it feels different." Sam explained, as if reading Lenny's thoughts. "I see." Lenny nodded. "Why did you bring me here?" "To show you the intel I have gathered so far. This is the only place they can't monitor our conversation." Sam replied. "Make sense," Lenny nodded. The map of the facility which Lenny was held prison in was shown before his eyes. "This is where we currently are. There was a total of thirty guards situated around us. This is the area I've managed to scout so far before I was caught by Princess Kirin." "Hmm…" Lenny rubbed his chin as he examined the map closely. "So, this door lead to the outside?" Lenny pointed at the virtual map. "I'm certain." Sam answered confidently. "Alright, good job." Lenny patted the wyvern on the head. "But let's continue this tomorrow, I'm feeling really tired right now." Lenny yawned. "As you wish, master." The snowy scenery slowly faded into complete darkness as Lenny shut his eyes.

The next morning, nothing unusual happened. Princess Kirin did not come to visit Lenny and three meals per day were delivered through the steel door to him. Lenny took the opportunity to meditate and rehabilitate to rebuild his strength. He was left undisturbed for another two days. However, on his fifth day in the cell, something happened. It was during the wee hours when a loud boom shook the concrete cell and woke Lenny up. He immediately took a battle stance with his back to the wall. The steel door remained shut but the cries of an ongoing battle could be heard through the thick concrete wall. Lenny cautiously approached the steel door and took a peek through the large archaic keyhole. "Do you think Emperor Shin sent someone to rescue us?" Sam asked. "I doubt it. Since they knocked the guard out without bothering to even check the cell." Lenny answered. "Whoever they're fighting with, it's definitely not a rescue party to look for me." Lenny moved his face away from the keyhole and put his palms opposite of each other. "But they'll provide a good distraction for my escape." Streams of clear fluid began to sprout from his palms and coalesced into a rotating sphere of water. The sphere elongated and stretched into a thick string which Lenny tried to thread through the keyhole. However, the moment the liquid got near to the steel door, it was pushed back by an invisible force. "Dammit!" Lenny manipulated the water into a giant needle and tried to force his way through the keyhole but failed. Puddles of water gathered on the concrete floor as Lenny's giant needle shattered. Lenny checked the keyhole again to look for signs incoming threats but there were none. He took a step backwards, gathering the puddles of water around his right fist. Streams of water twisted and twirled around his fist. As the momentum built up, he took a large step forward and slammed his fist into the invisible force shielding the steel door. A faint magic circle shimmered weakly in rays of light blue as his fist knocked against the steel door. Lenny immediately retracted his right hand and twisted his hip to propel his left fist forward. The same magic circle was seen, its markings more clearly the second time. His left punch was followed by two left kicks in quick successions.

A soft cracking sound was heard and the invisible forcefield fell apart. "Yes!" Lenny celebrated. He wasted no time in continuing his escape plan. However, just as his strings of liquid passed through the keyhole, the shattered magic circle started repairing itself. "Seriously?" Lenny hastened his pace, trying to navigate his liquid lassos towards the key beside the unconscious guard. It was a very difficult task as he had no vision over the position of his lassos and the key. His movements were based on the few glances just now. As the forcefield began to tightened around Lenny's liquid lassos, Sam intervened with its breath of ice. Despite its size, the baby wyvern was able to produce icy breaths powerful enough to delay the recovery of the forcefield. After a few blind trials, Lenny finally caught hold of the right key for the door. As he guided the key into the keyhole, a light 'tuck' was heard. It caused the magic circle to be deactivated and the steel door was opened! Lenny took a quick peek outside before he escaped. The unconscious guard caught his attention while he was leaving. He knelt down beside the guard to examine his wound. It was made with something Lenny was very familiar with – a lightsaber. And the guard whom he thought was unconscious was actually dead. From his encounters with the warriors of the Barbosa Monarchy, he could tell that they are not really a fan of modern technology. So, whoever the infiltrators were, they were certainly not from Bashara. Before Lenny could ponder on the topic further, he heard battle cries and shouts echoing from down the passageway. Among the voices, Lenny recognized Princess Kirin's. She seemed to be in distress.

"Now's our chance, let's go, master!" Sam told Lenny telepathically. "Yeah," Lenny nodded. The two of them rushed towards the exit based on the map that Sam memorized. They didn't run into anyone, just corpses. However, upon reaching the final doorway that lead to the outside, Lenny stopped abruptly. "No-oo-ooo!" Princess Kirin's screams could be heard all the way from where Lenny was standing. "What's wrong, master?" Sam asked. "I'm so gonna regret this!" Lenny talked to himself. With a swift dorsiflexion of his ankle, he lifted the spear from the nearest corpse and caught it in mid-air. "What are you doing?" Sam stared at Lenny, its eyes wider than ever. "You know very well what I'm about to do." Lenny replied. "They tried to kill you, why are you still helping them? They tortured you like animals, those people don't deserve your help!" Sam argued. "You won't understand." Lenny turned around and headed towards the direction of Princess Kirin's scream. "I might not know in detail what happened in the past but you did what you had to do, master. There is no need for you to redeem yourself. You don't owe them anything!" Sam tried her best to persuade Lenny to turn back. "Get out of my mind! Just stay out of this!" Images of Sergeant Rashed's final moments flashed before his eyes again. Lenny had already made up his mind. "If that's your final decision, then to death I shall follow, master." Sam said. "You don't have to follow me, just get lost! You're free to go," Lenny said. "I refuse!" Sam answered. Lenny shot his baby wyvern an angry look. "Do whatever you like! Just don't die!" He sighed and dashed towards the direction of the scream. Princess Kirin's shrill grew sharper by the second.