How's That?

I dove out of the way from Novi's gaze at the right time as a hole was shot into the mountain at breakneck speeds. I felt my clothing graze whatever was launched at me, and was lucky enough to keep my life. I remained motionless, even holding my breath after the strike.

"What the hell was that?!" Ultima shouted out to Novi.

"Must've been my imagination..." She muttered. I remained silent, continuing to listen to the conversation.

"Cecelia is not alive. Sky Asterio killed her, that's the whole reason I want him dead," Ultima declared. However, Mizu scoffed and I could almost hear her sarcasm in her voice.

"Yeah, because Sky would kill one of his friends. I lived with him for nine months, and I wasn't even his ally. Guess what? I was fed, sheltered, and clothed just like everybody else. Something bothered me when you lied to us about what he did. It's a personal vendetta that brought you to The Americas. Unbefitting of the leader of Antarctica," Mizu shouted. I couldn't help but smile, knowing how right she was.

However, I was lost in even more confusion as my mind began to connect things. Ultima heard that Sky killed Red, which is why she wanted him dead, but when Mizu placed a name and a similar situation together, I began to remember what Sky told me Red's last words were...

See-See-Li-A...

Cece...lia?

Cecelia?!

I had always thought Red was advocating for Lia's innocence, but as I finally connected the names, I grew confused, and my feelings slowly turned into terror.

Red was... alive...?

"What are you saying to me? Cecelia is alive? That's impossible, I heard that Sky pushed her into the ocean and she was eaten alive,"

"By who?"

"Zeal,"

I clicked my tongue. That shithead was still causing trouble.

"Cecelia wasn't pushed into the ocean. She was forced in by one of Zeal's subordinates. And, she wasn't eaten alive either. She was taken from The Pinnacle to Earth by a submarine surveying The Pinnacle after seeing she had red hair," Mizu explained. I thought about everything she said and gave it merit before fully believing her.

I simply couldn't believe it. After all this time, it turned out Red had been alive and was never dead. Ever since the very beginning, she was captured and taken elsewhere... she had grown completely independent of us... I wonder if she even remembers us.

"What good will that information do? She's alive, but you don't know where she is, do you?" Ultima asked her.

Novi held up her hand as I peeked through the bushes around a hundred feet to their left-hand side, watching as they talked more about Red's location.

"I do know where she's at. An Eternia with the Eternia Palm is roaming around in Chilambo right now. I can feel it," Novi declared. Ultima turned back toward Mizu, and she began her negotiations.

"Mom, if we station ourselves elsewhere and we bring Red to Sky's attention, you'll get the White Stone you're looking for. You can be reunited with Cecelia, and we can bring back Eirikr and secure our place in his Kingdom," Mizu said.

I was starting to lose her as she shared her independent plans that didn't work well with mine. It was a matter of time before I realized that Red would be cornered and Sky would be forced into a situation nobody was prepared for. With all of their plans being exposed to me, all I had to do was get back to Charlie and Charlotte and explain the situation. They could sail back to Alicas and mobilize forces to get Red and secure her from Mizu and Ultima.

It was more than being reunited with Red. It was postponing Eirikr's arrival to Earth, which he wanted to do now that Sky had grown so strong. There were a million things to do... but the number one thing that loomed on my mind was Arthur and the White Stone he stole from Faith. It broke her limiters, but that was only a side effect. Why did he take it? And, if he took it for the same reason Ultima stated, why doesn't she know?

There were far too many things to merely leave up to fate. I narrowed my motivation and stood up in the jungle, sliding down the cliff. I was well aware my White Stone was in view.

"There you are. You're the girl I saw just a few moments ago," Novi muttered. I ignored her, walking within close range of Ultima and Mizu.

"What she said was true. Red... Cecelia was never pushed in by Sky. She was forced in when one of the other White Stones missed him. After that, Sky tried to save her, jumping into the water to rescue her. Before he had Strands, he was missing two fingers on his left hand, his left eye, and then his entire right arm as he failed to save Cecelia. He tried to bring her back to the surface, and I'm sure in that moment he would've traded his life as well," I explained to Ultima. She wasn't convinced, gazing at me with irritation.

"If nothing I say can convince you... so be it," I told her.

I used my ability to heighten the force of gravity on Novi and Ultima specifically, holding my hand up to the sky to announce the power.

"I can change the fabric of the world too. Not to the same extent as Sky or Faith now, but this is what I'm capable of. If you think Sky was at fault, why not group me in with him? Look what I can do. I just had to lift her out of the water with the will of my hand, yet I didn't. Didn't I kill her at that capacity then?" I asked Ultima. She was unsteady but wasn't reacting to my provocation. 

"Sorry, who are you?" Ultima asked me.

"Dani Asterio," I answered with no delay.