Forest and Ocean

Misty forests, gray skies, and quiet birds.

It has been said that complete silence is a bad omen. Those who had spent a lot of time confined to crowds, however, discovered that solitude was tranquil.

What would happen if the world remained in a never-ending furor? It was not something Marius Pagan desired to tell. All he wanted was for his plan to capture Harris and Brissia to succeed.

However, of the reports he had received via long-distance communication, none had fallen into his grasp.

"Arrggh!"

His large table tipped over, scattering writing implements, ceramic vases, and books with a sound as loud as the agents' heartbeats in the middle of the forest.

"Hurry up! Shion will restrain them!"

The forest was quiet until a group of young adults in heavy jackets ran in the same direction.

Brissia glanced back for a moment before Harris straightened her head back and clasped her hands.

"Brissie, promise me you won't let go my hand."

"I… can't," she answered hesitantly.

In the midst of the agents hurrying toward Fayrl's designated direction, Harris came to a halt and stared at Brissia.

"Do you wish to give up? Why did you act in such a way when we are here to support you all the way through?"

"Because there are others on the other side that I must strive to until the very end, Harris."

"Miss Savior? She'll be fine!"

Several agents, including Fayrl, Debora, and Hansen turned to look at them at Harris's high pitch.

"Lots of people are pursuing you, hoping you to succumb," Harris paused with a disappointed look, "and if you think she's going to come and save us all—"

"What I mean is my friends who are trapped in this world, Harris!"

Hansen separated the two, prompting Debora to pull Brissia away from them.

"Please resolve that private matter at a appropriate time, you two. If Brissia truly wishes to confront them, then let her be, Harris."

Debora, Brissia, and Fayrl turned to face Hansen, who was glumly staring at them.

"Brissia's power surpasses ours, as we are all aware," he continued.

Harris glared at Hansen, about to grab his shoulder when a gun went off not far behind them.

"Everyone, disperse!" Hansen shouted, sending the agents running in various directions in array formations.

Hansen thrust his right palm forward, creating a neon blue shield, which blocked the bullets of the dark blue cloaked and golden crow emblematic troops.

"Tch, we've been underestimated ever since your arrival!" Hansen shouted, pushing out both of his palms, sending the golden crow emblem agents flying away.

Hansen ran after the others as the last to run. However, a brunette-haired girl suddenly appeared in front of him and pointed a rifle.

"You… why?" he asked, glancing at the neon blue crow emblem on her chest.

"Sorry, pal. They made me do this to protect my parents."

Bang!

He was stunned to see her collapse in front of him as Harris shot her. The embers in his hazel eyes didn't encourage him to put it out, especially since he pulled him to run after the others. However, when he turned for a moment to the agent lying helpless in the snow, his eyes widened as he caught sight of Brissia.

"Harris!"

When Harris turned his head, Brissia was already knelt after the brunette agent, raising her hands toward the agents with golden crow emblems who were pointing their guns at her.

"Brissie, move!"

"Get her," Marius Pagan ordered, sitting in front of a giant monitor. "And leave everything behind except for her consciousness."

The motionless agent looked up feebly at Brissia, wriggling her fingers. Brissia glanced at her for a moment before closing her eyes tightly. She then unleashed a blinding neon-blue light that instantly knocked them all out.

Harris looked at her with round eyes, as did Hansen and several agents in front of them.

"Don't touch her!" Harris exclaimed in fury, rushing to Brissia as the brunette agent shoved her away.

"Just leave me alone!" the agent snapped at Brissia with bulging eyes.

Brissia stared for a moment at her then lowered herself and turned her palm toward her. The agent froze at the bluish light Brissia aimed at her forehead.

"If you stay here, you will either be killed or arrested. But if you come with me, you know exactly what I will guarantee," said Brissia, stopping Harris in his tracks.

"Hey, come on, we don't have much time left!" Debora called out, reversing her steps to get Hansen, Harris, and Brissia to run their separate ways.

Meanwhile, the brunette agent looked back to see the other agents starting to arrive.

"So, what do you say, Roommate?" Brissia said, holding out her palm to her.

"Brissie!" Harris shouted, grabbing Brissia's hand and dragging her away, causing her to look at him in shock.

However, someone suddenly grabbed her jacket, making Brissia and Harris turn their heads. The brunette agent followed them with a small nod at Brissia, causing her to nod back.

Using her martial arts prowess, she focused her strength on the two agents who were in close proximity to them. Since Brissia and the other five are the only ones who couldn't escape in time, Debora decided to assist her.

"Get down! Have you lost your reflexes?"

The brunette agent looked down, but then whimpered in pain as she clutched her chest. Brissia, who was about to pick up her handgun, put it back and gave the agent a serious look.

"She's unwell, Debora."

"Aight, I'll handle them. Just run ahead!"

Debora fired shots at the agents while Brissia held the brunette agent behind a rock. Harris assisted her in sitting down, but he was unable to stop worrying, especially since Brissia showed no hesitation in treating the brunette agent.

"Please… save my parents and our friends."

"Hang in there! You just need a little…"

Brissia stopped herself from wrapping the torn piece of her shirt around her stomach upon noticing the brunette agent's hand hanging limply. She lowered her face, making Harris come closer.

"Brissie, that's enough."

With an unsettled smile, she turned to face Harris. It intrigued him until he noticed black powder mixed with crimson liquid on Brissia's palm.

"I'm sorry, Harris," she said in a muffled voice.

On the other hand, Debora threw her handgun along with her power toward the agents wearing the golden crow emblem.

"When will you stop, you maniacs?!" Debora shouted at them before running over to where Harris and Brissia were hiding. She gasped when she found the brunette agent has closed her eyes, making Brissia turn quickly and pull her to keep running with Harris and the others.

Marius Pagan removed the communication device from his ear and stared at the monitor in silence. Then he turned around and walked over his broken belongings on the floor.

"Davina."

The figure of a woman with straight brown hair and dressed in a formal suit approached Marius Pagan from the door of his room. She stood still when Marius Pagan whispered her something.

"Should you not catch them by tomorrow, be ready to lose the memory of your family."

After Marius Pagan walked out of the room, Davina clenched her jaw. She also chuckled before walking over to Marius Pagan's desk and placing the small communication device to her ear.

"Team A, this is the deputy head of headquarters speaking. Go back to headquarters and ask everyone to stop chasing them," she said with an annoyed look.

"It would be pointless to go after some of SURVIVE's top agents," she added.

***

Debora joined Harris, Fayrl and Brissia who were sitting in a circle and reading a piece of paper. The other agents had returned with them, looking exhausted as they rested not too far from one another. It caused Hansen to turn his head toward the setting sun.

"How can we possibly read the contents if the letters cannot be seen?"

Brissia used the remaining black powder that had stuck to her clothes and rubbed it onto the paper. They were all amazed when a paragraph in black ink filled the blank paper.

"Cool. Is that technology?"

"No, it's a curse."

An agent who made this comment gave Brissia an awkward look, who stared back at him indifferently. "You will understand if you got the powder on you," Brissia said.

"Ignore them, Brissia. Can you read that loudly?" said Debora, making Brissia look back at the letter. However, something made her brows furrow.

Hansen, who noticed that, glanced at Brissia suspiciously. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

Brissia shook her head slowly, looking at Harris, who was looking at her with furrowed brows as well.

"I… don't understand the language."

Fayrl raised one eyebrow at Brissia's words, Debora nearly dropped her jaw, while Hansen put a palm on his face.

In between shock and bewilderment, Harris took the letter and said, "W-why didn't you said it earlier, Brissie?"

Brissia paused, feeling her vision blur for a moment. She stood up, took off her jacket, causing Harris, who was reading the contents, to stop and look at her unblinkingly.

"Hey, focus."

Hansen rolled his eyes as Harris glanced at him with a deadpan look before turning back to reading the letter.

"…'And thus, Miss Savior is our short cut to eliminating Archtier's most formidable power wielder and her devoted acolyte, Brissia Niverte'."

Brissia looked up from where she was cleaning her jacket to see Fayrl walking by.

"I'll head back to the headquarters."

All the agents stared at Fayrl unblinkingly.

"What?!" Debora got up and spoke furiously. "We've come this far, but are you seriously gonna leave?"

Fayrl glanced at Debora who stepped closer to her. "Tell me, was it since you had a talk with the chief?"

All the agents's eyes widened at that, leaving Harris and Hansen in suspense.

"It has nothing to do with it," Fayrl replied calmly, "I only intended to return so as not to endanger those of you here."

"How can we rest easy knowing you won't disclose our position?"

Fayrl's gaze turned to an agent other than Brissia, Harris, and Hansen. She straightened her gaze again when Debora chuckle unhappily.

"See? It's not just me who had prejudices."

Brissia walked over to them when she saw a bluish light covering Debora's eyes. Just as she stretched out her hand to Fayrl, she held it firmly.

"Debora, it'll be okay."

The girl with dark ruby hair gave Brissia's grip a quick glimpse before showing her a hint of skepticism.

"Trust me."

She brushed aside Brissia's hand from her wrist and turned to give Fayrl a cynical look before turning away. By the end of it, Fayrl left and diverted all agents' attention away from her.

"Brissia, can we have a minute?"

Harris turned when Hansen approached Brissia. When they walked away from the crowd, his instincts moved him to follow them quietly.