Tes…
Tes….
tes….
There was the sound of water dripping slowly. Iris groaned a little.
Tes…
tes…
Iris slowly opened her eyes. Her vision was still blurry. She tried to strain her eyesight.
"You're awake.", The savior approached Iris.
Iris looked a little scared seeing him. She looked around her, "Where are we?"
"We are right under the opera house. But we are still not safe from the rebels. There's a chance they'll catch up here."
"Th-thank you for saving me…but that means the friend who came with me is still trapped…"
"We can't get out of here. The opera house has been enchanted with a magic wall."
"I see…Now what should we do, Sir? And who are you?", Iris asked nervously and confusedly while glancing at her savior.
"For now, all we can do is stay low and avoid the rebels.", answered her savior while helping Iris to her feet.
Iris realized her savior was quite tall. She was only up to his chest.
"Hmm…he's the same height as Leon. Leon… I hope he's okay...", Iris muttered in her heart.
Realizing that Iris was watching him, her savior immediately turned around, "We should find a place to hide."
"Sir…. you haven't told me your name yet? My name is Elizabeth Barrington.", Iris asked further.
The savior looked at Iris from behind his helmet, "You…you can call me anything. My name doesn't matter."
"Apparently you don't want to tell your name…. alright…then…", Iris answered quietly while watching her savior from top to bottom.
The man was wearing all black clothes. Even the helmet is black. His hands wore thick gloves.
"Sir can I call you…Jet? Sir Jet?", Iris asked hesitantly.
To Iris' surprise, the savior immediately agreed, "I don't mind. Jet is fine."
Jet then walks away. Iris followed behind him.
The sewers were dark with minimal lighting. For a few times, Iris stumbled. In the end, she almost fell.
But before she fell, Jet caught her swiftly.
"Be careful. Let me guide you." Jet said while offering his hand.
Iris was silent for a moment and looked on hesitantly. But finally, she gave her hand for Jet to hold her.
Jet effortlessly walked around in the dim light while occasionally guiding the struggling Iris.
"Jet…do you recognize this area? It seems you easily walk in the dark…"
"No. It was only just now that I entered this area…I'm just used to it…I mean my eyes are used to seeing in the dark."
"Oh, I see…", Iris replied in a low voice.
They made their way out of the sewers and arrived at the moat that surrounded the opera house.
Suddenly there was a scream above them.
"There are people here!"
Jet quickly pulled Isabel running away from there. They ran all the way to the end of the ditch.
"Dead end. We have to go up to the top to escape those who are chasing us."
"H-how are we going to go up?", Iris asked in a frightened tone.
"I'll carry you.", replied Jet, pointing up.
In horror Iris looked up.
The place they will climb will take them above the opera house. However, it was very high and looked impossible to climb.
Noticing Iris' fear, Jet squeezed Iris' hand gently.
"Don't worry. There will be no problem. For me this is an easy thing. If you're scared, just close your eyes."
Iris nodded slowly, doubt still showing on her pale face.
"Hold on and don't let go.", Jet hugged Iris. Iris stared at Jet's face which was very close. From under his helmet, she caught a glimpse of Jet's eyes. Eyes that looked sincere and determined to protect her.
From a distance, a voice began to be heard. It seems that the rebels are starting to overtake them.
"They have finally arrived. We must leave immediately. Get ready!", Jet directed one of his hands which turned into a big claw.
Iris looked on in horror at the change that had taken place. But she decided to believe this person.
With incredible strength, Jet jumps while using his claws to help him up.
Iris hugs Jet while closing her eyes. She was terrified but trying to fight her fear. Iris hugs tighter each time they managed to climb up to a higher place.
Sensing a frightened Iris, Jet whispered softly to calm her down.
" You did well. Soon we will arrive. Hang on. This is the last one."
Iris nodded while keeping her eyes closed. She buried her face in Jet's shoulder. Can't imagine how high they are now.
With all his might Jet jumps one last time and they arrive at the exit end of the wall they climbed.
Jet lowered Iris who still closed her eyes from his embrace. He could see Iris' body was still trembling and her hair was messy.
"Open your eyes. We have arrived. Look. The view here is beautiful." Jet replied while helping Iris to stand up. His hand had returned to its original form.
Iris slowly opened her eyes. For a moment she was still unsteady and her eyes are not used to it.
Laid out before him the night view of the city of Lindheim is very beautiful. From a distance, the lights on the other buildings were lit.
They turned out to be on the roof of the Grand Center Opera House. Even though from a distance you can see the lights from other buildings, the brightest light comes from the magnificent Grand Center opera house.
On the roof of the Grand Center Opera House, there are also magnificent statues illuminated by lights at all four ends.
"So beautiful ...", whispered Iris enthralled. The fear caused by the incident earlier seemed to be fading from Iris' face.
Her paled face began back to normal again.
"Thank God, you're not as pale as before. I thought you were going to pass out.", Jet walked closer to Iris' side.
The wind was blowing quite hard and it was cold.
"Put this on," Jet took off his coat and put it on Iris.
Iris stares at Jet in surprise and wonders why Jet cares so much for her.
After putting it on, Iris tried to tidy up her messy hair. When her hand touched her hair, she realized that the hairpin Leon had given her was not there.
"What's the matter?", Jet noticed Iris' changed expression.
"My hairpin came off and I don't know where it went...", Iris answered in panic while looking around her
"Is it really worth it? It might have slipped off when we were climbing earlier."
"The hairpin is…like a family heirloom…"
Iris walked towards near the place where they had climbed earlier.
Her eyes stopped when she saw the hairpin that Leon had given her lying there.
"I found it. Thank God it's not lost," Iris answered while waving the hairpin.
Unbeknownst to Iris, someone from above the dome was aiming his gun at her.
Jet who noticed it immediately ran with incredible speed to protect Iris, "WATCH OUT!"
"BANG!", the first gunshots rang out.
Ahead of her, Iris saw Jet hugging her to protect her from the gunshots.
The shot didn't hit Iris but the side of Jet's head who was wearing a helmet. There was the sound of a bullet falling
The second shot was fired at the same point.
Again, came the sound of falling bullets.
Quickly the third shot was fired at the same spot.
"PRANKS!"
There was the sound of a helmet breaking. This time the third bullet managed to penetrate the helmet.
The fragments of the helmet were scattered along with the flowing blood.
Jet's helmet was destroyed so that his face which had been covered little by little began to be seen.
Iris covered her mouth in shock. The hairpin she was holding slipped from her hand.
Black hair, green eyes and a familiar face.
Iris recognized him.
He is Joshua.
Joshua appears to be standing swayed by the shot that hit him. But miraculously Joshua remained standing straight. Even he quickly took the small knife at his feet and threw it at the shooter.
There was a scream of surprise. The knife seemed to hit the shooter's shoulder.
The shooter did not expect that he would be counterattacked by Joshua. In pain, he fled from where he was.
With his face partly covered in blood from the gunshot wound, Joshua approached Iris who was still shaking.
"We have to get out of here immediately!"
Joshua hurriedly took Iris to get her out of there.
But suddenly rebel troops started arriving and surrounded them.
Joshua quickly beat some of them but it was not enough because then some of the rebels came back.
Joshua was about to strike back when suddenly a pentagram appeared below him and glowed to form a barrier.
"Sealing Magic?!", Joshua looked surprised.
Joshua pounded both of his hands violently against the barrier but there was nothing he could do. He was locked in it.
Iris who was outside the barrier ran trying to get to Joshua. But a pentagram shines and surrounds her too.
They were both locked up.
"Well, well I didn't expect there to be anything interesting here.", someone said while pointing at Joshua.
A masked woman wearing a red dress appeared.
"Get off us! We have no business with the rebels!", shouted Joshua
"No business? Apparently, you don't recognize me so I need to introduce myself again huh."
The woman smiled and took off her mask.
"N-No way…", Joshua stared with wide eyes.
"You're still alive...?", Iris looked in disbelief while covering her mouth.
"Yes. I am still alive, Holy Maiden of St. Varos or rather the lost daugther of the duke.", Morrigan answered while snapping her fingers.
There was a glimpse of black lightning attacking Iris.
Iris screamed in pain.
"Stop! Don't hurt her!", Joshua shouted angrily.
"Interesting. Because according to what I heard there are only two people who are still alive. I didn't think there would be anyone else still alive.", Morrigan glanced at Joshua while snapping his fingers.
The black lightning flashed to Joshua as well.
"Stop...Stop it!", Joshua tried to fight the pain from the constant attacks from Morrigan's magic.
He looked at Iris who started to slowly fall to her knees. He could see Iris trying to hold on too. Several bruises appeared on Iris' body.
With anger, Joshua slammed into the pentagram wall that locked him up. At first there was no effect but Joshua punched again and again filled with rage. Until both of his hands turned into big claws. Joshua's eyes began to turn black and his hands were filled with an aura of darkness. His back suddenly glowed. A familiar tattoo appeared on Joshua's body.
Morrigan stared in shock at the change that had occurred to Joshua. She could feel her magic about to break. But other than that, she felt something else for Joshua. She prepared to cast a spell to strengthen her pentagram.
But too late.
"CRAK!"
Joshua broke free from his cage. Immediately he headed for the pentagram that enclosed Iris and crushed it.
Joshua immediately picked up Iris and jumped down onto the floor terrace below and ran away.
Before he disappeared, Morrigan had a glimpse of Joshua's back.
"Lady Morrigan, me and some of our members will immediately go down to look for them!" Said one of the rebels who had just arrived.
His arm holds a musket. His shoulders were wrapped in bandages. It seems he was the one who shot Joshua earlier and broke Joshua's helmet.
"No need, Angus. Our main goal here is not finished. Just let them. They are still within the magic wall I created. Right now, our priority is to find the Sisilyra royal delegation disguised as ordinary nobles and kill it." Morrigan replied as she walked away.
"Ready, Lady Morrigan." Angus answered as he followed her.
"There's no mistake that it's Seraphine Aile. But that's not the only thing bothering me…In the past three years ago, it's the first time I've felt his presence again…. Even though it feels weak... But why do I feel it in that person???", muttered Morrigan in her heart.
She rushed down from the roof of the opera house.
===
Joshua ran at an incredible speed. His breath hitched. Right now, all he could think about was trying to escape from Morrigan and find a safe place for Iris.
"…Joshua…"
"What?!", Joshua answered in a high tone.
However, he quickly regretted it. He could see Iris' face that looked shocked by his attitude.
Iris could feel Joshua's anxiety. Iris looked at him gently while holding Joshua's cheek. Trying to calm him down.
"I don't think they're after us anymore…"
Joshua slowed down. The two claws turned back into normal hands.
"I... didn't think you were still alive, Joshua...", Iris said with tears in her eyes.
Slowly Joshua's black eyes began to return to normal. His breathing also began to return to normal. His emotions started to calm down.
They were in a room that appeared to be a storage room for used goods that had been used for performances.
"I'm sorry. I snapped at you.", Joshua answered while sitting Iris.
Iris smiled as she nodded.
"Are you okay?", Joshua asked while looking at Iris' hand which looked bruised from Morrigan's attack.
"It doesn't hurt anymore. Just a little sore.", winced Iris.
"How about you? Is your head, okay?", Iris grabbed Joshua's bleeding head.
But Joshua stepped back. Avoiding Iris who wanted to see his wound.
"I am fine. This wound is only temporary."
"But you are bleeding so much. It can't be okay, Joshua.", Iris forced to look at Joshua's wound.
Iris gasped when she saw the part of Joshua's wound which looked like a deep concavity in the shape of a bullet. With a wound like that, Joshua should be unable to move or in other words, die.
Joshua automatically pushed away Iris' hand that was holding his head while trying to cover his wound with his hair.
"Stop it. Please it is enough. I'm okay... Because I... I can't die.", Joshua smiled wryly.
"What… do you mean??", Iris asked in shock.
Joshua turned his back. The clothes he was wearing looked charred. On his back was Seraphine Aile.
However, it looks different. The Seraphine Aile on Joshua's body was black instead of the gold it used to be on Iris' body.
"Seraphine aile…become yours?? Joshua…what exactly happened? During these three years… where have you been? Why don't you meet me and Isabel?", Iris looked at Joshua with a worried look.
Joshua just stunned silent hearing Iris's question.
Not a single word came out.
His mind wanders remembering the events in the past.