The northern wind whirled, producing a powerful gust that took the form of a quiet whirlwind and shifted from one place to another.
Chiaki and Timothy's eyes briefly merged with one another as their hair waved in tandem. And Timothy saw Chiaki's white silhouette burning in the darkest void as if they were communicating through their minds.
They continued staring at one other till Chiaki abruptly shook her head, letting her tears bounce off her face, and yelled from the upper edge.
"Tim! Please, save me!"
Tone of her voice resonated around him as Timothy watched Elian reach for Chiaki's shoulder.
"Hold on, Chiaki! I'll get you out and share the rest of the world with you! Don't let go and wait for me to come and get you! I promise!" He yelled, noticing Chiaki getting pulled away from the balcony in silence.
As Chiaki got dragged away with her arms chained, Elian faced the foremost agents. "Stop them." Elian commanded, "With pleasure," They confirmed and watched Elian enter his office, dragging Chiaki toward the back corridor.
Timothy's face became grave, and he tensed his eyes. "Yumiko. Do it."
Yumiko stepped on the edge and held onto her swords strongly. She made a circle with her blade in front of her and summoned blue energy that erupted from it with a clanging sound, enchanted her skin, and echoed a metallic clatter.
"Astral Tempest."
She launched a blue cyclone into the air while twirling her swords, aiming it at the base of the headquarters. By creating a circular entrance, it drove and sliced through the wall and threw its chunks to the side.
"Ayuka, your turn!"
Ayuka stepped forward when Yumiko retreated a little. She reached out and touched the edge, sending a chilly mist around her hands. She then built an ice wall from the wall, extending it toward the hole Yumiko carved.
Timothy punched his palm, inhaled, and then exhaled, opening his eyes. "Let's go!"
The six leaped onto the ice that Ayuka had made. They used it as a bridge to cross and reach the headquarters.
As soon as they stepped into the headquarters, they realized it was enormous—almost like a jail. "Looks like there are several ways to go," Kyora spoke while looking at Timothy. "Let's separate. I'll take the middle corridor with Ralphie. You two, Ayuka and Yumiko, will take the east corridor, while Kyora and Kou will go through the west corridor."
They shared glances with each other but nodded and dashed through different corridors in pairs.
Elian kept a firm grasp on Chiaki's shoulder, making sure she wouldn't escape his lead.
And unlike before, this time, Chiaki fought back. She wasn't in a carefree demeanor before. She feared for her life and wanted to live. As if a brand new dream entered her mind; to go out to the sea with her friends.
"Leave me alone!" She requested, rapidly pulling away from Elian's grasp. "I'm afraid I cannot. You are to be hurled into the forbidden land and live the remaining years of your life in there."
Chiaki felt the top of her back getting pulled to the front as if Elian wanted to be behind her and have a better view of what she would do.
"Earlier, you said you know me... When I was little. I-If you know me, w-why are you doing this?" She asked, looking behind and exchanging eyes with Elian.
"You don't remember, do you? Your brother almost killed my father. I should've revealed your location after I found you behind the shelves."
"What?" Chiaki's voice softened, and her anxiety dropped. "You're that kid? You're the kid who that officer brought! I-I don't understand. You found me, but you didn't rat me out? Why?"
She seemed bewildered, walking through the corridor. "I suppose now you remember. Because I knew that you and your brother haven't done anything to oppose the world government until then..." He raised his chin, "If your brother hadn't nearly choked my father, then maybe right now you wouldn't need to worry about being here and seeing your friends risk their lives for the sake of one life."
He explained, "Keep moving," He shouted, "While I don't think your death is required, I see nothing but hate within your eyes. You're willing to go as far as to oppose the world government just because they took your brother away." He added.
"What? N-No, I don't want any of that. I never had any intention to oppose the world government either. I only wanted freedom and to escape the world government's targeting." She explained, but Elian interrupted. "Tell me something, Chiaki. How did you come across these people? How did you find them or meet them? They are a bunch of new pirate generation sailing over the Vast Expanse."
She looked at him more bewildered than before. "I... I don't. I don't remember." She said, glancing at the ground as if something was missing.
"You respect them and see them as friends... yet you don't know how you met them?" Elian appeared suspicious regarding Chiaki's response. "N-No... I think. I think I met them in the Spiritual Realm a year ago." She answered, lost and disappointed.
"Spiritual Realm? That is an entirely different location to the Vast Expanse." However, Chiaki's memories flooded back like the largest river in the universe. "I helped Tim regain consciousness due to a curse Genpaku gave him."
~ Chiaki floated inside a dimension, divided into two different sides. One side of whom Timothy's mind had been corrupted, and the other still had some of his senses and personas. But it was separated by a dimensional barrier that prevented Timothy's suitable soul from acting and reconnecting with his true self.
"This must be it... Timothy's spirit. All I need to do is break through the barrier and reach out to his soul. If I do it right, I'll be able to extract and begin erasing his virus by constructing a new link between his body and mind." ~
"I didn't know Tim well back then, and we weren't even friends. I only remember I managed to reconnect his body and mind by linking my soul with his own until he finally snapped out and conquered the curse with his spirit." She explained.
Elian listened, but that didn't change his mind. "I don't care how the two of you became friends or partners in crime. I still cannot release you. You'll have to accept your faith." He grabbed her firmly and began pulling her more forcefully and carelessly.
"S-Stop! I don't! I don't want to die anymore!" She pulled back with force, irritating Elian. "You're coming to the forbidden chain, and you can't avoid its death! I tried to be reasonable with you, but you became a stubborn brat who doesn't understand her faith! I'm going to execute you to avenge my father and the rest of the people you and your family killed!"
Chiaki's eyes shook in horror. "Y-Your dad... He's lifeless? B-But..." Elian paused in his tracks, shutting his eyes. "I-I didn't know. I'm... I'm sorry! I really am!"
However, Elian pulled her with him more roughly. "W-Wait! Talk to me! What happened to your dad? Who killed him? I-I want to know!"
However, he didn't answer and only began walking faster. "Elian! Answer me! Please!"