We've returned to the real world. The lid of the Full Dive machine slides open by itself and I was able to see the ceiling of the lab. My body felt quite heavy. I think it's because of how much our brain were used throughout the conquest of Virtue. Everyone else was still in their machine. I was the only one who got up first. I assume it is because I wasn't in there for too long.
I got out of the machine and took a look at one of the other machines. I found White's old classmate. It looks like's Izzy was already awake. But she was still dazed. I leave her be to take a look at the other. Everyone else seems to be in the same condition as Izzy. After that I found Sam, who hasn't opened her eyes yet. I have my fears but I was able to tell that her hearts was still beating as I tried to listen from her chest.
"White...!" I almost forgotten about him.
I continued to search through all the machines to find White. It was until one machine where it finally hit me. It was already empty. It looks like someone already gotten out of it. Could it have been White? I look at the machine next to it and notice that the other Pantheons was still dazed. Even the machine where Error was supposed to be in it was empty already.
"Hold on, why is it too quite...?" I also noticed another thing.
I decided to see the console room next to this and saw both Lala and the detective, Sonozaki Wakana lying down on the floor.
I ran toward them and took a look at them, "What happened here?" I began looking around.
I saw a small canister. I observed it and said to myself, "Knockout gas...What the..."
Before I was able to continue make my guess, my phone started ringing. It was Mei Xue.
"Mei? What's wrong?"
"We found White. He's outside of the lab."
I let out a sigh of relief. "Oh thank The Great Will..."
But Mei continued, "But he's not alone, Zen. He is with someone we never see before."
"Where are you guys?" I asked.
She answered, "We're not too far from the entrance. We're just waiting."
"Then wait for me and surround them." I told her.
I finally put down my phone as I immediately picks up the pace and headed straight toward the exit of the building. I kicked the entrance door open and then I saw two guys in carrying White by his shoulder.
"Stop!" I demanded.
The two person stops and looked at me.
One of them talked to me, "Didn't think you would be waking up that fast."
"Hold it!" Mei's voice can be heard from afar.
Mei as well as the rest of Team Stardust had arrived. Blax, Rulend, Hosuke, Kaym, Lore, Rider, Zone, Haze, Airi and Yin were all there.
The other unknown person then said, "This is quite unexpected."
"There's no escaping from this." I told them, "Where are you taking him?"
Then suddenly I heard an ominous third voice. It wasn't from either of them. It could only be from...
"This has been a surprise for sure. But a welcoming one."
The two unknown person finally lets go of White(?) and lets him stand on his own. White(?) turned around and I was able to confirm that it was indeed White. But, his voice's was not his.
"That's not White's voice." I said to myself.
"Of course it isn't, child! He willingly gave it to me." He told me.
"What? But..." Then I realized, "No way...Dragon of Space-Time...?"
Blax then yelled at me, "Stay away from them, we don't know how powerful they might be."
Then out of the blue, Hosuke charged in together with his katana. But he was immediately stopped as White(?) brought out his knife and puts it to his own throat.
"You know what happens if I do this, right?"
Hosuke was only able to swear, "Shit." He slid back his katana back to its scabbard as he continues to observe intently.
"What were you thinking, Hosuke?" Yin yelled at him.
"I acted on impulse. Sorry." He looks down in disappointment.
White(?) then said something, "7000 years of waiting...I'm finally able to breath the fresh air of Terra."
"Then welcome back, Dragon King." the two unknown person bowed at him.
He continued, "Wonderful. To think that thousands of years later, the world would be so much different than it was back then. Dragons used to rule Terra. But now, I have to resort myself to getting used to this era. The era of human."
"So you are The Space-Time Dragon." Mei was sure of herself.
"Indeed I am. All of my powers, have been safely kept inside a small Infinitum Crystal I made before my original body was absorbed by Terra." He continues to explain, "And with all of the seeds I have planted before my demise, The Cult of Dragons have kept the crystal safe until centuries later when the cult was long gone. An organization found me."
"The Order of Stardust..." I told him.
He replied, "Precisely, child. Looks like Cyclone White have taught you well about his ancestors exploits."
"He did...he told me that The Order of Stardust was wiped out by his own ancestor, the first of the Cyclone Family, Cyclone himself along with his allies., of course."
"Accurate." He complimented me, "But the crystal was never recovered. Soon, The Order revived as a new wave of generation set it up thanks to The Grandmaster's influence."
"Is this the leader of the new Order?" Mei asked.
He shakes his head and told us, "No. The Grandmaster only helped the revival. The Order is its own entity indirectly having connection with The Grandmaster."
From what I can guess, I think he was implying that this Grandmaster was from the other group that Liquid had told me, The Lemniscate Society.
White(?) continued, "With that being said, through the new Order, they set the plan to finally send the crystal to Cyclone White. The boy with his Infinitum Energy still locked. It was only a matter of time before he finally accepts all of my power. And that's the story. Zenith Feathers."
"Unbelievable." I shake my head in disbelief.
"Time to go..." White(?) announced.
Blax then prevented them, "No! Give back our friend!"
White(?) then thinks for a second and considered, "I have an idea. How about a proposal."
"What?" Blax wondered.
White(?) proposed, "I won't be able to give you White now. But I can let you guys follow me. Making sure that I'm not doing anything stupid on your friend's body. Doesn't that sound, assuring?"
Mei then talked to Blax, "Maybe we should do that for now."
"Very well." He nodded.
But then White(?) halted them, "Only Team Stardust. You do not belong in the team, correct? Too many people will just make this more complicated."
Mei then reluctantly replied, "Yes."
Blax took a moment to breath and said, "We'll take care of White. Don't worry, Mei." He then looked at me, "You too, Zenith. Don't you worry. If anything, you guys will find a way to save him. Just trust in yourself and we will make this through..."
Then suddenly a portal-like rift was opened using White's dagger. White(?) commanded all of Team Stardust and the two unknown people to get in. Leaving behind both Mei and I.
"Wait!" I tried to stop him, "White! Don't I have any say in this as well?"
"You don't have any say in this." He replied. "You are just a mere anomaly. You mean nothing in the grand scheme of things."
"Nothing..." I dropped down to my knees.
Mei quickly went toward me, "Zenith...!"
"And one more thing..." The Space-Time Dragon's last word before he left us, "Don't call me by that child's name. I am Nova, The Space-Time Dragon."
"No way..." Immediately, thing started to not make sense. I don't understand what was going on.
"Nova is...White...?" Mei was also surprised. "But that can't be...how?
"Here's a hint. I am The Space-Time Dragon. I know about the past. And even the future. I've already know everything! This isn't the first time that I've had experienced this talk." He then looked at me and was surprised for a moment, "Interesting..."
What does that mean? But then, he went into his portal-like rift and closed it. Leaving us all broken in shambles. Before I realized it, my mind went blank as I suddenly loses my consciousness.
My only last words before everything fade to black was, "What...the...fuck..."
THE END OF BOOK 4
TO BE CONTINUED