As Tia read through the options over and over, she felt like the choice was difficult, but at the same time, she already knew the power she needed to take at any cost.
'Energy absorption is a must-have ability.' Even though she almost gagged at its fat price tag, she had already decided to take it.
'I can probably use one of the vouchers for it, as it is so expensive.'
Suddenly, the boy's scream pierced the air, snapping Tia out of her thoughts. "Behind you!" His voice was shrill with panic, his sword pointing shakily in her direction, his eyes wide and filled with unmistakable terror.
Tia's heart hammered against her ribs as she sprang to her feet, cursing her own momentary lapse in vigilance. 'I must create distance, now!' With a surge of telekinetic energy, she propelled herself forward, her form slicing through the air and leaving a swirling vortex of snow in her wake.
The world around her morphed into a dizzying blur as she flew at breakneck speed. But then, a chilling realization struck her—the landscape remained eerily static. It was as if she was trapped in a nightmarish loop, her movements futile against an invisible, unyielding force.
Did the demon return?' The thought was a cold spike of fear. She envisioned the demon's cruel game, taunting her with a glimmer of hope only to cruelly snatch it away, relishing in her despair.
In desperation, Tia unleashed another explosive burst of kinetic force. The ground beneath her cracked and heaved, sending shards of earth and snow hurtling through the air. But then, in a surreal, horrifying spectacle, the chaos around her glitched, teleporting backward, like in a scene from a twisted, broken film.
'The same thing must be happening to me!' Her mind raced and her body moved, yet each effort was like running against an unstoppable tide, dragging her inexorably back to the same cursed spot, no matter how fast she moved.
"Did you find your excursion to be to your liking? Yes? Splendid. Now, it is time for it to cease." The voice that caressed Tia's ears was melodious, each word articulated and well-refined.
'It's her...' The recognition of the voice caused the kinetic turmoil swirling around Tia to dissipate as if it had never been. Mixed emotions flooded her—relief at the sound of that familiar, cultured tone—yet a twinge of anxiety crept in, prompted by the red eye's return to her posh, official style of speaking from the time they met.
'Is she angry?' Tia pondered, her heart fluttering with uncertainty. She spared no thought for how the red-eyed had even found her in another world, already knowing she was a powerful esper with spatiokinesis.
Turning slowly, Tia faced the source of the voice. Her eyes met those deep, ruby-like orbs. The figure stood with an air of regal composure, her expression inscrutable, a flawless mask that revealed neither ire nor joy.
In the presence of those deep, ruby eyes, a sudden, piercing realization struck Tia, sending a shiver down her spine. Her gaze, locked with the other's, wavered slightly.
'I never told her. I vanished... without a word.' Regret gnawed at her insides. All her meticulous planning for the debt collector's arrival, yet she had overlooked the most crucial element—talking with Red.
"Let's clear this nasty weather." With effortless grace, Red waved her hand, and the sky above them cleared, revealing a vast expanse of calm, a serene circle amidst the tumultuous white.
Confusion swirled within Tia as she scrutinized Red's expression, searching for a hint of anger but finding none.
'Is she... could she actually be worried about me?'
Meanwhile, the red-eyed woman, embodying a blend of elegance and authority, took a measured step closer. "Pray, enlighten me, pretty eyes. Did you try to run away from me? I told you that I would give you the freedom to wander off, but you should have told me beforehand."
Tia didn't answer; her mind was formulating the optimal answer.
Just then, the boy's quivering voice sliced through the silence, his words laced with fear and confusion: "W-who ar?!"
"Silence, peasant!" The command from Red was swift and unyielding. She did not even turn to address the boy, her focus remaining fixed on Tia. Yet, the sudden outburst of energy that emanated from her was palpable—an invisible force that struck with precision. The boy's pained yelp, followed by the shrill cries of the girls, echoed in the air.
Panic surged within Tia, an instinctual urge to turn and intervene. But she found herself immobilized, held in place by an unseen, unbreakable bond. Her heart pounded against her chest, a stark reminder of her own limitations.
'I thought I had grown stronger... yet I am still powerless in her presence.'
As she grappled with her helplessness, Red's voice cut through her thoughts, cold and calculated. "It appears a lesson is required. My pet seems to have forgotten the appropriate conduct and run off without even bothering to tell me."
Tia gulped down, not sure that Red was angry, even though her tone remained calm and her face cold.