"You went to see the human alone! You're supposed to take someone with you whenever you go. What if something happened to you?" Leah scolded April as they strolled along the veranda.
April responded with a scoff, "He wouldn't stand a chance in a one-on-one fight with me."
"Don't rely too much on your strength," Leah cautioned.
"Uh!" April glanced at her "Why do you say that?" she questioned.
"I don't know. If the Auragmite were to somehow be destroyed, we might lose our powers," Leah explained.
The mention of the Auragmite plunged April into deep thought. "The Auragmite," she whispered to herself.
Leah glanced at her curiously. "Did you learn anything from the human?" she inquired.
April shook her head. "He's refusing to speak," she replied with a serious expression.
"That's not good. What do we tell the king?" Leah asked, concerned.
"I'll figure something out," April replied, picking up her pace.
Leah took April's hand, halting her in her tracks and turning her to meet her gaze. April was taken aback by this gesture and looked at Leah with surprise in her eyes.
"Be careful, April, with whatever decision you make," Leah urged sincerely, her large purple eyes filled with genuine concern. "The king has no favorites, especially during times like these when he's upset."
April smiled at Leah's concern and nodded gently. "I will be, I promise," she assured her.
Leah nodded in acknowledgment and gently released April's hand.
"I'll catch up with you guys shortly. I need to quickly check on Grey's progress with my sword," April said as she hurried down the stairs.
"Alright," Leah replied, offering a sad smile as she watched April descend. Leah cared deeply for April, more than anyone else. She had watched her grow and had raised her as if she were her own child. Leah knew April better than anyone, understanding both her capabilities and the hidden qualities that others might overlook. 'I need to keep a closer eye on her,' Leah mused to herself. Despite having closely observed April since she was a baby, Leah now felt a heightened urgency to guide and protect her, particularly to prevent her from falling out of favor with the king.
April perched herself on a sturdy branch of a towering tree, taking a moment to reflect after assisting Leah and Gor. In the evening, the gentle breeze often aided her clarity of thought. From up there, she had a clear view of the fortress and large courtyard below. Beyond the palace lay the Xenos community, where residents went about their daily lives.
The image of Rex's eyes briefly blazing with intensity flashed through April's mind. She began to reconsider her previous assumptions, pondering if humans were really manipulating the Auragmite to gain power or something else.
'If the Auragmite took on a vessel as soon it landed here, is it possible for humans to have swiftly moved the vessel before Carlos arrived on Earth?' she mused. 'And if not, then it must have moved itself, by taking on a vessel that can move. And the only vessel strong enough to conceal the Auragmite's aura would be a living being. If it took on the vessel of a human, then...' April gasped as sudden realization dawned upon her. "The Auragmite is inside him!?" she exclaimed, feeling really tense all of a sudden.
* * *
At midnight, Rex rose up, ready to carry out his escape plan once more. He peered around hoping to find the guards sleeping but to his dismay, they remained alert.
"Don't these guys ever sleep?" he muttered in frustration.
He waited few more minutes, yet the guards remained vigilant. "Well, they aren't human after all," he grumbled to himself.
He decided to still go ahead with his plan quietly. He cautiously approached the railings 'Now, let's do this,' he whispered to himself as he grasped the railing, attempting to pry it apart or bend it to create an opening but nothing happened.
"Why isn't it working?" he exclaimed, puzzled, as he examined his hands. 'I was able to defeat a Xeno, I should be able to do this.'
No matter how hard he tried, Rex couldn't use any special abilities. He thought maybe if his eyes glowed, like before, it would grant him the strength he needed. Attempting to provoke himself, he tried to summon anger but found himself unable to do so.
"Argh!" he cried out in frustration, collapsing to the ground. "Why isn't anything working!?" he grumbled. His stomach growled loudly as he hadn't eaten anything for two days.
"Can I at least have something to eat?" he called out to the guards, but they didn't respond to him as they always did.
Feeling tired and beaten, Rex lay down in his cell, trying to rest, but he couldn't fall asleep.
Hours later, the entrance gate creaked open, and a prison servant entered with a tray of food. Dropping it in front of Rex's cell, the servant left without a word.
"Wow! They did listen to me after all" Rex muttered to himself, as he eagerly rushed to the tray, finding roasted meat on it. Though it appeared undercooked, he was so hungry that he didn't care. As he lifted a large piece of meat, he noticed a small piece of paper hidden beneath.
Curious, Rex unfolded the paper and read its message: "ESCAPE. Eat, manipulate internal energy. Secret pathway on the left. Manipulate aura again."
"What's this?" he wondered to himself, puzzled by the mysterious note.