Back in Lucy's apartment, the first rays of sunlight began to creep across the floor, eventually reaching the bed where Natsu lay. He stirred, blinking sleepily as he reached out for Lucy, only to find her side of the bed empty.
Natsu sat up, confused, his eyes scanning the room. It wasn't like Lucy to leave without saying anything. His heart began to race as he called out her name, ["Lucy?"] His voice echoed through the quiet apartment, but there was no response. The silence only deepened his worry.
He jumped out of bed, his panic mounting with every second. The room felt cold, empty in a way that sent a shiver down his spine. He searched the apartment, checking every corner, opening every door, but there was no sign of her. It was as if she had vanished without a trace.
["Lucy!"] he shouted again, his voice growing hoarse with desperation. But the only answer was the echo of his own voice. Natsu's panic turned into something more terrifying—fear. The fear that something had happened to Lucy, something he couldn't protect her from.
Without thinking, Natsu ran out of the apartment, his heart pounding in his chest. He sprinted through the streets of Magnolia, his eyes scanning every face, every alley, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. But she was nowhere to be found. He couldn't even pick up her scent, which only made his fear grow stronger.
["Where is she?"] Natsu muttered to himself, his voice shaking. His mind was racing, filled with images of all the possible dangers that could have befallen her. He couldn't understand it. Lucy wouldn't just leave like this, not without telling him. Not after what they had shared last night.
As Natsu grew more frantic, he suddenly remembered the guild. He hadn't checked there yet. Maybe she had gone to see everyone, maybe she was with Erza or Gray. Clinging to that hope, Natsu turned and sprinted toward the guild, his heart pounding in his chest.
*****************************************************************************
Meanwhile, at the guild, the atmosphere was tense. The members had been up all night, poring over ancient texts and investigating the mysterious threat that had suddenly loomed over them. The more they uncovered, the more dangerous it seemed.
["Maybe the disappearance of those people is because they want to awaken something,"] Jellal said, his voice low as he scanned through a particularly old and worn book. His eyes were sharp with concentration, trying to piece together the clues they had gathered.
Laxus, who was reading from an ancient diary, looked up, his expression grim. ["This threat, whatever it is, is claimed to be a king of some sort. If it's anywhere near as dangerous as the Dark Wizard Zeref or Acnologia… we're in serious trouble."]
The words sent a ripple of unease through the guild. The mention of Zeref and Acnologia brought back memories of battles that had pushed them to their limits, battles that had cost them dearly. The idea that they might be facing something on that level again was enough to make even the strongest among them worry.
Mira and Lisanna were moving around the guild, providing refreshments and trying to keep everyone's spirits up, but even they couldn't hide their own concern. The usually lively guild hall was unusually quiet, filled with the sounds of turning pages and hushed conversations.
Gajeel, who had been deep in discussion with Gray about possible strategies, suddenly looked around the room, noticing someone was missing. ["Where's Salamander?"] he asked, his voice breaking the tense silence.
Erza, who had been listening to Jellal, looked up, her brow furrowed with concern. ["He went to check on Lucy. She wasn't feeling well last night,"] she explained, her voice tinged with worry.
Levy, who had been working on decoding a particularly difficult text, looked up as well, her face pale. ["Natsu hasn't come back yet? That's not like him… do you think something happened?"]
Juvia, always sensitive to the emotions around her, could feel the tension rising in the room. ["Juvia is worried too… Lucy hasn't been herself lately. What if something's wrong?"]
Before anyone could respond, the guild doors burst open, and Natsu came rushing in. His eyes were wild with panic, his breathing heavy as if he had been running for miles. ["Lucy's gone!"] he shouted, his voice echoing through the hall.
The room fell silent as everyone turned to look at him, shock and confusion on their faces. ["What do you mean she's gone?"] Erza asked, her voice steady but filled with concern.
Natsu struggled to catch his breath, his words tumbling out in a rush. ["She wasn't at her apartment! I've looked everywhere, but she's just… gone! I can't find her scent, I can't… I don't know where she is!"] His voice cracked with fear, and for a moment, he looked more vulnerable than anyone had ever seen him.
Gray, who had been silent until now, stood up and walked over to Natsu, grabbing his shoulder.
["What do you mean she is gone? She was with you the whole night, right? How did she disappear? "] Gray asked, his worry evident in his voice.
Juvia calming Gray down, ["Gray, darling, calm down. Please at least give Natsu the chance to explain."]
Erza nodded, her face serious. ["Natsu, calm down. Think carefully. Did she say anything last night, anything that might give us a clue?"]
Natsu's expression softened with a mix of guilt and confusion as he tried to recall the previous night. ["She… she seemed upset, but she wouldn't tell me why. We… we talked, and then she seemed a little better. But when I woke up, she was just… gone."]
Jellal, who had been silent, listening to the exchange, stepped forward, his expression thoughtful. ["Did Lucy mention anything about the Titan King? Anything about feeling threatened?"]
Natsu's eyes widened as he remembered the conversation they had the night before. ["She did… she said she was scared, that everyone was in danger because of her… but I didn't think she would just leave! Not like this!"]
Levy, who had been listening intently, suddenly gasped, her eyes filling with realization. ["She must have thought she was protecting us… that if she left, the danger would follow her instead of staying here."]
Laxus frowned, his arms crossed over his chest. ["That's exactly what she's doing. She's trying to handle this on her own, thinking she's protecting us by keeping the threat away."]
["But she's putting herself in even more danger!"] Mira exclaimed, her voice shaking. ["We can't let her do this alone!"]
Gajeel clenched his fists, his expression dark and determined. ["We've got to find her before something happens. If this Titan King is as powerful as we think, she's walking straight into a death trap."]
Natsu's fear was rapidly turning into determination. ["I'm going after her. I won't let her face this alone."]
Erza nodded, her eyes blazing with the same resolve. ["We all are. Lucy is one of us, and we don't abandon our family. We'll find her, no matter what it takes."]
As the guild members exchanged determined looks, still grappling with the shock of Lucy's disappearance, the door to the guild opened again. This time, Wendy, Carla, and Romeo entered, looking anxious. In Wendy's hands was a letter. ["We found this at Lucy's apartment,"] Wendy said, her voice trembling as she handed the letter to Master Makarov.
The room fell silent as Makarov took the letter, his hands shaking slightly as he unfolded it. The guild watched in tense anticipation, their fear mounting as they waited to hear what Lucy had written. Makarov's eyes scanned the letter, his expression growing more somber with each word. When he finally looked up, his eyes were filled with a mix of sadness and anger.
["She… she's gone after the Titan King,"] Makarov said, his voice heavy with sorrow. ["She believes it's her responsibility to stop him… that if she doesn't, we'll all be in danger. She's taken this burden upon herself… to protect us."]
A wave of anger and frustration swept through the guild. Gray's eyes flashed with fury as he turned to Natsu, his voice shaking with rage. ["What the hell were you doing, Natsu? How could you let her go?"]
Natsu clenched his fists, guilt and anger swirling inside him. ["I didn't know she would do this! I would have stopped her if I knew!"]
Erza, equally furious, slammed her fist on the table. ["Lucy should never have felt she needed to do this alone. We're a team! We're supposed to face these threats together!"]
The guild was a mix of emotions—anger at Lucy for leaving, fear for her safety, and a deep, aching sadness that she felt she had to bear this burden alone. The air was thick with tension, and it was clear that everyone was struggling to process the situation.
Just as the room seemed to be on the brink of boiling over, the doors of the guild opened once more, and Sawyer, one of the guild's scouts, came rushing in, out of breath. ["I've got news,"] he panted, his face pale. ["The people who were threatening the villages were far from Fiore… they suddenly disappeared. It's like they're moving away, heading somewhere else."]
The guild's unease deepened. If these people were moving, it could only mean one thing—they were going after Lucy.
Jellal, who had been listening closely, stepped forward, his expression grim. ["This confirms it. Lucy's trying to draw them away from us. She's heading straight into their path."]
Natsu's eyes burned with a fierce determination. ["Then we'll follow her. We won't let her face this alone. We'll find her, and we'll stop the Titan King together."]
Erza nodded, her voice filled with resolve. ["Fairy Tail has never backed down from a challenge, and we're not about to start now. We'll bring Lucy back, and we'll face whatever comes together."]
The guild members exchanged determined looks, their fear replaced with a burning resolve. They knew the danger that lay ahead, but they also knew they couldn't let Lucy face it alone. They had faced impossible odds before, and they would do it again—for her.
As the guild mobilized, preparing to search for Lucy and confront the threat of the Titan King, Natsu clenched his fists, his heart pounding with a mix of fear,anger and determination. ["Hang on, Lucy….."]
("I said I loved you and in return you left me. NEVER.. I WOULD NEVER ALLOW THIS. I WILL BRING YOU BACK.")