Light breached the darkness and a group of figures appeared out of thin air.
Aaah!
Some screamed, others didn't.
Winston landed squarely on his feet and looked around. Truth be told, he was a bit disappointed he didn't go in. He had thought that he could enter a second or two late, not that the time dilation would be so powerful in the hidden floor.
Everyone seemed to have made it out okay for the most part. It was just Bam that was too injured...
"Rak?" Winston called out in shock.
The small crocodile instantly perked up. He was wearing what looked to be a tribal war cloak and a native American style crown atop his head.
"Wah! Hermaphrodite turtle! You're here too!" Rak instantly pointed his spear at him and laughed.
Winston instantly lost the excitement he had felt upon seeing the alligator again.
Who the hell do you think you're calling a hermaphrodite! He exclaimed inwardly but chose to ignore the crocodile. It was not like he was... completely in the wrong.
He sighed and smiled.
Just then, a shrill shreak reached his ears.
"Noooo!" The pitch was high and the sound was grating to the ears. Winston looked to the source, finding a small figure hunched over on the floor.
The figure wore a cloak but it's blonde hair were cleanly visible.
"Rachel." Winston muttered. He didn't feel too strongly about her, if he was being completely honest. He had felt a strong dislike for her when he was on the Evankhell's mothership and even much later.
Now?
He strangely felt that he didn't care.
Just then, a thought struck him.
Shit. He cursed inwardly but didn't let it show on his face. He had come to a realization. Back on the test floor, he had felt someone watching him. He had ignored important warnings of his intuition. He had made dumb, borderline idiotic decisions. And he had mingled a bit too quickly with Bam and group. What if-
"No no no no no!" Rachel's voice broke him out of his thoughts.
She felt her face with her hands, rubbing it over her nose, her forehead, her cheeks and her screams somehow grew louder.
Endorsi instantly stood up, her anger growing by the minute.
"You bitch!" She exclaimed, walking towards her.
Rachel locked eyes with her and gave her a despairing look.
"I'm back to how I was..."
"To hell with that! You think we'll just forget what you tried to pull!"
"Don't get any ideas!" Yura instantly moved in front of her, eying them warily for any moves. And yet, as her eyes fell over Winston, the hope seemed to drain from her figure.
To Winston, it was instantly clear that none of the people present had an enjoyable experience on the hidden floor.
Khun also got up and Rak too began to move towards her. In fact, not even Zarhan and Amon were exceptions.
Zarhan, he noticed, was holding a blood red spear in his hand.
Shinsu? Winston mused before focusing on the task at hand.
"What happened?" He turned to Khun and asked.
Khun sighed, seeming too tired to even explain.
"Well... how should I say?" He tilted his head. "She somehow, was able to get into another body with the power of rankers. In the hidden floor, she was basically invincible and continued to cause trouble for us. Typical Rachel fashion." Khun gave an exasperated sigh.
Winston threw a glance at the two, making them freeze.
In their eyes, he was a behemoth, taller than the tallest mountain, eying them with the eyes of a predator. They could not help but freeze under such a gaze.
For a moment, the world seemed to stand still.
"Well... take them prisoners then." Winston thought over the act of taking then in as marionettes or avatars. But truth be told, he didn't even want to do that.
If he did so, he would become Rachel. There was no further thought needed here. So long as he was around, Rachel and Yura were practically sitting ducks, waiting to be slaughtered.
And only God Almighty knows how difficult it is to get rid of the cowardly trio pathways.
Thinking of the God Almighty and the Celestial Worthy, Winston internally shivered. Their plans had been laid in ground thousands of years before anything had even transpired.
One, the king of space time. Other, the ruler of the astral world. Each could dictate the world and it's rules and each was thousands of times more terrifying than Winston had ever been.
"I say we should smash their heads in." Endorsi argued.
"That's right!" In a rare moment, both the princess and Zarhan were in agreement.
"I say we cut off their hands and legs!" Wangnan, as always, was quick to innovate.
Yuri and Evan stood to the side, not speaking while the regulars did their group politics. They were rankers, after all.
They could train the regulars, prevent them from going certain places but in the end, they would always refrain from interfering in matters like these.
"Well that's quite a predicament." Winston turned to look at Khun. "What's your opinion?"
Khun stopped for a moment, thinking. Then, he looked at Bam who was silently sleeping.
"I think..." He paused again, likely reaffirming his choice. "I think we should imprison them. We'll deal with them after Bam wakes up."
Silence descended into the hall and Winston saw Rachel and Yura's shoulders slouch in relief.
A wave of dissatisfaction went over the group but looking at the sleeping Bam, there was no way they could oppose the decision.
Winston threw another glance at the boy. Unconsciously, his face grew a bit complicated.
But then, he nodded.
"It's decided then." He smiled sweetly at the two women. But to them, it looked as if he had suddenly turned into a demon.
"Let us escort these prisoners to their cells."
...
"Damn it!" Yura kicked the metal door in anger, making the sound ring loud and clear.
Bang!
She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. Alas, there was only so much she could do.
Bang!
"That damn monstrous irregular! There's practically nothing we can do about him!" Yura screamed out in dissatisfaction, punching the metal door over and over. They had been locked in a cold room with ice crystals growing all over. They had not been given any covers for it.
Being a part of the Ha family, she had a naturally gifted body. But as she continued to beat the metal door, blood eventually began to bloom from her knuckles.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
She didn't care to stop, pouring out all her resentment on the door.
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!!" She slammed both her fists into the door, resting her head against it. "Damn it..."
Her breath hitched.
"Stop it..." A voice came from behind her, meek and tender.
Yura turned her head, staring at her friend.
There she lay, hugging her knees and crouched in a corner. Her blonde hair hid her eyes, casting long shadows across her face.
Yura looked at her with a shocked expression.
"It's over. Stop it." Rachel's voice trembled. "Every time I try to rise, I get beat back down. How can we ever hope to match the chosen ones? How can we ever match those destined for greatness?"
Yura stayed quiet, her knuckles clenching harder.
"Rachel..."
"Don't try it." Rachel laughed. It was all devoid of hope. The hope Yura had seen her carry until now seemed utterly lost. "Don't try to tell me I can rise beyond them. Because that's the greatest lie you'll ever tell anyone."
Silence.
Silence descended in the room.
Yura gulped.
"What now, then? Should I just let myself and my friend be trapped here?"
Rachel flinched. Then, she looked up. Her yellow eyes met Yura's.
"Friend?"
"That's right." Yura chuckled. She moved towards her and plopped herself right beside her on the floor. "You're one of the few... or perhaps the only person I've met in the tower that I can consider a friend."
Yura looked to her, smiling.
"I know that our friendship started with a goal in mind. We both had our personal benefits to care for. But in the end, I found a person who wished to go beyond their own fate. Someone who was fighting to deny what the gods had planned. Someone who wanted to surpass her own prison." Yura touched her shoulder, squeezing it gently.
"So, when you tell me that it's over, I cannot believe that. Because that is not the Rachel I know."
Rachel's eyes widened, trembling in surprise.
"Because I know, the Rachel I'm friends with will persist through it all. So, I ask you. When you tell me it's over, do you, even yourself believe that?"
"..." Rachel did not speak for some time.
Both of them waited in the cold.
Then, a chuckle rang from Rachel's mouth. She ran a hand through her hair and cursed.
"Damn it... I really have a troublesome friend."
Yura smiled. It was a genuine smile, a smile she had long forgotten to give.
"I won't despair here. After all, I still have the stars to see.
"So... what should we do to get out of here?"
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Just then, the sound of clapping rang in the air.
Rachel and Yura's focus sharpened instantly and both of them sprang to their feet.
Then, from the opposite corner of the room came a voice. It was strangely like the voice of a child, yet strikingly old.
"Well said, I couldn't agree more." The voice said.
They both looked to the source.
There, seated on one of the ice crystals was a man.
He was an albino. Sickly pale skin, almost to the point they wondered if he had any blood; crimson coloured eyes and a stature, although nothing striking in the tower, was giant for them.
Rachel's eyes widened upon seeing the figure. She knew who it was. He was the one who had sent that Theolis Clear.
"Samuel Helmons?" She asked.
The man gave a toothy grin.
"In the flesh."
A few heartbeats passed without speaking.
Yura, although had not met the man personally, she had heard loads about him from Theolis.
About how he was a lunatic who did not care for life, even that of his teammates. A certified psychopath was how Theolis had explained his personality. But a psychopath that was apparently amazingly efficient at escaping dangerous situations.
"How did you get in here? Did they capture you as well?"
Hearing Yura's question, Samuel chuckled.
"I assure you, there's very few beings in this tower than can capture me... for long periods anyway." He shook his head. "I am here on my own volition."
"Why?" Rachel asked, doubt creeping into her mind. It was clear that he had entered the cell after both of them were kept here. But, she could not be completely sure he was here to save them.
"Why else? To get you out of course." His childlike voice made Rachel uncomfortable.
"And what value do we have for you to come rescuing us?" Rachel pressed.
"What value is needed? To save a life is a gentleman's duty."
Yura scoffed, "Oh please."
Samuel raised his hands and guffawed, "Haha, you got me. I am here to fulfill certain goals. And one of those goals, apparently, is so save you."
"And what goals do you hope to complete?"
"That is not for you to know. Just focus on the positives. You get to escape for free."
Rachel grew more and more uncertain by the second.
"Free things are often the most expensive." Yura said.
Samuel laughed again.
"Well, can't argue with that." He reached into hid trenchcoat and pulled something out.
He extended his hand towards them and offered the object.
Both of them observed it.
It was a ticket.
"A ticket?"
"The ticket to freedom?" He laughed at his joke.
It became clear to them.
Samuel Helmons was indeed messed up in the head.
...
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Samuel walked through the hallway, heading through the different areas of the train.
He had fulfilled his primary goal here.
"Going somewhere are we?" He heard someone speak.
A smile bloomed on his face.
"Indeed. And what of you?" He turned around, coming face to face with the greatest pain in his back.
"Winston Heath."
...
...
Hallo hallo people.
I admit, I've been slacking off. But hey, it ain't dropped yet, is it?
Also, do check out my new Novel, Re Zero: Dawn Eater.
It features a completely new power system I've made and an actually thought out MC. There's 9 free chapters out rn, probably 10 by the time this chapter releases and I'd appreciate it if you all could donate power stones to that fanfic to boost its rank.
I promise you, you won't be disappointed if you read it.
Anyway, there will be another chapter tomorrow. Cheers~