While everyone else slept soundly, Ryker lay awake. The moonlight spilled softly through the window as he quietly slipped out of bed and stepped outside into the cool night air. His mind was restless, far from peaceful.
Morning Scene
A soft murmur of yawns and stretching filled the room as everyone woke.
Sol rubbed his eyes and yawned loudly. "Finally, we're going back."
He glanced around the room—and then frowned.
"Where's Ryker?"
Izumi smiled gently. "Good morning, Sol."
"Good morning, Izumi," Sol replied, but his eyes remained searching.
One by one, everyone gathered their things.
Celica approached Saori with a grateful smile. "We're ready to go, Saori."
Saori nodded warmly. "Thank you all for everything."
Sol looked around again. "Still no sign of Ryker?"
Celica answered, "He was with you earlier."
"No, I didn't see him," Sol said, worry creeping in.
Jasmine stepped forward. "If he doesn't show up soon, we leave without him."
Sol nodded reluctantly. "Yeah... we have to go."
At the Ship Port
The group arrived, gathering near the dock.
"Come on, Ryker, where are you?" Sol called out, scanning the crowd.
Amelia shook her head. "No one's seen him."
Jasmine clenched her fists. "Let's go. We can't wait any longer."
With heavy hearts, they boarded the ship, leaving Ryker behind—alone and unseen.
Mansion
Inside the dimly lit mansion, silence pressed down like a heavy shroud. Renji's breaths came shallow and quick as he paced nervously in the grand hall. His usually stern face was etched with fear — eyes darting toward every shadow, every sound.
"She… she's gone," he whispered, barely able to force the words out. His voice cracked, betraying the turmoil inside.
The weight of those words fell on the gathered security guards. Renji's hands clenched into fists at his sides, knuckles white. His voice rose with urgency, breaking the heavy silence.
"Cau… catch him! Find whoever took Elena. We cannot lose her. Not now."
The guards snapped to attention. "Roger that!" they echoed, their steps pounding as they fanned out through the mansion and its sprawling grounds.
Renji remained frozen for a moment, the fight in him wavering. Slowly, he sank down onto the cold marble floor, chest heaving. Tears began to stream freely down his face, tracing paths of despair.
"I'm sorry, Taro…" he whispered hoarsely, voice trembling with helplessness. "I failed. I couldn't protect this island… or my daughter Elena…"
He bowed his head, the weight of his failure almost unbearable.
Back at Saori's home, the group stepped inside with heavy footsteps and disappointed expressions. The air was thick with silence, the weight of unspoken thoughts pressing down on all of them.
"Ahh… we're back… all because of Ryker," Shin muttered, running a hand through his hair in frustration.
"Because he's our friend," Aisa replied firmly, her voice filled with quiet resolve.
Sol let out a sharp breath, clenching his fists. "Tch. I beat him again, and now he's just… gone."
Saori and Hizuru were seated inside, sharing a quiet lunch when they noticed the group return. Saori's eyes widened in surprise as she glanced toward the door.
"Ahh—you're all back already?" Saori asked, setting down her cup. "What happened? I thought you left this morning."
"Yeah… we came back for Ryker. He didn't show up," Celica explained, her voice low.
"He's here, isn't he?" Hizuru asked, glancing around.
"No," Sol replied quickly, shaking his head. "He's not at the port. He's not with any of us. He just… disappeared."
A thick silence fell again, everyone exchanging worried glances.
Suddenly, a sharp sound rang from outside the house.
Everyone turned, startled.
"What was that?" Sol asked, his expression tensing.
They rushed to the front door. Outside, guards were sprinting past the property, their footsteps pounding against the ground.
"Everyone, hurry!" one of the guards shouted as he passed.
"What's going on?" Izumi called out, stepping into the path.
The entire group—Sol, Shin, Aisa, Celica, Amelia, and the others—followed him outside.
Sol stopped one of the guards. "Hey! What happened?"
The guard looked breathless. "Sir—Renji's daughter has disappeared!"
"What? The daughter is missing?!" Sol exclaimed.
Shin's eyes narrowed. "Ryker's missing too…"
The guard nodded. "We're heading into the forest to search!"
Without hesitation, the guards rushed toward the trees, weapons ready and eyes scanning the shadows.
The group looked at each other with worry before instinctively following behind.
None of them said it aloud—but the fear in their hearts was growing.
Something was wrong.
Terribly wrong.
In the Forest – Secret House
The forest was quiet, eerily so. Mist curled around the trees as the guards moved swiftly, checking every path and hidden trail. They were relentless, their eyes scanning every shadow, every rustle in the leaves.
"There!" one of the guards shouted, pointing toward an overgrown path.
The group—Sol, Aisa, Shin, Celica, Jasmine, king, Amelia, Hiroshi, saki, arisu, mio, izumi, tasuya and the others—rushed forward, following the guard's lead. They pushed through thick branches until they came upon an old, half-hidden structure—an abandoned house, nestled deep in the woods.
They entered cautiously.
The air inside was cold and stale. Dust floated in the light that filtered through broken windows. And there, lying on the wooden floor—was Ryker.
He was covered in blood, his clothes torn, his body bruised and battered. He wasn't moving.
"Ryker!" Aisa cried out, rushing to his side.
Everyone quickly gathered around him.
"What the hell… he's injured badly," Sol said, his voice tense with concern. "Who did this to him?"
"We don't know yet," Jasmine said firmly. "First, we take him back. Then, we find out who's responsible."
No one argued.
Sol gently lifted Ryker onto his back, and together, the group made their way out of the forest, determined to bring him to safety.
Saori's Home – Living Room
The house was silent except for the quiet hum of magic.
Everyone was gathered—Jasmine, Sol, Shin, King, Izumi, Tasuya, Amelia, Hiroshi, Arisu, Mio, Saki, Saori, and Hizuru—all standing or sitting tensely as Ryker lay unconscious on the bed once more.
Celica hovered over him, hands glowing with a soft, radiant light.
"He's worse than before," Celica muttered, sweat forming on her brow. "His internal wounds… they're deep."
"I'll help," Yumi said, stepping forward, her eyes full of worry. "Though… I don't have instant healing like you."
"It doesn't matter," Celica replied quickly. "Do what you can. Please."
Yumi nodded, kneeling beside her and placing her hands over Ryker's chest, adding her healing magic to Celica's.
Sol leaned against the wall, arms crossed, a frustrated look on his face.
"Tch. That's the second time he's ended up like this," he said quietly. "And every time, he never tells us anything."
Shin's eyes were sharp. "You're right. Something's going on… something deeper."
"I thought so too," Jasmine added, arms folded. "This isn't just about fighting enemies. There's something he's hiding."
"What could it be?" Hiroshi asked.
No one had an answer.
"I don't know," King said grimly, "but it's starting to feel like we've only seen the surface."
They all stared at Ryker's motionless body, the air heavy with unspoken fear—and questions.