As the rest tried to process the situation, Htet Naing and the other two people walked slowly into the room. Their footsteps were graceful and calculated.
Htet Naing scoffed and gave a slow applause,
"Fell right into the trap. Impressive."
Shin Hayato immediately commanded,
"Aléssio ! Bring Sheng Yue and Arlo away ! Now !"
I nodded and told both of them to get into the vent.
The person holding the massive mechanical warhammer shouted,
"Don't let them escape !"
Htet Naing immediately lunged in my direction.
Shin Hayato quickly slammed his hand on the ground, making the floor shake slightly. As his hand hit the ground, black steel slowly climbed up to his arms, forming bundle of steel wires.
Just as Htet Naing was about to regain his balance from the knock back, Shin Hayato lunged at him with the wires on his arm, which transformed into an Electric Shield.
Sheng Yue flicked my head and dragged me by my arm,
"Aléssio ! Come on !"
Just before I could fully enter the vent, the winged person threw another feather-like blade toward my head.
As I closed my eyes and flinched, Sheng Yue immediately dragged me inside, saving me from certain death.
Sheng Yue crawled further while Arlo led the way,
"Aléssio ! Close the vents !"
I pulled the feather-like blade out of the wall and shut the vent before they could launch another attack.
I crawled quickly despite my stitched shoulder. I looked left and right, up and below, inspecting every direction.
The air was cold and silent. No one dared to speak.
Arlo stopped abruptly, making me bump into Sheng Yue as I was looking behind us.
He pointed at the vent cover and moved aside slightly so we could see,
"Look."
Sheng Yue leaned closer and frowned,
"Isn't that the winged perso—"
Before she could finish her sentence, the person flew to the vent cover and slammed his shoulder against it several times.
I quickly yelled at Arlo,
"Arlo ! Move !"
Arlo crawled as fast as he could while Sheng Yue followed closely behind him.
Just as I was about to pass the vent cover, it was yanked open. The person immediately grabbed his feather-like blade and threw it toward me.
The blade sliced slightly through my shoulder. I widened my eyes in fear, freezing in place as I tried to process what had just happened.
Sheng Yue turned toward me,
"Aléssio !"
She crawled back toward me and grabbed both the blade I had taken earlier and the one stuck in the wall.
As the winged man tried to enter the vent, Sheng Yue pushed him back and stabbed his shoulder with one of the blades, forcing it deeper.
He yelped in pain and tried to grab another blade.
Sheng Yue used the second blade and stabbed in the neck, not deep enough to kill him, but enough to leave a small wound.
Sheng Yue quickly pulled both blades out and kicked him, making him lose his balance and fall to the ground as he screamed in pain.
Then she slammed the vent shut.
I held my shoulder for a moment before crawling.
But as I continued crawling, I realized something.
The stitches were gone.
Completely gone.
Sheng Yue shouted behind me,
"Aléssio ! Speed up ! This is a life-or-death situation !"
I kept crawling, ignoring the missing wound and stitches.
When Arlo abruptly stopped again, I leaned against the wall and looked down at my shoulder.
It was perfectly fine.
Arlo peeked through a vent hole and waved for us to come closer before moving aside.
When I leaned in, I noticed a room beneath us with someone sitting calmly in the center.
Sheng Yue crawled closer and peeked as well,
"Who is that ?"
Arlo tilted his head and pointed,
"Should we jump down and see ?"
I quickly stopped him from opening the vent,
"It's probably another trap. We shouldn't risk our lives."
Arlo tried to shake my grip off his shoulder,
"But she's just sitting quietly !"
Sheng Yue placed both hands at Arlo's shoulder,
"And silence is usually a trap. Think about it. What if there's a bomb once you drop down."
Arlo finally yanked himself free from and opened the vent cover before jumping down onto the red carpet below.
Sheng Yue immediately screamed and jumped after him,
"Arlo !"
I quickly jumped down and landed beside Sheng Yue,
"Sheng Yue ! Your legs are still cramped ! You're going to overwork yourself. Luckily there's a carpet below or you could've break a bone or someth—"
The person who was sitting calmly spoke,
"Skov... is... is that you ?"
All of us looked up.
She sat very still in the chair, almost like a mannequin or a porcelain doll who was meant to look perfectly composed.
She opened her mouth as if to speak, but closed it again.
Arlo and I walked closer, circling the chair.
The girl sat motionless in a smooth white containment chair. Her wrists were locked against the armrests as thick straps held her in place.
Large soundproof earmuffs covered her ears, sealing her in silence, while a respirator mask delivered slow, controlled breaths.
Her right arm was a polished mechanical limb.
From the joints of her fingers, thin golden filaments extended across nearby machines like strands of silk. They pulsed with a soft glow.
She raised a finger, trying to reach out, but slowly closed her hand into a fist instead.
She mumbled softly, sounding disappointed,
"You're not Skov... are you ?"
Arlo stepped closer and gently placed his hands on hers.
Sheng Yue tried to walk toward them but suddenly fell as the cramps in her legs worsened.
She bit her lip in pain while gripping her thighs tightly.
I rushed to her side and shouted to Arlo,
"Arlo ! How do we minimize it !?"
Arlo shook his head. His hands hovered near his chest, curled like a frightened kitten's paws.
Suddenly, the golden filament surged toward Sheng Yue.
Instinctively, I stood up and tried to block them.
The filaments bent and rotated before wrapping gently around Sheng Yue's thighs.
Sheng Yue stopped biting her lips and slowly relaxed.
It seems the filaments were supporting her muscles.
The girl spoke calmly,
"Don't be afraid. I'm not an enemy... Just... please help me return to my unit..."
Arlo walked behind the chair and flipped a small switch.
The restrains automatically loosened, and the armrest locks split open, freeing her mechanical hands.
She stood up and removed the earmuffs, letting them drop to the floor.
Slowly, she opened her eyes.
Her milky white eyes stared forward without focus.
She introduced herself nervously,
"My name is... Zarina. Zarina Noor, a member of unit 6. Would you mind telling me... where am I ?"
Sheng Yue raised a brow and bluntly said,
"You and your other team mates were taken hostage. That's why your unit decided to team up with us."
She raised a hand to her chest, right over her heart,
"Are my friends alright ?"
Arlo stepped out and answered,
"Maybe not so well."
She furrowed her brow and moved slightly,
"Can you help lead the way, young child ?"
Arlo nodded and walked up to her, holding her left arm as he led the way.
I extended my hand to Sheng Yue and helped her get up, letting her lean on me for support as we walked.
As the door glided open, Arlo suddenly paused.
I frowned as I bumped lightly into Zarina,
"Why did you stop, Arlo—"
A sudden blade flew past us and embedded itself into the wall.
I turned toward where it came from and saw the winged person panting heavily while gripping his neck tightly.
He looked up at us and gritted his teeth,
"You think you can stop me with that !? I'm unstoppable ! I'm—"
Zarina furrowed her brows and pointed her hand toward him.
Golden filaments surged forward like hunting sharks, giving him no chance to escape as more shot toward him.
He grabbed a blade and tried to slice them, only making it worse as the golden filaments split apart and multiplied.
I watched in awe as the filaments wrapped around his neck, tightening as they dragged him to the ground.
He gurgled as he tried to pull them away, but only ended up choking on his own breath.
I helped Sheng Yue sit against the wall, letting her rest beside Zarina before walking towards him.
He looked at me with hatred burning in his eyes.
Without warning, he lunged at me, trying to choke me so I could feel the same thing he was feeling.
Zarina quickly clenched her right arm into a fist.
His face turned nearly blue as he gasped for air, clutching his chest.
I knelt down and snatched his Holotag to check his name and mumbled,
"Narin Phanumas..."
He growled, grinding his teeth together, moving it left to right, and making a harsh sound that made my ears uncomfortable.
I turned to Sheng Yue,
"Hey, fetch !"
Sheng Yue immediately perked up and caught it with precision,
"Got it, Blondie !"
Narin tried to scream but forced himself to stay silent, not wanting to cause himself any more pain.
I waved at the others, signalling them to come closer. Zarina loosen the filaments slightly so Narin could breathe and lead the way.
As we exited the sleeping pod, the others stood waiting for us.
Htet Naing and the person wielding the mechanic warhammer stood at the front, followed by an army of robots.
And they were holding our team mates hostage.
Htet Naing smirked and taunted,
"Well, look ! One, two, three, four ! Four people incapable of fighting !"
The other person laughed,
"Indeed. All of these are logistics. Plus, what're you going to do with two medics anyways ?"
Cassandra shifted uncomfortably under the other person's grip. Her hands were tied behind her back and her mouth was taped shut.
One of the robots stepped forward and pointed its gun at the struggling Skov.
Htet Naing laughed again,
"A fair trade right ? You get to execute one of my team mates while we do the same, just with a different amount."
I pulled out my ChronoLume, planning to press the 'Reset' button again. Zarina gently placed her hand on my shoulder and stepped forward.
Skov shouted, his voice trembling,
"Zarina ! Don't get any closer !"
The robot tightened its grip on Skov, pressing the gun harder against his head.
Zarina stood calmly in the center.
Arlo hid behind Sheng Yue while I held Narin firmly by his shoulders, making sure he couldn't escape despite the golden filaments wrapped around him.
Htet Naing raised a brow with a smug grin,
"Oh ? What're you going to do now ? Saving your so-called 'beloved' ?"
The other person laughed,
"Oh please, she is blind ! We could do anything to her and she wouldn't even know !"
Skov continued struggling,
"Zarina ! Just leave us !"
Htet Naing stepped closer to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, inspecting her like a wolf stalking its prey.
Zarina shifted slightly,
"Fine. A trade."
Htet Naing chuckled,
"You ? A trade ? Oh please ! You're worthless in battle ! But... we could use something physical from you..."
Skov tried to kick the robot but another one tackled him immediately.
Htet Naing leaned closer and whispered to Zarina,
"I could help you climb the ranks. I could bring you to the Elysium Ark. I could let you live a happy life with your mother if... you betray them."
Sheng Yue started walking toward them.
I quickly pulled her back and whispered,
"I think I know what Zarina is planning."
I pointed at Narin. Sheng Yue sighed and nodded.
As Htet Naing stepped closer to Zarina, she suddenly turned and punched him with her mechanical arm.
The impact knocked him back, making him stumbled as he clutched his stomach.
He growled,
"You ! Robots, shoot the—"
Suddenly, the golden filaments around Narin split apart and multiplied rapidly.
I quickly dragged Sheng Yue and Arlo further away.
Before Htet Naing could react, hundreds of golden filaments surged toward him, spiraling around his body.
The other man shouted,
"Robots, shoot he—"
The filaments instantly shut him up as they wrapped around his mouth and body.
The robots sensing their leaders in danger, quickly aimed their weapons at Zarina.
Sensing their movements, she split the filaments again, sending them streaking through the air and connecting with every robot.
With a snap of her fingers, every robot was beheaded.
Skov ran toward her and hugged her tightly,
"Zarina... Are you alright ?"
She smiled softly,
"Yes. You have always been kind enough to care about my condition."
Htet Naing coughed,
"Sorry to interrupt, but this isn't the end of our defeat."
I immediately turned toward the man holding the giant warhammer, who was grinning widely,
"Someone stop him from dropping it !"
But it was too late.
No one could stop him in time.
The warhammer slammed into the floor with a thunderous BANG.
And suddenly, multiple personas appeared.
Not just their unit.
But ours as well.