The hot, almost burning blood running down my forehead made me strangely lucid. The pain gradually lessened, while the icy cold slowly crept into the prison; it was almost as if we were in another world.
Shin was untying my hands from the handcuffs. I was finally a little freer to move, but… mentally, that was another story. My mind was in pieces, and fear made my heart race.
Raising my eyes to the one holding my life in his hands at that moment, I could only feel a strange sensation. To think that this young man, whom I once found adorable and cute and who reminded me so much of my late husband Gils, exuded something similar… yet now, I saw in Shin only the purest evil…
Is this the feeling one gets when what was believed to be an angel reveals itself as a demon? A feeling of… betrayal…
— "Haru, carry Manu and go get your transformer. There shouldn't be anyone else in the entire precinct right now."
Shin's authoritative voice echoed in my head, snapping me out of my reverie, while his gaze… pierced my heart. Perhaps because it was no longer the playful look he once had, but the kind of look one gives to something not even considered human.
I obeyed, helping Manu to stand and letting him lean on me so he could move despite the condition of his tibia.
— "Manu, can I trust you to handle this? His transformer is in Céline's office, but she used some kind of deduction art to make sure it stayed locked up and away from Haru."
— "No problem, but aren't you coming with us?"
— "I have to send a message to our accomplice so we can have a safehouse after fleeing; otherwise, the police and special forces will find us in an instant."
After taking a deep breath, the three of us now faced the stairs leading out of the dungeon, but before leaving, Shin left the keys in the dealer's cell.
The dealer's eyes widened, and he stood speechless for a moment, while Shin gave him one last look before departing.
— "You were talking about destiny earlier, right? Let's see if your destiny is to die in this cell, with your exit ticket right in front of you."
He didn't even look back to see what would follow, as if he already knew how this man's end would unfold, and he climbed the exit stairs as if nothing could stand between him and his dream.
A strange feeling disturbed me, as if this was only the beginning and the road ahead would be filled with all kinds of challenges, but we were going to make it and work together, for real this time—especially if I wanted my son to live…
As my eyes adjusted to the light of the hall, joy filled my heart. We were out!
Manu and I, merely having passed through the dungeon, regained a bit of strength thanks to this chance offered to us with open arms.
— "Tsk! Get out of there, son of a bitch, you won't get me twice,"Shin raged into the empty hall, though it was deserted.
— "Are you okay? What are we waiting for? The exit is right there!"I said, cheerful, wanting this to end as quickly as possible.
Then Manu seemed to notice something and raised his eyes. That's when I saw him, hidden in the shadow of the structures supporting the upper floor. It was the one who had already managed to ruin our plans once and had led Shin and Manu to defeat: Grid.
This situation oddly reminded me of an old proverb my sister used to repeat to me. An old saying came back to my mind: "Hope keeps fools alive," meaning that one can only rest after succeeding—but most importantly, he was there!? I thought everyone had already gone to help?
— "Looks like it won't work twice,"he said as he jumped and landed in front of the main exit, in a formation eerily reminiscent of the defeat that had landed us in a cell.
I had a bad feeling earlier, and it was starting to come true.
— "I'm pretty lucky. Running into you while I wasn't even allowed out to participate in the rescues… I guess you want to lose a second time?"
Shin ignored his insults and instead scanned for possible hidden threats. Once his reconnaissance was done, he took a combat stance, his body emitting the bluish glow characteristic of the perpetual cycle.
— "Shin, don't fall for his provocation! You're already injured; better go straight at him. We'll have a chance to shake him off!"Manu shouted, worried as he saw his friend taking the initiative.
— "Trust me, I can handle him for now. Go get the transformer while I deal with him. We only have thirty minutes, so hurry."
Don't tell me he actually thinks we can do this when he failed miserably last time and is in an even worse state now… Hoping Manu would make a smart remark to stop him, I turned to him, but…
— "I trust you then. Come on, let's go!"
Manu obeyed with blind trust in his friend, worthy of a religious faith.
I didn't understand. What drives these two idiots to go so far? Why? To save those people outside whom they don't even know? People who won't care if they die? The same people who abandoned us and did nothing for me and my family?
— "Why?"I unconsciously whispered as I prepared to follow Manu toward Céline's office, and with the most satisfied smile, Manu replied:
— "We're playing heroes, that's all. Watch us."
He, usually so passive since the first time I saw him at the meeting, radiated an almost mystical aura, as if this were truly the reason for all the suffering we endured: because they wanted to play heroes? What's wrong with them? Do they think they're superheroes that only exist in comic books?
As we walked away, Shin's voice rang out one last time to give us a warning.
— "Haru, I suggest you do this right… or your son will end up dying in horrible pain, and you'll be next."
A shiver ran down my spine as horrifying images, each more heart-wrenching than the last, flashed through my mind—images of my dead son.
No, I cannot allow this!
Biting my lips, I quickened my pace. No, a mother cannot allow herself to be the reason for her son's death; I too have a reason to fight.