"Since when has the floor been this comfortable?"
Jack was lying next to Valentine on a small bed. He turned to his left and slowly opened his eyes.
Damn it, that guy is right there!
He immediately shut them again.
This is a dream... yeah, it's just a dream. When I open them again, the bad guy will be gone.
He opened his eyes once more, but was struck speechless, a lump forming in his throat as a cold chill ran down his spine.
"No, this definitely isn't a dream," he whispered, staring at Axcel sitting on the floor.
"Hey kid, if you're thinking this was all a dream... let me tell you, it was all real," Alisha said, raising her voice. She was sitting on a chair in front of the door of the small maintenance tool room.
Jack closed his eyes again instantly.
"You idiot kid, why are you closing your eyes? I already know you're awake," she shouted, a note of anger creeping into her voice.
"You have no right to say anything to me, because you guys tried to kill us!" Jack yelled, getting off the bed and glaring at Alisha with deep anger.
He's right. I shouldn't be so rude!
"I'm sorry. We didn't want to do this... we were just following orders," she lowered her voice, hanging her head.
"What kind of orders?"
"They're classified. You can't know."
"Just be glad you're still alive." She raised her voice again, staring straight at him.
Jack lowered his eyes and stopped pushing.
Looks like he gets it.
"By the way... he's not going to wake up and try to kill us again, is he?" Jack asked, his voice rising slightly as he stared at Axcel.
"Don't worry about that. He's going to sleep for a good while longer, and even when he wakes up, he won't hurt you."
"How can you be so sure?" he raised his voice again, his face flushed with anger.
"Because if he wanted you dead, you'd be dead already. He never even fought you seriously."
Jack swallowed hard and broke into a cold sweat.
"Get ready and grab your friend. I'll handle Axcel and the other girl. We need to get out of here right now. My barrier is breaking, and the monsters are about to burst in."
So I couldn't even make him sweat. This guy is way out of my league.
"Kid, are you listening to me?"
Then... Dragon probably hasn't shown his full power yet either.
"Kid, do you hear me?"
"HEY! WAKE UP ALREADY!" she shouted, staring right at Jack with a grim look on her face.
Jack snapped his attention back to her.
"I've been telling you to get ready and grab your friend! We need to move, now!"
"Why the rush?" he asked quietly, curiosity written across his face.
"Because thousands of monsters are trying to get in, my barrier won't hold much longer, you're in no condition to fight, and I can't protect everyone at the same time!"
…..
"RAHHHHHHH!" roared a creature, slamming both fists with everything it had.
"Panraka zu zuna."
...
Air Palm.
...
"Raah zu cha," another whispered, throwing electric, vibrating kicks against the barrier.
"Graaahhh!" roared a third, forcing several Minions to smash into the barrier over and over again.
"He... He... He," the air seemed to murmur as a monster raised its front paws to clap, sending a shockwave slamming against the barrier.
…..
"We're ready!" Jack called out. He tried to pull Valentine out of bed, but she refused to budge.
"Hey... Valentine. This is no time to sleep; time to get up," he whispered, still trying to scoop her up.
"I don't want to, Jack... Pink Bunny is winning the carrot-eating contest against Black Bunny, and I want to see how it ends..." she muttered with her eyes half-open, clinging to the mattress.
Alisha blushed instantly upon hearing her sleep-talking, then burst out laughing.
Pink bunny, black bunny... what in the world?
"Thanks... for not leaving Valentine's crutch behind," Jack said softly, his expression turning serious. He put on his backpack, ready to go.
"Nothing to thank me for," she replied quietly with a smile.
Jack sat on the bed, pulled Valentine onto his back, hoisted her up, and stood up.
"Please look after Alicia," he said in a low voice, walking straight toward the door.
"Sure thing. Don't worry, I'll be out in less than a minute."
How is she going to carry both of them? Jack whispered to himself as he waited outside the small room.
"OOH-HOO-HOO... Pink bunny is losing the war! What a fierce battle!" Valentine blurted out asleep right next to his ear.
Jack tensed up instantly.
"Hey, don't do that! For a second I thought that thing was back. I can't believe you're still sleeping through this," he gasped, placing a hand on his chest and taking a deep breath of relief.
"I'M READY!" Alisha shouted, bursting out of the small room with Axcel and Alicia floating in mid-air.
"AHHHHHH!" Jack screamed, hand on his chest, his entire body tense and his face bright red.
Alisha went silent for a moment.
"AHA-HAHA! Why are you screaming? Relax, I know you're at your limit, right?"
"You're right, and that's why I'm so strung out. Right now, running is all I can do," he confessed, lowering his head.
"Just follow me. I promise I'll protect everyone until we reach a safe place!" she declared, her expression resolute.
Alisha began charging her legs with electricity and took off running.
Jack immediately began charging his legs with electricity too, but Alisha was already way ahead.
"Don't fall behind, kid!" she called back as she pulled away.
"Damn it... she's fast!" he muttered, finishing his charge before sprinting after her. Five seconds later, Jack shot forward like a bullet, catching up to Alisha.
"There's a building up ahead. We'll take the sewers to avoid confrontation," she called out as they ran.
But there's a Chronius waiting for us near the building...
As they approached the structure, two long-range attacks shot straight toward Alisha and Jack's faces.
Not this bastard again.
"Panraka zu zuna Direct Than," the creature waiting for them chanted in a raised voice.
...
Double Directed Air Palm.
...
"Wolf Fang: Rising Pyramid," Alisha whispered just as the monster's attack was about to hit them, deflecting it instantly.
What? That easily?
Jack looked confused and utterly powerless.
Alisha immediately raised her left hand, curving her fingers like a claw toward the Chronius.
"Panraka zu zuna Dire..."
"Levitato: Crushing Gravity," she commanded, slowly curling her fingers into a fist.
As they kept running, the creature was crushed into nothingness within ten seconds, unable to make a single sound.
Wow. So that was it?
Jack still couldn't process what had just happened, even as they entered the building and leapt down a shaft into the sewers.
Alisha instantly destroyed the entrance behind them to stop the creatures from following. They kept running, with Jack remaining completely silent.
Why is he so quiet?
Alisha glanced at Jack's face and noticed his vacant, distant gaze. "Hey, kid. Where are we heading?" she raised her voice slightly.
No answer from Jack. He was still trying to digest the sheer difference in their strength.
I need to get stronger so I can protect Valentine.
"HEY! WAKE UP ALREADY!" she barked, her tone severe.
"Sorry, I was just thinking," he whispered, looking downcast.
"If you're comparing your strength to ours, stop it right now!"
"The gap between a pure hybrid and an altered one is massive!" she stated with absolute seriousness.
"Alright, I'll let it go. Turn right up ahead; we're close to our place."
Even without modifications, you're pretty strong already. I wonder what would happen if you ever got modified...
They kept moving in the same direction until they reached a fork in the tunnel.
Left side... straight to the building where Jack fought Stevens and Walter.
Right side... toward Jack and Valentine's home.
"This is where we part ways, kid. Good luck!" Alisha called out, splitting her air bubble in two and handing the half containing Alicia directly into his hands.
I didn't notice his arms before, but those bandages prove it. This kid has been fighting alone for way too long. That's just cruel.
"I hope we meet again someday," Jack said softly, a trace of melancholy on his face, as she sprinted away down the left side of the tunnel.
"I hope so too," he whispered sadly.
She forgot to tell me how long this weird air balloon is going to last.
Jack resumed his path at full speed, heading straight home.
.....
We finally made it... and most importantly, we're alive.
Jack was inside his home, Valentine on his back and Alicia floating in mid-air, both completely unconscious.
"Man... today was intense," he sighed, walking toward Valentine's room.
Reaching the door, he hesitated, his hand hovering over the doorknob. Tears began to well up in his eyes. He turned the knob, entered the room, sat on the bed, and gently lowered Valentine down.
He laid her on the mattress, then turned to Alicia's bubble. Charging his right hand with electricity, he popped the air globe, catching Alicia in his arms before she fell.
I have to get stronger. I have to keep Valentine out of danger.
He laid Alicia next to Valentine, covered them both with a blanket, and took off his backpack containing Valentine's crutch, placing it by the bed. But the reality of their situation hit him all at once, and tears completely consumed him.
"I'm sorry, Valentine... I was wrong to... bring you out there," he whispered, his voice cracking completely.
He turned and looked into the room's mirror. His face was a broken wreck, and the bandages on his arms were soaked red with blood.
…..
"Jordan, what is going on here?"
"I don't know, Emma. All I know is the further we go, the heavier we feel."
"Yeah... I barely have any energy left to keep moving."
"We don't have a choice. The exit is blocked."
"This place stinks like rotting corpses."
Jordan and Emma were resting, trapped inside a building called Passion pour le sucré. Emma's left ankle was severely injured.
Suddenly, a sickening crunching noise echoed throughout the entire building. The sound was so unnerving that Emma and Jordan fell dead silent until it finally stopped.
"We need to get out of here, Jordan," Emma whispered, her face distorted with horror.
"Yeah, let me get you up!" he yelled. He stood up, scooped Emma into his arms, and started running with everything he had to escape.
Right... Left.
Left... Right.
Right... Right.
They spotted a door marked "EXIT." Both of them gasped in relief, but Jordan's body suddenly froze in place, dropping Emma to the floor.
"AHHH! What is it now, Jordan?!" she screamed, eyes shut tight as she gasped for air after landing hard on her injured ankle.
No reply.
Jordan was suspended in mid-air, his eyes turned completely white.
Emma opened her eyes and looked up. She saw him floating helplessly and tried to pull him down, but it was impossible—Jordan felt impossibly heavy, far beyond anything normal.
"Lenthato: Ratnitzu Aprioriz"
...
Levitato: Crushing Gravity.
...
A looming shadow approached, its voice echoing as its fingers slowly curled together. Jordan's eyes began to bleed, his flesh tearing agonizingly slow—all without him being able to utter a single sound.
"Jordan, no! Please, don't leave me!" Emma cried out, crawling on her elbows to reach his feet, but she barely made any ground.
One of Jordan's feet snapped upward while he remained suspended in mid-air. A moment later, his left arm ripped clean off his body, leaving him with only his right leg and right arm intact. His eyes swelled until they burst inside their sockets, spattering blood and tissue across Emma's face.
The creature kept approaching slowly, closing its hand bit by bit.
Emma broke down completely, weeping as she tried to force herself off the ground to hold onto Jordan. But her spine snapped instantly, and she collapsed back down.
A second later, her body began to levitate, her fractured spine resetting itself with a sickening pop.
Emma stared directly at Jordan's lifeless body, spitting up blood. Before she could burst into tears, Jordan's remaining right arm snapped off and impaled her through the neck. It was yanked out a second later, leaving a pooling mess of blood covering the floor...