Aurora – Epilogue

(Daybreak on a Peaceful World)

 

Peace came to both the Ameci Region and the Thekohnian Region for years to come. After the new treaty was signed, these lands oversaw a new era of peace and an opportunity for an even better future. Amos Ahnle, who had no intention of ever becoming king in the first place, adapted quickly and became a respected leader not only in Ahnlikohn, but throughout the region.

Over in the island nation of Kikuisha, the next-in-line empress Kiku Izumi began her training. After marrying Noa Mzade, Kiku then succeeded her mother and became the youngest empress in her country’s history. People regarded her as a benevolent and sociable leader, even seeing her at the park from time to time, though she still traveled alongside her guards Ayame Hayashi and Igor Kuznetsov, who married not long after. Noa, meanwhile, continued his work in the Kikuishan tourism industry, leading to a boom in tourists from all around the world.

Luna Del Bosque’s career as a singer found roaring success once she was discovered by an Ameci manager in Admorse. She traveled all over the lands, bringing her talent to many an audience and an eventual career in the theater. Luna later met a charming man around her age and eventually married him. The two continue to tour around the world as a duet.

Pekka Varjostaa left behind his past as an ex-convict and found a purpose working with Luna’s father as a construction director. He helped rebuild many abandoned buildings in Glora, leading to many businesses establishing inside the mountain city. Pekka never did forget about Johan, but did eventually hit it off with a fellow worker. Soon after, Pekka moved to Rezar with his husband and found jobs working with Gavin Power.

Law Power and Ayanna Ansa grew to have a stable marriage. Law proved himself to be a faithful and supportive husband to Ayanna, who kept her last name. He continued his career on the stage while she became a general of the highest regard. Some have even wondered if she would eventually decide to run for prime minister. The two have a son on the way with many more planned, at least according to Law. Ayanna still continues with her work in making Iiayikohn a better place.

Gavin Power remained a single man, though his love for cooking became known across the world. Many travel in order to experience the fine cuisine for themselves and give their regards to Gavin. He has to remind himself daily not to let the praise go to his head. Alongside his work as a chef, Gavin has begun selling coffee all over the world.

Eva Bellamy quickly returned to Ameci and proceeded to assist Henry in his mayoral duties. Though she misses the days when she was a nurse, Eva soon found herself working as an advisor in Henry’s campaign for senator. She then fell in love with a journalist and the two wed eleven months afterward. She still keeps her sword in her house, though she never uses it anymore. Eva still keeps up with the other members of the Swords of Eight, though they have lives of their own as well.

Henry and Tori Randolph welcomed their daughter into the world, though he soon returned to work. As mayor, Henry saw high approval from the citizens of Admorse. This led him to pursue higher office, which in turn helped him to become senator. But Henry did not stop there as he had aspirations of presidency and of helping Ameci and its people. His two sons followed in his footsteps, with one becoming an up-and-coming junior lieutenant and the other attending law school. Tori, meanwhile, still keeps up with Rohan Fercewend’s wife Laila and wonders when Fercewend will finish serving his time.

Rain Zano Thedam became regarded as a highly popular leader and well beloved by her citizens. She was able to lead effectively in organizing the treaty and has helped humanitarian efforts all throughout the Thekohnian Region. Her consort, Mina Rask, became the trainer for a newly formed Royal Guard, and her strength became well known to many across the region. The two live a happy life together and occasionally travel the countryside by themselves. Rain’s sister and Mina’s mother became quick friends, while Drake still continues his work as a locksmith in Rezar. Mina still visits him often.

No one ever saw Johan Kuu again, though some have said that the Moonlit Silence still continues their work behind the scenes. Whether or not Johan was able to see the results of his work was unknown. Sorin still wonders about him and surmises to himself that Johan is still out there somewhere. Whether or not that is true, however, is another case. But no one ever forgot about Johan, even as the years went by.

Sorin and Gale quickly got married after their trip and she took his name. Gale then proceeded to leave the Kunigunde name entirely behind and renamed her father’s company. As the owner and president of Wilk-Hudde, Gale turned the company around and it quickly became the number one name in travel, with plans of flight becoming a possibility. Off work, she and Sorin spend as much time as they can together.

Sorin Wilk, meanwhile, sought a career in art. He soon became well known for his paintings, but remained in Ameci so he could support his wife. His friends come to visit him time to time and he does much the same. Still, though, he chose to stay in Ameci with Gale and the two have a happy and healthy marriage. Sorin knows that none of this could have been possible without everyone’s support. Each night, Sorin looks up to the sky and wonders if his family can see him, but he knows that they would be happy with the man he has become. To this day, Sorin Wilk looks on Ameci with a beaming smile upon his face.

 

The End

 

Previous | END

Aurora – Chapter 50 (Part 2)

[5th of June, 2741 AD; Executive Hotel – Ballroom Number One, Rezar, Iiayikohn – Deca District]

 

“To a new beginning!” Law exclaimed. “I really couldn’t have imagined we would be here, but I’m so glad that we are.”

“I’m so glad, too,” Ayanna replied. “To a new beginning!”

Ayanna and Law shared a kiss as everyone clapped. Once the wedding was over, everyone went over to the Executive Hotel for the reception. Law sat next to Sorin and slapped him on the back, laughing as he did. Ayanna, Gavin, and Gale watched as everyone celebrated.

“It’s really a shame you’ve got to head out so soon, man,” Law said to Sorin. “It’d be a hell of a lot of fun if we could have a couple of drinks, but I understand you and Gale got a lot to see.”

“I appreciate the thought,” Sorin replied.

“Just remember that you’re always welcome with us,” Law said. “It doesn’t matter what time of the year it is, you can see us any time.”

“We’ll be sure to drop by,” Gale said. “So Gavin, how’s business working out for you?”

“It’s going well,” Gavin answered. “Right now it’s slow, but it’ll pick up once the summit happens.”

“Yes, it all seems to be coming together now,” Ayanna said. “In fact, I even had a wonderful discussion with Rain earlier today.”

“Where is she, by the way?” Gale asked.

“She should be around here somewhere,” Ayanna replied.

“Last I saw, she and Mina were talking to Kiku,” Law said. “Oh, and I guess Noa was there, too.”

“Well, we can talk with them later,” Gale said.

“Everyone’s busy, you know,” Law said. “But I would be lying to myself if I said that I didn’t miss the action.”

“You’d be the only one,” Gavin replied. “I’m glad the fight’s over.”

“So am I, but you gotta admit that we had some fun times together,” Law said. “All of us working together and all… But then again, I wouldn’t be able to have this moment with the love of my life here by my side.”

“I love you too, Law,” Ayanna replied, placing her hand on his.

“So how about it?” Law asked. “You don’t mind getting up on the floor and dancing with me, do you?”

“With you, of course,” Ayanna said.

They stood up together and began walking towards the open floor. As Sorin and Gale waved them off, they turned back to Gavin who took a drink of coffee. He sat the cup down and looked over to them.

“They just got up like that, huh,” Gavin said. “As for me, I’m fine where I’m sitting, though it looks like I’m gonna need another cup of coffee soon.”

“You don’t want to join them?” Sorin asked.

“It’s not that I don’t care,” Gavin replied. “Besides, you could use this time to see everybody else before you leave.”

“Maybe we’ll stay for a little longer,” Sorin said. “I imagine they’ll come and talk with us sooner or later.”

“I’m sure they will,” Gale said.

“Very well,” Gavin said. “May as well get a cup or two before you go.”

“Good idea,” Sorin said.

As Sorin and Gale joined Gavin for some coffee, they enjoyed the rest of the evening as the reception continued on. Like Sorin said, everyone came to talk to them while wishing Ayanna and Law well. It was a time for celebration and one where no one had to worry. It was a time where Sorin could spend time with his friends before he and Gale had to leave the next day. The journey may have been over, but Sorin knew that this was far from the last time he would ever see his friends again.

 

*****

 

[6th of June, 2741 AD; Port of Iiayi, Rezar, Iiayikohn – Morning Shine]

 

The air felt warm on Sorin’s face as he gazed at the Great Iiayine with Gale. Eva went to see them off as everyone else had gone on with their lives, though Sorin and Gale did make sure to say goodbye to them before they left. As the ramp opened up, Sorin looked over to see that Eva was smiling at them both. It was a welcoming sight to see as Eva had gone through a lot during their journey together. She put back her hair and handed Gale a bouquet of flowers.

“I… Even now, I still don’t know what to say,” Eva said. “After all that’s happened, I don’t even know where to begin…”

“It’s fine, Eva,” Sorin replied. “Thank you for the flowers.”

“You look beautiful,” Gale said to Eva. “And thank you for coming to see us off.”

“You’re welcome,” Eva said. “I don’t want to keep you for too long, so you can go already if you want.”

“I want to thank you,” Sorin said. “For everything you’ve done, I want to thank you for helping me. If it weren’t for you, I don’t think any of this could’ve been possible.”

“You don’t need to… I mean, I should thank you, too,” Eva replied. “It was because of you and everyone else that I’m here now.”

“We all came this far together,” Sorin said. “And I know that you’ll always be there for us as we will for you.”

“I know,” Eva said, rubbing her eye.

“Is everything alright?” Gale asked.

“Of course everything’s alright,” Eva said. “I’m seeing off my friends and it won’t be long until we meet again.”

“That’s right,” Sorin replied. “Soon we’ll all meet again… You’ll be there too, right?”

“I wouldn’t dare miss it,” Eva said. “And I know Kirk wouldn’t want me to miss it, either.”

“I’m pretty sure he would say that if he were here,” Sorin said. “Wherever he is now, I know he’s proud of us all.”

“He would be,” Eva replied. “That’s why I’m happy now, because I still have much to do before I’m done.”

“I’m happy that you’re happy,” Sorin said.

“Thank you,” Eva said. “Anyway, you should go now, right? You don’t want to miss out on a good view.”

“We won’t,” Gale replied. “We’ll see you later, Eva.”

“Oh, I can’t just hold back,” Eva said. “Come here, Sorin.”

She reached out her arms and hugged Sorin. He returned the gesture while the ship’s horn rang out. Sorin knew that the respect between him and Eva was mutual as she then let herself off of him. Eva then reached out to Gale and gave her a hug in turn.

“You two have a safe trip,” Eva said.

“We will,” Gale said. “Sorin?”

“It’s okay,” Sorin said to Eva. “I guess this is truly goodbye for now…”

Sorin and Gale then said goodbye to Eva and proceeded to board the ship. As they made it onto the deck, Sorin went over to the railings to see Eva waving them goodbye. She kept waving to them, so Sorin and Gale returned by waving back at her. They continued on saying their goodbyes to Eva until the ship began to move, which at that point became a sign that a new journey began for Sorin and Gale as they set their sights on the vast world that awaited them.

“It’s finally nice to have some time for ourselves, isn’t it?” Gale asked. “We can finally see the rest of the world and what it has to offer.”

“Yep, I can’t wait to see it,” Sorin replied. “And I especially can’t wait to see it all with you.”

“It’s going to be fun,” Gale said, “Not just because of what’s ahead of us, but because we’ll always be able to cherish the memories together.”

“I know,” Sorin said as he held Gale’s hand. “I’m ready to see it all with you and go wherever this journey takes us.”

With the light breeze of ocean air flowing through, Sorin then shared a kiss with Gale. There was no telling what the future held for them, but Sorin knew he and Gale would take it on together. Everything that they had worked towards had finally been achieved. Now they walked a new path hand-in-hand with nothing but support from their friends. With everyone able to secure their own futures, Sorin was happy. And with Gale at his side, nothing could deter him from sharing that happiness with her.

 

Previous | Epilogue – Daybreak on a Peaceful World

Aurora – Chapter 50 (Part 1)

[15th of May, 2741 AD; The Royal Kingdom of Thekohn – Inside Thedam Castle Hall]

 

“Happy birthday, Gavin!” Mina exclaimed.

Gavin chuckled. “You honestly didn’t need to do all this,” he said, shaking his head. “A simple gathering would have sufficed.”

“Oh, Gavvy, come on and be happy,” Kiku said. “We’ve all gathered here to celebrate not just your birthday, but because you became a chef, too!”

“Is it really necessary?” Gavin asked. “It’s not as if all of you will have the time to come and see the restaurant.”

“We’re all just happy for you, bro,” Law said. “After all, you went out and made something of yourself!”

Everyone gathered at the castle to celebrate Gavin’s success in addition to it being his birthday. Sorin and Gale had arrived the day prior in order to meet with everyone and catch up on what they were doing. The next day, everyone planned out a surprise party for Gavin in the main hall of Thedam Castle, even though it looked as if Gavin was fully aware of what was going on. The smile on his face as Dustin and Gamel brought out the celebratory banner made it difficult for Sorin not to laugh out loud.

However, despite the abundance of people in the castle, there were a couple of people that did not make it. Henry was not able to attend, which Sorin understood because he wanted to be with Tori in order to witness the birth of his daughter. The other person that did not come to the castle, however, was Johan. In fact, Sorin still had not heard from Johan ever since he went to see Dia in her home. By the time he and Gale arrived, Dia stated that Johan had already left Ameci the day before. All Sorin could do at that point was to tell Dia to let him know when Johan returned, but as time began to pass, no message of any sort came about. 

“Wilkie, are you and Gigi just going to stand there?” Kiku asked.

Sorin snapped out of his thoughts. “Oh, what’s up?”

“We’re heading to the ballroom,” Kiku replied. “Come on and join us! It’s going to be a lot of fun if you do!”

“Let’s do that,” Gale said.

“Go on ahead,” Sorin said. “There’s something that I want to talk to Rain about.”

Kiku rushed up to Gale and grabbed her hand. “Seriously, Wilkie, there’s even going to be a band,” she said. “I think Gab’s going to make her big debut as a singer, too!”

“I don’t want to make you guys wait,” Sorin said.

“Let’s just go, Kiku,” Gale said. “We can save a seat for Sorin.”

“It seems you don’t mind if I take your girlfriend for a bit,” Kiku said. “Okay then, I’ll take care of her until you arrive.”

With that, Kiku whisked Gale away to the ballroom. Everyone else began to head towards there as well, leaving Sorin to seek out Rain. She had to be upstairs, so Sorin decided to go up and look for her. He found her standing on the balcony outside and greeted her, to which she waved back.

“Are you not interested in the party?” Rain asked.

“Of course I am,” Sorin replied. “But I thought that you were going to be there as well.”

“You wanted to talk to me,” Rain said.

“Just curious about everything regarding the summit,” Sorin said. “I heard that the talks are going well with Amos.”

“So far, we’ve set out some ideas,” Rain replied. “After all that’s happened, Amos understands what needs to be done. It hasn’t been completely easy, but our talks have been effective.”

“That’s good to hear,” Sorin said.

“In fact, I’ve even had some cooperation from President Hasker,” Rain said. “It came as quite a surprise to be honest.”

“Do you think it has to do with his relation to Foundation?” Sorin asked.

“He did express regret about what happened,” Rain said. “Hasker knew he was being used, but if he truly does feel sorry, then we shouldn’t have a problem in trying to reach an agreement.”

“I guess we’ll have to see, then,” Sorin said.

“I’d like to have faith in him,” Rain said. “The main problem has been taken care of, so all that’s left is what we can do to make sure something like that never happens again.”

Sorin agreed. “It’ll be a future to look forward to.”

“I truly can’t thank you enough,” Rain replied. “You’ve been an invaluable ally and friend, as has everybody else.”

“Shouldn’t I be the one thanking you?” Sorin asked. “You stood by my side even when the pressure mounted. If not for you and the kingdom, there would’ve been no place for me while Harold Mars conducted his business as usual.”

“What matters is that we came out of that with the chance to change our world for the better,” Rain said. “I already know that Gale’s going to contribute so much to help make people happy.”

“It’s surprising how much can change in a few months,” Sorin said. “I never would’ve guessed we’d be able to use that industry, much less use it for good.”

“I look forward to seeing what Gale will do with it,” Rain said.

“So am I,” Sorin replied.

“Since we’re on this topic, perhaps you can answer my question,” Rain said. “About you and Gale, I mean.”

“What is it?” Sorin asked.

“You and Gale are going on a long trip, right,” Rain said, “So what I want to know is—and this can just be between us—when is the wedding?”

“Oh, I don’t know exactly,” Sorin replied. “Neither of us do, really. We just had a certain goal in mind and based it off of that.”

“So it’ll be when you’re done traveling?” Rain asked.

“That’s basically it,” he said.

“Well, if you need a place to plan, you’ve always got here,” Rain said. “I know it just sounds like I’m just renting out the castle for all sorts of events, but you’re my friend and I want to make you feel welcome whenever you’re here. Just remember that.”

“I will,” Sorin said. “Whenever the time comes, I’ll be sure to let you know.”

Rain smiled. “That’s good.”

“Now I gotta ask you,” Sorin said. “It’s only fair, after all.”

“About Mina and I?” Rain asked. “Well, she and I have already picked out a date for that.”

“You have?”

“But I’ll let you and Gale know in due time,” Rain said. “That’s part of the deal, I’d say.”

“I guess that’s fair,” Sorin replied.

“I’m glad we agree,” Rain said. “Now let’s go and see what everyone’s up to. I don’t want to miss Gavin’s party, do you?”

“Let’s go,” Sorin said.

They went downstairs together and headed directly towards the ballroom. Inside, Sorin and Rainwatched the event unfold as everybody celebrated Gavin’s accomplishment. He sat at the table by the side with Law, Mina, Ayanna, and Gale as Sorin and Rain went over to join the group. At the table next to them sat Kiku and Noa, while Ayame and Igor were busy talking with Dustin and Gamal. Sorin took a seat next to Gale while Mina teased Gavin about his sunglasses.

“It’s not like I’m going to take them for too long,” Mina said. “I just want to know what I look like in them!”

“That’s not happening,” Gavin replied. “I don’t take these sunglasses off for anyone, not even you, Mina.”

“Aw come on,” Mina said.

“He’s pretty strict about his shades,” Law said. “Perhaps you shouldn’t be pressuring him.”

“So you’ve never taken them off?” Ayanna wondered. “Not even when you go to sleep?”

“What an asinine question,” Gavin said. “Of course I do!”

“Maybe you should just entertain Mina on her request,” Rain said. “It’s not as if it’ll be the end of the world if we saw you without your sunglasses.”

“Give me a break,” Gavin said. “I already told you I’m not going to.”

“It does seem a little silly to be so adamant about it,” Gale said. “There’s not that much sunlight in here, anyway.”

Gavin turned his head. “My answer remains the same,” he said. “I’m not taking them off.”

“It’s a shame,” Kiku said. “I bet you’d look really cool even without them.”

“What makes you think that?” Gavin asked.

Just as Gavin asked that question, Mina reached from behind and took off Gavin’s sunglasses. He turned around and found that she had already put them on and crossed her arms.

“Look at me, I’m Gavin!” Mina exclaimed, trying her best to imitate Gavin’s deep voice. “I never take my sunglasses off, not even when I shower!”

“Give them back!” Gavin said, covering his eyes.

Everyone had a small laugh as Mina took off the sunglasses and handed them back over to Gavin. Once he had his sunglasses back on, he breathed a sigh and looked over to Sorin.

“Stop smiling already,” Gavin said. “The ‘joke’ is already over, so why don’t we just move on?”

“I gotta admit it was pretty funny, though,” Law said. “This is your party, bro! Have a little fun!”

“You think I’m not?” Gavin asked.

“Well, sometimes, it’s hard to tell with you,” Gale said.

“Then I guess I’ll just have to show you how I have fun,” Gavin said. “Why don’t we get the band to play a tune, Rain?”

“That’s up to them,” Rain answered. “But I think Luna’s actually going to sing soon.”

“She is?” Law asked. “I guess Luna’s worked up the courage to take on the stage, after all.”

“It’ll be her first time in front of this many people,” Kiku said. “I talked with her just before the party started and she seemed so nervous, it was so cute!”

“God, having to do that in a place like this sounds awful,” Noa said. “I don’t envy her at all.”

“When you hear her sing, you might change your tune, Nona,” Kiku said. “Then again, I love you most when you’re so sweet and shy!”

She huddled together with Noa as the band stopped. Everyone watched as Luna made her way onto the stage in a purple dress. Sorin had heard her singing voice before, but did not know how her debut was going to go. Before she began singing, Pekka joined the group at the table and took a seat near Gavin.

“I can only assume she’s beyond terrified up there on stage,” Pekka said, “So let’s be supportive.”

“Got it,” Sorin said.

Luna stood behind the microphone and looked around. “Hello everybody… Um, my name’s Luna,” she said. “I… I wanted to greet you all because I wanted to sing for you…”

Everyone in the ballroom clapped as Luna smiled. Sorin watched as Luna waved back and set her sights on his group. She nodded her head and appeared to take a deep breath. Once she opened her eyes, Luna looked back at the band and then back to the rest of the room.

“But that’s not the only reason we’re here,” Luna said. “We’re here to help celebrate an important friend’s birthday. Gavin, am I doing okay?”

Gavin gave a thumbs up in response.

“And I don’t want to take any of this away from you, either, but there’s so many people I’ve gotta thank,” Luna said. “That can wait for later, though; you guys want to hear me, right?”

Everyone clapped again.

“Got ya,” Luna replied. “Well, Gavin, I hope you enjoy this one most of all. I don’t have a name for this song just yet as I wrote the lyrics just last night, but I hope you like it anyway because I really worked hard on it, so let’s begin!”

As the band broke into an upbeat, powerful tune, Sorin sat back with Gale as everyone else listened. Sorin was happy to see Luna get a handle on her nerves and sing with confidence as she captivated the entire ballroom with her singing. The party continued into the night with multiple celebrations and a reassurance that everything was good. Nothing could deter Sorin and his friends from the fun they had, temporary as it may be. It was a night no one wanted to see end.

 

To be continued…

 

Previous | Next Part

Aurora – Chapter 48 (Part 2)

[10th of January, 2741 AD; Drake Rask’s house, Rezar, Iiayikohn]

 

Sorin looked around outside. The large trees were a welcoming sight to him as Gale went over to join him. Just over a week had passed since they had taken down Harold Mars and Foundation. Afterwards, everyone met at the new prime minister’s office to discuss the next course of action. The next day, Reiss assumed the role of prime minister until the next election. But the biggest surprise to come out that morning shocked everyone save for Sorin, Eva, and Mina. The look that appeared on Gavin’s face Mina erupt into laughter while he struggled to find the right words in reaction to the fact that Law and Ayanna were to be wed in the summer. Finally, he had settled upon one.

“Congratulations,” Gavin said as he pushed up against the bridge of his sunglasses. “I truly mean it when I say that.”

Everybody else had given their own sort of congratulatory remarks to Law and Ayanna as they made it clear the exact date. It was a secret that Sorin kept for Mina’s sake and now it all came together. Still, there were plenty of questions that needed answering. The summit in Glora had been delayed but with the news of Amelia’s abdication, there were to be new talks in regards to when the summit would resume. Sorin could only wonder what Rain would do now that Amos was to succeed the throne in Ahnlikohn. Ever since that night, Sorin and Gale chose to remain in Rezar for the time being.

“It feels a lot different, doesn’t it?” Gale asked.

“Everyone’s resuming their lives back at their homes,” Sorin said. “This is the sort of peace we’ve been fighting for and now we have it.”

“Yeah, it’s a good thing,” Gale replied. “I do miss seeing the others, though. At least we can still see Gavin, Law, and Ayanna every day.”

“True, but Ayanna’s been busy ever since she became general,” Sorin said. “I don’t envy the workload, but this was something she’s been working for ever since we met her.”

“It must be a lot of work to prepare the wedding, too,” Gale said. “Law has really been taking it seriously, which is something I never could have imagined happening.”

“I can understand,” Sorin said.

“As can I,” Gale said. “We’ve all changed a bit, haven’t we?”

“You could say that again,” Sorin said. “But definitely we’ve helped to make this world better, I can feel it. I just wish they were here to see it.”

“I know,” Gale said as she reached her hand out to Sorin’s. “But even if they aren’t around anymore, you can live on for them.”

“Right, I’ve been given this chance because of my father and Rysol,” Sorin replied. “And I can use that chance to be a part of something better. I can help you achieve your dreams now.”

“That would be nice,” Gale said. “Since it looks like Kunigunde Industries is going to need new leadership, having you on my side will help.”

“You’re going through with it?” Sorin asked.

“There would have to be a lot of changes, right down to what the company is known for,” Gale replied. “But since there’s already so much at stake, it would make a lot of sense to repurpose what Kunigunde Industries stands for and what can be done for the future.”

“It would be for the best if that’s the case,” Sorin said. “There’s no reason to create weapons meant for war if we don’t have a reason to fight, so repurposing would make a lot of sense.”

“I’d still have to meet with him, though,” Gale said. “It’s not something I’d like to do, but it’s necessary for moving forward with the plan.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Sorin said. “From what Henry said, Isaac’s looking to serve a lifetime sentence.”

“We’ll have to see for ourselves,” Gale said. “I wonder if any of this will end up making him realize just how much harm he’s caused other people, but I doubt it will.”

“Guess we’ll find out when we see him,” Sorin said. “Say, do you want to go and walk with me to the city?”

“I’d love to,” Gale replied.

They continued to hold hands as they headed towards the city. Sorin was happy to walk alongside Gale now that everything had calmed down. It was the type of peace that Johan had strived for and one Sorin was happy to have. But even after the fact, Sorin did not have the proper chance to say goodbye to his friend before he left. According to Drake, Johan left in the early morning with Dia in order to return to Ameci. Sorin had to wonder what Johan would do now given all that had happened to him, especially Jelka’s death. He knew that Johan had held back his feelings for the sake of completing his mission, which was why Sorin had to believe it was a somber trip back home for him. It was a difficult fact to process in the wake of his own happiness, but Sorin knew that Johan would not have minded one bit.

“This path never gets old to me,” Gale said. “Even when we walk down each time, I can always appreciate the nature before me.”

Sorin looked up at the path to the city. “Drake really does have it nice,” he said. “I guess that’s why he can’t just leave for the kingdom with Mina and her mother just yet.”

“We’ll see them again soon,” Gale said. “I know we will.”

“We’d have to if we’re going to that wedding,” Sorin replied.

“Of course,” Gale said. “That wedding is important to both of our friends, isn’t it?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?” Sorin asked.

“Just asking a rhetorical question,” Gale replied. “So, is there anywhere else you’d like to go?”

“Besides back to Ameci, you mean,” Sorin said.

Gale nodded. “There’s still a lot of the world we haven’t seen yet,” she said. “It would be nice to have one long trip around the world before we come back… You know, just us two.”

“That would be great,” Sorin said.

“And after that, perhaps we can follow in the footsteps of our friends,” she said. “We’ve been together for quite a while, haven’t we?”

“It’s something to think about,” Sorin replied.

“Well, whenever we have the time, we can plan it all out,” Gale said. “Right now, maybe we should go and see what Gavin’s up to.”

Sorin smiled. “At the same place, right?”

“Where else would he be at?” Gale asked. “I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if we had a look for ourselves.”

 

*****

 

It was a welcome return to the market as Sorin and Gale entered the small cooking school where Gavin trained. Upon entering inside, they spotted Gavin in a full chef’s uniform complete with hat and sunglasses. Gale did her best not to laugh as Sorin waved over to him. Gavin noticed the two and left his station in order to greet them.

“You two really got nothing better to do, do you,” Gavin said. “I’d expect it from Sorin, but I thought that at least Gale would be busy doing something more important than this.”

“Oh come on, Gavin, we just wanted to see you in action,” Gale replied. “I’d really like to see how you’re coming along in your training.”

Gavin took off his hat. “Well, it is the middle of a break,” he said. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to have you try a little bit of what I’m cooking here.”

“You mean it?” Sorin asked.

“For you two, it would be an honor,” Gavin said. “Now don’t make me look like an asshole, okay? Just eat the food I’ve prepared and tell me how it tastes.”

“Thank you,” Gale said.

Sorin and Gale followed Gavin to his station and saw the completed work of art Gavin propped up. A cooked filet of salmon with a side of rice topped off with garnish to put a complete touch to the entire dish. Sorin decided to try a bite as did Gale, while Gavin put his hands together in wait for a response. To Sorin, it was the fish that caught his attention as the taste proved itself impeccable. He felt that Gale had much the same feeling judging from the delighted look upon her face. Once the taste test was done, Gavin retrieved the forks from the two and promptly discarded them into the nearby sink.

“Suppose I don’t even need to ask,” Gavin said. “Even I can read that you two liked it.”

“It’s really good,” Gale replied.

“So what are you going to do once you’re done with the training?” Sorin asked. “This is a good step, but are you thinking of something bigger?”

“That’s always an option,” Gavin said. “Truth is, I was thinking about how Reiss was planning to revitalize Gel Heights after what happened. He figures that he could turn that whole area of the city around.”

“That’s great to hear,” Sorin said.

“So you’re hoping to be a part of that revitalization?” Gale asked.

“If anything, it’ll be the kick that area needs,” Gavin replied. “I always felt as if I had nowhere to go after leaving the Ameci military, but once I put some thought into my options, this was the best step to take.”

“Well, I hope it all works out for you,” Gale said.

“Thanks, but I’m pretty confident about where I’ll end up,” Gavin said. “The instructor’s sang nothing but high praises for me. Once this whole course is done, there’s no end to where I’m going!”

“You and Law, certainly,” Sorin said.

Gavin shook his head and chuckled. “He might be getting married soon, but Lawrence is still the same man,” he said. “Not like that’s a problem.”

“You did seem to be reserved when you heard the news,” Gale said. “Aren’t you happy with him and Ayanna getting married?”

“Of course I am,” Gavin answered. “I’m all happy with what he’s doing, just that I don’t really care to talk about it until it actually happens.”

“And what about you?” Gale asked.

Gavin crossed his arms. “What about me? I think I’ve made it clear before, haven’t I?”

“I guess you have,” Gale said. “Seriously, I’m happy for you.”

“And I am, too,” Sorin said.

“Okay, alright, you’re flattering me way too much,” Gavin said. “I’m still only a trainee, so it’s still a ways away until I can consider myself a certified chef around these parts.”

“That and the certificate,” Gale said.

“Obviously,” Gavin replied. “So what’s the deal with you two? You guys got any plans or something?”

“Nothing right now,” Sorin answered. “But we are planning on traveling to Ameci soon.”

“Huh, so you’re both going together,” Gavin said. “It’s been a while for you, though, hasn’t it?”

“It has,” Sorin said. “This all started back in Ameci, didn’t it? You, Gale, and I all were in Ameci not even a year ago.”

“That we were,” Gavin said. “Hell, I think about what would’ve happened had I not got on that ship. Would all of this have gone differently?”

“Well, it’s not like we can ever know,” Gale replied. “But we are heading back because of some important business.”

She explained to Gavin what she was going to do once she and Sorin made it to Ameci. Gavin nodded along as Sorin thought about how this entire journey started because of his father. Had he not met him that fateful day, Sorin would have still been working as a driver with his father’s friend.

“I can’t imagine it will be a fond reunion,” Gavin said, “But I guess you’ve got to start somewhere if you’re going to make your ideas happen.”

“Thank you, I think I’ll be able to handle it,” Gale said.

“Anywhere else you’re going to go after that?” Gavin asked. “Lawrence’s wedding is going to happen in a few months from now, you know.”

“We know,” Sorin said. “I think outside of the whole thing with Kunigunde Industries, we’re probably going to just go and see some old friends of ours.”

“Speaking of which, Johan went back to Ameci, didn’t he,” Gavin said. “He really just jumped without telling us.”

“He hasn’t had the chance to talk with his mother in a while,” Gale said. “I think it’s good for him to catch up with her.”

“Well, I’m sure you two will see him once you get there,” Gavin said. “Even he has to find the time to have some fun, right?”

“Yeah, probably,” Sorin replied.

Sorin looked forward to heading back to Ameci once more. He and Gale were going to catch up on all that they had missed before Law and Ayanna’s big day. That included meeting with everybody else along the way and seeing how they were doing. It would be a trip that both Sorin and Gale deserved after all that they had gone through. Sorin could not wait for the new beginning.

 

To be continued…

 

Previous | Next Chapter

Aurora – Chapter 48 (Part 1)

[2nd of January, 2740 AD; in the alleys of Gel Heights, Rezar, Iiayikohn – Nano District]

 

“You’re completely surrounded,” Mina said to Harold. “No matter what you try to do, we’re not going to let you get away! You’re going to pay for everything you’ve done!”

Sorin and the others had Harold surrounded. At either end of the alley, it was going to be a tough time for Harold to try to escape. But Sorin was not about to call it a victory just yet. Harold had thrived all this time by being out of grasp of the heroes and had the capability to flee once more should the opportunity arise. That was why Sorin kept his sword out and pointed it at Harold. No doubt could remain in Sorin’s mind any longer; he had to end this fight.

“So what’s it going to be?” Law asked. “You try and run again and we’ll just keep chasing you.”

“He’s got something, that’s for sure,” Johan said. “All this time you called the shots from within the shadows, but now that you’re out in the open, you’ve all but given yourself up.”

“You believe I’ve given up, then,” Harold replied. “Nonsense!”

Harold threw a punch at the wall to his left, creating another large gap. He ran into the hole as Sorin gave chase. Mina and Law followed after him, but Sorin had to focus on what was ahead. As Sorin made his way through the dark, damp, abandoned hallway, he heard the destructive sound of structures crumbling. He had to be getting close to Harold now, but that was when Sorin realized that it was not just Harold escaping.

“Damn it, we can’t just stay here,” Sorin said. “Mina! Law! Let’s hurry back before it’s too late!”

But as Sorin turned around, a large amount of debris fell from above and blocked his path out. He had to trust in Mina and Law to escape, but could not confirm their safety. After all, this was what Harold wanted and Sorin could only express anger that he did not see the trap sooner.

“Whether or not they leave is not my worry,” Harold said. “But now I’ve got a good chance to finally end you myself! Enjoy your burial!”

Sorin had one choice. It was the only one he could take if he were to get out of the collapsing building alive, but it carried a risk as well. Harold hid within the darkness once again, but to Sorin, what mattered most was his own life. He could not let everyone now, nor could he grant Harold the chance of escape. With all of the building beginning to crumble, Sorin ran forward.

“Yes, come closer,” Harold said. “No matter what you do, I’ll be right here to deliver your much needed silence!”

“Not going to happen!” Sorin replied.

Sorin’s chance revealed itself. Harold was in his line of sight now, and all Sorin had to do now was strike. The slight gleam of the moonlight helped Sorin to see his assailant standing before him, even with the shroud of darkness covering him. With momentum at his side, Sorin swung his sword. The clash of metal rang out as Harold defended himself. However, Sorin knew he was not about to settle for a mere standoff. He had to take the moment.

“If anyone falls here, it’ll be you,” Sorin said. “This is not just for me, but for everyone else! For my family, my friends, and all the people you’ve hurt, I’ll end this fight myself!”

“Do you truly believe you’ll break through?” Harold asked. “I’d like to see you try!”

Sorin needed not another word. He had this. With all of the strength put into his sword, Sorin turned it as Harold struggled to hold him off. Then, Harold broke away and backed off as he tried to catch his breath. Sorin needed just one more hit. He lifted up his leg and sent a roundhouse kick, hitting Harold with just enough strength to knock him to the ground. Then, Sorin looked to the window next to him and leapt through it.

“Not enough time for him to escape,” Sorin said.

He dashed as fast as he could away from the building. Sorin kept running until he made it onto the street several meters away. Everyone else waited there as well as they all observed the building collapsing to the ground. As it did, Gale was quick to greet Sorin with a hug. It was all over, Sorin thought.

“I’m so happy you made it,” Gale said.

“Believe me, I had to keep moving,” Sorin said. “But it seems like you guys are all here.”

“Yeah, once you shouted to us what was happening, we started to turn and run,” Law said. “I really wanted to head back in there, but I just knew you had it all in the bag.”

“We were both really ready to go and help you out,” Mina said. “It was Law who wanted to run, but I knew that I could trust you to make some sort of daring escape!”

Mina patted Sorin on the back while Law just shrugged. Sorin still could not believe that it really was over but with his friends surrounding him, he had to assume that the battle had been won. Even someone like Harold could not get out of the wreckage that he had created. Still, there was much to be done. Sorin saw Johan move closer to the site of the wreck as Gale looked to him.

“It’s probably nothing,” Gale said, separating herself from Sorin. “I’m sure he’s only taking a look, right Johan?”

Johan observed the wreckage and sighed. “Perhaps I’m imagining things,” he said. “This truly does seem to be the end, after all.”

“Come on, Johan, there’s no way that anyone could possibly survive having an entire building collapse on them,” Luna said. “Even a scary freak like that has to be dead!”

“You’re right,” Johan replied. “It was just a silly thought.”

“You’ve got quite the definition of that word there,” Pekka said.

“Guess we’re all still taking it in,” Dustin said. “Sorin especially, since he had one hell of a fight!”

“If only I could have seen it myself,” Gavin said. “You did real good, Sorin. I know that somewhere out there, Kirk and Rysol are proud of what you’ve become in such a short time.”

“I was going to say the same thing,” Eva said. “But now he can rest happy… It’s finally over.”

“So I guess we should head back and see how Ayanna’s holding up, right?” Law asked. “Since it appears we all agree that everything’s done here, we can just go.”

“Right, just because Harold’s finished doesn’t mean everything else is,” Gale said. “Which means we should inform Rain about what happened here as well as what we’re supposed to do next.”

“Oh, she’s got ideas,” Mina said. “After everything’s taken care of, we can go and have a huge victory party!”

“Yeah, I’m sure it’ll be nice,” Johan said. “I’m sure Jelka would have wanted me to go ahead and celebrate, too.”

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Dustin asked. “Let’s go on and get out of this place!”

Everyone agreed and headed in the direction of the Deca District. However, Sorin stopped as he noticed that Johan began to lag behind. Sorin turned to the others and informed them that he would catch up with them soon. Whatever it was that Johan was thinking about, Sorin knew that he had to ask. With just him and Johan by themselves, it was only a matter of time until Sorin needed to find out for himself. Johan went over to the motorcycle and looked over the wreck one more time as Sorin confronted him.

“What are you doing?” Sorin asked.

“Tell me something, buddy,” Johan said. “What do you plan to do now?”

“I’ll figure it out,” Sorin replied. “Why do you ask?”

“I wonder… If it’s all truly over, then why do I feel like I’m incomplete? Is it because of the fact that Foundation is no more? Or is it because this goal of mine is finally being realized?”

“Well, maybe because this goal is in reach is why you don’t know what to do next,” Sorin said. “But it doesn’t mean that you can stop. There’s plenty that you could do now that this is over.”

“I probably agree with that,” Johan said. He looked over to the wreck once again. “Did you hear that?”

Sorin shook his head. “Is something wrong?”

“Just listen,” Johan replied.

Sorin did what Johan said and kept an ear out while focusing on the wreck. He was not sure what to listen for, but he had a bad feeling about what was going to happen next. Then, a rustle caught Sorin’s attention. The light sound of objects moving around made Sorin nervous as he hovered his hand above the handle of his sword. Johan prepared himself, also, as the two men watched piece after piece fly up into the air as the sound grew louder. A loud roar erupted as a metal hand emerged from underneath, the voice familiar to Sorin’s ears.

“It’s not over!?” Sorin asked.

“Get ready,” Johan said. “I knew I wasn’t imagining it.”

Harold leapt out from under the wreckage with his sights set on Sorin and Johan. Sorin took out his sword while Johan stayed by his side. Everything that they had fought for still remained at stake as the battle with Harold proved itself unfinished. However, now Sorin truly did have to complete this fight with only Johan to support him.

“To think you’d call victory before it was over, Sorin Wilk,” Harold said. “I will make you regret your cocky words!”

Harold rushed at the two and screamed. Sorin had to fight. He knew that he had been exhausted, but the same had to hold true for Harold as well. Johan stepped in as he tried to shield Sorin from Harold’s attack. Harold, however, had only Sorin in his sights.

“Out of my way, you pathetic lowlife!” Harold exclaimed as he smacked Johan to the side and left him lying in a heap. “It’s him I’m after!”

Sorin checked to the side of the other building. “Johan!”

It was enough of a gap for Harold to have an opening. Sorin found himself unable to defend as Harold grabbed him by the neck with both hands and lifted him off the ground. As Sorin struggled to breathe, Harold laughed.

“This is the only end to this fight,” Harold said. “To make you suffer… I’m going to enjoy watching you fight for what little breath you’ve got left!”

“Better think again!” Gavin yelled.

Two shots rang out and struck Harold in the head. Blood spurted from his forehead as the sudden shock caused Harold to drop Sorin. With some of Harold’s blood on his clothes, Sorin regained his breathing as he checked up on Johan.

“Johan… Johan, answer me!” Sorin said, shoving him.

“Don’t worry about me,” Johan said. “Worry about them…”

Sorin turned around. Gavin and Eva had shown up ready to fight as Harold remained still. He twitched as more blood splashed onto the ground while Gavin continued to have his gun trained on him.

“To be honest with you, I’ve never killed someone before this,” Gavin said. “But there’s always a first, especially for a piece of shit like you.”

“He’s done,” Eva said.

Harold coughed up blood. “Sorin Wilk… What a delight,” he said. “Sorin, I don’t mind it one bit if you watch…”

“How can you still be alive?” Sorin asked.

“It doesn’t matter if I live or die anymore,” Harold replied. “Right now, I’m just going to make you suffer! I’ll carry you down to hell with me if I have to, but first I’ll make you feel complete and total despair!”

Harold faced Sorin, who was still on his knees. But what Harold had in mind was different as he lifted up the motorcycle next to Sorin and threw it at Eva and Gavin.

“Look out!” Sorin exclaimed.

On instinct, Gavin and Eva leapt out of the way. The motorcycle struck the ground and broke in half. However, Gavin slipped and fell to the ground while Eva tried to regain her composure. But Sorin could tell that Harold was far from done. Harold had an unrelenting force as he charged towards Eva. Sorin needed to get back up on his feet.

“You two made a grave mistake,” Harold said. “Now I’m going to end it all right here!”

“We’re not finished, Harold!” Sorin said as he stood up.

Harold stopped and turned around. “So you want me to hurry it up, don’t you? Well, I suppose I can give you friends a chance to run like the dogs they are while I kill you.”

“That’s what you want to think,” Eva said. “But we’re going to stay. We’re going to keep on fighting until you’re defeated.”

“And we’re sure as hell aren’t to lose to you,” Gavin said. “I’ll be damned if I let an asshole like you run away.”

“Do you understand?” Johan asked. “We’re not going to surrender here. Not to you.”

“So be it,” Harold said. “Right now, it’s just Sorin and I, but I’m going to give you hell afterwards.”

“Then face me,” Sorin said. “I won’t settle until I see you on the ground, so you better bring everything you’ve got!”

“Those cocky words again,” Harold replied. “Very well, if you want to skip the suffering, I’ll be glad to finish you off right here!”

Sorin just needed one strike. A single move would end the fight and put an end to Harold and his schemes. Everything rode on a single swing of Sorin’s blade as he readied himself. There was no excuse not to use all his efforts into this one move he had left. After all, Sorin did not expect Harold to hold back.

“Bring it,” Sorin said.

Without another thought, Sorin flew at Harold. Harold dashed at Sorin. The two came closer and closer until they were less than two feet apart. Sorin swung his sword and struck true. He delivered a deep hit to Harold’s chest. With the hit complete, Sorin moved out of the way and rolled over near Gavin. Harold stood still as Sorin watched.

“That should be it,” Sorin said.

However, Harold laughed.

“Idiot! I’ve yet to be done with you,” he replied. “I’m going to kill you where you stand!”

But Harold did not turn around. He remained in place as Sorin got up and sheathed his sword. Gavin stood up, too, as Sorin tried to process what would happen next. He had delivered the final blow as Harold was not moving, but he had to wonder what would happen now.

“Impossible,” Harold said. “I… I can’t move! My legs! My… My arms! I can’t move a single limb!”

Sorin then heard a small explosion. Smoke emanated out of Harold’s body as he continued to stand frozen in place. It could only have been the technology inside Harold’s body that had gone haywire, Sorin speculated. After a few more seconds, the smoke cleared as Harold fell face first into the ground with a loud, clanging thud.

“Is it finally over?” Gavin asked.

“It has to be,” Eva said.

Sorin had to know. He went over to Harold’s body and checked for a pulse. As he suspected, Harold did not have one. It was over. The battle had been won and Foundation was no more. Sorin put away his sword as he breathed a sigh of relief. For his father and Rysol, Sorin had avenged them. For everyone else, it was a relief that Sorin could help them make their dreams realized.

“That’s right,” Sorin said, a tear rolling down the side of his face. “It’s finally finished.”

 

To be continued…

 

Previous | Next Part

Aurora – Chapter 47 (Part 2)

[2nd of January, 2741 AD; up on the rooftops in Gel Heights, Rezar, Iiayikohn – Nano District]

 

Gavin pursued Harold Mars atop the building. He and Law looked around to find the ruthless man himself, but only found Eva and Mina in wait on top of the neighboring building. The fact that Harold could not be found baffled Gavin, but he remained on the trail. Harold had to be hiding somewhere amongst the rooftops and Gavin knew that he was going to find him sooner rather than later. Law stuck by as the two scoped out the immediate area.

“You two saw him, didn’t you?” Law asked Eva and Mina.

“I’m sorry to say that we did not,” Eva replied. “It’s unfortunate, but it looks as if Harold is just out of our reach.”

“We did hear that explosive noise, though,” Mina said. “Surely we can use that to find him!”

“Damn it, has this monster evaded us?” Gavin asked, tightening the grip on his gun. “We know you’re hiding somewhere, so it’s no use trying to evade us!”

“Getting loud may not be the best option,” Law said. “If we really want to find this guy, bro, then we’ve got to start looking.”

“Even someone like him has limits,” Eva said. “It doesn’t matter what he’s got, Harold will have to show himself soon enough.”

“Let’s start looking,” Mina said. “Nothing is impossible if we take a look around the area!”

Gavin traced his steps back to the door. That could only be the way up to the roof as no other route existed. As he tried to deduce Harold’s method, Gavin recalled the situation back in the room where he and Law joined up with Sorin and Johan. Two possible locations existed, yet it was unlikely Harold would try to descend to the streets.

“Come on, think,” Gavin said. “Where is he right now?”

It was then that Gavin realized a new possibility: Harold went through the hole in the floor, but did not go all the way downstairs. From that, there was one way Harold could go up, Gavin thought.

“Is it so?” Gavin asked himself.

“You look like you’re on to something,” Law said.

“Lawrence, keep yourself alert,” Gavin said. “That spreads to both of you, as well. There’s only one way for our enemy to hide right now!”

“So you figured it out too,” Law said. “Didn’t think a man his age would be able to pull it off, but I guess that’s what makes him so formidable.”

“But now that we know, we’ve got the upper hand,” Eva said. “Somewhere along the walls of these buildings, Harold is clinging on.”

It was the only explanation. Gavin tracked the edges of the building as he tried to find any trace of Harold. He would have to emerge sooner or later, Gavin thought as he continued to focus on Harold’s next move. It was then that Harold laughed, his deep cackle echoing in the alleys below.

“You’re not nearly as idiotic as you appear,” Harold said.

Gavin looked around to find him, but still could not find a single trace of Harold. At that moment, a loud, destructive crash broke out as Gavin turned to his left and aimed his gun forward. Law readied himself as well. Another crash rang out as Harold leapt over the edge of the building. His shirt had been torn in a couple of places, but overall he remained the same as before.

“Step back!” Gavin ordered Law.

Gavin wasted no time. He fired off three shots at Harold, all three hitting him in the chest. Harold stopped and clutched where he was shot as Gavin kept his line of sight trained on him. As Gavin continued to hold Harold at gunpoint, Harold laughed once more.

“It appears I was wrong,” Harold said. “You’re as every bit half witted as I thought!”

“I shot you three times, asshole!” Gavin exclaimed. “How the hell could you laugh at a time like this?”

Harold guffawed. “It’s hopeless to try and stop me,” he said, unbuttoning his shirt. “Your efforts are all for naught!”

Gavin could not believe what stood before him. Where he had shot Harold was in what appeared to be a metallic plate that covered the entirety of his chest. He saw the small bullets lodged within the metal, further proving what Harold said was true. However, Gavin knew that Harold was wrong about one thing in particular and he was going to show him that.

“All that means is that I’ve gotta change my target,” Gavin said. “Thanks for giving me the hint!”

“Unfortunately for you, you won’t have another chance!” Harold exclaimed as he charged at Gavin and Law.

“Look out!” Eva said.

Gavin cocked his gun again. “I just need one shot.”

Harold, however, threw down his fist at the ground. The explosive impact caused debris to fly up, distracting Gavin as he tried to get a good shot in. Law then decided to tackle Gavin to the floor, both men getting out of the way as Eva and Mina jumped in. As everything began to clear, the four surrounded Harold as he had nowhere to run.

“You really are so concerned, aren’t you Lawrence?” Gavin asked as he got up to his feet. “No matter. It looks like we’ve got this prick cornered.”

“Don’t underestimate him,” Eva said. “I’m sure we all would like to have a crack at this despicable excuse of a human, but he’s far from done.”

“You all think you’re ahead of me,” Harold said. “I’ve already shown you why it’s foolish to fight me.”

“Why don’t you just shove it, you fiend,” Mina replied. “You can’t run nor hide from us anymore! You can’t even attack!”

“I can’t attack?” Harold asked. “What a marvelously foolish remark! Dare to put that theory to the test?”

“You won’t get a chance,” Eva said.

“The moment you showed your pathetic face was the moment you lost, don’t forget that,” Gavin said. “Because once you make your move, I’m going right for the head!”

Harold did not respond and lowered his head.

“What’s the matter?” Law asked. “Are you already out of excuses to try and justify yourself?”

“I must thank you,” Harold replied. “You gave me just enough time.”

“Just enough time?” Mina asked. “There’s no time for you at all!”

A sudden realization hit Gavin. He remembered how Harold escaped to the roof, throwing down his fist at the ground much like he did moments ago. Gavin could only see smoke after that happened, which helped in Harold’s escape. The scene was the same as before, only under different circumstances. That sudden realization alerted Gavin to what Harold was going to do next. But Harold threw down his fist at the ground first.

“Everyone, look out!” Gavin exclaimed.

Smoke appeared from where Harold punched as everything clouded up for Gavin and the others. It was both Harold’s escape and method of attacking, Gavin thought. That was why it was important to remain on the defensive until the smoke cleared out.

“He can’t get away!” Mina said.

“Don’t worry,” Eva said, “I’m not going to let him do that.”

“So this is how he responds,” Law said. “Like a coward, he uses obscurity to try and attack us while we’re not looking!”

“Very perceptive,” Harold said. “It looks like you’re catching on and that’s exactly why I can’t let you live!”

Gavin had to take a chance. Out of him, Law, Mina, and Eva, there was only a one-in-four chance of guessing who Harold would attack first. There would be no room for error; however, Harold’s words gave Gavin a clue. Strong as they may be, Harold had one easy target. A target that Gavin was confident would be able to defend, but Gavin knew that he could not afford to give Harold any sort of chance at attacking.

“I’ve found you!” Gavin said.

He hurried over in the direction of Law’s voice and threw his fist out in a horizontal motion. Gavin could not risk it with a bullet, so he settled on his next best option. The strike proved to work as the smoke started to clear out as Gavin caught a glimpse of Harold. Gavin had landed a successful strike upon Harold’s face as the two were in a standoff with Law bearing witness to the scene.

“That’s the bro I know,” Law said. “Acting upon that instinct really did you some good, though it did much more for me in the end.”

“I-Impossible,” Harold said. “Just how? How were you able to see through the smoke?”

“I didn’t,” Gavin answered. “And it’s not as if I’m going to tell you. Besides, I’ve got you all figured out now.”

Harold uttered a parted chuckle. “That’s rich,” he said. “You figured me out like some sort of tactician? I’d laugh, but you’ve given me quite the pain.”

“Save it,” Gavin said. “You can’t attack us without trying to hide first. I’d wager that you can’t use your most devastating attack without the help of some obscurity, which was why you tried so hard to make it difficult for us to see but I managed to see through the ruse.”

“You can’t even fight fair,” Mina said. “But why should we expect you to when you’ve been hiding from us all this time?”

“Is that so?” Harold asked.

“There was no way Kirk would lose to you in a fair fight,” Eva said. “That can only mean you had to sneak up on him to kill him. I’ll never forgive you for such a cowardly act, nor will I forgive you for what you did to Kirk!”

No one said a word. What followed next was the faint sound of something rustling from below as Gavin stared Harold down. Then, Harold cracked a large smile as he looked back at Gavin.

“If it’s a fair fight you want, then it’s a fair fight you get!” Harold exclaimed.

In the span of what seemed to be less than a second, Gavin felt a sudden pain hit him in the abdomen. He dropped down to his knees as Harold withdrew his fist. Though it was nowhere near as powerful as Gavin saw before, the punch packed just enough to send pain into his body.

“Bad choice, man,” Law said. “Now it’s our turn!”

Gavin turned his head up to see Law run at Harold. On the other side, Eva and Mina helped Law in the fight. Harold kept his arms near his face and the back of his head while Gavin struggled to get up. Gavin had to get back up. It was his best bet now to look for an opening and take the next shot. However, with Law, Eva, and Mina fighting Harold, that shot would have to wait. Gavin decided to look at his gun and saw how many bullets he had left: two.

“Like I’ll need another shot,” Gavin said.

He placed his hand upon his right pocket and felt the bullets hiding within. Gavin came prepared but he also had faith in himself. The pain had all but faded by now as Gavin got up to his feet. It was just the right time, too, as Harold had pushed back against Law while keeping Eva and Mina at bay with his other hand. No room for error now, Gavin thought.

“All this strength and still you can’t get through,” Harold said. “It’s just as I expected… You stand no chance against me!”

But as Gavin lined up to take his shot, Mina leapt at Harold. She sent a kick flying towards Harold and hit him in the head as hard as she could. Mina’s kick caught Harold off guard as he went reeling back.

“Just shut up already,” Mina said, “We’re going to beat you no matter what it takes!”

“Wow, that was some kick,” Law said. “Even he’s got to feel that one.”

Everyone watched as Harold continued to stumble backwards. Gavin had him now. He refocused his shot on Harold and aimed for his head. One bullet was all that was needed.

“You’re all a bunch of idiots,” Harold said. “It seems that none of you can pay attention!”

“The fuck are you talking about?” Gavin asked.

“I’m talking about this,” Harold replied, backing up towards the edge of the building. “Now watch as I make my escape!”

Gavin realized what he meant and fired his shot without another word. But it was already too late as Harold proceeded to fall over the edge of the building down into the alleys below. Eva and Mina hurried over to where Harold fell over while Law went over to Gavin.

“How the hell can that bastard be so damn slippery?” Gavin asked. “He took a kick to the head from Mina for god’s sake! How in the fuck does he have the audacity to use that to plot his escape?”

“It’s just like that,” Law said. “He’s getting desperate, so he’s gotta use every possible path to his advantage even if it causes him harm.”

“We’re on the move,” Eva said. “Mina, you and Law continue the pursuit by following Harold. Gavin and I are going back downstairs.”

“Wait, how are we going to do that?” Mina asked.

“We use the same path he took,” Law said. “Surely there’s something that we can use to climb down. It wouldn’t make sense for a multi-story building to not have one, after all.”

“Then it’s settled,” Eva said. “Now move!”

Gavin could not be upset now. He needed to stay focused. He followed Eva as their chase continued. Harold had slipped out of their grasp, but Gavin was not about to give up just yet. He also hoped that the others would not give up, either, especially not Sorin.

 

*****

 

[2nd of January, 2740 AD; in the alleys of Gel Heights, Rezar, Iiayikohn – Nano District]

 

Sorin continued on as he, Gale, and Johan kept on the lookout for Harold. Then he heard it for himself. A succession of loud collisions filled the alleyway as Sorin tried to locate the source. Harold had proclaimed his escape a few moments prior, so Sorin had to keep on his guard. He had to for the sake of both Gale and Johan, both of whom remained unarmed.

“You can’t run from me now, Sorin Wilk!” Harold exclaimed.

As Sorin turned around, he watched as Harold leapt from the windowsill above and landed in front of him. Johan kept his distance away from Harold as did Gale. There was no use in running now, Sorin thought. Harold stood in front of him with nowhere else to go.

“I wasn’t going to run away,” Sorin said. “You like to think that you’ve got an upper hand, but it’s you who’s at a disadvantage now.”

“That’s right,” Gale said. “You stand no chance against us when we’re all united together.”

“How stupid,” Harold replied. “Do you intend to take me on then?”

“I won’t, but he can,” Gale said, looking over at Sorin. “And so will they, because your time is up.”

Just as Gale said, Mina and Law descended down from the roof by way of the nearby pipe. They stood opposite of Sorin and surrounded Harold, who now had no possible escape. Sorin needed to fight with everything he had if they were going to win, because he knew that the fight was not over yet.

 

To be continued…

 

Previous | Next Chapter

Aurora – Chapter 47 (Part 1)

[2nd of January, 2741 AD; Harold Mars’s Temporary Hideout, Rezar, Iiayikohn – Nano District]

 

“You are a fool to the very end,” Harold said. “I guess it’s no surprise since you take after Kirk so well.”

Sorin prepared himself. He kept his sword pointed up and in front of him while he remained vigilant. The fight would not be an easy one and Sorin had to give everything he had in order to win. Harold laughed once again as he balled his right hand into a fist.

“No one stood a chance against these hands of mine,” Harold said. “These hands can create and destroy and I’m going to destroy the both of you!”

“You really underestimate Johan and I,” Sorin replied. “We’ll make you pay for all of it.”

“The only one who will pay here is you,” Harold said. “And you’re going to pay with your life.”

“No more words,” Johan said.

Harold charged at the two. “I’ll show you!”

Fists flew fast as Sorin backed up and dodged. Harold’s barrage proved to be formidable, which led Sorin to defend himself. Johan jumped in and tried to help by creating an opening for Sorin. However, Harold caught on to Johan fast and defended himself with his left hand. Sorin swung his sword at Harold but found it difficult to get past Harold as he caught the blade with his hand.

“You forget that I’ve been given a gift,” Harold said to Sorin. “This gift of mine makes it easy to stop your pathetic attacks!”

He gripped harder on Sorin’s blade. Johan moved down and delivered a sweeping kick to Harold. The kick proved to be enough to catch Harold off as he let off of Sorin. With his sword free, Sorin stepped back and readied himself once more. Sorin had to get a decisive blow now. He looked over to Johan, who was standing at Harold’s left.

“Johan, quickly!” Sorin exclaimed.

Johan nodded. “I see.”

They rushed Harold from both ends. Sorin needed to have Johan throw Harold off guard, even for a moment. Johan moved in first as Harold turned towards him, leaving his back exposed to Sorin. But as Sorin began to close in on Harold, Johan stopped himself only a yard away from the menacing man.

“You don’t listen very well, do you?” Harold asked, looking back at Sorin. “Your worthless attacks mean little to me because I’ve got the gift!”

“Watch out,” Johan said.

Sorin halted himself, but Harold had already turned. He threw back his left arm at Sorin, who braced himself by using his arms to defend himself. However, it was too late as Harold struck Sorin and sent him flying into the wall. Sorin hit the wall hard while his sword fell to his side. Though it was not a fatal hit, the blow was strong enough to make Sorin reel as he tried to get up.

“I’ll deal with you later,” Harold said to Sorin. He then turned back over to Johan. “Right now, I’m going to make you suffer. I’ll do what that fool could not and end your life here!”

“I understand now,” Johan said. “How much power do you truly have? I’m willing to bet that you’re on a time limit, because there was no powerful sound behind that strike.”

Harold growled. “You are delusional if you think I’d tell you.”

“So Sorin is okay,” Johan replied. “Guess we’re about to find out how far you can go before it all comes to a stop.”

Meanwhile, Sorin struggled to get up. He got onto his knees, but found it painful to do so. He had no broken bones, yet felt an intense pain surging in his wrists. Sorin felt pain in his back and head as well, but was fortunate enough to not feel that pain in his legs. For all the threat Harold posed, what Johan said was true. Sorin knew now that Johan was trying to buy him some time as he tried to get up without Harold noticing, even if it was painful to do so.

“You can’t stop me,” Harold said to Johan. “Even if I had a limit, it would be long after I’d kill all of you!”

“Then why don’t we test it out?” Johan asked. “How far can you go before your power runs out?”

“I’ll be glad to show you!” Harold exclaimed. “Die, Johan!”

Sorin had to get up. He knew Johan could only hold off Harold for so long before he became too much to handle. One-on-one was not enough to deal with Harold and Sorin had to help. He did not care about how much it hurt to move, nor did he care about how sprained his wrists were. Sorin had to pick up his sword and fight. But before anything could happen, the door kicked in.

“Not so fast, asshole!” Gavin yelled.

Harold stopped and looked to the doorway. Sorin looked, too, as he saw Gavin and Law enter. Gavin had his gun ready and aimed at Harold, while Law was ready to fight as well.

“So this is the stain that killed Kirk and Rysol,” Law said. “What are you going to do now that you can’t hide from us anymore?”

“You may think you’ve got an advantage, but I’ll run through you all the same,” Harold said. “I’ll spill the blood from every last one of you!”

“The only blood that’s gonna spill here is from you,” Gavin replied. “Take another step and I’ll be glad to put one through your head.”

Harold clenched his fist. “So it would seem,” he said. “But did you really believe that you’d win so easily!?”

He threw his fist down at the ground. The explosive sound rang through Sorin’s ears as smoke began to fill the entire room. The sound of boards cracking followed as everyone coughed while trying to figure out where Harold was. Only after a few seconds did Sorin realize what had just happened.

“The smoke!” Sorin exclaimed. “Somebody let out the smoke!”

The smoke continued to fill the room as another loud explosion boomed throughout. Sorin was not sure where Harold was and had to keep his guard up in case he struck again. But as seconds began to pass, the smoke started to clear out of the room. Sorin got helped up to his feet as the smoke slowly dissipated from out of the room. Gavin stood in front of Sorin, but that was not the most important part.

“He… Harold’s gone!” Sorin exclaimed.

Pain surged again through Sorin as he tried to maintain his composure. Gavin helped by keeping him on his feet. As that happened, Sorin took a look around the room. In the middle a large hole had been made in the floor while in the wall opposite Sorin was another gap.

“That prick is on the run now,” Gavin said. “We’ve got to get going if we’re going to stop his ass.”

“I know,” Sorin said. “But where do we go now?”

“There’s two possibilities,” Johan replied. “Let’s get up to the roof first, then we’ll be able to figure things out.”

“Are you sure about that?” Law asked. “From what I see, Sorin’s looking a little bit hurt.”

“I’ll… I’ll be fine,” Sorin said. “We can’t let him escape.”

“Please,” Gavin replied. “Lawrence and I will go up top. We’ll rendezvous with Mina and Eva while taking a look around the area. You two go and meet up with the rest down by the entrance.”

“If you say you’ve got it, then I’ll trust you two,” Johan said. “Harold can’t be too far off if we have the immediate area locked down.”

“That just means we’ll have to keep a lookout on the ground,” Sorin said. “Okay then.”

Sorin proceeded to split up with Gavin and Law and went downstairs with Johan. They needed to move to the next position fast. Sorin had to hurry soon if he wanted to catch up to Harold. But first, he had to reunite with the others who were already in wait on the ground. Sorin and Johan descended down the flights of stairs and caught detail of the fact that the lower floors remained unchanged. That could only mean one thing, Sorin thought.

“He can’t get away now,” Johan said. “Harold’s strong, but he’s not reckless. I assume he’s going to try his best to wiggle out of this, but our friends aren’t the type to give up.”

Sorin hoped that Johan was correct. Harold posed a threat, but he was even more of a threat in hiding. If they were to let Harold escape, then there was no telling what he’d be able to do back in the darkness. Sorin had to continue to fight through the pain and stop Harold before that happened.

“We’re here,” Johan said.

They reached the ground floor and hurried outside the building. Gale and the others were quick to greet them by the motorcycle as Sorin turned back to the building and looked up. Wherever Harold ran to, Sorin knew that Gavin and Law along with Eva and Mina would be there to confront him. However, now Sorin had time to try and recover from his encounter with Harold. He rested himself against the wall while Gale went over to him.

“Are you okay?” Gale asked.

“It’s nothing too bad,” Sorin replied. “All it is is just a minor sprain… Well, two sprains to be honest.”

“Let me see,” Gale said as she took a hold of Sorin’s hand. “I had a feeling something like this would happen to you…”

Sorin winced. “It could’ve been worse,” he replied. “I had no choice but to defend myself the best I could. Ah, just be a little easier on my wrist, okay?”

“Surely there’s something we can do about this,” Gale said.

“That’s where I come in,” Dustin said. “Sprains are a kick in the ass, but I can help Sorin out.”

“You’re oddly prepared,” Pekka said. “What do you have?”

“Oh, it’s not much,” Dustin replied. “Just some bandages, but it’ll have to do for right now.”

“Are you sure about that?” Gale asked.

“Look, it’s the best I can do,” Dustin said. “Besides, Sorin’s not gonna just go down and keel because of a little sprain in the wrist. Guy’s got determination if he really can fight through it.”

“But it must be tough to hold your sword like that,” Luna said. “I mean, I’d have trouble holding a large blade like that myself, but for you it must be even more difficult with that pain.”

“If anyone can do it, it’s Sorin,” Gale said. “Please give the bandages to me, Dustin.”

“Well, now I can’t turn down that request,” Dustin said as he did what Gale asked him. “Hell, it’ll make you look all battle worn and ready, if you don’t mind me saying.”

Sorin watched as Gale wrapped the bandages around his hands and wrists. He was glad that she was there for him, even in the possible face of danger. As he stood there, Sorin waited as Gale put the finishing touches on his treatment.

“It looks good now,” Gale said. “Do you feel better?”

“I feel great,” Sorin replied. “Thank you.”

“So what’s our next move?” Pekka asked. “Johan, I know we’ve got a lot to deal with regarding Harold Mars, but we’ve still got to figure out how to cover the ground effectively.”

“The alleys,” Johan said. “Our key is in the alleys. Harold relies on hiding to do his dirty work, so it’s vital to us that we prevent him from using the alleys. We must keep a good eye out for that.”

“It’s always possible Harold could just drop in on us, too,” Dustin said. “So that means we’ve got to look out for that.”

“That’s true,” Johan replied. “We’ve got to commit to a good plan on that front. I want you, Pekka, and Luna to track the alleys while Sorin, Gale, and I keep an eye on what’s above.”

“Sounds like a good idea to me,” Dustin said. He looked over to Luna and Pekka. “Are you ready for this?”

“It’s not as if we’ve got much of a choice,” Pekka said. “There’s not that many possibilities out there for this man to escape, but we still can’t afford to underestimate him.”

“Yeah, even Sorin defended himself but was hurt,” Luna said. “You’re sure it’s fine, right Sorin?”

“I already said I’m okay,” Sorin replied.

“I’m just making sure,” Luna said. “It’s not as if I don’t believe what you’re saying; I’m just trying to be a good friend, that’s all I’m trying to do.”

“Thank you for that,” Sorin said. “But I’ll be okay. Johan and Gale will be with me.”

“If anything, having you makes me feel okay,” Johan said. “I feel like we’re almost at the end of this. Our goal is that much closer and there’s nothing Harold can do to stop us from achieving it.”

“Let’s just focus on stopping him first,” Gale said. “Then we can celebrate the victory.”

“Then let’s go,” Dustin said. “Keep those eyes peeled, everyone!”

As the two groups split up, Sorin had to keep an eye out for any possibility that Harold could descend from up above. No matter how little the chance, it was possible. Sorin had to wonder what exactly was going on up above and could only try to listen in on what happened. He believed in his friends, but the danger still remained as Harold continued to lurk around. What possible tricks Harold had left, Sorin was not sure about. What Sorin was sure about, however, was that he trusted that Gavin and the others would not let each other down. Together, they would finish this fight.

 

To be continued…

 

Previous | Next Part

Aurora – Chapter 46 (Part 2)

[2nd of January, 2741 AD; Subdivision of Gel Heights, Rezar, Iiayikohn – Nano District]

 

“Over there,” Mina said, pointing to the motorcycle. “They’ve got to be here somewhere!”

She spotted the vehicle several feet away from the group. After walking for a few minutes, Mina and the others reached the empty streets of Gel Heights. The sight before them told everything they needed to know about where to look next. Sorin and Johan were not that far now as Mina evaluated the surrounding area and determined that the two had already found Harold Mars. But now, Mina knew that she and the others would have to decide on what action they had to take next.

“That means in one of these buildings around us, we’ll be able to find Sorin and Johan,” Gavin said. “Guess it’s a good thing that he brought that motorcycle after all.”

“We’ve got to tread carefully,” Eva said. “It wouldn’t do us good for us to go charging into one of these buildings all at once.”

“The likely answer is the most obvious one,” Law said. “Johan could’ve just stopped a few meters away, but he stopped here because he had a hunch. At least, that’s what I’m taking from this.”

“So our best option remains to surround the area,” Pekka said. “Luna and I will cover the outside here, then.”

“Yeah, we’ll wait here just in case,” Luna replied.

“I guess you two have got a hold of this,” Gavin said. “So where does that leave the rest of us?”

Gale looked up and down the building standing before her. “They’ve made their way on the inside,” she said. “So we’ve got to keep close somehow… Still, we already know how dangerous Harold is.”

“You didn’t have to follow us,” Eva said. “None of us would blame you if you wished to head back to the prime minister’s office right now.”

“Thanks, but I’ll be okay,” Gale replied.

“You’re sure about that?” Gavin asked. “I wonder where Rain’s advisor is right now… I figured he would do well in this sort of situation.”

“Oh, right, I almost forgot about him,” Law said. “Maybe he’s busy relaying the message over to Rain?”

“I don’t think you need to worry about that,” Dustin said.

Everyone looked over towards the intersection where Dustin stood. He had arrived at just the right time, Mina thought to herself. She waved to him as he ran over to where they were standing. As he got closer, Mina noticed a sword resting on Dustin’s belt to his left.

“You’re really ready for action!” Mina said.

“As ready as I’ll ever be, you know,” Dustin replied. “Don’t know how much we can do, but we only know so much about what this guy’s capable of doing.”

“That’s why we should remain cautious while proceeding forward,” Eva said. “We can’t afford to make any mistakes.”

“Then I’ll help cover the streets,” Dustin said. “That sound good to you?”

“It would be helpful,” Pekka said.

“I’ll be here, too,” Gale said.

“Okay, then let’s hurry up,” Mina said. “We’ll be there to help any way we can! Let’s make sure that that villain Harold Mars is stopped!”

“Then you and I can take the building next door,” Eva said. “There’s plenty of room for Harold to run, but we’ll get a good view of the streets if we reach the top of the building in case he tries to escape.”

“So I guess that means we head straight into the fire itself,” Law said. “That is okay with me. Let’s go, bro.”

“You don’t need to tell me that,” Gavin replied. “Right now, it’s all about us making sure that this shitbag doesn’t get the chance to escape unpunished.”

Mina knew that not another word needed to be said. She rushed into action with Eva as they went into the building next door. After Mina entered with Eva into the building, Mina looked back and saw Gavin and Law running to the other building. They had to have Harold cornered now, Mina thought. She knew that they could not afford to let Sorin and Johan down as the pursuit continued on in the subdivision of Gel Heights.

 

*****

 

[2nd of January, 2741 AD; Harold Mars’s Temporary Hideout, Rezar, Iiayikohn – Nano District]

 

The climb up to the top floor was a cautious one as Sorin felt the weight of each step in his feet. He knew there existed one option that he could not deny yet even so, Sorin was not sure if he would be able to go through with the action if it proved to be the only one remaining. Harold was beyond any redemption, Sorin knew that; however, Sorin had never used his sword to kill. He was on his way to confront the very man that was responsible for his family’s death but still had to wonder if it was the right option. As Sorin made it up to the next to last floor, he and Johan stopped as they looked for the next set of stairs.

“I know it’s not the best time to ask,” Sorin began, “But do you think it will be possible to stop him with your methods?”

“Sorin, I’ve been on this journey and have seen a lot,” Johan replied. “With what I’ve seen, it has made me think about what is and isn’t possible.”

“So what are you thinking about right now?” Sorin asked.

“Our top priority is to stop Harold Mars,” Johan answered. “If we want to make sure that Foundation has no way of resurrecting itself, we must deal with every last member of the organization. Harold is that final pillar we must take down if we are to accomplish our goal.”

“You’re right about that,” Sorin said.

“Whether or not we can get Harold to surrender means naught since he’s the one who struck first,” Johan said. “He’s been pushing back against the peace that so many have strived for, because the world he wants is one that is at war with itself. Harold Mars must be dealt with.”

“I know,” Sorin replied. “I know what must be done, but…”

“You and I have the same goal, but you’re the one who has the chance to end this,” Johan said. “This battle awaits us both and I will do what I can to help you stop him.”

“You’ve come a long way, haven’t you?” Sorin asked.

“I guess I have,” Johan said.

“There’s just one more floor we’ve got to go,” Sorin said.

“Before we move on, I’ve got one more thing,” Johan said. “Harold can try to dissuade us both however he wants, but no matter what, we must not let him get to us.”

“Got it,” Sorin replied.

“And sometimes, the only way you can bring about peace in the face of evil is to strike it directly,” Johan said. “Even if it means killing Harold, you and I both know that a world without wars would be better off without him.”

Sorin knew that what Johan said carried truth. It was also true that Harold had no qualms whatsoever about his actions, nor what he would try to do to them once they confronted him. Sorin had no need to be hesitant about the reality that stared him in the face and decided to press forward with Johan. He climbed up the stairs to the top floor, confident in his decision as well as his ability, and made it up to see the dimly lit hallway before him. Only the room at the end of the hall caught Sorin’s eye as Johan took a fateful step forward. At the end, a small beam of light emitted from the bottom underneath the door, which only meant that Harold awaited them on the other side. As the two got closer and closer to the door, Sorin kept his hand near the handle of his blade.

“Ready yourself,” Johan said as they finally made it to the door. “We don’t want to be caught off guard once we go inside.”

Sorin nodded and took out his sword. “I’m ready.”

“We’ll finish this, don’t worry,” Johan said.

Johan opened the door with fervent force. Upon arriving inside, Sorin saw Harold kneeling at the other end of the room. Next to Harold was a medium-sized object that made noise similar to an engine. As Sorin attempted to figure out what Harold was doing, Johan walked a few steps ahead before stopping. Sorin decided to follow him and went forth to where he was and stopped as well.

“It seems as if you noticed,” Harold said as he stood up. “This is only a mere sample of the sort of power I have. Unfortunately, Rysol Wilk made it difficult for me to achieve my full potential.”

“Your full potential?” Johan asked. “Just what the hell are you doing?”

“Don’t act as if you’ve no clue what a generator is,” Harold replied. “You’ve been quite the thorn to my plans, Johan Kuu.”

“This plan of yours is beyond reproach,” Johan said. “You only want to see the world crumble as you try to plunge it into another war.”

“Is that a problem?” Harold asked. “This world of mine thrives on strength and strength alone. You’d be wise to accept that fact.”

“This world doesn’t belong to you,” Sorin said.

“Leave it to you to act as if you’re superior,” Harold scoffed. “Your father died by my hand because he lacked strength. My world doesn’t need people like him infesting it.”

Sorin scowled. “You… Do you even hear what you’re saying!?”

“If you’re that mad at me, then I’d welcome you to try,” Harold replied. “But just know that you’ve got no hope against me.”

“I’m not scared of you,” Sorin said. “I’ll never be scared of someone like you who hides in the shadows like a coward!”

“Think what you want, but I only hid because it was in my better interests to do so,” Harold said. “Now, however, I am almost complete. Power is only a few moments away from me, but if you’re still willing to get in my way, then I have no problem showing you a small sample of what I gave that footling fool earlier.”

“To speak that way about your son is twisted,” Johan said. “Treating him as if he were only a tool… That’s inhuman.”

“Please, don’t act as if you cared about him,” Harold replied. “Useless trash like him die because they outlive their utility. He had long passed that point only because I wanted to prove to you both the point of how hopeless it is to stand up against me.”

“It doesn’t matter how much you try to intimidate us,” Sorin said. “We’re not going to back down, no matter what you try to do!”

Harold laughed. “Then I’ll be glad to show you the true hopelessness that you’ve resigned yourselves to,” he said. “And one I’m done with you, this world will run by my methods. No one in Ameci or the Thekohnian Region will be able to deny my pure strength once I’m through with the likes of you!”

The generator stopped. Sorin stood ready as Johan did the same. Nothing but calm determination and rage ran through Sorin’s mind as he thought about his father and Rysol and the pain that both had suffered before they died. He knew that they, as well as everybody else affected by Harold, suffered for years due to this man’s brand of pain. Sorin was ready to put an end to that pain right now and knew that he had valuable allies on his side. He knew that Johan would assist him in any way he could. Sorin knew that they were going to win no matter what and Harold had no chance against them. Sorin knew that because he could not afford to let everyone down. Sorin knew because he was ready to fight.

 

To be continued…

 

Previous | Next Chapter

Aurora – Chapter 45 (Part 2)

[2nd of January, 2741 AD; New Prime Minister’s Office, Rezar, Iiayikohn – Deca District]

 

“And that’s why Her Majesty has left the choice up to me?” Reiss asked. “Interesting.”

Everyone gathered in the prime minister’s room as Reiss stood by the filing cabinet. A group of people had gathered out on the streets to celebrate Dezine’s removal from power, yet it was only the beginning of what was to be a new era in Iiayikohn. Mina knew that everything had rested on Reiss to make the choice and she, as well as Eva, Luna, and Pekka, watched the general speak with Ayanna and Dierk.

“What are your thoughts about it, sir?” Dierk asked.

The general gazed at the empty desk. “I’d planned myself for retirement in the next couple of years, but right now Iiayikohn needs a leader,” he said. “This may not be so sudden to you, Ayanna, but I am wondering if you’d be willing to lend me a hand.”

“Of course I would,” Ayanna replied.

“Obviously, I will only act as prime minister until we’ve elected someone to take the reins,” Reiss said. “That time comes soon, you know.”

“If I recall, Iiayikohn’s election is less than two years from now,” Eva said. “I’m sure that this will be a great test for you, but if anyone can do what Alan did, then that person is you.”

“Alan did always strive towards fulfilling the needs of the people,” Reiss said. “However, I am not Alan. I cannot assure that I can ever hope to accomplish what he has, but I will do my damnedest to try.”

“I think that’s all we’re asking for,” Mina said. “Alan Berry was a great hero and I know it’s hard to do what he did, but everyone here believes in you!”

“That is true,” Ayanna said. “You got to where you are because of the fact that people trusted and believed in your ability as a leader. I’ve no doubt in my mind that you could use some of that leadership to do what Alan did.”

“I’ve no hesitations in taking this job,” Reiss replied. “Once I’ve filed in all of the necessary paperwork and spoken with the board, I’ll be sworn in as the next prime minister.”

“Sounds like a long night,” Pekka said.

“Given that we’ve gone through this not long ago, I’m sure the transition will be much more swift,” Reiss said. “That reminds me: Ayanna, have you and Dierk informed the soldiers?”

“We did,” Ayanna replied.

“I’m hoping we’ll be able to organize quickly,” Dierk said. “If what Mr. Kuu said is true, then we’ll have to keep our heads up.”

“Let’s worry about what we can do here,” Reiss said.

“Then what about Isaac Kunigunde?” Luna asked. “Though I guess we still have to hear from the others about that, don’t we?”

“I think our time here is done,” Eva said. “Ayanna, I assume that you and Dierk are going to handle everything with Reiss.”

“That would be correct,” Ayanna replied.

“Then we should go and see if we can’t catch up with the others,” Eva said. “Mina, I think we know where we should start.”

“Of course!” Mina said, pumping her fist. “But you should lead the way so we can get there faster.”

“So you’re telling me that you don’t know, Mina,” Eva replied. “That’s fine, then.”

Mina followed Eva as they hurried downstairs. Luna and Pekka followed them down until they made it to the front doors. Where they were going to next, Mina was not sure, but she knew that they had to run into the others. But as Mina and the others exited the building, they saw an interesting sight.

“Over there!” Mina exclaimed. “Is that Sorin?”

She looked over at the nearby intersection as a motorcycle passed through. The engine’s roar was recognizable as the sound left an remarkable impression upon everyone. However, the motorcycle flew by too fast for Mina to get a clear view, but she was certain that she saw Sorin and Johan on the vehicle. Eva looked to where Mina was, but by that time the two had already left the scene.

“It seems like they’ve got a good idea where to start looking,” Eva said.

“So they’re on the chase,” Pekka said. “Where are they headed?”

“It looked as if they were headed towards the Nano District,” Mina replied. “I’m not exactly sure how far they’ll go, so maybe we should follow after them!”

“We’ll get tired if we go by foot,” Luna said. “Is there any other way?”

“I don’t think that will be needed,” Eva answered. “There’s only one reason why they’re headed towards that district: to take on Harold Mars.”

“By themselves?” Luna asked. “That’s dangerous, though!”

“It is,” Eva said. “But Sorin and Johan must know that as well.”

“Johan has an idea,” Pekka said. “He wouldn’t pursue Harold unless he had something planned.”

“I think he’s depending on all of us,” Mina said. “That’s got to be the reason why he and Sorin would go it alone! This is all to have us join in at just the right time so we can finally defeat this evil man once and for all!”

“Which is to say we’re working at Johan’s whim again,” Law said.

Mina turned over to the direction of Law’s voice and saw him at the other end of the sidewalk along with Gavin and Gale. It was a surprise how quick they were to arrive, but Mina was enthused to see them all the same.

“That was quick,” Eva said.

“We had to get moving,” Law replied. “We do have to go after the bastard responsible for a lot of this mess, don’t we?”

“Where’s Henry?” Eva asked.

“He’s got a thing or two to sort out with the general,” Law answered. “Guess there’s just one thing Henry needed to find out, though I’m not exactly sure how it will help us.”

“We can take anything at this point,” Pekka said.

“So you managed to see both Sorin and Johan before they left, didn’t you?” Mina asked.

“That guy thinks he can just show us all up, doesn’t he,” Gavin said. “Well, I know that we can’t truly corner Harold unless we’ve got the whole place covered. We’ve got to get moving!”

“Calm yourself, bro,” Law said. “We did just run all the way here from the hospital, after all.”

“So it seems,” Eva said. “But we just saw them and we know where we’re going to go next.”

“You do?” Gale asked.

“The only question is where exactly Harold’s hiding,” Eva replied. “Finding that out will give us a good idea how to go forward with a strategy.”

“But we’ve already got a good idea,” Mina said. “We gotta get going towards the Nano District!”

She proceeded to run off in the direction she saw Sorin and Johan head off. It was not a question of if she could catch up to them, but rather if she would be able to help in any way she could. Mina was well aware of how dangerous a person Harold was, but with her friends, she knew that they would have to come up victorious. And with Ayanna on their side, Mina knew that there was an even better chance that they would have the advantage no matter what Harold had ready for them.

 

*****

 

[2nd of January, 2741 AD; on the streets of Gel Heights, Rezar, Iiayikohn – Nano District]

 

Wind blew into Sorin’s face, but that did not deter him from facing forward as Johan drove through the empty streets. Gel Heights remained empty as ever, though Sorin knew that this had to be the place where Harold was hiding. Sorin could feel that they were getting closer, even as the location continued to elude the two. The abandoned buildings made perfect sense for someone like Harold, as they provided a viable hideout like the one in Hurst.

“There’s one thing I’ve got to tell you,” Johan said. “It was only recently that I learned this news, but I think you should know before we confront Harold. It concerns our old friend Korbin.”

“Really?” Sorin asked.

“Yes, it should shed some light on a lot of things,” Johan replied. “As it turns out, Harold is way beyond the point of no return. A man who would kill his own wife and child deserves no pity.”

“What do you plan to do?” Sorin asked. “It’s obvious we’ll have to confront Korbin at some point, but are you saying that there’s much more to him than we thought?”

“Don’t get me wrong, buddy,” Johan said. “Korbin already passed that point a while ago, but he never got to choose for himself. Harold had an entire network that saw to it that Korbin would be willing to do anything that Crawford Bradley told him to do.”

“So is that why you believe he’s acting differently?” Sorin asked. “Because Bradley is dead?”

“That could be the reason,” Johan said. “But whatever the case may be, he’s just as dangerous as he was before. Perhaps even more so now that Harold’s got him underneath his thumb. That threat that he could suffer the same fate as his twin brother probably drives Korbin to fight more than you think.”

“How… How in the world was all of this possible?” Sorin asked. “Wouldn’t we have found out about Harold’s crimes a long time ago?”

“You’re underestimating Isaac’s willingness to protect Harold,” Johan said. “Of course, this lines up with the time where your father confronted him on that ship. Perhaps Kirk knew about it, but didn’t know enough to confirm whether or not it was true…”

As Sorin speculated about Harold’s crimes and how he was able to get away with murder for so long, Johan began to slow the motorcycle down. Soon, the two arrived at a complete stop in front of a large office building, empty as it could be as Johan got off of the motorcycle. Sorin wanted answers, but he knew that they were getting close enough that it did not matter. Now was the time for them to find Harold and stop him before he could slip away once more.

“Our problem lies in front of us,” Johan said.

“You believe they’re hiding in there?” Sorin asked.

He took another look at the building. The broken windows caught Sorin’s eye as well as the large, wooden doors with paint peeling off of them. If Harold was in there along with Korbin, then it would be easy for Sorin and Johan to try and corner them. However, Sorin was certain that Harold would have a trick or two ready for them.

“He’s not going to run,” Johan said. “Not yet, anyway.”

“Then we need to give it our all,” Sorin said. “No more running away… We will make sure that this is the end for Harold Mars.”

 

To be continued…

 

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Aurora – Chapter 45 (Part 1)

[2nd of January, 2741 AD; Helmut Hospital – Patient Ward, Rezar, Iiayikohn – Giga District]

Sorin watched Isaac open his eyes. He stood near the entrance to the room while the others looked on as Fercewend took a seat next to the hospital bed. The entire room was silent, save for Johan. He cleared his throat as he walked over to the bed and stared down Isaac. The injured man could only groan as Johan took a deep breath. Sorin felt as if everyone except for Fercewend had been waiting for this moment to come, with Johan ready to start.

“Johan Kuu,” Fercewend said. “So you’ve decided to show your face. Have you come to gloat in our faces?”

“I’m here for one reason, general,” Johan replied. “Isaac Kunigunde knows a lot about Harold Mars and I intend to draw the truth out of him.”

Isaac looked up at Johan. “You… Do you expect me to cooperate with you? A traitor that thinks of himself before his own country?”

“Funny that you’d accuse me of your wrongdoings,” Johan said. “After all, you were the one who tried to get Piere Hasker out of the way. A man that cares more for his own status before his country… That would certainly describe you, Isaac Kunigunde.”

Isaac laughed, which then broke with a cough. “Do you forget the position you’re in? Rohan, waste no time in arresting this treasonous vermin.”

“I can’t do that,” Fercewend said.

“This is an order,” Isaac said. “Don’t think that you can deny my requests just because I’m injured!”

“I’m saying I can’t do that because the moment President Hasker arrives in Rezar, I will no longer be general,” Fercewend said. “I intend to tell him all about what I know and I will make sure that Casper Bradley testifies as well.”

“You’re going to betray me, too?” Isaac asked. “You’d betray Ameci?”

“This is not betrayal,” Fercewend said. “This is for the good of everyone, even if it comes at the cost of my reputation.”

“It’s no use, Isaac,” Henry said. “Your Foundation is falling apart, so I would suggest that you start talking.”

“Why would I listen to you of all people?” Isaac asked. “You were never fit to be general of the Ameci military, much less share the same glory as Rohan and I. That’s why I made sure you never had a chance.”

“That’s interesting,” Johan said. “Henry, perhaps you like to ask him about what he means?”

“I think I already have an idea,” Henry said.

“Isaac, what did you do?” Fercewend asked.

“Any threat to you is a threat to me,” Isaac said. “That’s why I had to make sure that Henry Randolph could never become general. Connections are pretty easy to make, which was how I got the rumors to float around in the first place. Ameci’s officials needed a nudge and I gave it to them by way of having Henry accused of treason, but that was all I did!”

“With how you’re confessing now, you’re trying to take the easy way out,” Johan said. “Of course you’d admit to such a crime because you would effectively walk away with nothing more than a mere reprimand.”

“Bullshit,” Gavin said. “With what he just said, this asshole deserves to be locked away for the rest of his life!”

“And yet, without proof, we stand with no ground beneath our feet,” Johan said. “Sorin, you didn’t forget, did you?”

Sorin reached into his pocket. “I’ve got what you need right here,” he said as he pulled out the two documents. “I don’t know how you’re going to use these, but I’ll let you have them.”

He went over to Johan and handed the papers over to him. Isaac tried to lift up his arms, but lacked the strength to do so as Johan began to read out loud. The whole room was silent except for Johan, his soft-spoken commentary describing in detail the connection between Isaac and Harring.

“That’s everything on here,” Johan said, stuffing the folded up papers in his pants pocket. “I’m sure there’s a lot more we can access with General Fercewend’s assistance, but for now we can talk about your connection with Harold Mars.”

Isaac groaned a light chuckle. “So you’ve got a piece of paper with some ink on it. So what? That signature doesn’t belong to me!”

“I’m sure if we ask Rohan, he’d tell us,” Gale replied.

“I don’t need to see the papers to know that it came from Isaac,” Fercewend said. “Please, for my sake, it would be better if you talked.”

“Yeah, otherwise, who knows what will happen next?” Law asked.

“All of you are traitors,” Isaac said. “Every last one of you… I suggest that all of you begin praying, because I will inform Hasker about all of this! Even you, Rohan, will be dealt with for trying to stab me in the back!”

“Guess you’re going to fight us to the end, then,” Law said. “Well, then you shouldn’t blame anyone but yourself when Harold finds out you’re still alive and kicking.”

“Harold?” Isaac asked. “He’s here?”

“Oh, well, none of us know that,” Law replied. “We just know that he’s still roaming around the city and once he learns about you, I’m sure he’ll want to pay you a visit.”

“He would come and finish me off, would he?” Isaac said. “That he would go against our contract… The man is beyond comprehension! Why would he go and put trust in his son over me now, of all times!?”

“I don’t think he really trusts Korbin,” Johan said. “If you really want to know what I think, it’s that Harold deems Korbin much more useful than you ever could be.”

“That is immensely ludicrous,” Isaac scoffed. “Harold is the one who should know his place in the world, not me!”

“What makes you say that?” Johan asked. “Remember, Harold left you for dead not too long ago.”

“I was the one who saved him from his watery demise,” Isaac said. He set his sights over to Sorin. “When your father mercilessly decided to chase after him on that boat, I knew that I could not afford to lose a man like him.”

“My family is dead because of that man,” Sorin said. “All of this pain is due to Harold Mars and you want to say that my father is the bloodthirsty one?”

“I don’t care what you think,” Isaac replied. “Men like Kirk only got in the way of my goals and I needed a way to deal with him. If it weren’t for Harold’s own ruthlessness, Kirk would’ve been the one to die in his house!”

“Tell me, then,” Sorin said. “Why did you want my father dead? What was the reason? Answer me!”

“I didn’t want the war to end,” Isaac replied. “The Swords of Eight worked hard to make sure that the Ameci and Thekohnian regions operated in peace, but for me, it was akin to an incoming drought. After all, there’s a lot of money to be made when militaries need firepower.”

“Was that why you had Alan killed as well?” Henry asked.

“I think you should already know that answer,” Johan said. “Isaac sees each person as expendable. He did not care at all whether or not they fell so long as he continued to remain untouched. If it came to the worst, Isaac would have had no trouble begging for help so long as it benefitted him.”

“So it seems,” Fercewend said.

“And so what if that’s the case?” Isaac asked. “I… I’m not about to lose to a nobody like you!”

“Yet you’re telling us nearly everything that you know,” Gale said. “I don’t know if you’ve realized or not, but you’ve already lost.”

“I-Impossible,” Isaac replied. “To have you tell me that… To be shown up by my daughter, an idiotic woman with absolutely no life experience of her own… You’re the one that’s making a fool of me?”

“It’s over, Isaac,” Henry said.

“I’m going to ask you one important question and you’re going to answer me,” Johan said to Isaac. “What is Harold’s plan? What does he want now that he has you out of the way?”

“His plan?” Fercewend asked. “Was his plan not to betray Isaac?”

“That is one part of it, yes,” Johan replied. “However, I’m asking about his ambitions outside of that. Harold Mars has a lot of secrets he’d rather not be out in the open, which is why he’s been mostly operating behind the scenes.”

“I’m surprised he didn’t betray you sooner,” Sorin said to Isaac.

“You speak as if you know the man yourself,” Isaac said.

“Well, I think I know enough to realize how much of a threat he truly is,” Sorin said. “That’s why Johan is asking you. Harold’s plan… does it involve profiteering from the tragedies of war as well?”

Isaac turned his head away, facing Fercewend. “There is a reason why we were in a contract,” he said. “Foundation was built as a way to rule this world without needlessly getting our hands dirty. Only when it was necessary would we go out and take care of things ourselves.”

“That’s why you killed Harring, then?” Sorin asked. “Because you couldn’t trust anybody to do it yourself?”

“What a fool you are, Sorin Wilk,” Isaac replied. “I only killed him because I wanted to, of course.”

“He could have had anyone do it, really,” Johan said. “But he wanted to see for himself what it was like to kill another man.”

“All this time, he was the one who took the chancellor’s life,” Fercewend said. “And for what? You wanted even more money?”

“That’s exactly why I did it,” Isaac said.

“You’ve lost me, then,” Fercewend said. “That blood will remain on your hands forever.”

“Even if I had regrets, it would change nothing,” Isaac said. “Harring was as much in this as Dezine and Bradley. It just so happened that he got the shortest stick of them all.”

“Which means you would’ve killed one of them, too, if you wanted to,” Gale said. “Because your only reason was because you felt like it.”

“It does seem that way,” Law said. “It’s a frightening thought for sure, not knowing if you’re the next one with a target on your back just because Isaac felt like he needed a fix.”

“But if you were so desperate to have a war so bad, why did you not go after Rain?” Henry asked. “She was the one who organized the summit, so would it not be logical for you to target her instead?”

“It would’ve been obvious,” Johan said. “If it had gone differently, it would have been bad for Isaac. That’s why Harring had to die, in Isaac’s mind.”

“So we know that Isaac had to have Ahnlikohn’s chancellor killed,” Gavin said. “What about Harold’s plan, damn it?”

“Yes, I do believe we’re getting off track,” Johan said. “I’m sure Isaac is all but willing to let this tangent go on further, but it’s time to start answering the real question.”

“That means right now,” Fercewend said. “No more excuses, no more of you trying to divert away from Harold. As long as he’s around, then we cannot afford to ignore him.”

“Like I said, I was using Foundation to rule this world,” Isaac said. “Harold and his ambitions—his plan—involved using his immense ruthlessness in order to help me accomplish that goal. By thrusting these regions into war, it would’ve been easy to have everyone working to our benefit.”

“And by having you out of the way, Harold wants to claim it all to himself,” Henry said. “Is this what you’re suggesting?”

“Make of it what you want,” Isaac said. “I’ve no desire to continue further down this path with you.”

“Then it’s a shame,” Johan said. “If you’re so sworn to spewing venom until the very end, then you shouldn’t be surprised when you rot away in prison all by yourself.”

Isaac chuckled. “If I had any regrets, I know none of you would buy it,” he replied. “I lost this battle, plain and simple.”

“This battle?” Gavin asked. “You’re going to lose a lot more than that, you know. Just give it the fuck up already.”

“Giving up is a loser’s move,” Isaac said. “Even if I am sent away to prison for life, I wouldn’t even begin to think about giving you all the satisfaction of my surrender.”

“Bro, he’s known the situation ever since he got here,” Law said. “That he would continue to act all high and mighty is only a show. Not that it’s a very good one to begin with, but it is a show meant only to boost his damaged ego.”

“I already know that, Lawrence,” Gavin replied.

“He’s already told us what we need to know,” Gale said. “Isaac put his trust in someone he thought he could control, but it ended up backfiring on him.”

“When you deal with a man known as ‘The Ruthless,’ it shouldn’t be any surprise if he sets his sights on you,” Henry said to Isaac. “Even Kirk was well aware of the risks of going up against him, but he was a lot more courageous than you would ever hope to be.”

Isaac had no response, only a scowl upon his face.

“Of course, Harold was more than happy to do your dirty work as long as it benefitted him,” Henry said. “As long as it meant he got to deliver his own wicked brand of pain, Mr. Mars was happy to work alongside you.”

Henry walked away from the hospital bed and headed for the door. Isaac continued to lay as he had no way of getting out on his own power.

“But even someone as tactical as you should’ve seen it coming,” Henry said. “This day had been coming because Harold’s ruthlessness doesn’t hold itself back against men like you. If someone like Harring could fall, then so could you.”

“And that’s why Harold wants to rule all by himself,” Johan said. “With you out of the way, he wants to create that sort of world where he sits at the top.”

“That’s the goal of Foundation,” Sorin said. “It just so happened that Harold was the one in charge the whole time.”

“Indeed,” Johan replied. “But I think we’ve got all we needed from Isaac, so I don’t see the point in remaining here for much longer. General, I take it that you will be the one to watch over him for the time being?”

“That’s my intention, yes,” Fercewend answered.

“Are you truly going to listen to him?” Isaac asked. “This man has tried time and time again to undermine us and you want to listen to him?”

“I believe that there is truth to what he says,” Fercewend said. “Mr. Kuu, if you are really going after Harold Mars… If that’s what you’re going to do now, the only thing I will suggest is for you to be careful.”

“I already know what the risk is,” Johan said. “Besides, I’ve got a good idea where to find Harold. Let’s get moving.”

With that said, everyone except Fercewend and Isaac left the room. Sorin felt the urgency rising with each step he took down the hall. Meanwhile, Johan led the way out to the lobby where everyone reconvened with what they were going to do next. If Johan knew where Harold was hiding, then the best time to say it was right now.

“Tell us where you think Harold is,” Gavin said to Johan.

“Before I do that, I think it’d be good to let everyone know what’s going on,” Johan said. “We should hurry up and meet the others at the new prime minister’s office as we don’t have much time.”

“You mean Harold won’t stay in Rezar for too long,” Gale said. “I’m not sure what he’s going to do now, but do you believe he’s really going to come back so he can kill Isaac?”

“I don’t know about that,” Johan answered. “What I know is that Harold is going to be on the move soon. He’s not going to stay here for too long, which is why we’re gonna have to think fast.”

“It’s a frightening thought,” Sorin said. “He could be just around the corner, waiting for us. He’s going to want us all dead, that’s for sure.”

“He’s only one man,” Henry said. “Even with his son, that is only two while we have a larger count. Besides, it’s not as if he can keep running away.”

“That’s true,” Gavin said. “I’m sure that with Ayanna and Reiss’ help, we’ll be able to track down those two before they can even think about fleeing.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” Johan said.

“What do you mean?” Gavin asked. “Wouldn’t it be easier for us if we had the Iiayikohnian military on our side?”

“If we had that many people after him, Harold would know easily,” Johan replied. “His recent operation had to involve just him and Korbin, so I’m not so sure that he would have any lackeys available to help him.”

“The Blood Ravens, you mean,” Sorin said.

“I’m sure Harold would have no trouble recruiting some goons to fight for him,” Henry said. “But I believe that Johan is correct: we cannot pursue Harold with a great number of soldiers roaming the streets of Rezar.”

“Which is why we need a plan in place,” Johan said. “Gale, I’m going to go and put my trust in you to speak with Ayanna and Reiss about that matter.”

“Okay,” Gale replied. “Wait, does that mean you’re going to find him all by yourself? That’s dangerous!”

“You’re exactly right,” Johan said. “Sorin, buddy, this is going to be our final job together. You ready?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Sorin said.

“You guys are really going together, huh,” Law said. “You really do want all the glory for yourself, don’t you?”

Johan grinned. “I’m not afraid to share, if you want.”

“If I go, then bro’s gonna want to come, too,” Law replied. “And if he comes, then I’m sure that Mina would like to go with, then Eva would go and then who knows what will happen next? The number would only go up and up from there, so it would be better if you two led first.”

“If we can’t get him ourselves, then it’s up to you guys,” Sorin said.

“Just run if it gets tough,” Gale said. “I don’t want you to die.”

“We’re not going to plan on dying any time soon,” Johan said. “Not as long as I’m around.”

“We’ll be fine,” Sorin said to Gale.

“I hope so,” she said.

“I promise you that if things look bad, I’ll run,” Sorin said. “I’ll run as fast as I can, Gale.”

“He’d have to, anyway,” Law said. “You don’t want to be stationary when you’re going up against an oncoming truck, do you?”

“What the hell does that have to do with anything?” Gavin asked.

“I’m saying that Harold’s the truck,” Law replied. “Did you not get that one, bro?”

“I got it,” Gavin said.

“Good, then we’ve got no time to waste,” Law said. “To the prime minister’s office we go.”

“Well, if that’s the case, then I’m going to see Rohan,” Henry said.

“You are?” Gale asked.

“There’s one thing I forgot to ask him about,” Henry said. “It’ll only be for a minute at most.”

Henry turned around and headed back into the patient ward. Sorin and the others, though, began to head outside the hospital. Once outside, everyone saw an old green motorcycle parked over by the curb. Sorin watched as Johan walked to the motorcycle and started it up.

“Is that your entrance?” Gavin asked. “Just where in the hell did you get that ride?”

“Oh, well, it actually belongs to one of my allies,” Johan replied. “I know it looks a little beat up, but it actually carried me to and from Hurst.”

“Hurst?” Law asked. “You were there?”

“Only for a moment,” Johan replied. “I had something I needed to do, that’s all, really.”

“Of course,” Gavin said. “I’m not going to question it.”

“If you won’t, then I guess I won’t, either,” Law said. “So you’re going to use that to find Harold?”

“We’ll cover a lot more ground this way,” Johan said as he hopped onto the motorcycle’s seat. “I’m sorry, Sorin, but it looks as if you’re going to have to sit behind me for the time being.”

“I’ve got no problem with that,” Sorin replied.

“That doesn’t surprise me,” Law said. “Surely you must be a little jealous of this, Gale.”

“You shouldn’t assume things,” Gale replied. “Just get going. I’ll catch up with you two soon once Henry gets back.”

Law shrugged. “Let’s do what she says, bro.”

Gavin and Law went off in the direction of the prime minister’s office as Sorin turned to Gale. He looked in her eyes as she did the same. He knew he was going to come back to her, but Sorin could not help but feel like this was as good a time as any to show his affection for her. As he closed in on her, Sorin knew that Gale felt the same as he did. The two met as they shared a brief kiss. It was only for a few seconds, but Sorin felt like it went on for much longer than that. When they were done, Gale pushed up her glasses as Sorin stood and waited for her to respond.

“You’ll be back soon,” she said. “I know you will.”

“And I’ll make sure that you’re the first to know,” Sorin said. “I… I love you, Gale.”

“I love you, too,” Gale said. “Please take care of him, Johan.”

It was then that Sorin went over and joined Johan on the back. He placed himself behind Johan, making sure that he stayed secure on the motorcycle as Johan revved up the engine. Finally, the two began to move as the motorcycle took them down the streets of Rezar. The pursuit for Harold was on and Sorin was ready to confront him. He was going to make sure that this time, neither Harold nor Korbin could get away with what they had done.

To be continued…

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