The early afternoon sunlight cast a warm glow over the deserted streets of Bucharest, but Code's room remained shrouded in a sleepy haze. A gentle breeze rustled through the open window, carrying the sweet scent of blooming flowers. Code lay on his bed, fast asleep, his chest rising and falling with each gentle breath.
Slowly, he opened his eyes to the bright glare of the sun, which pierced his eyes like a thousand needles. He winced, turning away from the light. His gaze drifted aimlessly, unfocused. After a few moments, he closed his eyes again, trying to catch another nap. But as he drifted off, something strange happened.
He suddenly found himself standing in a desolate plain, surrounded by an eerie silence. A strange castle loomed in the distance, its turrets reaching toward the sky like skeletal fingers. Code's eyes widened as he realized where he was - the same place where Ran and his teammates had met their demise just weeks ago. A shiver ran down his spine as he turned to the left, and his eyes locked onto two figures he hadn't expected to see.
Elara and Lyra stood frozen in terror, their eyes wide with fear. Code tried to rush toward them, but his legs felt heavy, as if rooted to the spot. He screamed their names, but his voice was lost in the wind. "Elara! Lyra!" The sound echoed through the plain, but there was no response.
Code's breathing quickened, his heart racing with terror. His mind reeled with questions, but before he could process anything, a loud sound thundered through the plain. Code's eyes darted around, searching for the source of the noise. Then, he saw it - a demon emerging from the distance, its massive strides eating up the ground.
The impact of its footsteps shattered the earth, sending tremors through the plain. Code's eyes locked onto the demon's grotesque grin, and fear gripped him like a vice. The demon loomed closer, its massive foot raised, ready to crush Code beneath its weight. Time seemed to slow as the demon's foot descended, and Code tried to counter, but his body felt heavy, unresponsive.
The demon's foot connected with Code's head, but just as all hope seemed lost, a voice pierced the air. "Code!" The sound was like a lifeline, pulling Code back from the brink. Everything began to fade, and Code opened his eyes to find himself back in his room, gasping for breath. Hina stood over him, her face etched with worry.
"Code, what's wrong?" she asked, her tone laced with concern. Code sat up, his eyes burning with terror. "Uh?" he exclaimed, staring intensely at Hina. Hina's eyes narrowed in concern. "Code... Are you okay?" she asked, moving closer. Code took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "Yeah..." he said finally, his voice barely above a whisper.
Hina's gaze remained intense, her eyes searching for any sign of distress. Code felt a flutter in his chest as Hina placed her hand on his. Her touch sent a soothing warmth through his body. "What's happening?" he thought to himself, his heart racing with anticipation.
The silence lasted for two minutes, punctuated only by Code's heavy breathing. Finally, Hina spoke. "Code... I, I mean, us, we all know what you went through in the past, and what you're going through now. You might have faced it alone before, but not anymore. We're in this together - you, Nara, Van, and I. We're a team."
Code's eyes welled up with tears as he listened to Hina's words. He turned away, trying to hide his emotions. Hina's voice was laced with concern. "Oh my gosh, are you crying?" Code's face turned bright pink with embarrassment. "I'm not! You're just imagining it," he exclaimed, trying to sound convincing.
Hina's face sparkled with amusement. "Eh? Are you sure? Then let me see?" she teased, trying to pull Code's hands away from his face. Code struggled to keep his face hidden, but Hina was too strong. Just as she was about to pull his hands away, they heard a clicking sound coming from the door.
Hina and Code froze, looking toward the source of the sound. To their surprise, it was Nara, holding a camera focused on them.
He stepped into the room, a wry grin plastered on his face, his eyes gleaming with intensity. His camera was held close to his eyes, capturing every moment. "Hmm... I see you guys are having a nice time," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, sending a chill down Code's spine.
Code and Hina exchanged a confused glance, their eyes locked in a fleeting moment of uncertainty. "Uh?" they replied in unison, their voices laced with confusion, and a hint of apprehension.
Nara chuckled, turning to leave, but his smile faltered as he caught Hina's icy stare. "Well, I'll leave you guys to your lovey-dovey." However, as he turned, he felt a strange sensation that sent shivers down his spine.
He quickly turned back, only to meet Hina's cold, menacing gaze. "I see you're on a death sentence, aren't you? But don't worry, I'll hasten it. Just one or two ribs should do," she said, her eyes gleaming with malevolence as she walked slowly towards him.
Code stared in surprise at Hina and Nara, his mind reeling with anticipation. Hina cracked her knuckles as she got closer to Nara, her movements deliberate and menacing. Nara slowly backed away, his heart beating loudly, his eyes fixed on Hina's advancing form.
"U-um, yes, I mean, no," Nara stammered, but his words were incoherent, lost in the face of Hina's wrath.
Just as the situation seemed about to escalate into an all-out brawl, Code quickly intervened. However, before he could step in, Van walked into the room, his presence a temporary reprieve from the tension. "What's going on?" he asked, his tone indifferent, but his eyes scanning the room with a hint of concern.
"Uh, nothing... Just Nara and..." Code replied, but Hina's icy gaze cut him off, sending shivers down his spine.
"Uh?" Van replied, confusion etched in his eyes. "Nara and what?"
"Forget it..." Hina said quickly, as if hiding something, her voice low and even, but laced with a hint of menace.
Van raised an eyebrow, his gaze flicking between Code and Hina. "So, how was the mission? Looks like everyone made it back in one piece."
Hina launched into an enthusiastic explanation of their adventure, barely containing her excitement. "Van, you should've seen Code - he was on fire! He took down that demon like it was nothing, and he has the rare blood sorcery."
Nara's face fell, feeling left out of the spotlight. "Hey, I was pretty awesome too, you know," he chimed in, trying to grab everyone's attention.
Hina rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Yeah, yeah, Nara was on support duty," she teased, her tone laced with amusement.
Nara's expression turned mock-offended. "Hey, Code, back me up here," he said, nudging Code with his elbow.
Code just grinned, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "Yeah, Nara was... um, supportive."
Nara huffed, pouting his lips in mock disappointment. "Hmph." Hina giggled silently, trying to stifle her laughter.
Van intervened, his voice calm and soothing. "Let's not get too worked up over a mid-class demon. The important thing is that you guys defeated it."
Hina chimed in, her tone still playful. "Yeah, Nara, no need to cry about it." Nara snorted, his face reddening.
Van's gaze turned serious, his mask glinting in the sunlight. "So, did any of you notice anything unusual about the demon? Like, did it have any traces of Aidra's parts?"
Hina's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh no, I totally forgot!" she exclaimed, her voice rising in alarm.
Van's expression turned incredulous. "You guys forgot? Aidra's parts are crucial - we can't afford to lose them."
The trio exchanged guilty glances, remembering Van's earlier warning. "Don't forget to retrieve any traces of Aidra!" The words echoed in their minds.
Hina's face lit up as something clicked in her head. "Wait, it was Nara!" she exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at him.
Nara's eyes widened in protest. "What? No way! How was I supposed to know?"
Van turned his gaze to Nara, his expression stern. "Nara, come on - you can't just forget something this important."
Hina jumped to Nara's offense. "Van, it wasn't entirely his fault. If he hadn't been rushing us to leave, maybe we would've remembered."
Nara's face turned red with indignation. "That's not fair! How was I supposed to know that?"
Code sat there, his face red, struggling to hide his laughter. Nara turned to him, pleading. "Code, don't betray me, man."
Van sighed, clearing the tension in the air. "Arguing isn't going to get us anywhere. It's gone."
Hina's expression turned concerned. "What do you mean? Can't we go back and retrieve it?"
Van's gaze turned serious. "Nah, we're talking about Aidra here. I was lucky to find the last one, because Lodz's demonic concentration is low. We can't rely on luck alone."
Hina groaned, her tone slightly mocking. "Aww, Nara, looks like you caused another problem."
Nara hissed, his face reddening. "Tch!"
Van's expression turned reassuring. "Don't worry about it, guys."
Van's expression turned casual as he dropped a bombshell. "Oh, yeah, and by the way, Ken called."
Code's face scrunched up in confusion. "Ken? Who's Ken?" he asked, his tone laced with curiosity.
Hina and Nara's reactions were instantaneous and identical. "No way!" they exclaimed in unison, their voices laced with alarm.
Code's eyes widened in surprise, taken aback by their intense response. It was clear that Hina and Nara didn't have a high opinion of this Ken person.
Van's gaze turned mischievous, his eyes glinting with amusement behind his mask. "He's arriving the day after tomorrow," he announced, his tone dripping with satisfaction.
Hina and Nara's faces fell, their expressions a mix of worry and dread. "What?! Why?!" they exclaimed, their voices rising in unison.
Code's gaze darted between Hina and Nara, his curiosity piqued. He was beginning to sense that Ken was someone to be feared or avoided. Van's grin only added to the mystery, leaving Code wondering what was in store for them.
"You guys are gonna go pick him", Van's voice echoed through the hallway.
***
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