"Alita and Ron are dead," Mok said in a grave voice.
"No! It can't be true! Tell me it isn't true, Mok!" Paltio replied, his voice trembling with disbelief. "I'm sorry, Paltio, but it's true… meow," added Toco-Toco in a low tone, his words seeming to echo painfully like an inevitable truth.
The atmosphere grew heavy with silence, broken only by muffled sobs and the invisible weight of loss. Even Rykaru, always so Stoic, appeared crestfallen. "What do you mean, dead?" Kilibur asked, her voice breaking. "Yes... Alita and Ron are gone," Nakia confirmed, as if repeating it might make reality sink in further.
"No… no, it can't be true. My friends wouldn't…" Paltio collapsed to his knees, beating the ground with clenched fists as tears streamed uncontrollably down his face. Pain radiated from every movement, every ragged breath he took.
Lukeandria, her gaze lowered and her voice laden with guilt, spoke up: "I'm sorry, Paltio. If only I had intervened better, none of this would have happened." Her words hung in the air, heavy like a confession.
"But what are we going to do now?" Chiki asked, her voice cracking. "That stubborn fool, Ron… He can't be dead. He was such a good disciple."
Suddenly, a series of nearby explosions shook the area. "What's happening?!" Kilibur exclaimed, leaping to her feet.
"Who's attacking the Shadows?" Lukeandria asked, searching for answers with wide eyes.
"Maybe it's the resistance army," Paris suggested, trying to maintain composure. "Yes, there's no doubt. It must be them. We need to go and meet up with them."
"How do you know they're dead?" Paltio murmured from the floor, his voice barely audible as Rykaru watched him with concern, attempting to console him with a hand on his shoulder.
At that moment, something exploded above their heads, shattering the roof of the house. Mok reacted swiftly, raising his knives to shield the group from the falling debris.
"We need to get out of here, or we'll die too!" Mok shouted as he deftly cleared away chunks of the collapsed ceiling. Everyone ran toward the carriage—except Paltio, who remained motionless, clinging desperately to the ground.
"I'm sorry, Master," Mok muttered before delivering a firm blow to the back of Paltio's neck, causing him to lose consciousness. Without wasting a moment, Mok lifted him and carried him in the carriage with the others.
The realm had become a battlefield. Explosions lit up the dark sky, and buildings crumbled around them. "You'd better get the vehicle moving," Mok urged Lukeandria urgently.
The carriage surged forward at full speed, dodging explosions and collapsing structures that fell like wounded giants. "Go, find the exit! Which way do we get out of this cursed realm?" Lukeandria shouted, her hands steady on the reins.
Toco-Toco leaped off the carriage and sprinted toward the edges of the realm. He returned within minutes, panting. "Meow... All the exits are destroyed, except one: the one leading to the ocean."
"But don't we have a ship?" Paris asked, frowning.
"I believe so," Mok replied confidently. "Head the carriage in that direction," he ordered Lukeandria.
The girl complied, and the group made their way toward the only available path. As they advanced, they saw civilians huddled in the darkest corners of the realm, while soldiers ran back and forth, too preoccupied with protecting what remained of the territory to pay them any mind.
Upon reaching the water, Mok muttered to himself, "Good… I hope this works." The vehicle moved toward the shore, sending small waves rippling outward.
"Mok, what are you doing, you foolish butler? Are you trying to drown us?" Lukeandria shouted, her voice a mix of disbelief and nervousness.
"No, stay calm. This vehicle will help us escape," Mok responded calmly, confident in his actions.
Suddenly, the carriage began to transform into something unexpected: its wheels retracted, and its metallic structure morphed into the shape of a small boat. It glided smoothly across the sea, showing no signs of sinking.
"Wow! That professor is a damn genius," Lukeandria exclaimed, impressed. "Remind me to apologize to him again for what I did that time."
"What did you do?" Paris asked curiously.
"Well, she thought he was the enemy," Nakia and Toco-Toco replied in unison.
"You fools! You don't need to go spreading gossip," Lukeandria snapped, annoyed, crossing her arms.
The strange vessel sailed for hours, gradually leaving the realm of Pinkertalia behind. Rykaru sat near Paltio, watching over him as he slept. He approached and stood by his side, vigilant.
"I hope you didn't hit my daddy too hard, Mr. Mok," Rykaru said seriously. "Or you'll have to deal with me."
"Calm down, it was just a light blow to knock him out, not to kill him. He'll be fine," Mok assured him, attempting to soothe the little creature.
Paltio, caught in a restless sleep, relived a nightmare: he saw his friends, Ron and Alita, fall before his eyes. "No, Ron! No, Alita!" he shouted, jolting awake, drenched in sweat. As he opened his eyes, he tried to open the vehicle's door but nearly fell into the water if Mok hadn't grabbed him in time.
"Calm down, Master," Mok said firmly, holding him steady.
"Where are we?" Paltio asked, disoriented.
"We're at sea. We'll reach land soon to disembark," Mok explained.
"And Pinkertalia?"
"I'm sorry, Master, but we've already left that place."
"And Alita and Ron? Where are they? Did we leave them behind?" Paltio asked, his voice rising with alarm.
"I'm sorry, Master, but as you know... they are..." Mok began but couldn't finish the sentence.
"I know... It's just that I didn't want to believe it," Paltio murmured, tears welling up in his eyes. Overcome with emotion, he hugged Mok tightly. The butler, surprised but understanding, returned the embrace, trying to comfort the prince.
They stayed like that for a while until they finally reached solid ground. The vehicle transformed back into the tank-like carriage, and everyone disembarked to rest.
While Kilibur and Lukeandria gathered firewood, Mok ventured into the area to hunt for food. He prepared a simple dinner and brought a plate to Paltio, but the prince barely glanced at it. His appetite was gone, consumed by a grief that seemed to devour him whole.
"Paltio, are you okay?" Rykaru asked, approaching with concern.
"Yes, Rykaru… I'll be fine. It might just take some time," Paltio replied in a weary voice.
Three days had passed since they left Pinkertalia. During that time, Paltio had barely spoken or eaten. His sorrow was palpable, a weight that hung heavy in the air, felt by everyone.
"Are you going to keep acting like this every day? Get over it already, kid," Lukeandria snapped, losing her patience.
"How am I supposed to get over it?" Paltio shouted, facing her with fury in his eyes. "What do you know about pain? All of this is your fault! If you had asserted your authority as a soldier of the Red Shadows, maybe they'd still be here with us!" he spat, his voice laced with resentment.
"My fault? I'm not to blame for this!" Lukeandria exclaimed, visibly irritated. "And how dare you say I don't know about pain? I lost my entire people, my family… Foolish child, growing up. That's just how things are: life is cruel."
Before he could respond, Lukeandria turned and walked away, avoiding his gaze.
"Don't run away!" Paltio shouted angrily, clenching his fists in frustration. "Come back here!"
"I'm going for a walk around the area," she replied without looking back. "Come with me, Paris." Both women left, leaving Paltio with Mok, Kilibur, Rykaru, and the others.
The prince stood silent for a moment, breathing heavily. Finally, Mok intervened gently:
"Master, you can't do that. She tried to help too. You should apologize to her."
Paltio lowered his head, his anger slowly dissolving into a sea of guilt. "I know… I'm sorry, Mok. I didn't mean to take it out on her. It's just that… my friends…" His voice cracked, unable to finish the sentence.
Golden observed from a distance but said nothing. He wasn't the kind of person who could mediate or offer comforting words; he simply didn't know how to handle situations like that. Kilibur tried to speak, but not knowing Paltio's friends well, her words hung suspended in the air, uncertain and unconvincing.
"I know, Master, I know," Mok said, stepping closer to place a hand on his shoulder. "They were like your family. You've known them for so long. Your pain is understandable."
"Daddy, don't feel bad," Rykaru interrupted tenderly, hugging Paltio. "I'll always be by your side, and I won't leave you."
At that moment, something echoed in Paltio's mind. He furrowed his brow thoughtfully. "Wait… You said 'by my side,'" he murmured, staring at Rykaru intently. "That word… What does it mean?"
"Yes, I said that," the little creature confirmed innocently.
Paltio fell silent, lost in thought. Then, he raised his gaze toward Golden with renewed hope. "Golden, do you think that if Nakia and Chiki are still here, it could mean my friends are alive? Is it possible?"
Golden hesitated for a moment, then nodded slowly. "It's true… It might be a possibility."