Yukino's words sounded too harsh to Aino, who was more sentimental than her cousin. She tried not to cry, held it in as much as she could, but the tears slipped from her eyes.
"This is too much for me…" she confessed, bringing her hands to her face, leaving them soaked with her tears.
Still recovering, Naoko decided to use her remaining energy to stand up. Breathing heavily, she walked toward Aino, opened her arms and hugged her.
"It's okay, Aino. Everyone has their own way of dealing with things, don't push yourself…" Naoko comforted her gently.
Leaving through the school gates were Hikaru and Adonis. The red-haired boy kept his head down, still stunned, unable to look his friend in the eyes.
"Thanks, Hikaru… I'll go on my own from here…" he said.
"Are you sure? Are you okay?" Hikaru asked, concerned.
"I'm… I'm fine." Adonis confirmed, still looking at the ground.
"Adonis… did you see anything strange?" Hikaru tried not to be too direct.
"Ah…" Adonis paused. "You mean that fire?"
He tried to brush it off by mentioning only the flames everyone had seen, something impossible to deny. Deep down, something told him it was better not to reveal what he knew, nor his knowledge about Yesenia.
"Pretty strange, right!" Hikaru felt relieved inside. He didn't want to have to explain about Potentia and was glad Adonis hadn't witnessed the fight.
"Yeah… it was…" Adonis agreed, his voice hesitant.
Realizing it was time to go, Hikaru said goodbye and headed back inside the school. Soon everyone got organized and returned to their homes, trying to forget what had happened that morning.
Adonis waited until everyone had left the school before taking out his phone and making a call.
"Skipped class?" Koa answered, his voice firm and low, as his phone kept vibrating.
"Heidi and Yesenia… they attacked the school… I didn't know this was going to happen… I… uh… Heidi disappeared… Yesenia…" Adonis spoke hesitantly, his discouragement clear even over the phone. "Yesenia died."
"And where is the body?" the man asked, his tone unchanged.
"In the school courtyard," the boy replied.
"Burn it." Koa said, ending the call right after.
For a few moments, Adonis stared at his phone. His hands trembled as he held it, the only sound was the signal of the ended call. Realizing he would have to carry out that order, no matter how painful it was, he headed back to the school.
Orange flames completely covered Yesenia's body. Quickly, the fire consumed her skin, her muscles, and even her bones, leaving not even a single strand of hair.
Adonis immediately went home, where he locked himself in his room, closed the curtains, and curled up on the bed. That was how he spent the rest of the day, until he fell asleep.
The news spread quickly. At the lunchtime broadcast, reporters talked about the incident.
"Hydraulic Accident at a School." That was the headline on the news.
This morning, a hydraulic accident occurred at M School. The pipes overheated and burst, flooding a large part of the courtyard and causing erosion. Classes will be canceled for at least one week, and a specialized team will be hired.
Those responsible for the school claimed they did not know how the overheating occurred, and an investigation will be conducted to determine whether it was criminal.
The news caused commotion throughout the city. At home, Sayuri watched the report. She had just welcomed the girls back and knew the news would never be able to uncover what had really happened that morning.
Not even the school is safe anymore, she thought, her sad gaze fixed on the screen, wondering if she would be able to give the girls a good life.
UN College, 12 PM
It was noon, and the morning students were dismissed. The municipal college was large and offered many courses. The exit was usually busy, but that day no one lingered, since the news had already spread across the city.
Walking through the area was Iker, turning his head as if searching for someone in the crowd. Looking carefully, he managed to spot Riley, the bartender he had met on Itzel's birthday.
He changed direction toward him, but a buzzing sound interrupted his steps. His phone vibrated, and before answering, he checked the number.
ITZEL CALLING
His silence carried irritation, as he knew he couldn't ignore the call.
"I hope this is important, Itzel." Iker answered, without any friendliness.
"Yesenia is dead. Heidi is injured and lost a hand." Itzel informed him, and Iker was startled. "Lady Ayami questioned me, she's furious. It seems they attacked the school without informing her. Do you know anything? They're both from your team."
"They always act on their own…" Iker explained, glancing around. "As bad as it sounds, this was bound to happen sooner or later."
"Understood. I will inform Lady Ayami tonight. I was summoned." Itzel said.
"Alright. Thanks." Iker replied, ending the call and trying, in vain, to find Riley again.
Damn… I lost sight of him…
Finalia, May 5th, night
Ayami was in her room, sitting with her elbow resting on the sofa and her head supported by her hand. Her distant gaze was directed at the glass window, but her mind was restless because of the recent news.
"Come in, Itzel." she said upon hearing the knock.
Step by step, Itzel entered slowly, making as little noise as possible. He already expected his sovereign's mood not to be the best, so he was careful not to upset her.
"What do you wish, Lady Ayami?" he asked.
She turned her face to look directly at him, her expression filled with indignation.
"I assume you've noticed this mission is taking too long… And now we've lost Yesenia, one of my best soldiers." she paused briefly before continuing. "I want you to find Earth's Potentia core."
"Me? But ma'am, I… this mission wasn't mine…" Itzel replied, startled by the request. He took a step back, his pupils dilating, his hand trembling at such responsibility.
"Are you refusing my request?" Ayami asked, now with a much harsher gaze. "I suggest you don't. Rosália will go with you, since she's the one who can locate the core with the greatest precision."
"Y-yes, ma'am…" Itzel agreed, realizing he had no choice but to carry out the mission.
With the matter settled and directions clear, Itzel left the room and headed to Rosália's quarters. There, he explained everything that had happened and informed her about the new mission.
"WHAT? NO!" Rosália shouted so loudly it echoed through the halls. "I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK THERE EVER AGAIN!"
"Love… Rose… calm down. If we find that core, the mission ends. You saw what happened to Yesenia." Itzel tried to soothe her.
The mention of Yesenia's name immediately changed Rosália's expression. She became sad and worried, afraid for both her safety and Itzel's. Tears began to fall as she moved into his arms.
"It's going to be okay…" Itzel promised, holding her, gently stroking her long purple hair.
May 8th, morning
Three days had passed since the incident, and the atmosphere was lighter. There had been no classes for the rest of the week, and Yukino's birthday had passed with only a small family celebration and a phone call from the girls.
Her plans for the weekend had changed, and all she would do was stay home cleaning and playing games. The house chores started early so the rest of the day could be enjoyed better. While cleaning her room, the phone in the hallway near her door began to ring.
The loud ringing echoed through the house because of the high ceiling in the hallway, and Yukino's mother asked her to answer it.
Damn… why me? It's never for me, Yukino complained internally as she stepped out of her room, still in her pajamas. The phone was on a small stand, so she crouched down to answer.
"Hello!"
"YUKIIIII!!!" Akiko greeted excitedly as soon as she recognized her friend's voice. "How are you today? At 8 PM there's the show! We're picking you up. Everyone's going, almost everyone. You have to look really pretty, what if you get an autograph!"
"Akiko, don't start. I didn't buy tickets. After the attacks there were huge arguments here at home." Yukino explained seriously, contrasting with Akiko's energy.
"You had a fight? But why?" Akiko asked, confused.
"Because I said I didn't know what happened in the accident. Then they were like 'What do you mean you don't know?' And then the fight started!" Yukino replied, her voice showing her frustration.
"Huh? But why would you have to know?" Akiko couldn't connect the two things.
"The logic here is different." Yukino chose not to go deeper, knowing it wouldn't make sense.
"Go ask! Maybe it works!" Akiko encouraged her again.
"Alright… I'll go… maybe it works!"
Yukino went to her parents to ask permission to go to the show. Shortly after, she came back, her serious face now showing a light smile.
"She said yes, I just have to clean my room… properly!" Yukino told Akiko.
"YEEEEEES!" Akiko cheered.
The day went by as Yukino completed the tasks her mother had given her before the show. She was much faster than usual, and for once, there was no laziness.
Night came, and Yukino got ready. Unlike her usual days, when she wore no makeup, she liked to dress up for special events. And that night felt like a birthday gift.
Wearing her purple satin dress, high platform boots, earrings and chokers in black and purple. Her makeup included a red lipstick she loved but only used on special occasions. She also tied her hair into a ponytail, different from her usual style.
"My God… what was that thought just now…" she said to herself while finishing her mascara. A thought had crossed her mind, so unsettling that she shut it down as quickly as it came.
"YUKINO, YOUR RIDE IS HERE!" her mother called.
"I'M COMING!" Yukino answered.
She said goodbye to her mother and left with Guang and the others toward the concert.