Albert sped through the woods with Caprio and Makoto, their steps quickening across the damp earth, pushing past the dense trees that obscured the view and intensified the stifling atmosphere. None of them spoke, but the anxiety left by Lloyd's disappearance was evident in their expressions and tense glances. Meanwhile, Sia paused for a moment in the mist, carefully considering her destination, her eyes darting intently through the narrow forest paths, before she too set off swiftly, as if chasing an invisible thread that might lead her to him.
Elsewhere… far from the team's sight.
The four men who had ambushed Lloyd were making their way back to their fortified headquarters. They dragged Lloyd's unconscious body mercilessly, his feet scraping the hard ground, leaving a trail behind him. His white hair, stained with dirt and blood, fell over his face, while the marks of the powerful blow to his head were still visible.
The place they arrived at resembled a hidden fortress in the heart of the island; a massive headquarters surrounded by guards on all sides. Armed men stood at the entrances, towering watchtowers, and heavy walls suggested that approaching this place without permission was tantamount to suicide. The atmosphere was tense, as if terror resided within the very walls.
The men entered the headquarters' inner courtyard and roughly threw Lloyd to the ground. His body slumped motionless in the cold earth, like a mere prize they had hunted from the forest.
Suddenly…
A man appeared, followed by an aura of both authority and mystery, a man who was the subject of much talk throughout the island, a name that inspired both controversy and fear… Caligo Ren.
He walked with slow, confident steps, a mysterious smile on his face that offered no reassurance. He let out a faint laugh as he gazed across the courtyard, saying in a mocking tone,
"Hmm… it seems we have a guest today."
But his expression quickly changed. He frowned, fixing his sharp gaze on one of the men who had apprehended Lloyd, then asked in a low but commanding voice, "Who is this?"
The man swallowed hard before replying quickly, "Sir… we noticed some unusual movements among the trees in the northern area overlooking Almoada City."
He glanced sideways at Lloyd, who lay on the ground, and added, "And at first glance… he seems a stranger to the island. To be honest, it's the first time I've ever seen someone with such white hair."
A heavy silence fell for a few moments as Caligo Ren's gaze remained unsettlingly fixed on Lloyd, as if he were trying to read something hidden behind his appearance… something that might make this "guest" more dangerous than he seemed.
The four men carried the unconscious Lloyd through the long, narrow corridors of the compound, the dim light from old lamps casting a somber shadow over the place. Their footsteps echoed heavily on the stone floor as Lloyd lay motionless, the dried blood still visible on the side of his head.
After a few minutes, they reached a room in a secluded part of the reserve. It was a cramped room, its walls cold and almost bare, containing only an old metal bed and a small table in the corner. They carelessly laid Lloyd down, and one of them adjusted him slightly so he wouldn't fall off.
One of the men turned to the other and said firmly,
"Stay here…keep an eye on him until he fully regains consciousness. We don't even know who he is."
The guard nodded silently before standing near the door, his hand on his weapon, his eyes fixed on the white-haired young man, as if anxiously awaiting his awakening.
On the other side of the island…
Sia moved quickly through the dense trees, retracing the steps Lloyd had taken. The cold air rustled through the branches, and a heavy feeling lingered since his disappearance.
Suddenly… she stopped. Her eyes widened as she stared at something lying on the ground amidst the damp leaves.
She bent down and picked it up, then whispered in shock,
"Damn… it's Lloyd's coat."
She examined it rapidly, her eyes darting anxiously.
"Was he really here?"
She turned the coat over in her hands, but when her eyes fell on the dark stains scattered across the fabric, she froze. Her heart clenched, and she said, her voice strained, shock etched on her face,
"Oh my God… that's blood."
She took a deep breath, quickly piecing together the details in her mind:
"Maybe he got into a fight… and lost."
But instead of letting fear overwhelm her, her expression gradually hardened into a cold concentration. She gripped the coat tightly, then moved with steady, cautious steps, as if she had made a firm decision not to return without finding him.
Meanwhile, in the south of Almoada City… Albert, accompanied by Caprio and Makoto, ventured out cautiously through the narrow alleyways and crowded streets. The city was different from what they had expected: old buildings, unfamiliar faces, and lingering stares from passersby, as if strangers here could not pass by unnoticed.
They continued walking until they reached the center of the city after a relatively long walk. Caprio sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I suggest we split up," he said. "Each of us should search for a path that might lead us to that damned… Caligo Ren."
Then, looking at them, he added, "And whoever finds something first… informs the others immediately."
Silence fell for a few seconds as Albert scanned his surroundings with wary eyes. His gaze darted between faces, windows, and even the dark alleyways, as if he sensed they had been watched since entering the city.
Then, finally, he said in a serious tone, "I don't think it's a good idea."
The two turned to face him, and he continued in an even harsher tone, "Now that Lloyd's been arrested… the last thing we need is to be picked off one by one."
He paused, adjusted his sunglasses, and added, scanning the street warily, "And also… this city doesn't look promising."
He lowered his voice slightly. "We might encounter people we think are peaceful… but they're actually agents, or perhaps even more dangerous than we expect."
He took out a cigarette and lit it slowly before exhaling a long, cold breath into the air. "So… until then," he said firmly, "we'll wait for Sia's message from the North."
But despite his outward calm, something inside him was telling him that time was running out...