Sonya POV

Ginn said she would be attending the tournaments, with a sparky tall blue girl. I can't remember if he meant sparkly personality or just sparking. Because if it's the second one, I think I see them.

She's loudly hollering at Leif with a pink and red figure watching.

Leif.. I think that was her name?

This may be an issue. Ginn warned me about the blue one, and believed I held a good chance to take her out if I had her by surprise. But 3 is.. a bit much for me. Though I could, given my powers. It was still kinda risky.

They were still in that medic tent. I have to find a way to coax Leif into coming into the forest cover alone.

"Zoey?"

Something throbs at the back of my head, a pressure in the space between my eyes and nose.

I whip around to find a guy standing there, staring at me as if I were a ghost, dumbstruck.

He looks... familiar.. but I can't quite recall.

Perhaps he had been in my life 6 years ago?

I had only woken 4 years ago from a coma that stole 2 years of my life. I couldn't recall anything before that could have left me in that state, and met my saviour who had been sustaining my body's needs for the past years.

The man I owe my life to, Ginn Herin.

He said he found me in the rubble of a village razed to the ground, choking on the ashes that buried me. He said he had been in the area on a task, only to find the destination nothing but a clearing of charred remains.

Apparently I remind him of his late sister.

He had his employer look after me in his lab, keeping me alive with his services.

He worked hard for two whole years for me. A complete stranger who had no clue who I was or what had happened of my home and past.

And still, for these four years, he's watched over me, of course his work is.. inhumane and cruel. But this was what he had to do to survive, and help me survive. Who was I to judge the methods of my saviour.

So I owe my life to him, I offer to help out and work with him, but he won't let me any tasks that include killing.

"I'll let you decide your path in the future," He had reasoned. "I won't expose you to mine."

This is one of the only mission's he's given me. The first, I fact, where I get to do this alone.

The task is simple. Get Leif into the forest alone, tell her to follow me to find Test. Take her to that base 01.

I did not think someone else would approach me.

"Zoey.. are you..?"

His eyes are scanning relentlessly over my face. He reach out, hesitant, seeming to fear if he touched me, I would fade away like a mirage.

"I'm sorry," I murmur. "I think you have the wrong person."

"..."

He continues to stare at me in wonder. I want to tell him again to go somewhere else to find his "Zoey", but..

That name rings in my ears, as if hardwired into me at some point to respond when it was called.

"Zoey, take care of your brother."

"Okay!"

"Dad, I'm older, don't you think it should be the other way around?"

"Hey, she's had years more experience of walking than you."

"Dad! That's not fair! You know the reason why!"

"And so you should understand why she has to watch you."

"Heheh! Come on Kick, let's see if you can run!"

"Be careful you two!"

Blurry faces flicker through my head for a moment.

It looks like..

No.. I'm not sure.

You're on a mission, Sonya!

Focus!

"Sorry, but I really have to do something right now."

"Oh.. right." He backs away slightly. "Uh.. what exactly are you doing?"

"I just need to talk to that green girl." I point across the town clearing. "Alone. I have to show her something."

He follows my gestured direction. "You mean Leif?"

I look at him, stunned. "You know her?"

"I just fought her in the earlier tournament match." He states. "What do you need her for?"

"I just need to show her something." Hey, it's not a complete lie. Just not the complete truth. And besides, I doubt I should tell some stranger the full picture of this plan. "But I need her to be alone."

Maybe it's his weird mesmerisation with me, or he genuinely wants to help when he says:

"I can get her over here if you want." He offers. 

Suspicion crawls over me as I regard him, trying to sniff out his intentions. "What do you gain from this?"

"Just want to help." He responds. "You only want to show her something right?"

Half lies are easy when you pass them off as half true.

"Yeah. I know where her friend is." I spin my words carefully. "I want to show her alone, since her blue friend freaks out a bunch. So I want to avoid any panic."

"Ah.. Storm? Yeah, understandable." He nods. "I'll get her over here."

"Thank you." 

"But,"

I knew there would be a catch. Ginn always said no good deed ever comes without a price.

I wait to hear his payment, 

"I want to talk with you after your deal with Leif." His request confuses me. "And I want to know where you come from."

If he follows me after, he'll definitely know I'm up to no good. He'll know about what we're using the abandoned base for. He'll find Ginn.

Ginn and Sward will be able to handle him. I assure myself. They can help me deal with him after.

"Okay." I agree. "Deal."

He gives a relieved nod, holding my face in his gaze a few more moments before crossing the clearing towards Leif.

~~~

Leif POV

Do you feel better now?

"..."

You can talk to me if you want you know. I understand you were scared. I forgive you for what you did.

"..."

Okay.. I'll leave you alone for now. I get it was really stressful for you. Get some rest.

I sigh, looking back to Storm who has finished shouting about how stupid I was in the first 2 minutes of the match, but how she liked the final seconds where Wither had lost it.

I had fought against the onslaught of memory, pain and shame of the past. Pushing through the thoughts Wither had buried with them.

She was so terrified, angry, hateful. She felt so cornered, she had to strike out.

Despite it all having ended 3 years ago, she couldn't seem to let go of our past. And how that fear and helplessness had made her feel. How it made her think and perceive the world around.

What made her give up on having a life in the outside world. 

I wish she could see it all like I did sometimes. But I know that's not her. 

She'll have to find her own balance.

"Leif, are you sure you're okay?" Pax's expression continued to crease in concern. "You had a complete change in that battle and seemed.. very.. off."

"Yeah, I'm okay!" I offer a bright smile to show my lack of panic we were trapped in hours ago. "Just first battle jitters I guess."

"That looked much more than simple jitters." Pax argued. "You looked.. wronged, terrified for your life. You looked.. angry. You sure everything's alright?"

"Yup!" I chirp.

"Okay." She relents, still eyeing me with suspicion. "I guess the sedative's effects may still be lingering. I'll check you up later."

"Excuse me, Leif?"

I turned to see Kick walking towards me, his energy pulsating with adrenaline. Wait.. why am I sensing that? Is it another thing from that connection to Grenendaris?

"Oi!" Storm sizes him up. "Leif should have won! She whopped your butt!"

"Yes yes," He dismisses her as quickly as she spat. "Leif? I need to show you something. Could you come with me?"

"Where you taking her?" Storm growls, hair sparking with agitation.

"Need to take her to see something there." He points to a cluster of trees. "One of your friends?"

"Ohhh one of your plant friends?" Storm glared at him. "Great, you're buying in with her talking to plants routine too huh?"

Gem rises from the length of my hair, buzzing in her direction.

"Ughh fine." Storm rolls her eyes. "Yeah yeah all hail the magical leaf. Go talk to your sun loving pals."

"You're not coming?" It feels like a stone in my throat. 

"And go see you ask a tiny flower how its day's been? No thanks. Just holler when you're done, or if a thorny bush friend decides to hug you." Storm waves me off. "Besides, I've got a match with some fire kid in a minute. I'm gonna fry him alive!"

I look up at Kick.

Sure, he seems like a nice enough guy, apart from giving Wither a panic attack and beating us around for 2 minutes. But..

Alone... without Storm?

With.. W-with a m-male?

Everything screams at me to stay here. To avoid being alone with him. To escape.

But he said he just wanted to show me something.. one of my friends.

The sad ee teeve, or whatever Pax said they gave me, must be wearing off, because I feel my hand turn clammy with cold sweat. But yet I force my smile to stick on.

"Okay, let's go then!"

~~~

"Um... so w-what friend are you taking m-me to see?" I clamp my mouth shut after blubbering the question, clenching my teeth together as they chattered.

"Well, actually it's someone else who knows where they are." He scans through the shrubbery and leads us through.

There, I see a purple figure waiting. She looks at me like she's been expecting or has known me before. Which.. I don't really understand because I've never seen her before.

"Uh, hi, are you the person Kick said knew where my friend was?" I find strength to speak, relieved I'm no longer alone with him. 

She looks a little taken aback by.. my appearance? Or was it something I said? A funny look crosses her face as she crouches down like Pax did.

"Yeah.. I know where your friend Test is.." She seems unsure of her words. "I'll take you to him right now."

Test?

"Y-You know where Test is?" I immediately perk up. "Is he okay? Please, can you show me where he is?"

"Yeah, don't worry. He's okay. Just stuck." She assures. "Follow me, I'll bring you there."

"Okay! Thank you so much miss lady!"

Is that guilt written upon her face? I don't understand why she would be feeling guilty. She's helping me find Test, like a nice person!

She starts following a natural path through the undergrowth and I follow. Though the same unease lingers in my gut as I notice Kick lagging behind me.

"Never let one of them get behind you."

I'm holding a hand over my chest. My heart seems so loud.. I can barely muffle its thumps.

It's okay.. there's someone here with me.. I'll be okay.

"What if she's with him? Look at the awkward looks they're giving each other."

A drumming in my ears.

"You don't know where they're even taking us. This isn't a path we know. No one can find us if they're up to something. Just like-"

"Leif? Are you alright?" I hear Kick behind me. "You're hyperventilating."

The girl turns around, stopping our walk.

I close my eyes, trying to control my breath.

I've never been in this part of the forest. Storm doesn't know I'm here. I don't know how to get home from here.

If I can't get home, I can't be safe.

If I can't be-

"No.. NO! Forget what I said, Leif! Uh.. look! A bird in that tree!"

I feel like I'm in a super tight hug, except hugs are meant to feel safe and warm. This feels painful, I want to get out, but no matter what I do, the hug doesn't loosen. It gets tighter and tighter.

"Dangit what was that thing Linda used to say.. think of the colours you saw this past week. How did it make you feel?"

Linda.. colours.. umm...

Green grass.. brown tree trunks.. red apples... made me feel.. home.

Sycol's pink scarf.. blue Storm at house to play... friends.

"Good, good. Breathe."

"Are you okay?" The girl asks, maybe its been repeated a few times.

"Uh.. yeah.. I'm just.. nervous how far and.. different this path is."

"Oh, it's okay, we're almost there." She walks on ahead, pushing through the undergrowth to reveal a large building front.

"Is Test in there?" I ask as we approach it.

"Yeah." She knocks on the metal door a few times. 

I turn back to see Kick with a confused expression of wonder.

I wonder what Test is doing in a place like this. I never knew something like this was in the forest. 

I hope Test is okay, whatever got him stuck, I hope it didn't hurt him badly.

"Uhh.. Z-Sonya?" Kick shifts behind me.

I look back to the girl and notice the door is open.

And Ginn stares back at me.