The sun was slowly setting below the horizon. The sound of steps and dragging feet echoed through the distance as Raiden walked alongside his comrades, moving through the forest toward the Coast City shore.
Ash’s hand rested firmly in Raiden’s as nothing but reluctant sounds echoed through the distance. Everyone was lost in their thoughts, and Raiden’s were no different—those of a scared and confused child.
Huntress, an unbreakable force, was right on his tail for a crime he had yet to commit, and worse still, he had no idea what it was to even weigh his options. To make matters worse, FIRMO had ruthless comrades who could kill him at any moment, and what threatened his fragile life most were the absolute domains they might venture into.
His palms grew sweaty, eyes darting to the floor as he struggled to gulp down his fear. He would have avoided this if he could, perhaps enjoyed the solace his royal life offered. But his dreams and aspirations outweighed his fear, regardless.
Before long, they reached the shore. The ocean lay gentle and quiet, with only the sharp chirping of insects breaking the silence. But when Raiden’s eyes swept the area, he realized there were no signs of Chrono, Aeris, and the others.
A look of disbelief flashed across his face. Had Chrono and Aeris left them behind? He checked his wrist, where the mark of their alliance still remained, yet his doubts wouldn’t subside.
He clenched his fist in irritation. His face twisted with disgust as his pride shattered around him. Why hadn’t he considered this before? What if the alliance crest had been useless from the start?
As he stood there, Freya approached and leaned close to his ear, whispering:
"Your team looks defeated. Perhaps some words of encouragement from their leader?"
Raiden’s eyes widened as it dawned on him that perhaps his companions were all wrestling with the same fear that consumed him.
"By the way, don’t worry. Chrono and the others are coming," she added. This prompted Raiden to activate Gaze Beyond and scan the city, where he spotted them walking casually with smiles and laughter, making their way toward them.
Raiden released a soft sigh. "You’re right, Free. I need to say something."
He turned to the others standing aimlessly around them. Levi and Leo chatted while organizing their luggage, but the rest stayed silent, with only Speed offering comfort as he gently brushed his sister Soul’s head.
A simple clearing of Raiden’s throat was enough to pull everyone’s focus to him immediately, including Noelle and MK, who turned along with the rest.
Raiden took a deep breath. "This will be a very difficult journey. Though I don’t expect anything harmful to happen to any of us, we can’t ignore the possibility of casualties."
His golden eyes darted between their faces. "We could be regarded as warriors, and if so, we must be prepared to accept casualties."
He glanced at the alliance crest on his wrist. Though this was the very reason he’d allied with them, he found himself feeling the need to be empathetic.
"This alliance is between Chrono and me, and should any of you get caught up in it, contractor or not, I would be deeply wounded."
He gazed at them once more, his eyes narrowed and his blue aura radiating gently. "If this isn’t a fight you want to be involved in, you’re free to leave. I would be completely fine with that."
Leo attempted to speak, but Raiden motioned for him to stop.
"I believe in all of you," he continued. "Your abilities are exceptional, and without a doubt, I need you."
His tone dropped in tempo. "This is why I am asking you to fight alongside me." He paused for a moment, allowing his words to settle in. "But even if you choose to help from afar rather than fight beside me, I would still appreciate it."
He turned to his left, toward the blue ocean. "If you still want to go with me, then say nothing. When the leviathan gets here, just climb aboard with me."
Raiden was quiet, listening to his racing heartbeat as he feared some would leave. At least Speed and Soul, since all Speed cared for was his sister’s safety, or perhaps Levi, since aside from his own agenda, he had no real reason to stay with him.
But seconds became minutes, and as Chrono and Aeris finally closed in on them, none of them had yet left.
"You guys seem awfully quiet today. Are you scared?" Chrono called out the moment he was within reach, prompting Raiden to turn toward him.
"Where I’m from, people tend to hide their fears behind silly jokes and pointless laughs." He tilted his head slightly and raised an eyebrow, his expression matching the cold atmosphere. "Are you scared, Chrono?"
Chrono smiled as he closed in on Raiden. "I won’t lie. I am very scared."
Raiden’s expression darkened as he realized Chrono wasn’t lying. He hadn’t expected this level of loyalty from him.
Chrono’s voice went cold and calculated. "This is why we must head to Dark Dream Island first."
"It is isolated and contains fewer pages—only four."
Chrono turned toward the ocean. "The people with the pages are known as the Elusives."
"Elusives? I’ve heard of them," Leo said as he took a few steps forward. "Weren’t they the four Judges for the four kingdoms centuries ago?"
Chrono turned to him with a smile. "You really know your stuff, lad."
A soft smile crossed Raiden’s face. Not because Leo knew about the Elusives, but because he could speak Noor. Leo had learned it solely for their mission, something Raiden never would have expected from him.
"Are they also asleep or something? How are they still alive after centuries?" Freya asked while trying to put distance between her and Levi.
"I don’t know," Chrono said flatly. "But I know each of the four absolute domains and their owners."
"Dark Dream is owned by the Lost Child."
Raiden’s eyes narrowed the moment Chrono spoke. "That name sounds completely unhinged."
Chrono shrugged his shoulders. "Well, we can only hope no one has come in contact with the pages." An uneasy expression crossed his face. "If that’s the case, we speak to the Lost Child gently, and regardless of whether they give us the pages, we leave quietly."
He turned to Raiden. "Just like how we left Solace Isle."
Raiden couldn’t help but second-guess Chrono’s knowledge about the absolute domains. Between the uncomfortable look on his face and the soft cracks in his voice, he was definitely hiding something.
"Aside from the names of the absolute domains, you know nothing about them, do you?"
Chrono turned to him, beginning to scratch the back of his head with an awkward smile. "What are you saying? Of course, I do."
Raiden’s heart sank when he saw Chrono’s emotions fluctuating red within his golden aura. He slapped his forehead in disbelief as he began to beat himself up for falling for Chrono’s tricks.
"You forced us into this alliance because you were unaware of what we were facing and didn’t want us to back out."
Chrono let out a sigh. "Yes, you’ve got me." He smirked. "But we all know you need the names of the absolute domains before you can travel into them."
Raiden was taken aback by his response. "I wasn’t expecting you to crack this easily."
"Well, that’s because I know I’m not useless," he said with a sarcastic grin.
Raiden watched as Chrono’s emotions fluctuated once more. This left him confused; he couldn’t understand what was happening. He knew they needed the names of absolute domains to travel to them, and the oath to the Leviathan Path proved that. Obviously, Chrono wasn’t useless. So what was he lying about?
After a brief moment, Raiden sighed. Regardless of his lies, they needed to leave.
"You’re right." He turned to the others. "We need to leave. Who is willing to take care of our transport?"
Levi, who was busily trying to meddle in Freya’s affairs, raised his hand.