Between breads and surprises

- "Two individuals face an unexpected situation, being imprisoned by the guards of a town in Russia. Meanwhile, Mitsuki and Elisa continue on their way to their mission and strange things happen." -

Allivy paced back and forth in the control room of her palace. Stress had reached high levels, and her normally calculating and relaxed mind was clouded by the pressure. Every attempt to find a solid lead on the whereabouts of Mitsuki and the others had been futile. Time was ticking by, and she felt like something important was slipping away.

"It can't be... where would they be?" she muttered to herself, staring at the screens flashing in front of her, filled with information that didn't seem to lead anywhere.

In her search for answers, she remembered the sphere she had found long ago. The sphere that held Mitsuki's memories. It had always been a useful tool, but now it seemed the only way to obtain the information she needed. Without wasting any more time, she activated it and began to examine the images that had already been projected before. The memories unfolded before her, showing her fragments of past moments, of conversations, of stories.

Suddenly, something caught his attention. In one of the pictures, he could clearly see the faces of the two boys Mitsuki had mentioned: his younger brother Antho and his best friend, Ronaldho.

—It must be them... —Allivy thought as she analyzed the image, analyzing their appearances. But something didn't add up.

There was one more figure, a girl who hadn't been mentioned by Mitsuki. Allivy frowned. She didn't know her.

"Who is she? She looks very familiar..." she asked herself quietly, as her finger ran across the screen, touching the image. But she stopped giving it much thought. What worried her most was the background of the photo.

On the horizon, partially hidden by smoke, a large dark mass could be seen, which seemed to be exploding. A volcano.

—Perfect... Where is that? —she whispered, surprised by the sight. It wasn't the first time she had seen such a large volcano, but the magnitude of what the image showed made her feel that something wasn't right.

Without wasting any time, she activated her terminal to search for information about the location. She began to analyze the details, zooming in on the image and comparing it with recorded information. The characteristics of the volcano, the shape, the proximity to other formations, everything fit with something she had studied before, but not in such an urgent way.

—This... it can't be... Were you always this close, Mitsuki? —he murmured, his gaze fixed on the screen.

Finally, after a few tense seconds, he confirmed the match.

"Primorye, Russia…" he said quietly, letting out a heavy sigh. It was much closer than he had imagined.

Her mind began to process the new information quickly. The proximity of the place to a key area made her feel a chill running down her spine.

"How did I not notice this before?" he said, almost in disbelief, before gritting his teeth. He knew he couldn't waste any more time.

With a heavy exhale, he turned off the screen and leaned back in his chair, his face serious and determined.

—Possibly... —She said in a firm voice, almost as if she were talking to herself. —I'll be able to find them faster than I thought.

She stood up suddenly, realizing that she could not wait any longer. Everything was falling into place unexpectedly, but the certainty that Primorye was her next destination urged her to move quickly.

On the outskirts of a small village surrounded by hills, the last rays of the sun were turning the sky a dull orange. In the distance, the dust raised by a group of armed men drew moving silhouettes. The voices of the pursuers broke the silence of the countryside.

"Stop now, thief!" one of the men shouted, pointing his crude weapon.

Amidst the dust and screams, a figure in a long white cloak that even covered his trapezoids walked slowly forward, leaving the guards panting behind.

Suddenly, the figure stopped dead in its tracks, slowly turning on its heels. Beneath the cloak, a man with black hair and eyes as dark as night watched them with a carefree expression and a slight smile. On his forehead was a bandage that seemed to have been placed haphazardly, and his bandaged forearms peeked out from under the sleeves of a dark blue T-shirt.

"Thief?" the man replied, letting out a sarcastic laugh. "Come on, I only took a couple of things. Seriously? You're going to make a big deal out of a couple of apples and bread? Every year you're left with less work."

The guards looked at each other, confused by the man's nonchalant tone, but they did not loosen their grip on their weapons.

"Give yourself up now and we won't break your teeth!" one of them shouted, stepping forward.

The man in the white cloak sighed deeply, as if he was completely bored with the situation.

—Oh, oh... Always the same speech. Can't you think of anything more original? —he said, cracking his knuckles. —Well, at least this will serve as a warm-up.

Suddenly, a pair of guards appeared running towards him from the other side of the village, shouting furiously.

—Ronaldho Korutesu! Do you want to go back to your cell, damn it?!

Ronaldo, laughing a little, stared at the guards as if they were nothing more than a minor nuisance. Then, with a quick movement, he lifted the basket at his side, throwing it into the sky as if it were a toy. The basket with the loaves and apples spun through the air with impressive precision.

—Where are you looking?! —he mocked, watching the basket rise.

The guards, bewildered by his action, tried to advance, but Ronaldho did not give them time. He seized the moment, leaping from the branch with incredible agility, landing gracefully on the ground.

Without wasting a second, he began to move quickly. With a mix of fluid boxing, judo and martial arts moves, he knocked down one of the guards with a well-placed punch. With a twist, he stepped over his opponent and, with a quick leg movement, launched a spinning kick at another guard, leaving him stunned and on the ground.

"What's wrong, boys? Weren't my teeth going to fly off?" he laughed, mockingly as he picked up the basket he had thrown into the air, catching it with one hand. With the other, he grabbed one of the apples, demonstrating his dexterity in the air and on the ground.

The guards, surprised by his skill, paused for a moment, gauging whether they could take on someone so slippery. Ronaldho, with the basket under one arm and an apple in the other hand, approached one of them, dodging an attempted grab and sliding past him as if he were a martial arts expert.

"So what now? Back to the old ways?" he asked with a confident smile, as he bit into the apple with satisfaction, enjoying the chaos he had created.

The guards exchanged glances, not knowing what to do with someone who was not only a fugitive, but also an expert in combat. Ronaldho, still smiling, gave them one last look of defiance.

—If you have any questions, you better ask them later. Because, honestly, I'm eating my "reward."

And with that, he continued to enjoy his apple, unconcerned, while the guards stood there, unsure whether they should laugh, run, or simply surrender to his incredible skill.

Ronaldho, without missing a beat, began to wolf down the bread in desperation, as if he hadn't eaten in days. He didn't take his eyes off the guards as he greedily bit into the bread, a mischievous smile appearing on his face.

"What? Do you want some?" he joked as he chewed, and suddenly, he threw a couple of loaves towards the guards, as if they were projectiles.

The guards, surprised by the action and speed with which Ronaldho had attacked them earlier, tried to dodge the flying loaves. One of them, slower, received a loaf of bread directly in the face. Ronaldho burst out laughing.

"That was for the 'hot bread'!" he shouted, as he walked away, taking a step back.

However, as he stepped back to continue his escape, he miscalculated and slipped. In a flash, he slid down a slope and rolled down to the edge of a mini cliff, getting completely soaked in mud and slime. Branches and small stones accompanied him on his descent. In the end, he landed on his back in the mud, completely covered, but he didn't complain one bit.

"I think I'm screwed," he said with a laugh, shaking some mud off his face.

The guards, now with a chance to catch him, quickly closed in. Ronaldho, covered in mud and grinning from ear to ear, jumped up, but as he tried to run, the mud made him slip again.

"Luckily they're not as fast as me!" he exclaimed as he tried to recover, but at that moment, the guards surrounded him.

The nearest one, without thinking, grabbed him by the arm, preventing him from escaping. Ronaldho, with a smile still on his face, gave up, at least for now.

"Well, it looks like you got me, boys," he said, looking at the guards with a mixture of amusement and resignation. "But you can't empty my stomach."

The guards surrounded Ronaldho, taking him back to the village while mocking him. One of them, laughing, said to him:

—Wow, Ronaldo! So that was your big escape? Swallowing mud? —she said with a laugh, giving him a sarcastic look.

Ronaldho, with a wry smile on his face, pretended not to hear. His face was a mixture of amusement and disdain. He didn't even bother to look at the guard, pretending to be distracted by staring straight ahead.

Another guard, clearly exasperated by Ronaldho's attitude, pushed him lightly on the back.

—Go faster, you stupid! —he shouted, as he walked quickly.

—Oh, yes, of course! I'm going full speed, don't worry! —Ronaldo replied, turning his head sideways comically, as if he was too busy looking at something on the horizon.

The guards, mocking his attitude, pushed him towards the entrance of a medieval dungeon, a gloomy and oppressive structure. The grey stone walls and heavy air gave the impression that time had stopped inside. The sound of iron bars echoed as they pushed him towards a narrow corridor.

—Looks like you got the cell again, huh, Ronaldho? —said one of the guards, as he showed him the way to his prison.

Ronaldho, still feeling the mud on his boots and his clothes in disarray, is roughly shoved into the cell. The guards drop him roughly, like a sack of potatoes. As he shakes off the mud, his gaze is fixed on a corner of the cell, where a familiar figure sits in the darkness.

Ronaldho, mud still covering his boots and his clothes in disarray, is pushed into the cell without much gentleness. As he shakes off the mud, his gaze is fixed on a corner of the cell, where a familiar figure sits in the darkness.

A boy with dark purple, almost black hair, looks up, his purple eyes fixed on Ronaldho. His presence is enigmatic, with his dark and elegant clothes, the purple rope earring and the black boots that complete his defiant look.

Ronaldho, unable to hide his surprise and a mocking smile, leans against the cell walls.

― Wow, how funny! Did they catch you too? What a pair of criminals we would make!

Antho, who had been watching silently, responds in a cold tone, but without losing his calm.

― Ronaldo? Did we both really fall?

Ronaldho looks at him with a slight grimace on his face, as if the situation were not so serious.

― Well, here I am, who would have thought? Escaping from some guards for a couple of loaves of bread and apples. And you? I thought you were more into escaping through passageways or something like that. How did they catch you?

Antho shrugs, his face darkening slightly as he recalls what happened.

― I was so desperate for something to eat that I didn't really care how I got it. Hunger can make you make stupid decisions.

Ronaldho nods, understanding perfectly.

― I understand you, brother. I was the same way. Those loaves of bread and apples were the only thing I could get and look how we ended up. But hey, at least now we know that bread tastes better when it's taken away from you by force.

Antho, with his gaze fixed, nods slowly.

― I never thought I'd end up stealing something so simple. But we needed it, didn't we?

Ronaldho laughs mockingly, but with a certain complicity.

― Of course! Who would have thought that...

Ronaldho laughs mockingly, but with a certain complicity.

― Of course! Who would have thought that two...?

Suddenly, a shout from one of the guards interrupts the conversation.

―Shut up already! You'll be spending a long time here! Stop talking!

Ronaldho and Antho remain silent for a moment, but their eyes drift to the guards' area, where a new scene catches their attention. The guards, who until then seemed to be completely focused on them, suddenly turn around in alarm, pointing their steel weapons at a figure that has appeared on the scene.

A woman, completely calm, sits reading a newspaper as if she were in her own home. Her light blue hair is pulled back in an elegant style, and she is wearing sunglasses that hide her blue eyes. Her Mexican hat makes her look even more out of place in the gloomy surroundings. With a smile, she slowly raises her arms in a sign of calm, not caring about the guns pointed at her.

The guards, visibly bewildered, stare at her, some of them unable to believe what they are seeing.

"Who is that?" one of the guards murmurs.

― I have no idea... but it seems like he has zero fear.

Ronaldho and Antho, shocked, watch as the woman appears unfazed by the guards' threat. The scene becomes even more surreal when, with a calm that unnerves everyone, the woman slowly takes off her sunglasses, revealing her piercing blue eyes. The smile on her face becomes more confident, and then, the two men realize who she is.

― No... ― they both whisper almost at the same time. ― It's Allivy Kuyomizu!

The silence in the air is almost palpable. The guards, seeing the familiar figure before them, are completely shocked. Within seconds, as if obeying a non-verbal order, they kneel before her, dropping their weapons and showing total respect.

"My... my lady!" one of the guards stammers, trembling slightly.

Allivy, without losing her confident smile, observes the scene as if it were something completely normal.

"It's a nice day to be here, isn't it?" he says in a relaxed tone, as if none of this were out of place.

The guards remain kneeling, not knowing what to say, while Ronaldho and Antho exchange looks of astonishment. No one in the cell had expected a figure to appear out of nowhere and cause such a scandal among the guards.

Allivy, her piercing gaze fixed on the guards, steps forward, her voice full of authority.

― Listen carefully, ― she says, and all eyes in the room turn to her. ― You have exactly five seconds to free my comrades. If you don't... say goodbye to this town.

The guards, who until that moment seemed completely in control, freeze for a moment, surprised by the coldness in her voice. Fear is evident in their eyes, but they don't dare challenge her. The closest one bows slightly, trembling, while the others follow suit. Opening the cell without a thought.

"Sorry, sorry!" another guard adds, sweating, as he hurriedly stands up and starts running towards the exit.

With a simple gesture and a slight smile, Allivy watches as the guards, heads down, run at full speed, seeking to escape the situation.

"I thought so," he says, watching her escape, unfazed.

The atmosphere in the cell changes completely. Ronaldho and Antho, who until now didn't know who Allivy really was, are left speechless. Not just by the way the guards fear her, but by the way she has left them with no options, forcing them to back away without even having to raise a hand.

As the guards disappear, Allivy turns to Ronaldho and Antho with a smug smile.

― Any comments on what just happened? ― he asks, mockingly.

The two young men remain silent for a moment, still processing the scene. Ronaldho, unable to help himself, bursts out laughing, admiring the woman's ability to handle the guards.

"Not really?" they both say, amused, unable to stop laughing at the surreal nature of the situation.

Antho, still cautious, watches Allivy, unable to shake the feeling that something much bigger is at play here.

"Who are you, really?" he asks, still looking at her with a certain distrust, but also with a hint of respect.

Allivy, without losing her air of mystery, sighs as if she had to repeat many things again.

The wind blew gently as the hill offered a panoramic view of the village below. Ronaldho and Antho remained silent, processing what they had just heard. Allivy watched them calmly, as if it was all part of a bigger plan.

Antho, still trying to understand the situation, took out his phone and saw a notification that left him in shock.

"What the...?" he muttered, staring at the screen in disbelief. "It's true! Mitsuki called me a few hours ago!"

Ronaldho quickly approached, also looking at the screen.

"A few hours ago?" he replied, surprised. "And you didn't answer?"

Antho ran a hand through his hair, clearly embarrassed.

― I was... distracted. Between stealing the bread and the fact that they put me in jail hours ago... it slipped my mind.

Allivy watched the situation with a slight smile, but her gaze was more serious than ever.

― As I said, Mitsuki is involved with the prodigies. It's not an easy thing, and that's why he hasn't thought of involving them...

Antho looked at his phone and sighed, still confused.

― This is a lot... I don't know if I should trust you or whatever Mitsuki is doing this time.

Ronaldho, who had been silent until then, put a hand on his friend's shoulder.

― Don't worry, we'll understand. If Mitsuki is involved in something like this, there's a reason.

Allivy nodded, looking out at the horizon.

― There is much more at stake than you think. But now, the important thing is that you prepare. Sure, obviously if you want, Yes. No, I'll leave you in your village.

Antho, looking at the phone once more, looked up at her, still confused but more determined.

― And do they pay or something for this?

Allivy let out a calm, confident laugh at Antho's comment, crossing her arms with a look that made it clear she wasn't surprised by the question.

The darkness of the subway was almost total, save for the dim lights that flickered from time to time, intermittently illuminating the faces of the passengers. Mitsuki sat in the seat next to his sister Elisa, watching the small space moving through the tunnels. The vibration of the car and the constant sound of the wheels on the tracks was the only thing that filled the silence, but he couldn't relax.

Beside him, Elisa slept soundly, headphones over her ears and music flooding her mind. She didn't feel the discomfort or tension in the air, as he did. Mitsuki had tried to rest during the trip, but the hours on the road had left him exhausted and frustrated.

Mitsuki let his head fall back, resting it against the subway seat, as the shadows of the tunnels passed quickly by the window. The monotonous sound of the wheels on the tracks lulled him, but his mind could not find rest. Allivy's words, "Include your brother and your friend," repeated over and over again, turning over in his head. He remembered those times in his teenage years, when everything seemed simpler, when he thought that nothing could break the bond he had with Ronaldho and Antho.

"What would they say if they knew the truth?" she thought, unconsciously clenching her fists. She remembered the promises she had made, the laughter they had shared, and those nights when she felt invincible with them, as if the whole world were a safe place. But that security crumbled over time.

"If we manage to find them... how do I explain to them that I'm not the same person anymore?" Anguish began to press on his chest. There were so many things he kept hidden, things that neither Ronaldho nor Antho knew about. Not just the fact that he was involved with the prodigies, but also his connection to the darkness that had been lurking ever since his estrangement from them and his life as a bounty hunter.

And yet, Allivy's words kept echoing in his mind. "Your brother and your friend..." Mitsuki closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the weight of responsibility falling on him. He couldn't just ignore what was coming. If Ronaldho and Antho got involved, if they accepted and managed to be a part of all this, things would change forever. They would all have a dangerous pace of life on a constant basis.

"Elisa, you don't know anything about what I experienced with them... and I don't know if you'll ever find out. There's something I don't want to spill on you if we all get together again." Mitsuki looked out the window of the train, seeing the lights of the tunnel shining in the distance, as if the future of his life was right in front of him, so close and yet so far away. His face was reflected in the glass, a mask of calm, although inside, he was full of chaos.

"Also focusing on the present... I have a feeling that you are stronger than me, Sister... however, whatever we are up against on this mission..." He paused, biting his lip. "I promise to protect you..."

Her brother's call finally came. Mitsuki, her mind still racing, picked up the phone, giving her tormented mind a break. She hadn't expected that call now, not in the midst of all the chaos she felt.

"Mitsuki?" Antho's voice echoed from the other end, clear and direct, but laden with tension. "What's going on? We met a certain Allivy and she said that Elisa is with you. Is that true?"

Mitsuki, still in shock from the whirlwind of thoughts and unfulfilled promises, tried to calm down. But before she could respond, a violent jolt ran through the entire carriage, causing Elisa to wake up suddenly, quickly taking off her headphones. The sound of the rumbling rails and the unstoppable vibration made the atmosphere become chaotic.

"What the fuck?!" Mitsuki let out a curse, clinging to the seat as the subway lights flickered desperately. The car began to shake dangerously, almost as if it was out of control.

The phone was still ringing in Mitsuki's hand, but when the carriage began to shake violently, something inside him made him react immediately. With his heart racing and adrenaline pumping, he didn't have time to say goodbye. Without thinking, he abruptly hung up the phone, his face reflecting the urgency of the moment.

"What the fuck is going on?!" Mitsuki swore under his breath, clutching his seat as the flashing lights of the train illuminated the darkness of the tunnel. Elisa, still half asleep, reacted with a scream as the carriage shook again, and the two of them were thrown forward.

The carriage, strange in its design, had only two seats and suddenly felt much more cramped and dangerous. Mitsuki looked out the window, and what he saw made him almost lose his breath: the cliff was there, right in front of them. The train was hurtling out of control towards the edge. Elisa, still stunned, tried to hold on to the frame of the carriage, but the situation was too chaotic.

"Focus your energy!" Elisa shouted, her voice full of urgency. "Hit the corners at the same time as me, now!"

Mitsuki, still in shock at the situation, reacted instantly, knowing they had no time to argue. "Okay!" she said quickly, her voice full of determination.

The two of them reached out to the corners of the car, concentrating their energies on those points, looking for a way to stop the advance towards the cliff. But as soon as they did, something strange happened.

The walls of the car began to compress towards them, closing in with unstoppable force, as if the subway itself was trying to crush them. Metal creaked as the car's structure closed in aggressively, squeezing them tighter.

"This is a very strong material!" Mitsuki growled, gritting his teeth as he felt the walls surrounding them. The space seemed to become smaller, narrower. "This isn't normal steel!"

The carriage shook harder and the walls continued to shrink, forcing them to fight against the pressure. Elisa, now fully alert, held her stance and struck the walls with her energy at the same time as Mitsuki. The walls flickered, but the pressure continued to increase.

"Focus more on your strength!" Elisa shouted, struggling to maintain her concentration.

Mitsuki could only nod with a tense face. "I'm working on it!"

The subway seemed to be heading in an even more dangerous direction, and Mitsuki's desperation grew. If they failed to clear the space, the future would look increasingly uncertain.

The walls continued to press in as the darkness around them grew thicker. Mitsuki and Elisa needed to act quickly if they wanted to avoid the worst.

Suddenly, a deafening crash shook the entire carriage. The sound of the train crashing into something sounded like a violent roar. Mitsuki and Elisa were thrown violently forward, the light from the lamps flickering and then going out completely. The vibration and rumbling continued as the carriage fell down. The air was filled with absolute chaos, and all Mitsuki could do was try to protect her sister as the world crumbled around them.

A second later, the void swallowed the sound, and everything was plunged into darkness.

End of chapter.