Taken Away II

"EXCUSE ME?!" Senzai sputtered. "I'd like to see you do better!"

"Then… what are we gonna do?" Ayami ignored Senzai's protests and looked at Hikaru and Lina.

Lina tapped her fingers against her arm, thinking. "...I could try using my zoom vision, scan for anything suspicious."

Hikaru nodded. "Good idea. If Sakura's being held somewhere nearby, you might be able to spot something."

Ayami stretched and cracked her neck. "Great. Let's head to the apartment roof. Better vantage point."

Without another word, the three of them moved, urgency in their steps.

On the rooftop, the wind was stronger, whipping at their clothes as they stepped toward the edge. The city sprawled beneath them, bathed in the morning light, oblivious to the fact that somewhere within its limits, a girl was missing.

Lina took a deep breath, rolling her shoulders before her eyes began to shift—her pupils contracting, irises glowing faintly as her zoom vision activated. The world around her blurred, then sharpened as her sight extended far beyond normal human limits.

Hikaru and Ayami waited in tense silence as Lina scanned the city, her head turning slightly, focusing on different areas. Minutes passed.

Then, she tensed.

"Got something," she muttered.

Hikaru stepped closer. "Where?"

"Outside the city. There's an abandoned temple near the forest… I see movement. People guarding the entrance. And—" She sucked in a breath. "I see Sakura. She's inside."

Hikaru clenched his fists. "Then that's where we're going."

Ayami smirked, already stretching. "Finally, something interesting."

Senzai, still tucked under Hikaru's arm, groaned. "You people have no sense of caution."

Lina shut off her zoom vision, blinking rapidly as she adjusted back to normal sight. "We don't have time for caution." She turned to Hikaru. "How fast can you get us there?"

Hikaru looked at the rooftop's reflective glass panel, his grip on the hand mirror tightening. The surface shimmered in response.

"Fast enough."

***

Meanwhile, deep within the abandoned temple, Sakura remained unconscious, her body slumped against the cold stone floor of a dimly lit prison cell. The room smelled of damp earth and old incense, the faint flicker of torches casting long shadows against the cracked walls.

She stirred slightly, a soft groan escaping her lips as she drifted in and out of awareness. Her head ached, her limbs felt heavy—like she was trapped in a dream she couldn't wake up from.

Outside the cell, two figures stood guard. Clad in dark robes, their faces hidden behind ceremonial masks, they spoke in hushed tones.

"She's just a human," one of them muttered.

"Orders are orders," the other replied. "The goddess wants her here. That's all that matters."

A silence hung between them before the first one sighed. "You think the boy will come?"

The second guard chuckled. "Of course he will. That's the whole point."

Back inside the cell, Sakura's fingers twitched. Her consciousness was returning—slowly, but surely. And when she woke up, she'd realize just how much trouble she was in.

Sakura's eyelids fluttered before finally cracking open. Her head swam, the dim light doing little to help her focus. The cold, rough stone beneath her palms sent a shiver up her spine as she slowly pushed herself upright.

Where… am I?

Her heart pounded as she took in her surroundings. A prison cell. Heavy iron bars in front of her. Ancient walls, worn down by time, lined with flickering torches. The faint scent of incense lingered in the air, but underneath it, something more unsettling—like dried blood and old dust.

Her throat was dry, but she forced out a sound. "Hello…?"

Silence.

Sakura swallowed hard. Her last memory was being in her room—then the masked figure, the strange pressure at her neck… and then nothing.

Her fingers curled into fists. This isn't a dream.

Just beyond the bars, she heard voices murmuring. She turned her head sharply, straining to listen.

"Just be cautious. I heard that boy, Hikaru, can enter the Mirror World… he could appear at any moment."

Her breath hitched. Hikaru…? They're talking about Hikaru?

Her mind raced, piecing things together.

Sakura's pulse pounded in her ears as she pushed herself to her feet, gripping the cold bars of her cell.

"Hey!" she shouted, her voice echoing off the stone walls. "Why am I here?!"

The murmuring outside stopped.

She slammed a fist against the bars, frustration bubbling up inside her. "Who the hell are you people?! What do you want with me?!"

Footsteps. Slow, deliberate.

Then, a figure stepped into view. Clad in dark robes, with a hood shadowing their face, they regarded her with an unreadable expression.

"You are here," the figure said calmly, "because of your connection to Hikaru."

Sakura's stomach twisted. So it really is about him.

She clenched her jaw. "So what? I don't know anything about whatever weird god stuff he's involved in."

The figure chuckled softly. "Perhaps not. But you don't have to. Your existence alone is enough to lure him in."

Her fingers tightened around the bars. "Lure him in…?" Her voice dropped to a whisper.

The figure tilted their head. "He will come for you. It's only a matter of time."

Sakura's breath came faster. She knew Hikaru, of course he would come. But something about the way they said it, the confidence in their voice, made her blood run cold.

Sakura's grip on the bars loosened as she slowly sank back down to the cold stone floor.

A trap.

She pressed her palms against her knees, trying to steady her breathing. They took me just to get to Hikaru…

Her thoughts swirled in a chaotic mess. This is insane. Gods? Magic? I'm just a normal girl. What do I have to do with any of this?

But deep down, she already knew the answer. Hikaru.

She had seen glimpses of the strange things he could do—the way he seemed to understand things beyond normal comprehension, the way he and Lina whispered about things she wasn't meant to hear. And now, it was all catching up to her.

She ran a hand through her hair, exhaling sharply. "This is so stupid," she muttered under her breath. "What am I supposed to do? Just sit here and wait to be rescued?"

Her stomach churned at the thought. She hated this—being powerless, being a bargaining chip.

Her fingers curled into fists. No. I can't just sit here. If they want to use me as bait, I'll make sure I'm not some helpless damsel waiting to be saved.

Her eyes flicked toward the iron bars again, then to the flickering torches on the wall. Slowly, an idea started to form.

***

Hikaru, Lina, and Ayami soared through the endless expanse of the Mirror World, the warped reflections of the real world stretching below them like a distorted dream. The air here was weightless, carrying them effortlessly as they sped toward their destination.

Lina's sharp eyes locked onto the landscape ahead. "It should be just past those old temple ruins," she called out, her voice steady despite the rush of wind.

"WHY AM I THE ONE WHO HAD TO BRING THIS HUGE MIRROR!?" Ayami yelled, her voice carrying through the wind as she held the oversized mirror from her bedroom.

"It's better than being disoriented with a tiny hand mirror," Hikaru replied, not missing a beat as they flew through the surreal sky.

Ayami shot him a glare but didn't argue, still gripping the mirror as they raced forward, the distorted world below them blurring into an almost dreamlike haze.

As they neared the temple ruins, the air around them shimmered, rippling unnaturally. The closer they got, the more the Mirror World seemed to resist them—like an unseen force trying to push them away.

Lina narrowed her eyes. "Something's off."

Hikaru felt it too. The usual weightless ease of the Mirror World was now sluggish, like wading through thick water. "Could be a barrier. If a god's involved, they wouldn't just leave an open door."

Ayami huffed, adjusting her grip on the mirror. "Great. So, what's the plan? Crash through, or do we have to play smart?"

"I mean... we could try walking around first," Hikaru suggested. "See if there's an opening or something off. Since we're in the Mirror World, they won't notice us, right?"

Lina glanced at the shifting air around them, considering. "It's worth a shot. No point charging in blind."

Ayami sighed. "Fine, but if this thing gets heavier, I'm throwing it at someone."

The three of them descended carefully, landing on the distorted reflection of the temple ruins. The place looked even more ominous in the Mirror World—structures twisted at odd angles, and shadows stretched unnaturally, shifting as if they had a mind of their own.

Hikaru took a cautious step forward, the ground beneath him rippling slightly. "Wasn't there supposed to be a barrier or something...?"

"I mean, if the god who kidnapped Sakura has a follower who can create one, then maybe," Ayami said, setting the mirror down with a sigh. "But if not, they might just be relying on the location itself to keep people out."

Lina scanned their surroundings, her expression tense. "Either way, let's not assume we're walking in unnoticed."

To Be Continue.