"Hey, you're like us, isn't that right?"
"I believe so," Bakari agreed.
Yuri nodded. "That's why we came to rescue you guys."
The girl with the pixie-cut white hair, full of energy, added, "Aw, that's so sweet, truly. But can we go now? I can't spend another minute in this hellhole."
She beckoned them forward, stepping through the rubble.
"Why is there so much debris?" she grumbled before disappearing down the staircase.
Bakari turned to the girl, who smiled warmly. "That's Chloe. She's kind of a brute," she explained before heading down the stairs.
Yuri glanced toward Chloe as she descended, a flicker of something beyond grim determination in his single eye.
Bakari chuckled. "I'm Bakari," he said, gesturing to his companion. "And this is Yuri. What's your name?"
She shook his hand confidently. "Oh, I'm Felix," she replied, gesturing toward a guy with a ponytail. "That's Jake," she said before nodding at another guy with straight hair. "And that's Jason," who gave a casual wave.
As introductions wrapped up, Jake brushed past them, accidentally bumping into Yuri. His eyes flashed a vivid purple from their usual dim hue.
Jason, surveying their dusty surroundings with a hint of impatience, broke the relative quiet. "Are we going to find a way out of here, or just sit around for them to catch us?"
Yuri muttered dryly, "Sitting around?" Felix's eyes crinkled with amusement at the absurdity of the idea.
As they made their way down the staircase, Felix's reaction to their fallen adversaries was immediate—a flicker of something sharp and disconcerted crossing her features.
"Oh wow," she remarked, stepping gingerly over an inert form. "You guys really went ham on them."
Bakari's voice held a hint of concession. "Yeah, we tried not to spill any blood, but they made it hard not to. And because they're human, they're very fragile."
Jason, ever the skeptic, quipped as they descended, "Mhm, that's such a villain thing to say." He continued forward briskly, then stopped, a sudden realization dawning. "Wait, did you just say *because* they were humans?"
Pushing through the corridor, they reached Jake and Chloe, who maneuvered through the chaotic scene with remarkable ease.
Chloe grunted with each heave, "Honestly, it's always something, isn't it? Just one bad thing after another.
Like, can't a girl catch a break for once?" She shifted hefty chunks of rubble as if they were mere leaves scattered across a garden path.
Yuri stepped forward, gaze sharp and commanding. "Step aside," he said quietly but firmly to Jake and Chloe.
Chloe backed up immediately, nodding with a quick, "Okay."
Jake hesitated, stepping closer to Yuri, eyes narrowing. "Who do you think you are, talking to us like that?" he challenged, voice low but edged with suspicion, as if bracing for a fight.
Yuri's single eye locked onto Jake's with unwavering calm. "I am simply asking you to step away while I make a way out of here. That is all," he said evenly, voice carrying the weight of absolute authority.
Bakari, watching the exchange, raised a hand and said lightly, "Oh, it's all good."
Chloe rolled her eyes at Jake. "Quiet, being difficult. The man's trying to help."
Jake sighed, tension draining from his shoulders, and reluctantly stepped back.
Chloe winked at Yuri, who returned the gesture with a small, knowing smile.
Bakari's eyes flicked between them, an amused thought crossing his mind: *I see.*
Suddenly, Yuri raised his hand. The air thickened with charged energy. His palm opened, fingers spread wide — then, with a sound like the heavens splitting, a thunderclap exploded from him.
The shockwave blasted outward, a roaring tempest of raw power.
Walls cracked and splintered as the force surged through the corridor.
Dust and debris exploded into the air, swirling chaotically like a violent storm.
Reinforced metal beams groaned and twisted, some snapping under the strain.
The ground trembled beneath their feet, cracks spiderwebbing along the concrete floor. The fluorescent lights flickered wildly before shattering, plunging parts of the chamber into shadow.
Jake stumbled but caught himself, shielding his face from flying rubble.
Chloe grinned, cracking her knuckles. "Now that's how you clear a path."
Bakari's expression was calm but resolute as he steadied himself against the residual tremors. "That's Yuri's way of saying, 'Let's move.'"
Chloe hugged him from behind and whispered, "You're the best," then ran outside, falling onto her back laughing. Jake and Jason passed him by.
Jake glanced back and thanked him. Behind them, Bakari and Felix also expressed their thanks to the young prince.
He looked over at her and said, "Aligned by faith."
She furrowed her brows. "What does that mean?"
He shook his head. "Looks like none of you really know what you are."
They started walking again. She replied, "No, we were raised here."
He paused, pondering. Could it be that Celestials once lived here, and somehow humans killed them, took their offspring, and kept them hidden?
Suddenly, he felt a strange energy — overwhelming and forceful, as if pushing him. Both he and Felix stopped in their tracks, eyes wide, hearts pounding.
The duo turned right and found themselves facing a platform made of debris, with a broken staircase leading up. Standing there was a man who commanded immediate attention. His sharp, angular face was framed by neatly styled black hair with streaks of silver at the temples, giving him a distinguished yet intimidating appearance. His dark eyes were cold and calculating beneath thick brows, and a neatly trimmed beard and mustache added to his austere presence.
He wore a sleek black suit, perfectly tailored, with a black shirt and tie underneath. Over his shoulders hung a long black coat lined with deep red, the collar turned up defiantly. Black gloves with red accents covered his hands, which were clasped calmly in front of him. Flanking him were several agents, equally stern and alert, their presence amplifying the man's authority.
Bakari's voice broke the tense silence. "Who is this?" His face twisted in a mixture of fear and disgust.
Felix's eyes widened, his expression turning pale as if the sight of the man dredged up painful memories. The others instinctively took a step back.
Jason muttered under his breath, "That's the Colonel."
Jake's jaw clenched. Stepping forward, his voice low and filled with cold resolve. "You should've stayed where you were. Now, I'm gonna kill you."
The Colonel glanced down at him, a faint, cruel smile playing on his lips. "That's no way for a child of mine to talk," he said smoothly, his tone dripping with dark amusement.