At this heavy and tense moment of parting, Hemer's mind swirled with a thousand unanswered questions.
"Where is BBQ Country?"
Yoren immediately cut her off.
"Hey, I just made that up earlier, and you actually believed it?"
Ifrit's expression shifted instantly. She glared at him, her temper flaring.
"You—!"
"Shh!"
Ifrit lowered her voice but still fumed. "You big liar! You actually tricked me this afternoon. You said there was a BBQ Country in the world."
"Alright, alright, I'll take you out, and we'll search for it together, okay?"
The moment of departure arrived.
The invisible infrared detection device blinked out of existence. Seizing the opportunity, Hemer turned to Yoren.
"Now, quickly."
"Go!"
Yoren grabbed Snowsant and Ifrit and rushed toward the protective wall. Without hesitation, he swung his arm and hurled Snowsant over like a shot put. Then, he turned to Ifrit.
Just before being thrown, Ifrit glanced back at Hemer. She saw a tear roll down Hemer's cheek as he smiled at her. Then, her vision blurred. A sense of weightlessness overtook her as she sailed over the wall.
Yoren turned back one last time and gave Hemer a thumbs-up.
"Don't worry, leave it to me. We'll meet again one day. When that time comes, I'll protect everyone in Rhodes Island, including you. That's my promise. Please wait for me."
Then, unable to bear seeing Hemer's tear-streaked face any longer, Yoren climbed the protective wall and vanished into the night.
After he was gone, Hemer could no longer hold back her emotions. She sank to the ground, covering her face as silent sobs wracked her body.
Yoren was the last to land on the other side. Snowsant and Ifrit, now covered in dust, were already waiting for him.
There was no time to waste. They had to get as far from the base as possible before dawn.
Yoren took Snowsant's small hand in his left, while his right gripped the bag Hemer had packed for Ifrit.
"Run, run, charge!"
The night deepened.
Three figures sprinted beneath the silver glow of the moon. Their escape was clumsy, their appearances disheveled, but exhilaration danced in their eyes.
"We're free!" Yoren shouted, laughing wildly at the sky.
Snowsant mimicked him, hopping as she yelled, "Yeah, I'm free!"
(Though she had always been free.)
Ifrit, despite her earlier reluctance to leave Hemer, found herself swept up in the excitement. She stretched her arms wide as she ran, breathing in the crisp night air.
"Hey, Yoyo! You better help me find BBQ Country."
"You're still on about that?"
For nearly an hour, they moved at full speed, careful not to leave any trace behind. So far, their escape remained undetected.
Hemer had been forced to make hasty preparations—no vehicle, no proper supplies. But Yoren couldn't blame him. They were out. That was enough. The rest was up to him.
After a brief rest on the roadside, they shared water. Snowsant, tilting her head back, downed half a bottle before passing it to Yoren.
"Big Windmill, where are we going next?"
Yoren took a swig, then pulled out a map. Their direction was good. Everything was proceeding as planned.
He tapped a small symbol.
"We head here first—Tucker Town. It's a small place, but we need to reach it before sunrise and rest there. Tomorrow, we'll find a car and head for Bra City."
Rhine Lab's Base No. 3 wasn't in a catastrophe zone, but it was remote. Staying too close to the base was risky, and they couldn't make it to Bra City on foot.
So, this was the plan—reach Tucker Town, rest, secure a vehicle, and drive to Bra. Once there, they'd have options. Victoria was within reach.
Now, all that remained was execution.
Five hours later.
By the time they stumbled into Tucker Town, the sky was a pale shade of blue.
Snowsant clung to Yoren's back, too exhausted to walk. Ifrit, usually energetic, looked wilted, like an eggplant caught in the frost.
"Windmill, I'm so sleepy…"
Yoren, drenched in sweat, adjusted Snowsant's weight on his back.
"Hold on, we're almost there."
The town was small, but there had to be an inn somewhere. Unfortunately, finding one at this hour was proving difficult.
Yoren, running on barely any sleep, was losing patience. Every step felt heavier, every breath a struggle. He felt like he might collapse at any moment.
Then, at an intersection, they turned a corner—and ran straight into a group of burly men.
They were loitering by the roadside, cigarette butts glowing in the dim light. Against the wall, wooden clubs rested within easy reach.
Yoren barely noticed them, his mind focused solely on finding a place to sleep.
The men, however, noticed him. A skinny young man traveling with two small girls, in the dead of night?
Like throwing fresh meat to a pack of wolves.
Cigarettes hit the ground. Wooden clubs were picked up. They grinned, slowly closing in.
Then—
"Pass!"
A sudden burst of fire erupted in the darkness.
One man yelped, hurling his burning club away. His face twisted in shock and fear.
"What the—?! Why did that catch fire?!"
Then, his pants ignited.
"Ahhh! Put it out! Put it out!"
Panic spread like wildfire among them. The man flailed, rolling on the ground, desperately trying to extinguish the flames. His companions stood frozen, dumbfounded.
Yoren, his exhaustion momentarily forgotten, blinked at the scene.
"What… the hell?"
Ifrit crossed her arms. "They were staring at me a while ago. Then they started moving in. I don't like strangers getting too close, so I lit them up."
She raised a hand.
"Pass!"
A flame flickered in her palm before roaring to life, stretching upward into a massive fire pillar, nearly eight meters high. The street bathed in its glow.
The thugs' faces drained of color.
"O-Ori…Originium Arts? You're… infected?!"
With a loud clatter, their weapons hit the ground.
Then, in perfect unison, they dropped to their knees.
"B-Brother, we were wrong!"
Yoren sighed, rubbing his temples. He was too damn tired for this.
Dragging Ifrit behind him, he staggered over to the trembling men and squatted down.
"I don't have the energy for this right now. Just tell me—where's the nearest hotel? And do you have a car?"
With the enthusiastic help of several robbers, Yoren quickly found a small hotel in town.
The hotel owner was jolted awake by a knock on the door. When he opened it and saw the strong men who had brought Yoren, his face went pale, convinced he was about to be robbed. Only when Yoren stepped forward and calmly explained did the man breathe a sigh of relief.
A remote town like this rarely saw many guests, so the hotel's prices were modest. The owner offered his best room upstairs for 8 Terra coins per night.
Since he had no small change, Yoren simply handed over a 1,000 Terra coin bill and told the owner to settle the rest with him in the morning.
At the same time, Yoren made an arrangement with one of the robbers—he would drive for him tomorrow, and Yoren promised a generous payment. Even if the man bailed, it wouldn't matter; finding another ride in town wouldn't be difficult.
Snowsant was already dozing off. Children get sleepy easily, and Yoren himself hadn't slept in nearly two nights. The three of them, exhausted beyond words, trudged up the stairs, stumbled into the room, and collapsed onto the bed.
The next morning.
The scene on the bed was ridiculous. Ifrit was curled up, hugging Yoren's thigh, fast asleep. Snowsant, on the other hand, had somehow ended up with her feet pressed firmly against his face, kicking in her sleep.
Thump!
Hanging precariously on the edge of the bed, Yoren finally lost his grip and slid off, crashing onto the floor.
"Ow!"
Because she had been holding onto his leg, Ifrit was yanked down along with him.
The two groaned, rubbing their heads as they sat up. Squinting against the sunlight filtering through the curtains, Yoren sighed and pulled Ifrit back onto the bed before checking the time.
They had slept well—finally. From early morning till noon, but that was fine. Rest was more important than an early start.
Stretching, Yoren yanked open the curtains, letting the sunlight flood the room. Then he leaned over and gently patted Snowsant's cheek.
"Hey, get up, get up. The sun's already shining on your butt."
Time-wise, everything was still under control. Bra City was far, but with a car, they could make it before dark. Hemer had said that as long as they left Colombia within three days, they'd be fine. If they arrived in Bra tonight, Yoren would have two full days to figure out how to reach Victoria.
After a quick wash, Yoren, Snowsant, and Ifrit headed downstairs.
The hotel owner looked a little embarrassed when he saw Yoren.
"Little brother, are you staying another night?"
"No, we're leaving now."
The owner hesitated. "Well… there's a small problem."
"What's wrong?"
The man sighed and pulled out a stack of colorful banknotes from his drawer.
"You see, business is slow here. All the money I have in my register is right here. I don't have enough change for that 1,000 Terra coin bill you gave me."
"Oh, that's all? How much do you have?"
"I've managed to gather a little over 700."
Yoren waved it off. "No problem, keep it. Let's call it a night at a five-star hotel."
The owner was clearly an honest man, and Yoren wasn't going to fuss over a few hundred coins. To show his gratitude, the man even prepared a free lunch for them.
Just as they finished eating, a familiar face appeared—the guy whose pants Ifrit had burned yesterday. He grinned at Yoren from the corridor.
"Brother, I got the car you wanted."
Yoren nodded in approval. "Damn, you work fast. You've got potential."
"Heh, so what about the payment?"
"Relax. Drive us to Bra City, and I'll give you double the fare. If I don't, I'm a puppy."
"Alright! Let's go."
Twenty minutes later.
The wind howled, twisting Yoren's mouth as he clung to the iron railing behind him, holding Snowsant close with one arm. Against the gusts, he bellowed at the driver in front of him.
"Damn you! You didn't say it was a damn electric tricycle! And there's not even a roof!"
The driver, wearing windproof goggles, turned his head slightly, grinning. "Brother, this ain't an electric tricycle. It's been modified—powered by a Class B Originium engine. Here, watch this!"
With that, Yoren heard a roar beneath them. The tricycle suddenly surged forward like a rocket.
The world became a blur. Snowsant had gone limp in Yoren's arms, utterly blown senseless. Ifrit, on the other hand, was having the time of her life. Her hood had been blown back, her eyes squeezed shut against the wind, but she still managed to cheer excitedly.
"This is awesome!"
Yoren gritted his teeth, clinging for dear life, and shouted, "Alright! I get it! Your ride is fast as hell! Slow down before we die!"
"Don't worry, big brother! Just hold on! I'm an expert driver. In Tucker Town, they call me Ghost Fire Aak"
And so, with sparks flying and the engine roaring, Ghost Fire Aak sped toward Bra, carrying Yoren, Snowsant, and Ifrit in a whirlwind of dust and chaos.
Six hours later.
With a dramatic screech, Aak slammed on the brakes, sending the Originium-powered tricycle skidding sideways before coming to a shaky stop by the roadside.
Aak turned to them. "Brother, I can't go any further. If the authorities catch me with a modded vehicle, I'm screwed. Walk a few hundred meters ahead, and you'll be in the city."
Technically, they should have reached Bra in just two hours at his ridiculous speed, but the tricycle broke down twice on the way, turning the trip into a grueling six-hour ordeal.
Not that it mattered. Yoren looked up—the sky was just beginning to darken. Everything was still on track.
He, Snowsant, and Ifrit hopped out of the vehicle.
"Aak, how much for the ride?"
The driver scratched his chin. "Beats me. My ride's never gone this far before. And after today, it's in pretty bad shape. With repairs and all… 30 Terra coins should do. You seem like good people. Let's just be friends."
Yoren chuckled. The guy had risked his ride and was now stuck driving back in the dark. 30 coins was a joke for that effort. Without a word, Yoren handed him half the 700 Terra coins the hotel owner had given him.
"Here. Buy a windshield for your ride."
Aak ooked at the money, visibly touched. Eyes glistening, he bowed deeply, thanked Yoren solemnly, then hopped back on his Originium-powered donkey and disappeared into the night with a roar.
Aak gone, Yoren turned his eyes forward.
Night had fallen. Neon lights flickered to life, painting the city in a dazzling array of colors. And ahead, at the end of the road, Bra City awaited.