Chương 156: Chapter 155 - Pangea (XXXIV)

The landscape glows with pulsing fissures and ghostly jellyfish drifting lazily around us, their translucent forms casting an otherworldly light. We keep moving, their presence barely registering against the surreal, barren hues surrounding us. Ayu sends me a timer. Two minutes left. Not that I wasn't already keeping track. I send her back a thumbs-up. As we run, my curiosity gets the better of me. I think back to the last event—how did the crabs swarm into the jungle?

And what about that earthquake I felt afterward? She responds with a series of images. The tide of crabs pouring out from the sea, endless and relentless, rushing through the jungle and tearing through everything in their path. She shows me the chaos at the camp—people scrambling, desperate to escape over the cliffside. Hmm. Pretty straightforward. I won't say it out loud, but honestly? I couldn't care less about the people in the camp or whatever setups they've put together. Thinking of it now…

am I really going to meet them like this? I can't help but chuckle, imagining Ayu walking into the camp and casually announcing, 'Hi everyone, this is my boyfriend.' Their faces… hahaha! That would be priceless. That said, the only reason I'm even going is to make things crystal clear—whoever so much as touches Ayu… they'll be begging me for a clean death. As for what Ayu wants to do moving forward—whether to stay with them in the camp or come live with me in the Isles—I'll go with it. No need to rush things.

An image suddenly flashes in my mind, of us cuddling in the cave under the dim starlight. It's a soothing scene, one that calms me, but I quickly shake my head. Now's not the time for those kinds of thoughts. Ayu sends me a question mark. I guess she noticed my chuckle. I shrug and signal to her that everything's fine. It's just… well, the last time I stood in front of the others, things didn't exactly end on a good note.

Ayu stays quiet for a moment, then sends me an image—her shaking her head, flexing her arm as if to show her strength, with the climbers in the camp looking on, awestruck and slightly afraid. Nothing to worry about, I am strong. Interesting. But it gets me thinking. Why was Ayu alone in the Isles to begin with? And that way she fought the octopus, with movements so fluid it was as if she predicted everything before it even happened… was Ayu one of the strongest in the camp now? Maybe even the strongest?

Well, that would certainly make things easier. I muse over the thought, glancing at the timer. Less than a minute left. We're still roughly an hour away from the arthropod region. Would we be able to sense anything from here? Ayu suddenly signals me to stop. I notice the slight tension in her posture. And… even though I'm confident in my current strength and training, I can't ignore the fact that the last boss battle nearly cost me my life. Under no circumstances can I afford to hold back.

I meet Ayu's gaze as she locks eyes with me. It seems she wants to stop and wait for the timer to hit zero before we move forward. Sounds like a good idea—maybe a bit overly cautious, but it's fine. I slowly push Overdrive to its maximum, letting the energy flow through me as the seconds tick down. 6, 5, 4… I close my eyes and take a deep breath. The world sharpens around me, every detail amplified. I can hear Ayu's heartbeat and breath as clearly as my own. All my senses come alive, heightened to their peak.

3, 2, 1… I open my eyes. 0… … Huh? Nothing happens. Are we too— But suddenly, I feel it. A vibration rippling just beneath my feet. A crack in the distance—not too far, but not close either. And then… The ground beneath us gives way. The landmass starts collapsing, and we fall with it. I react instantly, but I see Ayu is already moving. She glances at me, her eyes a mix of confusion and urgency. I meet her gaze and signal her to follow me. No time for hesitation.

We dash toward the closest edge of the collapsing landmass, the air filled with the deafening rumble of splitting earth and crashing debris. It's too far. Nearly half a kilometer away. We're not going to make it. The ground trembles violently, fragments breaking apart and falling into the abyss. Dust fills the air, stinging my eyes, but I don't stop. My senses are heightened, every detail crystal clear—the sharp crack of splitting stone, Ayu's labored breathing, the sound of her boots against the unstable terrain.

I push harder. Faster. But then I notice her—her speed is nowhere near mine at full Overdrive. She's struggling to keep up, each step slower compared to my frantic pace. Holding her would slow me further, but there's no other choice. I veer toward her, grab her around the waist with one arm, and secure her firmly against my side. My other hand adjusts to keep balance, my movements raw and unrelenting. Her weight shifts against me, but I force my legs to pump harder, pushing through the drag.

The air whips past us, the roar of the collapsing landmass growing louder as chunks of rock fall away behind us. I don't think. I don't hesitate. We'll make it. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. The edge is coming closer, but so is whatever lies below—a void, a pit, maybe a lava pool, I don't know. But as long as it's far enough, we'll have enough momentum to reach the edge. And if not, I'll glide through the final stretch if I have to.

Failure is not an option. Not with her life in my arms. But then, as I get closer… No… My steps falter as I stare at the sight ahead, my heart sinking. The landmass we're on is free-falling, but the land it was once attached to… there's no cliff to climb, no rock wall—there's nothing. I see it in the distance, far ahead. It's a void. I look up and notice the landmass above, the one we were connected to, floating impossibly in the sky, untethered. How… how are we supposed to reach it?

Ayu slips from my grasp, her movements sharp as she follows my gaze. She sees it too—our landmass falling, nothing to hold on to, nowhere to climb. No way up. This… this can't be real. What the fuck is this?! Fear contorts my face. My breathing grows ragged. We're still falling. Without hesitation, I grab Ayu again, holding her tightly against me, and magnetize my gauntlets, forcing every ounce of energy I can muster to push us upward. But I know it's not enough. Not even close.

I can't even fully counter my own weight, let alone both of ours. My teeth grind together, but I keep pushing. It's useless, and I know it, but I can't stop. Our feet lift off the landmass, which continues to plummet below us, accelerating into the void beneath. And then, I see them. Luminous jellyfish, glowing faintly in the void, drifting upward from all directions. Thousands—no, tens of thousands—rising from the rift left behind by the falling earth.

They move like ghostly specters, a silent march from the underworld. I grit my teeth harder, my jaw aching as my mind races. Think. Think! But there's nothing. No plan, no solution, no hope. The void surrounds us—endless, empty. There's nowhere to glide, nothing to grab onto, nothing to save us. Either we fall to our deaths, or the jellyfish reach us first. I stare at Ayu. She… stares back. Her eyes, visible behind the mask, flicker with fear, raw and unhidden. But then, slowly, they shift.

The fear fades, replaced by something I can only describe as peace. I can't see her face behind the mask, but I know. I know. She's smiling. A heavy, bittersweet smile. My chest tightens painfully, my breath hitching. How did this happen? What kind of challenge is this? Where is our chance to survive? A broken laugh escapes me, choked with sobs, as tears spill freely down my face. Was this fate? To give me one of the happiest moments of my life… only to rip it all away seconds later? It's cruel. Too cruel.

And then… I feel it. An image forms in my mind, clear and vivid. It's from Ayu. She's smiling. That warm, radiant smile she so rarely shows anyone. She's hugging me—both arms wrapped tight around me. She's laughing too, her joy bursting through like sunlight breaking through storm clouds. Another image follows. Us sparring, our movements clumsy at times, her teasing grin as she pins me to the ground, taunting me with playful words. And then, the shift. Moments that never happened, but could have. Should have.

Sitting side by side under the stars, her head resting on my shoulder, the silence speaking louder than words. Watching the sunrise from the Isles, the soft light illuminating her face, peaceful and content. Her leaning into me, her lips brushing mine in a kiss, tender and filled with unspoken promises. Lying together on soft grass, her laughter echoing as we point out constellations in the sky. Walking hand in hand along a rocky shoreline, the waves crashing in the distance. A life.

A full, beautiful life together. Each image flows seamlessly into the next, a flood of memories and dreams, raw and breathtakingly vivid. Her happiness. Her strength. Her pride. Her acceptance. She's showing me everything—what we had, and what could have been. There's not a sliver of sadness in her. Just… love. Pure, unshakable love. I sob harder, my whole body trembling as the images overwhelm me. She's saying goodbye in her own way. And then, at the end, I feel two words." Thank you."

I cry and hug her tighter, my sobs shaking my entire body. I cry like I never have before. At that moment, I want to curse The Tower, curse the aliens, curse fate itself, curse the heavens for their cruelty. But… no. If they want to take me down… NO! A fury surges in my chest, threatening to consume me. My blood boils, my mind racing. I… I cannot fall here! I send a wave to Ayu, my intent clear. Magnetize your gauntlets. Push up with everything you have. Her eyes meet mine, filled with confusion.

I can see it—there's no hope in them. None. But she nods. She doesn't argue. She trusts me. I feel the faint shift upward as she follows through. The pull of gravity eases. It's not enough… but it's a start. Now… now it's up to me. I stare up at the sky, through the wide hole above us. Everything is dark—except for that. The light at the end of the tunnel. The light… at the end of life. The luminous jellyfish are still distant, but they're closing in fast, their ghostly forms swarming through the void.

It feels impossible. But if I die… I will die fighting. Be it a creature, a human… or fate itself. I. WILL. FIGHT!" Houston…" I don't even give myself a moment to hesitate, and his voice is there, steady and unwavering." It's ok. I'm here with you." Those words hit me hard, grounding me in a way nothing else can. His tone feels so different than usual. Has he… accepted death too?" Houston, we… we're gonna make it, pal. We're getting out of this one. We—"" I know," Houston interrupts me." I know we are."

I'm taken aback. Something doesn't feel right, but… I still push through." Houston, remove the limit on Overdrive… I will… I'll make it… I promise," I grit through my teeth, holding Ayu tighter than ever." … I know," Houston says, his voice almost light." Alonso… let's fly together…" My eyes widen. For some reason, tears well up again, spilling freely, but before I can process it, my senses are overwhelmed. The world around me vanishes, fading into something beyond comprehension.

All that's left is a singular, overwhelming purpose. Colors twist and blend, the void, the spirals, the sounds—they converge, collapsing into one single point. I don't know anymore… what's happening? But I grit my teeth, and I push up. That's all I know. That's all that fills my mind.

Go up. Fly." … let's fly—our first and last time together…"