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We were all silent for a few seconds before Quil turned to Aki.
"Listen, Akihiro. There's still hope. We need you to catch up with Malachi and make sure you don't lose the scent. You're stronger and faster. Please," he begged.
Aki whimpered, looking so sad, and Quil sighed, pressing his forehead against Aki's.
"I know. I know you’re afraid for Crim's safety...I know you're scared she'll be tortured, but that's better than her being dead. The faster we get to her, the less damage that will be done. Onegai, Aki."
Aki stared at Quil for five seconds before he nodded once, dashing off and disappearing into the trees.
"What should we do now?" Itsuki asked Yoshi.
"We need a signal. The moment our phones are working again, Quil will contact Hotaku and the Council. Inform them Erica has betrayed the Emperor and is holding Crimson captive. Itsuki, continue monitoring and the moment you get their coordinates, you let us know. I'll be contacting Father, requesting that Hakua is contacted. Her family has connections in these parts and can send warriors here faster than if we brought guards from the palace. And Haru..." Yoshi walked up to me and knelt down to look straight into my glossy eyes.
Quil and Itsuki exchanged glances before they moved away, giving Yoshi and me privacy to speak.
"I've seen you react like this three times, one being when Storm was killed. What's wrong?"
"You wouldn't believe me," I whispered as I struggled not to break down. Yoshi lifted his hand to stroke my head soothingly.
"Haru, we’ve been friends for years. We've fought alongside one another, and there's plenty of times your observant nature has saved our asses. You know something we don’t, and my gut is telling me that it has to do with Erica."
I slowly nodded, lifting my hands to rub my cheeks. "Yes."
"I won't judge you, and nothing will be used against you. We need to know what it is, Haru. Why would Erica take Crimson? Is she working with N.R.O.? Was it James?"
I shook my head vigorously.
"None of that."
"Then?"
"Yoshi...what I say...it'll break the others," I whispered.
It already hurt to think about it and even though I suspected it a month before Storm's death, I still couldn't accept it.
"What will break us, Haru, is if we lose Crimson. Whatever is related to Storm...it's in the past now. Crimson's our future, but if we don't figure out Erica's motives, she won't be," Yoshi stressed.
We shared a look and I nodded, taking a deep breath and letting the air out before I spoke.
"Erica...the message. ‘He took something I loved and broke her. It's now my time to take something of his and destroy...her. Revenge is...bliss.’ 'He' refers to James. Crimson said James was the one who killed Storm. James took Storm...who Erica loved, and broke her, which means killing her. Now she will take something of his, which means James still loves Crimson and Erica plans to destroy her." I broke it all down.
Yoshi's eyes were wide.
"What?"
I closed my eyes, letting my head fall in defeat as I whispered the words I had hoped I would never have to say.
"Erica loved Storm Yuna. They didn't despise one another, Yoshimitsu. It was the opposite. They loved each other. They were secret lovers."
CHAPTER14
Torture and Deadly Decision
~CRIMSON~
The constant pounding in my head was what woke me up. I let out a groan, trying to move my body, but flinched at the pain that went through me.
Fuck...what did I do?
