I will be the Strongest

Chapter 14

A little earlier...

For Samantha, leaving the cradle of heroes was an excruciatingly difficult and painful task. Even more painful was the act of leaving that country once again—the place where what remains of her sister rests.

As she walked along the golden path between the gravestones, her tears could not be contained. Once again, just like when she first heard the tragic news years ago, her heart was being torn from her chest by something intangible and invisible.

Getting into Hye’s car, the entire drive to the airport was shrouded in silence. The honking of horns in traffic didn’t exist. The engine made no noise. The people and cars around her were completely unnoticed by her eyes.

The street, silent and empty, had never felt so lonely and cold. At some point, the world around her disappeared entirely, leaving only the darkness of her heart and the road ahead, which constantly unfolded before her, showing the way to follow.

In the end, when they arrived at the airport, Hye purchased the tickets, as Samantha wasn’t in a condition to do so.

Just like during the drive, her body trembled as she walked toward the plane. A spacious, comfortable seat and a beautiful view from the window, where the entire city of Seoul could be seen from above, would have made anyone happy—but not her.

"I know I said you had to go, but... what about the girl...? Your date went well, didn’t it...? Don’t you want to spend more time here... with her?"

"No, it’s fine. Let’s go back... I forgot to mention, but she’s going to the same place as us."

"I see..."

Her chest tightens. And, as she puts one hand over her mouth, Samantha quickly grasps Hye's hand tightly, who, not knowing what to say or do, ended up watching her in silence as the takeoff continued.

For some, a beautiful sight. For her, once again, a sad and painful farewell. Again, in that distant place from her homeland, an important part of herself seemed to be left behind.

Slowly, the white clouds and the calm sea, after some time, began to calm her mind.

Samantha sighed a few times until nightfall. Her eyes were no longer covered with tears, but now they were slightly reddened. In her expression, instead of the visually pathetic and suffering image seen by Hye moments before, now there was a serious and seemingly unchanging face. It had been hours since a single tear had fallen from her eyes, but her gaze did not waver from the window, maintaining a serious expression of someone pensive and with much pain stored within.

Although she had been with her aunt since the beginning of that 'crisis', Hye couldn't say whether her silence meant an obvious and apparent improvement or just the internalization of her own pain. However, even though she wasn't sure, in her eyes, the most correct option certainly seemed to be the second.

"... Do you feel a little better now..?"

Samantha looked into her eyes for a moment. That abnormal coldness and distance, but which had already become common to her... yes, she had seen that expression many times.

The expression Hye makes when expressing false concern for those around him.

"Yes, don't worry... I'll be fine."

As if something were enveloping her, her hand was strangely warm, and looking down, Samantha could immediately see why. Not only the hand she had held when she went into crisis, because unlike what he would normally do, Hye had been carefully holding Samantha's hand with both hands all this time.

"..."

What to say? Obviously her eyes and expression didn't convey any sign of sentimentality towards others, so why? Samantha couldn't say.

'Is this girl's influence on him so strong? Or...'

For a moment, she glanced briefly at Ethan's distant face.

'...Could Hye... After all these years... Is there a possibility of him actually, willingly, fighting against his strange nature consciously...?'

Not because of pain, but rather thanks to a meager existing possibility, her eyes gleamed and, from both sides of her face, a small tear slowly made its way towards her chin and fell onto her hands, illuminating her view.

'Thank you...'

"Warning! A strange and massive mana movement has been detected in the vicinity! A forced landing is recommended immediately!"

Immediately following the words spoken by the aircraft's system, screams echoed throughout the plane.

"What is this thing saying?! Forced landing?! We're over the damn ocean!"

"Yes! This is the same as sending us straight into the clutches of death!"

As chaos ensued, flight attendants and stewardesses tried incessantly to calm the huge crowd. A futile attempt.

"Please, calm down!" exclaimed one of the flight attendants, holding in their hands a strange dark outfit similar to astronaut suits. "Follow the protocols, and I assure you there will be no problem!"

Some cowered in their seats, lacking the necessary courage to move a muscle, trembling in anticipation of their own end. Others chose, first and foremost, to protect their own children immediately, doing anything and everything to keep them safe, whether it be quickly putting on protective clothing or just strapping them with seat belts; some did both.

However, representing the vast majority, there were more people who simply began to riot, complaining to God and the world, even though they knew it wouldn't change anything. In the end, everyone understood. That was simply their chosen way to express their fear.

With the sudden movement of the aircraft, everyone moved quickly, each one trampling over the others just to reach a seat. Many succeeded. However, others were not so lucky.

Those who reached a seat had their backs glued to the seats. While those who couldn't reach them felt their bodies float momentarily, saw everything around them recede at a surprising speed, and then, after several painful blows that broke several bones in their bodies in an instant, darkness.

"Warning! A portal is being generated nearby! A forced landing is recommended immediately!"

Their lives hanging by a thread and, being as weak and pathetic beings as they imagine, despite knowing the irrationality of such an act. Closing their eyes and clasping both hands together, while their bodies tremble, they all prayed to a single god. Until then, as far as they know, to the one who threw them into such hell.

"A portal has been generated nearby! Conducting an emergency analysis of the mana intensity in the portal..."

Looking out the window, Hye's eyes widened.

The ocean waters continued to rise slowly towards the sky, and far beyond the limits of that huge aircraft, the red circle expanded amidst the darkness of the night.

It was instinctive. Hye rose, breaking the safety belts that held her, and, after placing herself in front of Samantha, she thrust her fists into the sturdy walls of the plane.

The red glow was approaching, consuming them completely, he could feel it.

"Warning! Mana intensity cannot be measured!"

After the giant portal approached, Hye finally understood why he had acted in such an unusual way. Her body trembles, and cold sweat continues to run under her hair... that was fear.

[Warning!]

[You have entered the Tower of the Six; The Resting Place of the Prince]