Armis, empathizing with Alan's worry and concern, transformed his expression into one of urgency. Addressing his team, he commanded in a resolute voice, "Everyone, scatter and search for Relecta. Once you find her, use the signal balls Alan distributed. Understood?" As Armis turned to impart reassurance to Alan, he realized Alan was already sprinting into the depths of the jungle, leaping over obstacles in his frantic quest to find Relecta.
In the midst of their frantic pursuit, Alan leaped from branch to branch, his desperation driving him forward without regard for the perilous terrain below.
Following closely behind, Armis floated on a slab of rock with Lyco, while Poduria, Aurelia, and Leo ran on the solid water platform conjured by Poduria.
Leo, leaping from the water platform onto a nearby tree, shouted back at Armis, questioning their approach, "Why is he heading towards the gate? Weren't we supposed to split up and search?"
Armis, his gaze fixed on Alan's desperate figure, responded with unwavering conviction, "I don't know, but I trust his instincts. He knows where he's going." Despite the uncertainty, Armis held onto the belief in Alan, just as Alan had once believed in him during his own moments of need.
With each leap, Alan's desperation surged, driven by the urgency of finding the source of the yell that echoed through the jungle, reminiscent of Relecta's voice. Branches snapped beneath his feet as he propelled himself forward, a torrent of theories flooding his mind, all pointing to the possibility of Relecta being in danger.
His fury grew with every bound, manifested in the forceful breaking of branches behind him, fueled by the fear of what he might find and the determination to reach Relecta before it was too late.
Emerging from the dense foliage, Alan burst into a clearing, first his gaze fell on the gate leading to the next floor, but his glare soon locked onto Relecta walking behind a man and a woman clad in unfamiliar attire. Fury and concern etched across his face, Alan's landing was accompanied by a forceful impact, cracking the ground beneath him with a resounding —-bhaaamm!!—
As the others caught up with Alan, arriving in the clearing and startled by the thunderous noise of his landing, they too beheld the sight of Relecta standing behind the enigmatic couple. Alan's voice cut through the tense air, calling out to Relecta with urgency and apprehension.
"Relecta!!!!! Who are these two?!!! Are they trying to abduct you?!!! Don't worry!!! I will—" Alan's voice thundered, his anger fueling his intent to confront the couple. But before he could take another step, Relecta's voice pierced through the tension, halting him in his tracks.
"No!!!!!!" Relecta's vehement denial echoed through the clearing, catching Alan off guard.
"Huh??" Alan gasped in surprise, his confusion mirroring the expressions of everyone else who watched in shock. With a fiery glare, Relecta clarified, her voice ringing out with defiance:
"They are my mama and papa!!!"
"Don't be ridiculous, Relecta, you told us your parents are dead!!!" Alan's words came out in a mixture of shock and disbelief, his expression contorted with disgust as he confronted Relecta. Her hopeful eyes turned pale with tears as his words pierced her heart.
"C'mon, come back here!!! Let's g—"
——swooshh—-
Before Alan could utter another word, a sharp water arrow whizzed past him. Barely dodging by taking a sidestep, Alan watched in astonishment as Relecta's father stood before him, glaring menacingly. Blue water danced around his finger as he aimed it at Alan's head, his voice dripping with threat.
"Watch your mouth, boy…. You must be that pervert who has been trying to make my little princess his wife."
To his accusation, a creeped-out confusion flushed across Alan's face. Peeking from beside Relecta's father, he tried to catch Relecta's eye, attempting to speak to her, but her father's fingers pressed against Alan's temple interrupted his thoughts. Locking eyes with the man, Alan's glare turned into a furious stare.
Seeing the situation escalate, Armis intervened, coming beside Relecta's father. In a calm yet urgent voice, he addressed the man, "Sir, I apologize on Relecta's behalf for the misunderstanding. The urgency of the moment had created this confusion you speak of. You see—"
"The hell are you babbling about? Huh?" Relecta's father cut Armis's explanation short, his voice dripping with arrogance. "My problem is not that. I'm angry because despite his efforts, THIS FOOL!" With just the strength of his fingers on Alan's temple, he pushed him away, but Alan remained unfazed, his glare piercing through Relecta's father.
"Is not treating her like one and nobody disrespects my princess... but then again," Relecta's father changed his tone to mockery as he approached Alan again, locking his heavy gaze onto him. "This fool doesn't even look worthy of my daughter. Look at him, dear, does he even look like a proper warrior?" Turning to his wife, who was embracing Relecta tightly, he asked in the same mocking tone, "No, dear... at first, I thought he was a girl."
She chuckled at the end of her reply, her amusement contagious as it morphed into Relecta's father's laughter. Mocking Alan, he drew closer to his face, locking eyes with Alan's furious gaze.
"Yeah, she's right, you know. Look at that doll face and those child-like eyes. Ain't no way you're even a bit powerful like my element-wielding princess," Relecta's father taunted, moving away from Alan's face to continue his mocking.
"Heh, tell me, what's your mark, huh? No, wait... let me guess. You're some weak-ass defense type, aren't you? Some lame-ass armor? Hu—"
"Sir! Please, stay within your limits!" Armis shouted angrily, unable to tolerate the man's mockery of his friend and dismissal of his own abilities. But Armis's reprimand was met with a water ball forming just inches away from his face, in the hand of Relecta's father who had lunged at Armis for intervening.
Before Relecta's father could launch his attack, Alan moved with lightning speed, a blur to everyone, including Relecta's father, who didn't feel anything until he found himself rolling through the air, slammed onto the ground. Alan had clutched his attacking arm, twisting it, with Alan's own hand poised to deliver a finishing blow to Relecta's father, sneering menacingly.
"That's enough from you. N—"
"No!!! Leave Papa Alone!!!!"
Alan's attack was halted mid-air as everyone watched in shock. Relecta shouted at Alan, manipulating the water around his hand to stop his strike. Alan turned his gaze to Relecta, feeling a twinge of pain and defeat in his heart. Lowering his arm, he faced Relecta's father, who stood up and spat at Alan's feet, sneering.
"Yeah, that's right. You heard her. Whatever she told you was just her misunderstanding. Now she's with us, with her family, and I don't want to see you anywhere near her. Understood?!!!"
Relecta's father's threat hung heavy in the air as Alan stared at Relecta in disbelief and pain. Armis, witnessing his friend's agony, cried out, desperate for Relecta to return.
"Relecta!!!! What are you doing?!!! Come back w—-"
"NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! RELECTA WANTS TO STAY WITH MAMA AND PAPA," Relecta's cry reverberated through the forest, tears streaming down her cheeks as her mother's comforting hand rested on her neck. Relecta kept her gaze fixed on Alan, her eyes pleading and torn.
"Relecta doesn't want to come with you!!! You don't love Relecta!!! You think Relecta is just a kid!!!! I hate you!!!!! I hate you, Alan!!!!! I don't want you because you're mean to me!!!!"
Alan felt a surge of shock and fury, quickly overshadowed by the pain that pierced his heart like a knife as Relecta's words tore through him. His once furious blue eyes softened, a tear escaping from them as he struggled to process her rejection.
Speechless and shocked, Armis stood among the group, his eyes fixed on Relecta as she turned away, seeking solace in her mother's embrace, while her father cast a mocking glare at Alan before following them.
Relecta's family walked into the foliage passage beside the gate, leaving Alan behind in a state of helplessness and grave shock. Alan watched in disbelief as they disappeared into the darkness, his eyes slowly closing, unable to comprehend that Relecta didn't even glance back at him before vanishing from sight.
He stood there, his friends beside him, their attempts to console him falling on deaf ears.
The pain gnawed at his heart like a savage beast, tearing through his chest with ruthless ferocity. It wasn't just a dull ache; it was a visceral agony, raw and unrelenting.
It felt as though a part of him had been violently ripped away, leaving behind a gaping wound that refused to heal. Each heartbeat echoed the searing pain, his very essence dripping away like blood on the cold, unforgiving ground. He was hollowed out, stripped bare, left to wander in the desolate landscape of his shattered
emotions.
But Alan would have never felt the same pain, even if he had any of his limbs torn apart, the excruciating pain he was feeling when his eyes couldn't find Relecta near him.