Worlds Apart

Anything to Protect You

"We have to retreat" Free voiced Shu's thoughts. He glanced over at Sasha in a desperate struggle with the prisoners. "Shu, go and help them."

Shu scowled but nodded. "Let's get out of this hell"

He raced towards the prisoner's area. "Get back" He yelled at those whom he guessed to be their allies. It was perhaps a heroic struggle but there was no struggle that was worth throwing your life away when the result was clear: loss. Sasha grunted, but as she saw the flames licking his fingertips, she barked the order to the rest of the crew who wisely threw themselves back as the whole podium erupted in flames.

"Let's get out of here"

Sasha this time nodded, sensing the hopelessness of the situation. They did not have the time to save every single prisoner. But he would be lying if he said he did not feel the relief washing over him seeing Fubuki and Delta stumble out of the roaring flames, unscathed, uninjured. Ran was trying to order them around despite the flame spreading to the courts. The people were screaming, trying to get out of the massive gladiator rings. In the mayhem of activities, the group assembled together. The Scorpions were thrashing, trying to escape the flames, retreating back to their darkened cells. "Go" Free yelled. The roar of flames barely let his voice out.

Shu coughed to his hand, trying not to inhale the dark clouds of smoke. Valt tugged at his elbow. "I'm fine" Shu managed as they both stumbled out of the massive gates. The soldiers were trying hard to keep up with catching them but the chaos of screaming citizens and the raging flames slowed them down, allowing them to escape into the forest safely. They didn't stop. Sasha, who had taken the role of leading them guided through a maze of trees. At one point Shu was convinced they were lost. But Sasha somehow miraculously led them towards a magical barrier and behind it was another world. Straight out of a fairy tale.

Shu was always vigilant. Admired the nature and the beauty of it. Had many questions whenever he was confronted with a shift in background. But right now, his head was pounding with one single word, one single person lurking back and forth in his chaos of a mind. "Where's Lui?" His voice was frantic as his gaze slipped in between the small houses with people pouring out of them in impending silence and relief washing over their faces.

Sasha halfheartedly shrugged towards one of the corner small houses. "That's the healing-" Shu didn't wait for her to finish the sentence. He sprinted towards the house. The woman standing in front of the door tried to stop him, asking him to stay out of the room. Any other time, he would've listened, politely requested to go inside. But the image in his mind of Lui weakened and frail devastated him. Shu stepped forward without listening to her and walked into the room.

His heart was in his throat. Lui's still body was laid down on the bed. Two women were assisting a male healer who was trying to stop the blood seeping through the once white bandages wrapped around his torso. Shu noted the deadly pale complexion, the beads of sweat forming on his brow. Unable to move, the albino stood dead in his spot. Just staring at these strangers tending to him.

"Shu?" Gou, who was beside Lui, walked up to him.

"What's happening to him?" Shu asked at the same moment when Sasha stormed into the room, fuming:

"She told you to stay outside, didn't she?"

Shu looked over his shoulder at the girl. His gaze shifted towards the rest of the team, waiting by the doors, trying to capture any fragment of information about the White Tyrant. Gou shifted as tension rose through the room. The two stared down at each other in unspoken hostility. He obviously had no clue how to settle this and besides he had rarely seen Shu fuming, or angered. Thankfully, Zac squeezed himself in between them. Placing his hands on Shu's shoulders, he gently reassured. "Shooting star, calm down. Lui's going to be fine"