- Crimson Red Flower Seal -
Yokim was one of the stage that they must clear.
Yokim was a purple creature with arms and legs like a human would have. But he had one huge eye on his face without nose. He sat on the bridge while holding his red colored spear and waited for a regular to walk across the bridge.
According to Sachi, Yokim was a bit tricky. It would be better to let them deal with him. But Hwaryun refused as she insisted that Bam should be fighting against the purple creature instead. In fact, Hwaryun wanted to let both Bam and Charlotte to finish all their enemies and stages to improve their strength. It would have been better if Bam cleared all the stages actually.
The others disagreed, of course. Bam's condition wasn't that stable yet. Right now, what he needed was the rest.
But Hwaryun didn't agree with it.
"We don't have the luxury to think about such things in a situation like this. They almost got me too" Hwaryun said to them.
The red haired girl looked at Bam and then said, "All of this happened because you went around chasing Rachel. Am I wrong, Viole? You put your comrades in danger while going after Rachel out of your greed, and now you're about to be taken back to FUG where you barely managed to get away from.
You may think that you're going up the tower with a different objective from the others but from my opinion, you are the one who is chasing after stupid things while not thinking of the others. Don't you think it's about time that you start caring about people around you?
In a month, you must beat Hoaqin on your own no matter what. If you even feel the smallest amount of responsibility for those around you."
Altaira mentally applauded Hwaryun for her words. Her words were exactly the words that he had always wanted to say to Bam and there was nothing wrong with it.
Bam himself can't argue with those words. He agreed to go on the fight without any hesitation.
Charlotte was sure that Bam could defeat Yokim. And besides, he wasn't hurt because of Hoaqin in the manhwa. He would be safe and sound, she was sure of it.
But for now, there was something else she should do.
"Hey, Hwaryun" she said to Hwaryun. "Can I go to somewhere for awhile?"
Her words surprised the others. Even Bam who was about to leave to fight with Yokim for awhile stopped his steps to look at Charlotte.
"What?" She frowned when she heard that.
"It won't take long" Charlotte answered. "Around.....thirty minutes. Thirty minutes and I will be back."
"Where are you going?" Hwaryun asked.
"I.....have to help a friend" Charlotte answered.
"Help?"
Charlotte nodded her head and hummed.
According to Noah who was standing next to her, he was sealed in the thirty seventh floor. She wanted to save him as soon as possible since there was the chance now.
"Who is this friend of yours?" Bam immediately asked by pulling her arm. "Boy or girl? How old he is? When do you meet him?"
Charlotte, "....."
Altaira, "......"
Altaira was lost in words when he heard all the questions Bam asked. First thing first, he was her real brother and if there shall be someone asking those questions, then it should be him. But now, not only that Bam had asked this questions first, at this moment, he seriously was worried of his sister's marriage in the future.
The person who Charlotte wanted to save was still considered as her friend yet Bam was this protective already. Imagined when she will grow up and someone will ask for a marriage with her. He should prepare a funeral for the poor guy.
'Charlotte, Charlotte....it seems like you won't be able to marry for the next ten thousand years....' He shook his head over his thought.
"He is a man and I met him when I climbed the tower" Charlotte answered. "As for his age....I'm not quite certain. But his appearance is like a youth. He doesn't look older than any of us."
Bam's face darkened when he heard her response.
Charlotte tilted her head as she was confused of why her brother looked so dark? It wasn't like she was doing something wrong right? Or.....did she?
"Ah, brother, if you are worried that I will be leaving too long, then do not worry" Charlotte said to him with a smile. "It won't be that far. Thirty minutes are more than enough. I will return as soon as possible."
"Going on your own will be dangerous" Sachi said to the brown haired girl. "Do you need someone to accompany you?"
"I-"
"I volunteer" Altaira said with a playful smile as he raised his right arm.
Bam glared to him for Altaira cut his words earlier. Altaira noticed that for sure and didn't waste any chance to piss the brown haired male once more.
"What? Do you have a problem?" Altaira asked with a smirk. "Between the two of her brothers, one of us should go right? Since you have to deal with that Yokim, I will go in your place. Let this freeloader do a work and make himself useful."
One could tell that right now and right there, Bam suddenly had the urge and the desire to kill Altaira.
"Actually.....I can't bring you with me brother" Charlotte said with an awkward smile.
"Huh? Why can't I go?"
'Because if you go, then Noah will kill you right on the spot' she thought. Instead of saying those words, Charlotte changed her words and come up with a lie instead, "Because....this friend of mine........seems to have a grudge with the Khun Family......"
Altaira, ".........."
Khun, "......what?"
Mentally, Charlotte was crying inside and kept apologizing for Altaira, Noah and Khun for lying.
Charlotte didn't know whether Noah disliked the Khun Family or not as she had never asked about it. But she can't say that Noah disliked Altaira since it would be suspicious. She could only come up with that lie.
"Your friend seems to be narrow-minded" Khun said.
"Erase the 'seems', whoever the person is, he is definitely narrow-minded" Altaira corrected.
Charlotte sweated dropped. She looked to her right where Noah tapped her shoulder. She was afraid that Noah would scold her but surprisingly, what came out from his mouth was something different.
"Well said." He said the two words for her. "How do you know that I have a grudge with them?"
"....Eh?"
'So he really have a grudge with the Khun Family?'
"But going all alone is still dangerous" Hwaryun reminded her again. "You should bring someone with you."
"Do you need a guide?" Altaira asked and pulled Raisin in front of him. "I could give him for free, you know."
".....Is it wrong to say that you are trying to sell me here?"
"No, I know the routes" Charlotte responded. "I'll just take Celeste and Estelle with me. How does that sound? Three people should be more than enough right?"
"What? Just Celeste and Estelle?" Estrella protested and pointed to herself. "Then what about me?"
Charlotte tapped her shoulder with an eye closed smile and answered, "You should stay here and watch my brothers for me. I'm counting on you, Estrella."
"What?! That's not fair!" Estrella whined.
"It's very, very fair considering that you will only make troubles."
"Raisin, no one will take you as a mute if you shut up!"
Charlotte didn't thought that it would be this easy for her to ask permission to go to save Noah. She thought that they will be questioning herself first before letting her go. But now that they agreed on it so easily, she couldn't help but to let go a sigh of relieve.
As she left the companion with both Celeste and Estelle, she promised to Altaira that she would be careful and returned quickly as possible. Meanwhile, Bam himself walked to the bridge to deal with Yokim.
As the people who had climbed the tower with Altaira for more than seven years, knowing his personality about caring his own sister, they were a little amazed that Altaira was quite cool for now. Considering his temperament, he can't even get separated from Celeste for ten minutes without getting irritated and pissed. But right now, when both of his sister and girlfriend were leaving to save a random friend, he was actually chilling while watching Bam fighting the dangerous Yokim.
He was too chill to the point that even Estrella felt worried.
Estrellla tapped his shoulder with the dumbfounded look and asked, "You.....Altaira, you aren't sick right?"
"Why do you ask that?"
"You let Celeste, Charlotte and Estrella left to save a male friend who you have no idea is" Raisin explained as he walked next to Altaira. "Are you sure that you are not sick?"
"I'm fine, perfectly fine" Altaira answered.
"Then.....why are you not....you know, getting mad now?" Estrella asked.
"Rest assured, with Charlotte around, whoever friend they are going to save, Celeste will still be secured" Altaira replied coolly.
"Then are you not worried what danger they will encounter?" Estrella asked again.
While hearing Estrella's words, Altaira noticed that Raisin was enjoying the seeds that he brought as snack and gestured for some. As much as Raisin didn't want to, he still gave some for Altaira.
"With their abilities, I doubt that anything will happen" Altaira said while enjoying the seeds. "And besides, don't you see that thing?"
He pointed to a direction where Estrella could see a white butterfly flying.
"Celeste left you a butterfly?"
"Although pockets don't seem to work in this train, but her butterfly still work quite well" Altaira said again. "If there is any danger, then she could inform us. It won't be too late for us to help them later."
Raisin, "But we don't know where they are heading right?"
"If you won't be able to guide us right on time then I will feed you to that Yokim" Altaira lightly threatened.
Raisin, "............."
Earlier, he was the one who wanted to sell him to Charlotte. And now, he was also the one who threatened him. Raisin knew that this wasn't the first time he was getting bullied in this way, but now, he wondered why he was still in that team just to suffer. Just at this moment, he realized what a fool he was.
But it was too late for him to escape now.
≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫
Charlotte followed the direction where Noah pointed.
She was sure that she followed it without mistake and wasn't distracted by her curiosity to go somewhere else.
But when she arrived with her two other friends, they found a huge door that was covered with something unique. The huge door was covered with transparent and hollow flowers with veins that connected each of the flower.
By a glance, Estelle was able to tell the number of the flowers.
"There are seven flowers" she said to the others.
Charlotte turned to look at her, "Aren't there eight?"
".....Are you kidding me right now? There are clearly seven. Even a three years old child could count it."
"There are indeed seven" Celeste said to Charlotte. "You must have counted it wrong."
Charlotte just nodded her head and mouthed an 'o'.
She glanced at the pocket next to her. Noah said that it will take thirty minutes for them to go but turned out, they defeated their opponents faster and arrived there less than ten minutes.
Ah.....ten minutes, Bam must have done his fight with Yokim. She should come back as soon as possible.
"Now, how are we supposed to open this door?" Estelle asked while pointing her index finger to the door.
"You ask me?" Charlotte pointed to herself.
"Aren't you the one who insist to save the person behind here?" Estelle asked again, gesturing to the door with both of her arms.
Charlotte was about to answer with "if you ask me, who should I ask" to both of them. But considering that they had walked this far just to help her, Charlotte swallowed back the words that almost accidentally slipped from her tongue.
Charlotte looked at Noah, wanting for explanation in which Noah understood.
After all, he had accompanied her for some time. If he can't guess something like this, then what's the use of the years that he spent on accompanying her?
"The Crimson Red Flower Seal" Noah mentioned to her the name of the transparent flowers and veins that covered the door. "If my memory serves me right, I had told you about this seal once right?"
".......Crimson Red Flower Seal......."
The two of them always shared each other the stories that they had to kill the time and to get rid of the loneliness. The story telling activity was the only activity that the two of them could do due to the situation. And through that activity, Noah had told her about lots of things. The Crimson Red Flower Seal must be one of them.
Estelle and Celeste looked at each other while waiting for Charlotte's answer. The brown haired girl was making the gesture that she was thinking and as she thought and thought about it, it took a few moments for her to remember about it.
"I remember about it now! The Crimson Red Flower Seal!"