Stars of Freedom

Chapter 75: Pushing Forward

As he stepped through the door out of the room, Volk did not know where he was. Elias walked past him and guided him towards the group. Volk saw through a window and saw they were pretty high somewhere. All he saw was green covering the entire area outside, the trees and small amount of houses felt like this place was more natural than anything. The air wasn't cold, but it also wasn't too hot. He looked at his phone, which was about to run out of battery, and saw it was seventy-eight degrees Fahrenheit.

Volk: Hey, where the hell are we? This isn't anywhere we've been.

Elias: A small island in the Caribbean, it was flooded years ago and only the mountainous areas managed to survive.

Volk: I think I heard about this place, before Russia fell I heard that a huge hurricane monstra was attacking an island. Was this it?

Elias: I believe so.

A loud bang on a door was heard from behind them. The two of them looked back quickly. The door at the end of the hallway opened, Kitsune walked out of it. She was wearing a new hoodie.

Volk: Kit?

She didn't respond at all, she leaned on the doorway. Okami and Kenos walked up from where Volk and Elias were headed to.

Okami: You're okay, good.

Kenos gave Volk a thumb as if saying the same thing as Okami. He walked past them and went towards Kitsune. Before getting near, she grabbed her head in pain. Her hair color switched to brown as the hoodies' hue changed as well.

Kenos: Tori?

She fell on her knees, her hair changed color again, the hue on the hoodie as well. Kenos grabbed her up and put her on the bed from the room she came out of. Her hair changed colors again.Volk, Elias and Okami were unsure of what to do.

Volk: What the hell happened?

Kenos: The thing she has on, it's experimental military technology.

Volk: Uh oh...

Kenos: You know of this?

Volk: Back in the academy, one of the few times I actually paid attention, they mentioned needing volunteers for a weapon they had been developing, something with almost the same power as a Telum. I don't know much else.

Kenos: They called it an Extensio. Like you said, almost as powerful as a Telum. It binds to its new user, highly unstable.

Okami: It looks just like a hoodie, though.

Kenos: Right now it does, it's not active in a battle. Thing is, I've seen a few of these before, even in my dimension. They tried using one on me as a kid, actually.

Kenos put the back of his hand on Kitsune's forehead.

Kenos: Volk, can you make some ice?

Volk put his hand out and made a chunk of ice, which he handed to Kenos. He absorbed it into his hand and put his hand on her forehead again.

Kenos: I don't know what her exact temperature is, but she is steaming.

Elias: So the hoodie is a weapon?

Kenos: Not only that, it's the most powerful version of it and the most unstable. There were rumors it wasn't destroyed when Russia fell, they called it 'The Prototype'.

Tori opened her eyes, she let out a deep breath.

Kenos: Are you with us?

She took a second to respond as she was looking around.

Tori: Why did you let her put it on?

Kenos: Didn't know this was what she was looking for.

Tori: This sucks ass...

She closed her eyes again and was breathing heavily.

Kenos: Just rest, we're safe here.

The lights around the house flickered.

Volk: What the...?

Kenos: That's normal here, this island's power has always been unstable. Let's go out outside the room, we'll check up on her in a bit.

Everyone nodded and walked out, Volk looked back at Tori before leaving the room.

Kenos: Okay, we talked about this with everyone else, but since you and Elias weren't there, I'll summarize everything.

Volk: This sounds like a plan.

Kenos: Kochev sent me a message saying that the people who targeted Elias were part of "The Order Of Mars". He also wanted to meet me somewhere on the island. For now, we rest because he's making his way here manually. By that, I mean he's walking across the skies from Russia to over here.

Volk: Like...literally walking through the sky?

Kenos: Yup.

Okami: I'm gonna go outside again, the air was nice.

Kenos: Sure, make yourselves at home here.

Okami walked back the way he came from.

Volk: Is this another house of yours?

Kenos: Yeah, I have multiple places all around the world just in case Yuzui and I want to move somewhere else.

Volk: That sounds nice.

Volk looked out the window again.

Volk: How did you and Yuzui meet, by the way? If I may know.

Kenos: Sure. Why the question, though?

Volk: You two seem very close, even in hard times like now. Just curious, I guess.

Kenos: Well... It was back where I'm from, my time. I used to be looking for information on my dad when I stumbled upon her in an alleyway. She was following a ghost she encountered, it was your friend's ghost, Inu.

Volk: She can see ghosts?

Kenos: Yeah, all around us. She was having trouble dealing with one who was haunting her due to her past. Hell, she told me the version of her we came across in the hotel was having the same problem as well.

Elias: Huh...

Kenos: But yeah, we got together shortly after and not much after that the timeline was reset. We've been around the world ever since.

Volk: Did you know that journey would have happened to us?

Kenos: Yeah... I was told what had happened by my father. I couldn't intervene in this place, thought... Trust me, I would have.

Volk: Well, Kochev did say it would be bad if you did.

Kenos: Yeah... I wish things were different.

Volk took a second to breathe after everything he's experienced. He thought about the journey, Elias and Nichi, Lykos and Argos, Acheron, Inu, Sobaka, Aster, Lisa, Skylos. He thought back on the other people in his life before Russia's destruction, Snowfall. He let out a deep breath and somewhat came to terms with most things. Hell, even a demigod isn't immune.

Volk: Well.... We're here now, aren't we? Nothing we can do but keep pushing forward with all we've done and experienced. Maybe now we can make a better future for ourselves and the people around us....