Aina sat in silence, having not moved in the weeks they had been on this spacecraft. Despite her usually large appetite, she hadn't eaten anything. And, completely out of character, she hadn't lifted a single finger to practice or train.
She simply sat their, staring at her wrist the same way she had been for ages already.
On it, an old, cracked bracelet lay. She couldn't drum up the courage to hand it over with everything else. She convinced herself that Leonel didn't need it. After all, he had so many valuable things, right? He wouldn't miss a C-grade Treasure… right? It would be fine if she kept it, it wouldn't be a big deal. He's probably already forgotten about its existence…
Aina blinked, causing a discomfort to surge through her body. The dryness of her eyes almost made her feel as though something was scraping along them, making her shiver.
"Aina, you need to rest…"
Savahn tried to convince Aina to take a rest again. She had lost count of the number of times she had tried already. Even for someone within the Fourth Dimension, it most definitely wasn't healthy to remain awake for so long. Even Leonel who had Dream Force within the Fifth Dimension still felt the need to sleep at least once a week, let alone Aina whose Soul Force was only in the Fourth Dimension.
Before Aina could once again give her a perfunctory answer about being just fine, Yuri's Force suddenly surged. Aina couldn't react before she found her eyes closing involuntarily.
"Ah…"
Savahn reached her arms out and caught Aina before she could slump out of her seat.
The ship didn't have a lot of space. There was Yuri up ahead who took the helm and there was just enough space for about four people to sit facing each other in pairs toward the back. The seat could also recline to allow a decent sleeping experience and there was a compartment in the back with plenty of preserved food.
Savahn helped put Aina's seat into a reclined position and let her sleep.
She couldn't help but sigh under her breath. She had witnessed a lot of breakups in her lifetime. After all, she had once been a high school student. But, this clearly felt like it was something beyond that.
Unfortunately, she didn't have any personal experience in such matters. She had never fallen for a man, so she didn't understand any of what Aina was experiencing.
But she still couldn't wrap her mind around it all. If it hurt you so much, why did you do it at all?
"We will be crossing from a Fifth Dimensional Fold of Reality into a Sixth Dimensional Fold very soon." Yuri's voice came from the front. "You should prepare yourself. The jump from Fifth to Sixth is the largest you will have experienced until this point. You might even feel like you're back to being a normal mortal.
"Whether you can adapt or not will decide if you have a future ahead of you or if the Fifth Dimension will be your limit."
Yuri explained this nice and succinctly.
"… Do you want me here, Yuri?"
Savahn spoke after a long pause. In fact, it had been so long that Yuri had thought she didn't have to expect a response at all. But, the content of the question was even more shocking.
The circumstances that led to Savahn being here were quite… unique. Aina had been clinging to her to the point of refusing to let go. As a result, Yuri had no choice but to propose a deal to Savahn.
That deal was quite simple. It was an opportunity to step into the broader world and experience the Dimensional Verse in a way she never had before. Compared to a middling Bronze Organization, the place they were going was not just a single step above.
Savahn wasn't sure how to answer initially. She wasn't drunk for power, she didn't really have anything to strive for, and she had no family left… If she were to answer why she had said yes and chosen to come, it wasn't due to the enticement of Yuri's offer, but rather because Savahn… Just didn't want to be alone anymore.
She wanted that sisterhood the three of them had had before, but she felt like it was less and less likely with every day that passed.
"Do you think I hate you?" Yuri countered.
"I…"
Savahn didn't really know how to respond. She didn't think she was hated, it was just that these two had shared a secret that she wasn't privy to. It was like finding out you were the third wheel in a relationship formed for two. If she was honest, this was a good portion of the reason she had pulled away as well.
The irony of it all, though, was that back then, she had drawn a line between herself, Aina and Yuri because Aina killed Conrad so viciously. But, Aina had done that for Leonel's sake. And now, it was a matter between Aina and Leonel that once again brought them together.
"Savahn, I am a child that Miss Aina's father adopted. I have an obligation to protect her above all else. However, none of this means that I never saw you as a friend."
Savahn was stunned into silence, not knowing how to respond. But, her gaze glistened with unshed tears, her lips curling into a slight smile.
"… Thank you, Yuri…"
"Ah, what are you thanking me for? I need some support to deal with the Miss's mood swings."
The two girls giggled, crossing through the depths of space with a small bit of warmth.
**
"Alright."
Leonel's gaze regained their focus as he smiled lightly, patting Joel's shoulder.
"What's wrong with you, you look like you've seen a ghost."
"Ah… Cap…?" Joel didn't know how to respond to this.
One second, Leonel was completely expressionless. And, in the next, he was smiling warmly. What the hell was going on?
"Oh? It looks like everyone's here. That's good."
Leonel suddenly released a fiendish grin.
"How about we stir up some trouble?"