The trip back to their hideout was in silent desperation. Luna only looked out the window. Max kept his eyes on the road, and Baldric fidgeted with a coin as he looked outside.

None of them had anything. No plan or any idea on what to do next.

As they got close, Max suddenly stopped the vehicle.

"Something is wrong. Robere is not at his post."

All three of them drew out their weapons. As they entered the dark warehouse, they found that everything was gone.

They rushed to the room where they left Annie and Elizabeth and found out that they had been taken away as well. But as Luna looked around the room, there seemed to be no signs of conflict. No shell casings on the ground, or blood from injuries; it’s as if they all just left. When they left the room, the three of them felt multiple people surrounded them. Max and Baldric already had their weapons drawn when a voice came from the dark.

"They are not hurt, by the way."

Shinaki came out of the dark with her sword sheathed. Syndicate members also came out, but their rifles were not pointed at them. "And I suggest you liste-"

"Where are they?!" Luna roared as Max and Baldric aimed their guns at the knight.

"First put your weapons down."

"No." Baldric aimed at her head. Shinaki sighed.

"Where are they?" Luna asked again.

"They are already waiting for you in the trucks along with your GEA partners." Max and Baldric slowly lowered their guns, but Luna did not let down her guard. "We come in peace and also to escort you to Lord Solomon himself. He stated that he can help with the princess's condition, but you must meet with him first."

"And why should we trust you?!" Luna glared at the knight. “You are the ones who poisoned them!”

"Because we can help." Shinaki glared back at her. "But if you do not want help, then we will release both the princess and your friend-"

"Sister!" Luna roared in her face.

"-Sister, then you can watch them both die. I’m sure you don’t want that."

"Listen to her, Luna." A syndicate member came from behind Shinaki, with Tinkerton-G riding on the man’s shoulder. "They are our best chance." G said to them.

"Where is my guild?" Max asked the knight, but G was the one who answered.

"They are already waiting by the trucks, Max. We are all waiting for you."

Luna was still unconvinced. Shinaki sensed her hesitation and approached her slowly.

"Rest assured, Lord Solomon has no further ill intentions and has even ordered that you personally ride in the same truck as the princess." Luna breathed out heavily. "He has even asked that if you want to point your gun in my face the entire time, that I do not even resist. We only want to help."

With nothing left, she accepted.

=0o0=

They left through the back of the warehouse, where there was already a convoy of automobiles and trucks waiting for them. The syndicate and Max’s guild members, were having trouble as Willow, in his enraged form, was being held in ropes as all of them struggled to hold him down to prevent it from attacking.

"May I ask that you contain your pet so we can leave?" Shinaki addressed Luna.

As she walked towards Willow, everyone made way for her. Willow was bound, but when it spotted her, the creature slowly stopped snarling and looked at her angrily.

"Willow. Willow, they are friends." Luna extended her hand. "They will help us save Elizabeth and Annie. We need to work with them. We love them, right? They need us. We need to go now. They need us."

Willow rubbed his nose on her hand, and slowly he started to shrink down until he returned to his cub form. Luna then gently picked him up while everyone who watched murmured in disbelief.

Luna and Willow approached the truck where Annie, Elizabeth, Ada, Shiny, Tinkerton-G and some nurses were already inside. Baldric rode on Caesar and, along with Sylvie, they stayed alongside their truck while Max and his guild members were right behind them.

The moment Willow saw Elizabeth, the cub leapt and lay down right by her side. Elizabeth and Annie still wore masks that were connected to the machines, which gave them a steady supply of air.

"Will they make it?" Luna said as she held Annie’s hand.

The nurse who pumped the machine answered her. "We need to hurry to get them to the hospital, my lady. They have a chance, but it is fading the longer they are out here."

=0o0=

Throughout the trip, no one spoke. Ada and Tinkerton-G watched Luna as she volunteered to pump the machine when both nurses got tired and has not stopped ever since. Luna asked them where they were going, and they answered that they were on their way to Pharc, a six-hour drive from their location. The sun had begun to creep up the morning sky by the time they arrived on the outskirts of the mountain town.

Pharc was a picturesque and quaint mountain town by the coast of Ostrin. But they did not have time to admire the view as they headed to the side of the mountain where a hospital was hidden behind thick trees. The convoy arrived at the massive courtyard, and Baldric saw that the whole compound was protected by Syndicate members.

As everyone disembarked, nurses and medical automatons came out and immediately took Annie and Elizabeth inside. Luna followed along with Shiny, Willow, Ada, and Tinkerton-G. As they entered the hospital, she saw Doctor Gerwulf attended to both patients. She ordered the nurses to bring them both into the surgery room, but before Luna could enter the double doors, Gerwulf stopped her.

"I will do everything I can for them. Just wait here and don’t do anything else irrational, understand?"

Before Luna could answer, the doctor had already entered the double doors. She rubbed her face and hair in frustration. Luna looked behind her and found Baldric, Max, and Sylvie were watching her. She could not even look them in the eyes as guilt and shame gnawed heavily on her mind.

"Gerwulf is the best doctor there is. If anyone can save them, it’s her."

Solomon approached them with Shinaki by his side.

Baldric and Max reached for their guns, but Luna beat them to it as she already had her gun drawn and aimed at his face. Shinaki was about to draw her blade, but Solomon stopped her.

"Before you indulge anymore idiotic ideas, remember this is not the place to cause a commotion, Lunabeth."

Solomon looked down on her with a stoic face, while Luna had a murderous glare as she continued to aim her gun at him. "You are in the middle of a hospital and I at least expect you to act with some semblance of dignity and decorum. I have already reserved a room for all of you to voice your concerns. But for now, I advise you all to have the nurses look at your injuries and make yourselves presentable when I call-"

"The syndicate was working with Silvus and the extremists." Luna defiantly stared at him. "Tell me, did you order all those people killed?! Did you order your men to kill civilians to lure me out?!"

Solomon’s face immediately darkened, and she felt a cold chill run down her back. Max and Baldric saw her falter and stepped up beside her.

"I will say it right here, in front of all of you. I did not order, nor will I ever acknowledge such actions, and I will personally find the men who ordered and committed such heinous crimes."

All of them stared at each other in silence, with everyone around them feeling the weight of the tension.

"I will explain everything in due time, but for now, have your injuries treated first and then we will talk." Solomon turned and left, with Shinaki joining him. Luna slowly lowered her gun as some nurses cautiously approached them.

They tended to everyone, and Luna realized how many injuries her body had sustained. She had massive cuts and gashes in her arms and legs, and she could feel her body took a beating. Luna had already injected herself with her amber before they got to the hospital, but it struggled against her extensive injuries.

The nurses asked that she remove her dress shirt so they could treat her body for injuries. When they tried to cut it for her, Luna drew out her gun and pointed it at them. Baldric approached her and forcefully took the gun from her hands.

"Really? Really?!" he said as he holstered the gun. The nurses, unsure of what to do, just stopped treating Luna and continued to help Baldric and Max.

Sensing she was done, Luna headed back to the waiting room.