chap 16

Katyusha sprinted through the hallway with Therese on her toe. She took the back, while he faced the front. He kept switching between sheep and human form. By the time they left the first intersection between the apparent two buildings, he was already very out of breath. Katyusha paused at every turn to keep an eye on him in case Wave of Exhaustion hits him.

The Wave of Exhaustion was the signs of depleting energy. While their magic was dependent on their bonding with their other halves in the mortal world, the energy was also taken from their blood spontaneously. This symptom isn't the rarest among power users. But her own experience with this was probably the most in total when compared to everyone. Due to the number of times it had happened for her, The Black Muse members had given it the name 'The Royal Days Of Three'. It had always been like this. Whenever Katyusha tended to hit the power reduction in her body, she would pass out for three days straight. She would eventually get up looking like a sullen zombie, but that was least what could be expected when you didn't seem to eat for three days straight.

It was not unusually long, but her tendency to get drained was entertaining when it should be life-threatening. For the usual time of rest, it was usually up to a day.

"Hey, Ther, stop switching. I will use up power." Katyusha said, facing him.

"You will use yours?" He asked, worry lines stretching over his skin. He drenched in sweat. His jaws tight, his muscles clenched around his neck region. It wasn't right. There was no way he would make out of this building if he keeps using up his magic.

"I will use how much I can try it on my own. Conserve yours enough to reach house again." She said, "By the way, how far are we?"

He answered, wiping his sweat away from his brows. He was breathing heavily, eyelids shut closed tightly, "About eleven kilometres from the main town."

Katyusha doubled over, "Eleven kilometres? How did you guys travel so far?"

"On legs. About an hour or so."

"Why?" Katyusha gave out an exasperated sigh. She knew she was in trouble, but she had invited it over too. She had ventured outside even after being partially kidnapped not many hours before. If it hadn't been on her, maybe, these guys wouldn't be facing so many problems due to her.

A black screen light up in front of her eyes. she violently shook her head, trying to shatter away from the blackness. Thankfully, Therese didn't seem to be paying attention to her. He was looking far into the hallway on his left. The black clouds still lurked in the corner of her eye. Katyusha shook her head once again and continued by ignoring the feeling entirely. She knelt beside Therese, looking over his shoulder. The hallway was like all the hallways they have crossed yet. It was still a mystery to her and something rather fishy for not even a guard to guard in this area. Either there was more than one exit to the outside paths of the building. Or something far more murderous is going to take place. Abandoned hallways are as alarming as guarded hallways. You never know what awaits you.

Just then, a subtle shift caught her eyes. She would have missed it if she hadn't been looking at it. Therese peeked again, looking in the direction of the action.

"You saw that?" She inquired

"Yeah. Bit taller than you." He replied

Katyusha faced him again in shock, "How did you determine the height with that small movement."

All she got as a return was a dead stare." I would be dead right now if I stop noticing those things. It is called experience," he said, poking her on the face. She batted his hands away. "Not looking away from some certain enemy is called carelessness, which you seem to have in the big amount already."

"Yeah, right. Remind me again why I even tried to ask. The enemy will already be on us before you know."

Just as Therese said, a person walked out of the shadow right at them. Before those who balled around the corner, they jumped back in defence. Their hand raised in front of them in reflex, legs mirroring each other. To their utter astonishment, the person who stepped out of the shadows was Ray.

His eyes widened at the sight of them, skipping between her and Therese. After thoroughly examining them both, he pulled her into an embrace. Due to the suddenness of the situation, Katyusha fell face-first into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her shoulder, squeezing her next to him. Katyusha could hear his heartbeat under his skin. He had been running. For her.

Guilt corded through her mind as she brought her arms around his body, enveloping the feeling of the moment. If only she had been sufficient enough to get herself out of the situation, these guys wouldn't have to be facing the danger. Ray released her delicately, grabbing her shoulder, examining her close, shaking her around to check for any damage in the body.

"I ain't a robot, kid. I won't make rusty noise even after shaking. Chill down." Katyusha said with a smile as he reluctantly released her. It seemed only then he realized Therese was standing right next to her. He gave him a nod, acknowledging his presence. She looked at Therese and barely kept herself from bursting out loudly. He, being giant he was, looked about to bolt out of the first exit he got. It was hardly content in his desire to fly away from someone he knew. Therese was the kind of person who would do better with foreigners, rather than people he knows personally or had come to know. Either way, he hadn't run away yet. So it's all good for now.

She turned back to her teammate, "Where are you coming from?"

"Before that, how are you? Are you feeling any pain or anything that can indicate anything? How is Drowena?"

She liked this quality of his. Before anything else, he always asks about her conditions. He must have been in a very twisted state himself, running around the building trying to find her out.

"I am fine for now. Drowena is with me. And stop worrying about me. Your worry line might as well pop out of the neck if you keep up with the thought process."

"HOW CAN I NOT? YOU WERE KIDNAPPED. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US WERE STANDING ON THE EDGE OF THE MOUNTAIN BACK WHEN WE LEARNED YOU WERE KIDNAPPED. KAI MIGHT HAVE MURDERED US IF YOU WEREN'T FOUND. IT'S SUCH A RELIEF YOUR BROTHER AND YOUR FRIENDS FOUND YOUR LOCATION SOON." Ray spoke, shaking with ultimate rage. They both were so alike in some ways. It always took her by shock every time she saw the similarity. Katyusha had no words. All she could do was catch his hands and squeeze them tightly, giving him the confirmation that she was safe and alright. He was still breathing hard.

"Where are the others? Did you guys part ways or something? Why are you alone?"

" Yeah, we did part into groups before coming. Your friends all went alone while the blade breaker parted into groups of two to three. Kai and I were together, but he went off alone midst of talking. So I am not sure where you can find him. Other than him, if you are worried, everyone is safe."

Why did the Black Muse member go alone? They couldn't have disclosed their skills with the forecast. How come the bladebreakers let them go alone. "Why did Black Muse go alone?"

"They said they prefer for us to stick together and find you while they search for the exit," Ray informed her. Katyusha turned around to confirm the same with Therese, but he was nowhere to seem. Katyusha doubled over, fear gripping through the very cell in her body. Where did he go? Did someone take him away? What happens-

Ray caught her, turning her over to face him. "Don't worry. He signalled he will be going the other side. I guess he wanted to check that side too."

That seems too suspicious of him. The words of Katyusha's former teammate rang in her head.

Your sister found the location for us.

"This seems way too suspicious," Katyusha remarked.

Ray shrugged, "What can we do? All we can do right now is get out of this maze-like place. First of all, will you be able to walk?"

Katyusha gave him the look. He backed off immediately, "Okay okay I won't worry but still."

"I told you not to worry. Stop wasting time on me. Rather pay attention to the people who need it more."

He challenged his limits yet again, "Like you?"

"Now you there-" Katyusha started at him just when she caught someone behind Ray. As fast as her reflex could work, she shoved Ray out of the way. She didn't turn behind to confirm if he was okay. She had put more pressure than she had intended to push him out of the way. But since she didn't get any sound of falling or tripping against the wall, she can safely assume that he is uninjured.

The guard in the front, unlike others guards, wasn't dressed in the colour of the Psykicks. Rather, she favoured a rather challenging colour combination of yellow with flour cent green which sparkled in the dark. When the guards bring the literal meaning of blind spot. Her face covered up in a mask, there was no way Katyusha could recognize her face.

Katyusha clicked her tongue. It has been a long since she had a physical fight with anyone. Thankfully due to always being with Tyson's grandpa, she wasn't all that rusty towards martial arts yet. Katyusha drew in a deep breath. The Psykicks never really targeted fights without Beyblades. But the posture the girl in front of her was using wasn't one of a Beyblade, it was one of a street fighter. The amount of power put in her stance could easy give away that she was well trained and strong enough. The suspicion which had been rising since the very beginning was coming back to Katyusha. Just how much do they know about her real identity?

The girl launched herself at her. Katyusha waited patiently till the moment the girl is close enough to dodge her, breaking her momentum. With next to no energy in her body, all Katyusha could do was take the defence. Katyusha kept leaping out the way of the girl way, making her trip over herself until she was exhausted enough to not being able to fight faster. In the middle of the chase, she had spotted Ray getting up from where he had fallen. She motioned him to join her.

Ray was a known martial artist himself. He had experiences with the techniques from his childhood days. And right now, all she needed was his power. She was getting exhausted already. She couldn't risk it. Katyusha broke out of the fight as Ray started towards the girl, taking Katyusha's place. Just before she could get out, the girl kicked the torch out of her hand, breaking it in process. The glass shattered, flying in the air.

In the pitch blackness which surrounded them both, Katyusha couldn't see a thing. The girl and Ray were still battling against each other even without any indication of where the hit or blows might hurt the opponent. She stood by their side, feeling helpless. She wanted to join but her loss the consciousness will only bring on more problems in the

Katyusha tried pushing through from the battle. She went away to see if there was any light source she could find. Before a step from her side, the guard roared, "Getting scared huh, Katyusha?"

Katyusha turned around just in time as some object came soaring towards her. She could pinpoint the distance and coordinates of the gadget. Only thanks to the change in the pressure of the air around the target, soaring towards her. She had barely moved out of the way when blackness leapt in front of her eyes once again. Sudden nausea caught up in her throat, making her slip on her leg. Katyusha fell back with a thud. Trying to prevent it totally, she had turned at the last moment, crashing on her hip rather than her back. The left hand came down to support her fall, taking the impact on it.

Breathing heavy, she curled over to sit up again. The girl and Ray seem too engrossed in the fight, working around as if fire dancing. If this goes on, the fight will leave them both very exhausted. Katyusha had to do something to stop them. But because of the fall, her left hand were as gone as paralysis. She could only manage to get on her knees when a siren screeched over her. Flinching due to the intensity of the siren, she looked around. No one came running towards them. No noise could be heard other than the siren, but again she doubted she could catch the sound over the siren.

After the first few seconds, the siren turned to record. Katyusha perked over, alert. The tube lights started to flicker on, one at a time, surrounding them in lime colour. Ray had paused in an abrupt position, looking like he was trying to grasp the conditions surrounding him as well.

The speaker started to bark an order, "ATTENTION! GET BACK! RETREAT AND RECOVER! RETREAT AND RECOVER! IMMEDIATE ACTIONS!"

As if as a reflex, the guard turned around and ran off in the direction she had emerged. With a shared look of understanding, Ray vanished behind her into the adjacent corridor. With the lights on, she could make out the direction. Taking one last breath, Katyusha got up, forcing herself to get steady on her feet. Her head was still swirling around, but she managed to walk, one step at a time. Within a few minutes of dragging her feet, she could run.

Katyusha burst down the adjoining lobby to find the girl tackled by Ray. What she noticed first was the space he put between the girl and himself while keeping her secure. The guard seems to be struggling to get to the door left ajar in front of them.

Beams of shades of blue flooded from behind the slightly open door. Katyusha couldn't see.

When Ray caught her looking, he screamed, "GET THE DOOR."

Under the command, Katyusha ran towards the door, her legs still shaking from the impact. As the guard saw Katyusha pass by, her struggle increased ten folds. Trashing and slashing, she tried her best to get out of his grasp. But it was of no use. Katyusha just hoped his grip on her hand wasn't too tight. Knowing Ray, the possibility was low enough for her to not worry concerning it.

As her hand caught the door, yanking it open. Katyusha' heart leapt to her mouth. Her previous condition doubled over as she drank in the view in front of her. The neon lights blasted against her optical lens as the tanks filled with Bit-Beast glowed in the dimly lit room.