Chapter 55
Yaten had meticulously bound Tellu to a rusty chair in his gloomy torture chamber, pacing thoughtfully in front of her. Tellu trembled uncontrollably, and Yaten could sense that the agonizing anticipation of his sinister intentions was pushing her to the edge of her nerves.
"So, we're all alone here. No matter how loud you scream, no one will hear you," Yaten began with a sinister smile. Tellu nervously eyed the extensive array of tools that lined the wall, resembling a threatening symphony of terror. Her lips were tightly pressed together, a thin line in her fear-stricken face.
"Alright, my dear, you have exactly two options," Yaten continued, menacingly approaching her. "Either you tell me directly what I want to know, and then I'll decide what to do with you. Or you choose to remain silent. In that case, I will thoroughly enjoy coaxing the information out of you. The choice is yours, but it's certain that you won't leave this place until I've heard everything I want to know."
He pulled a chair in front of her and sat down, leaning to his left. To heighten the tension, he folded and unfolded his knife a few times. To his surprise, the usually talkative green-haired Tellu seemed to have fallen silent. Fear was etched on her face, and her eyes were fixed on the large bone saw and numerous pliers hanging on the wall like a nightmare. Yaten wore a mischievous smile as he followed her gaze.
"Don't worry. We'll get to the tools eventually, and by then, you'll undoubtedly have other concerns, I promise you that. Now, let's begin. Where is Serena?" The first tears had already started to flow down Tellu's cheek. "I... I don't know," she stammered, distraught. Yaten scrutinized her intently. "Then tell me what you do know. What is the old Tsukino planning?"
The ominous atmosphere in Yaten's torture chamber thickened with each passing second. Tellu sobbed amidst her tears as Yaten increased the pressure of the cold knife blade on her forearm, a small trickle of blood forming, accompanied by a plaintive scream. Fear had a tight grip on her mind.
"I... I can't," Tellu stammered, and Yaten slightly increased the pressure of the knife. Desperation reflected in her eyes in the dimly lit room. "Wrong answer, my dear. You can, and you will. The only question is how long we'll be occupied here." Yaten rose again, his steps echoing threateningly in the space, as he slowly approached his poison cabinet. His finger carefully traced over the brown vials as he strategically considered which substance would serve him best now.
Tellu's agitated sobbing occasionally broke the oppressive silence, but Yaten remained unfazed. With absolute routine, he selected one of the vials before turning back to his tormented guest. A sly smile played on his lips as he examined the yellowish liquid.
"You see, my dear, there are many ways to extract information from a person. Now, decide how painful you want your journey to be. Where is Serena, and what is the old Tsukino planning?" Yaten repeated his question with an icy calm after a few moments.
Just as the tension in the gloomy dungeon seemed to reach its peak, an unexpected knock on the door interrupted the scene. One of Yaten's associates signaled that he was needed outside the door.
"I'll be right back for you," Yaten said more as a threat than anything else. Then he closed the door behind him, the dull sound of the lock reinforcing the oppressive atmosphere in the room. "What's so important?" he hissed to the blond man.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, but there are some issues in the forest. Taiki just called, asking you to take care of it," the employee apologized for his intrusion.
Yaten didn't hide his annoyance. He cast a brief glance over his shoulder at the heavy metal door behind which Tellu was hidden, then an idea struck him. "Fine, I'm on my way. But you stay in there with her. She's so out of it; she won't give you much trouble. Start by having a nice chat with her. Maybe she'll tell you what she knows about Serena's whereabouts. Let's try this good cop, bad cop game until I get back." Yaten patted his companion on the shoulder and swiftly ascended the stairs with a few strides.
It was early in the morning, and Seiya had barely slept. His thoughts revolved incessantly around Usagi and where she might be. There were no new updates from Yaten, and his phone was turned off. Deep, dark circles marked his face as he emerged from the bedroom. Haruka lay on his couch like a vigilant watchdog, ready to ensure he didn't do anything impulsive. Shaking his head, he walked over to the coffee machine. While his coffee brewed, he checked his phone again. Still nothing.
Finally, Haruka also stirred on the couch and glanced over at him. "Do you even know what time it is?" she grumbled, coming towards him. "Yes, time to wake up. We need to find Usagi before Kenji does. I can't sit here doing nothing any longer. It's bad enough that I've been sitting here all night without being able to do anything," Seiya replied. Haruka took the coffee from his hand and sat down at the table with it. "That was mine," Seiya hissed, placing another cup under the machine. "Not anymore."
Seiya's phone rang, and he reached for it anxiously, hoping for some feedback from Yaten. To his disappointment, it was only his supervisor from the harbor. For a moment, Seiya hesitated whether to answer. In the end, he decided to pick up. He knew something must have happened. Shin wouldn't call him without a reason. "Yeah," he answered curtly. "Seiya, I think you should come to the harbor quickly," Shin's voice sounded slightly tense. "Why? What's going on?" Seiya inquired. "There's someone here who wants to talk to you." Seiya sighed. "Shin, I don't have time for this right now. If someone wants a deal, postpone it to next year, and you have everything else under control anyway." "But this young woman insists on speaking with you personally. I've tried to send her away, no chance; she's damn persistent."
Seiya froze. Did Shin just say "young woman"? His pulse quickened. "Bring her to my office; I'll be there immediately." Seiya hung up and threw on his jacket in a hurry. But Haruka also reacted swiftly, placing her foot in front of the door, preventing Seiya from leaving the apartment.
"What are you planning?" she asked skeptically. "Who was on the phone just now?" "Shin, my harbor supervisor. I have to go there now. He said there's a woman who wants to talk to me. What if it's Usagi?" Seiya whispered, pushing Haruka aside to get past her. Haruka shook her head briefly and then grabbed her jacket as well. She hurriedly followed Seiya. "Wait. I won't let you go alone. Besides, you're still injured," she shouted after him, managing to get into the elevator just in time. "And what if it's someone completely different? Did you at least ask Shin what she looks like?" Haruka inquired. "No, but my gut tells me it's her... and if it is, we need to get her out of here as quickly as possible." Haruka held her hand out. "Give me the key; I'll drive. You can work on an escape plan on the way in case it's her."
Haruka screeched to a halt in front of the main building of the harbor. As soon as the car stopped, Seiya swung the door open and ran into the reception area. Shin immediately greeted him as he entered through the door. "The woman is upstairs in the office, just as instructed. However, I warn you, the condition of this lady is really not the best." Seiya signaled to Haruka, and together, they took the elevator upstairs. Still firmly convinced that the woman was Usagi, Seiya opened the office door. However, a wave of disappointment immediately engulfed him.
The woman sitting in front of his imposing desk was clearly not Usagi. Her shoulder-length chestnut hair formed a stark contrast to Usagi's blonde mane. Haruka placed a comforting hand on Seiya's shoulder. She, too, had been eagerly anticipating with her best friend.
The young woman turned her head as she heard the door close. She smiled warmly at the two of them and stood up. Her clothes were tattered, and overall, she appeared quite needy, but her smile was genuine. "Are you Mr. Seiya Kou?" she asked directly. "Uh... it depends on who wants to know." "My name is Naru. A mutual friend sent me," Naru began. Seiya immediately understood that she was referring to Usagi. "Is she okay? Where is she?" "She's doing as well as can be expected, but she hesitates to approach the apartment or the harbor. Her trust is shaken; she doubts it's safe. She hasn't fully confided in me, but I think you understand the situation. I'm supposed to bring you to her, but only if you're sure that no one is following you," Naru reported.
Seiya's gaze shifted to Haruka, and between them, a silent exchange of thoughts took place. Both knew they couldn't afford to make any mistakes. "Excuse us for a moment, please," Seiya said, pulling Haruka aside. His gaze pierced her as he asked, "Can we trust her?" "I'm not sure," replied the sandy blonde Haruka. "But she's our only lead, and look at her... Everything indicates that she could be a friend from her past. Do we have anything to lose?"
Seiya's temples throbbed with tension, and he ran his hand over them in the hope of easing the pain. "If she's telling the truth, everything needs to happen quickly, without Kenji, Father, or anyone else finding out." "Do you have a plan?" Haruka asked, even though she already knew the answer. Seiya had undoubtedly crafted plans for all conceivable situations throughout the night. "Roughly... but I need some more time until everything is ready. You'll go with this Naru; Kenji has shown considerably less interest in you so far. Once you find Usagi, send me a thumbs down – you never know who might intercept our messages again. Then I'll leave." Seiya paused briefly, then opened the top drawer of his desk and pulled out a map. With precision, he pointed to a location. "That's where we'll meet." Haruka nodded. "What about Yaten and Tai? Do you want to inform them?" "When we're safe, I'll call them. Besides, I haven't been able to reach Yaten since yesterday, and Tai has his hands full. After all, he also needs to get Amy out of Father's line of fire in case Kenji's pictures have reached him."
"I really hope your plan works," Haruka murmured, and the two turned back to their guest. Seiya patted Haruka on the shoulder. "While I'm away, the harbor will be under your command. So don't let everything fall apart here," Seiya tried to joke, but in the next moment, he became serious again. "Haruka will accompany you. Take her to Usagi. Once she's safe, I'll show my gratitude to you."
Naru observed the two thoughtfully and then shook her head hesitantly. "I have clear instructions. She only wants to see Seiya Kou, no one else." "Trust me. Haruka is my extended arm, my eyes, and ears. It will be okay for her to accompany you," Seiya reassured. Haruka raised her eyebrows skeptically. "Then I should probably urgently renegotiate my salary if I'm replacing even your limbs." Naru appeared visibly disturbed. Usagi had given clear instructions. How would she react if she showed up with Haruka instead of Seiya? On the other hand, the two seemed like a well-coordinated team. Naru contemplated and then nodded hesitantly. "Alright, let's get going."