Haji
[Where are you Konella?] Trying since earlier this evening to reach her but there has been no response. David and Julia are in position and have joined with Saya, now waiting on us to join them. [Konella answer me.] Unable to detect her, my worries of her latest actions have unnerved me. Saya mentioned she's been unusual during this mission, constantly avoiding certain topics and areas. I infiltrated the school myself as a gardener to provide reinforcement, only Saya seemed to call upon me and keep me informed. Konella never once checked in with me.
{Haji, do you copy?} The earpiece David handed me was quite annoying. I pressed the button to respond and heard nothing but crackling sounds before clearing up.
"Yes. I am in place."
{We cannot find Konella. Saya was with her moments ago before she was asked to dance. Since then she's been MIA.}
Konella danced with someone? How peculiar of her to show anyone the time of day. If she is dancing with someone, surely, she remains in the ballroom. So then why ignore my calls?
"And Saya?"
{She's with us. We can't idle much longer here and moving out. Konella will have to catch up on her own.}
"I understand. If Konella is out of sight or distracting the enemy we must take advantage of it."
{If it's the enemy she's distracting, it's fine. But she needs to keep us informed. She's not cleared of her identity with us yet…} making that statement quite clear, I turned off the transmission and headed to my position towards the church.
Overhearing some males speaking of the women in the ballroom and how to court them was a distant memory to me. I recalled faintly the first time I danced with Saya myself and how easy-going life was when she knew nothing of the world. Though it was my mistake that ended my life, Saya saving me with her blood, it never would have occurred to me the life I would have never known if not for her. Regret was fleeting in the beginning. I barely recall it now. But being beside Saya was never something I lived to regret, no matter the circumstance that befell me.
"Mr. Goldsmith you must be joking!" Hearing such an outburst and rounding a corner carefully, there were two men near the rose garden before the entrance to the church. Staying out of sight as not to arouse security, I listened closely to the conversation to see if it was meaningful.
"I'm not leaving this party without her." Holding a young woman in his arms that seemed to have fallen asleep, it was hard to tell what circumstance happened between the two. It was not of my concern, but they were oddly placed at this ball full of young women. The scent off the man in the white suit was daunting to me, making me feel protective for some odd reason.
"This is absurd," the man with the French accent complained to the other and seemed to be taken lightly of. "Why do you insist taking her? It is none of my business, but we cannot have outsiders—much less mademoiselles be whisked away without reason." Pinching the bridge of his nose, unwrapping something small and into his mouth quickly, the man was distraught. But it seemed the other who held the woman in arms did not bother rectifying the situation.
"You may find it unlikely to be so, but this mademoiselle is my wife. And it's been a rather long time since our parting that she tired herself from our dance together." The man seemed shocked by the news and had to fixate his glasses. He tried arguing with the man, but it seemed futile. The man fixated the woman more carefully in his arms, lightly caressing her as he pressed his lips to the woman's head. The man with the accent sighed heavily before the other cleared his throat. "See to it that Karl receives this message, we shall be moving the container immediately." The man in the white suit shifted the woman in his arms and something triggered a defensive stance in me. I merely caught a small glimpse of her face and didn't think it was possible.
"Sir I—what do you mean this is your wife?! When was this?" Watching the man carry the woman, it struck me when the man turned enough at an angle to see the face of who he carried. My blood started to boil.
"It was some time ago that we were married before getting separated unexpectedly. Now that she's back I will take her home." Smiling as if nothing happened, I grabbed my case and gripped the straps once I recognized that the woman he held in arms was Konella. "Now go and deliver the message." He ordered. His eyes seemed to narrow, looking over his shoulder in my direction and I caught his scent. Chevalier.
"Do so now, Von." He ordered.
"Y-yes…" scurrying off and taking a few looks back before he was entirely gone, I stood tall and threw my case at him and watched with fury to him vanishing from the spot and landing on the rooftop. He peered down at me as I retrieved my cello case and I glared back at him.
"…I see you haven't changed over the years, Haji." His smile unnerved me. The way he eld Konella in his arms as a possession lit a fire in me that I began to unwrap my bindings—until hearing Saya in the distance calling for me. She wasn't in immediate danger, I focused on the present.
"Chevalier."
"Yes." He mused. "And husband to this magnificent woman." He caressed her tenderly, her face serene in deep sleep. I wasn't sure if he did something to her or something happened, but I needed to save her. What he stated cannot be true. I undressed part of my bindings before hearing Saya call for me ore desperately.
"Ah, seems your queen is calling for you." His malicious grin sending me over the edge as I tried rearing my cello case up to throw once more, Saya's voice rung deeper in my soul as her cry was pulling me. "It's not wise for you to ignore her."
He spoke true. My body was in pain refusing Saya's call. My mind desired to rescue Konella, but the sense of duty to Saya was prevailing.
"Time is ticking, Haji." He chided.
"Release her," I demanded. Gnashing my teeth in defiance to Saya's call and my mind ripping to save Konella from him at the same time. He cocked his head to the side in wonder to my words.
"Now why would I relinquish my own wife to you?" Holding her with cherishment, there was no lie in his eye speaking those words. He was speaking without a doubt.
"Lies." I say.
He laughed. An amusement in his voice as he seemed to be enjoying this exchange. But if he truly spoke the truth, my speculations were coming through. I've had doubts over the years, but if she is connected to Diva—the possibility of her being—
[HAJI!]
Hearing Saya scream for me through our connection and my entire body buckling to her call, it was his laugh that made it all worse.
"She calls for you, Haji. Run along like a good boy that you are." Mocking me. Holding Konella closer as he waited for my next move. I couldn't refuse Saya further and I ran to her.
Leaving Konella behind in the hands of the enemy.
Saya was waiting for me at the church entrance with the others. I looked for the danger and found there was none and wanted nothing more than to rebuke her for calling me in such a frantic tone. I stayed neutral outwardly, but inwardly I was boiling with rage.
"We need to reach the warehouse." David gave the order and led the way into the church and followed the path he was notified of. He turned only briefly my way before realizing Konella was not beside us. "Where is she?" His scowl spoke enough of his displeasure.
"…" I couldn't speak. There was no correct answer to give him. There was a clatter of the gates being pried open and we reached the place Konella spoke of. Passing by the strange blue roses and wondering why such fabricated things grew here. It would never have an answer. I followed Saya and the others and the warehouse was busy with men working and trucks being loaded. The crates of wine Konella mentioned were being packaged, but it was the crate she saw that was our objective.
"There!"
David pointed out the crate being hauled away. We went to gather more information until there was a strange maniacal laughter coming from somewhere.
The Chairman revealed himself. Recklessly attacking Saya and I as she held her sword haphazardly before he mocked her. She gripped the hilt better, her eyes glowing red as she fought him. But he caught something was amiss. Taking hold of Saya's hand and pulling her close, Saya's reaction to being stopped triggered the man to question her rage. Then began speaking of the past and how she shed blood in the field of battle without care of her life and others. A past he wanted to relive.
"I want the past you, not this weak and pathetic version of you, Saya!" He emphasized his desire. When I protected Saya from further harm he had already jumped into the rafters and took out a single blue rose, then let it fall to Saya as he disappeared.
"Dammit, the crate has been moved!' David shouted. He had gone off on his own and was hurt while Julia propped him up. He glared at us, the results not to his desire. But we needed to leave this place, and he led the escape from the warehouse.
Once we were outside the church and heading to the large courtyard where Luis pulled the car in, I looked back to the school and tried reaching out for Konella. But to no avail did she respond. Nor could I sense her at all.
"Haji?" Saya pulled on my arm gently, her eyes looking for answers from me. "Where's Konella?"
There was nothing I could say. She was taken by the enemy? I failed to save her? All of these words wrapped my head to answer her but I couldn't even speak.
[You've lost, Haji.]
Hearing his voice in my head and gritting my teeth to where he could be, I looked around and spotted something in the distance. The highest point on the church rooftops, he stood there. Watching with a triumphant smile plastered on his face.
[I will be taking back what is rightfully mine.]
That was it. He took Konella out of my sight and was gone. The sense of loss I felt was indescribable. Saya's hand startled me, but I appreciated the sense of her being near me as I focused on the now and tried coming up with a cover for Konella until I'm able to find her and bring her back.
"We need to go. Konella can contact us when she's safe." Saya pulled me into the car, and the moment I was in, David turned and questioned immediately to where Konella was at.
"…She's following the crate and keeping track of it. I'm able to keep communication with her as she follows them."
He didn't think it was true, but there was no way he can call my bluff. "So be it. Keep us informed of her whereabouts so we can rendezvous with the location."
"Of course."
Luis drove off away from the school, and all the while Saya kept looking back as though she knew my words were not true. I left her to her thoughts. I continued trying to reach Konella, though I knew better than to think I could reach her.
"Haji?" Saya tugged on my sleeve and lowered her tone as not to be heard by David and Luis. "Is Konella alright? She's been acting strange for a while now, but I'm not sure if it's because of me or something else."
"I—"
The car swerved as trucks cut us off on the road and David recognized them being the same that took the wine. He gave the order to follow them at a distance, and from there I sat in silence.