Extra's Perfect Ending

Chapter 136: Rescue

"Give Miss Theia back, you heretic!" the mercenary shouted, his voice laced with urgency. The situation was chaotic, with no room for calm words.

"No! You back off, cultist! This is my sister!" Onia shot back, her words fierce and unwavering. She wouldn’t back down now that she had found her sister. By her side stood Brent, who had helped her in the rescue attempt.

"If you’re her sister, why did you attack our people?" the mercenary challenged.

"You’re all part of a cult!" Onia gritted her teeth. Even with her and Brent’s combined strength, escaping unscathed seemed unlikely. They’d be lucky to leave with an arm or a leg intact. But she knew it was too late to rethink her decisions — what was done was done.

Onia had seized an opportunity to save her sister and had not hesitated. She had searched every room in the hotel until she finally found where Theia was staying. But to her dismay, it appeared that her sister had been caught up in a cult.

From what Onia could tell, Theia was working under Reeva, whom Onia suspected to be a body-snatching mystic. Even though Reeva had changed his hair color, Onia recognized his face immediately. She knew him too well to be fooled by such a simple disguise.

Onia had initially tried to report everything to the authorities, but they had brushed her off, saying they were busy with other matters. Their indifference infuriated her — why weren’t they helping to get her sister out of this dangerous situation? She had even mentioned that Theia was caught up in a cult, but the police didn’t seem to care.

Instead, they were focused on tracking down some ancient artifact, which they claimed was of utmost importance.

"These corrupt police have been paid off!" Onia shouted in frustration. She stood beside Brent, who frowned, trying to calm her down.

"The police have their reasons," Brent said, but he refused to elaborate on why the artifact was more important than saving lives. To Onia, the church was utterly corrupt, and the law enforcement in the city was no better.

When Onia had pressed Brent for answers, he remained evasive, hiding something from her. It seemed like everyone in the city was hiding Theia from her.

So Onia decided to take matters into her own hands. She would get her sister back herself. She and Brent had started watching from afar, observing Theia’s daily routine to find the perfect moment to intervene. But no matter where Theia went, she was always with Hilda and Reeva.

Today, Onia had followed her sister again, keeping an even greater distance. The maid, Hilda, always seemed to notice when they got too close, so they had to be cautious. Onia watched as Theia entered a building with four people: Reeva, Theia, Hilda, and one other man, who Onia assumed was a cult member.

She waited, and finally, her moment came. When Theia exited the building with the mercenary — who was clearly injured — Onia knew it was the perfect time to act. She had to move fast before Hilda and Reeva could intervene.

Her hand pressed against the hole of the flute she carried, and a haunting sound echoed through the air. In response, a spectral tiger appeared beside her and pounced on the mercenary. Fear washed over the man’s face as the maw of the glowing blue tiger closed around him.

Brent didn’t try to stop her. He knew it was the best chance they had to rescue Theia, and now he had to support her in this moment.

When Onia finally got hold of Theia, she couldn’t believe what she saw. The moment her hand touched her sister, she was nearly overwhelmed. The blackness in Theia’s eyes seemed to draw the world into a void, and Onia had to cover them quickly.

"The cult..." Onia’s teeth ground together. "What have they done to you, Theia?"

Her anger seethed with every word. Coldness spread through Theia’s body as Onia checked for any sign of a mystic circle, and when she found one, her heart sank.

Theia had become a heretic.

Onia’s worst fear was confirmed, but things quickly spiraled into an even more unexpected situation. There were far more cultists than she had anticipated, and as her body moved to pick up Theia and run, they were overwhelmed by numbers. Soon, they were cornered, with nowhere to go.

"If you’re not cultists, we can call the church!" Brent suggested, trying to mediate. Their only goal was to get Theia out of there safely, and nothing else mattered.

"We can’t..." Onia started, but Brent quickly placed a finger on his lips to silence her. He didn’t need her temper flaring right now. If they could call the church, this would be over quickly — they could deal with Theia’s heretic circle later.

"No," one of the cultists interjected. "From what we know, the church is working with the cult."

The words struck Onia like a blow. The mercenary had been briefed on the situation, though they didn’t know the full reason why the church was cooperating with the cult. But the fact that the cult had grown this large suggested a disturbing leniency from the church.

"You foul people! The church would never work with heretics!" Onia snapped, half-believing her own words, but doubt seeped in.

"Then there’s no need to talk," one of the mercenary replied coldly.

The mercenaries brandished their weapons, preparing to avenge their injured comrade, who lay bleeding from the tiger’s bite. The wound was deep, meant to kill. Though the man had survived, his condition was critical, and it was clear he wouldn’t make it out alive.

At that moment, Theia stirred from her slumber.

"Onia..." she muttered.

"Theia! Don’t worry, I’m here to save you," Onia said, her voice filled with concern.

But Theia’s first words were not what she expected. "Where is the guy who came with me?" Theia’s voice trembled, her fear palpable.

Onia, mistaking the shakiness in her sister’s voice for fear of the cult, replied honestly, hoping to reassure her. "I killed him."

"What?"

Theia’s expression shattered. Her face crumbled as the reality of what Onia had done set in. Once again, someone had died because of her. Once again, she was the cause of more suffering.

Her face became unreadable as her eyes filled with tears, guilt, and grief overwhelming her. The pain she caused weighed heavily on her, suffocating her as she realized the consequences of her actions. Or rather her lack of power.