Somehow, the young pirates and the royal guards reached an understanding, and both sides chose not to escalate the confrontation any further. Yet even with tensions easing, Stitch still felt a lingering emptiness—the doll was gone, and the man who once protected her had become one of the most feared figures in all of Cascade Cradle.
"So... what're we supposed to do about Hollow now? Guy's basically the biggest issue we've got hangin' over our heads," Trice asked casually, hands buried in his pockets as he glanced over at the gathered group.
"We didn't come here looking to stir things up like this," Temoshí said, eyes fixed on the distant headquarters across the long bridge. "With the storm finally passed, we might as well keep moving forward."
He added, "We'll need to talk to Phalris too. Hollow's always been set on merging the surface and the depths into one unified society. But we can't let that happen. Humans and Voreans living together—it's too dangerous."
The mention of a new people caught Temoshí off guard. Sliding his hands into his jeans, he glanced back at Ophelia. "Voreans? So that underwater city we saw... there's actually a way in? That dome above it—it's a barrier, isn't it?"
Ophelia gave a sharp nod, keeping her tone steady and composed. "Yes. It's the only thing keeping the Voreans separated from the surface, and the humans out of the deep. It's been the only way peace has lasted this long. Until Hollow appeared and started trying to tear that barrier down."
"Take down that barrier..." Stitch murmured, her gaze dropping to her scraped knee. "Then why...? Why did he look after me back then? He was the only one in that place who ever showed me kindness."
She couldn't make sense of it—how the man who once protected her could become the very monster everyone feared.
"And I was wrong... he didn't even hurt my eye. He was the one who patched it up. So why... why would he say it was his fault?" Her voice trembled as she cupped her hand over the eye in question, eyes lowered to the floor. "I barely remember what happened. It's just... fragments. All hazy."
"His desire to protect you might've stemmed from something genuine," Ophelia replied, her voice calm and deliberate. "But as for what drove him to change—I'm afraid I can't say for certain."
Her words pierced deeper than intended, stirring something in Stitch. Perhaps it all traced back to Mendy. Maybe that was the turning point.
But none of them knew the truth: Hollow had tried to claim the doll for himself. And now, that doll had been reduced to ashes.
It showed.
"The hell's happenin' to me?!" Hollow spat, clutching at his arms, his voice straining with fury and pain. His hands trembled violently, his skin growing faint—almost see-through.
"Goddamn it!" he barked. "I told that bastard to lock down Mendy! But nooo, now she's gone and somethin's tearing me apart from the inside!" His voice cracked, wild with panic and rage.
"Desmond, you pathetic excuse for a marine... when I find you—I'm gonna rip you apart, limb by limb!"
He staggered, veins popping along his neck, barely able to feel his own fingers.
"You think you can screw me over like this? Nah... you're dead. All of you are. I will find you, you little...!"
Meanwhile, standing atop the bridge leading to Hollow's headquarters, Celeste raised her head, eyes narrowing at the looming structure ahead.
"We're close now. But once we charge across this bridge... we might run straight into Hollow."
Kou didn't flinch. His eyes stayed fixed forward, one hand resting casually on his hip.
"Doesn't bother me. If I've gotta smash his face in, then that's what I'll do."
"You're not getting it," Celeste warned, her tone firm. "This is serious. Who knows what kind of people he's got locked up in there. And if any royal figures are inside, you can bet there'll be guards—elite ones. That building isn't something just anyone can stroll into."
Ralphie eyed the key in his hand, pausing as he realized the storm had suddenly quieted. Beside him, Celeste seemed just as surprised.
"The skies cleared... just like that? How?" Kou asked, his gaze lifting as Celeste scanned the heavens.
"The night's vanished too," she murmured.
"This could mess up our cover," Ralphie said, already moving forward across the bridge. "Too much light—makes it harder to stay hidden."
"Isn't it weird, though?" Kou added, glancing around. "The night passed faster than usual. Like Cascade Cradle just... shifted in a blink."
Ralphie couldn't deny it. The sudden shift in weather—it was unnatural. Still, they didn't have the luxury to stand around and think too long.
"Remember how Hollow talked about that doll, the one always trailing Stitch?" Celeste said, piecing the thought together. "This might be connected."
Ralphie nodded without hesitation. "Yeah... something's definitely not right here."
High atop the mountain peak, May and Aurora found themselves encircled by a crowd of hostile villagers—the same ones who had captured Yumiko and sealed her within a block of ice.
"Yeah... this isn't quite how I pictured things going," May muttered, standing alone as she subtly shifted to keep Aurora within her line of sight.
The villagers weren't armed with swords or guns—but with pitchforks, scythes, sickles, shovels, and sharpened hoes. Their farming tools had been repurposed into crude weapons, and they gripped them like they'd done this before.
"You girls picked the wrong mountain to climb," one of the older men growled.
"This ain't a place for outsiders."
"You brought trouble to our land—just like the other one."
"You should've turned back when you had the chance."
"Now you'll back off," another sneered, motioning toward the glimmering iceberg that held Yumiko frozen within.
May's eyes narrowed, her stance shifting. Things were about to get ugly.
"You've got our friend trapped in there!" May shouted, her gaze locked on the approaching villagers. Her stance was steady, ready to react the moment any of them made a move.
The men continued advancing slowly, their tools held firm—not quite attacking, but prepared to defend themselves.
"The Moon Knightess doesn't associate with the likes of you," one of them spat. "To her, you're just obstacles in the path of survival... of evolution. Take another step, and we'll make sure you never set foot on these mountains again."
A heavy silence followed—thick with threat.
Then Aurora's eyes locked onto two of the villagers standing near the back. They weren't holding farming tools—and more importantly, they wore pieces of a familiar uniform. The mimic uniform. But there were no masks this time.
"You... you're the ones who took her!" Aurora shouted, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and rising courage. "Why? What are you trying to do?!"
Her words echoed awkwardly across the cold air, but there was fire behind them—uncertainty wrapped in determination.
Leofric and Roderic—May and Aurora recognized them instantly. The two mimic brothers stepped forward, their expressions tense with annoyance.
"You really tracked us all the way from Casinova? Bold move, showing up here without even a proper ship," Roderic said with a sneer.
Leofric added, his voice sharp, "But like the others said, you're in the way. That woman must remain undisturbed—her evolution can't be interrupted. The toxin inside her has to be cleansed, and the ice will do just that."
"What the hell are you even saying?" May snapped, her tone sharp as she placed a hand on her hip, disbelief flashing in her eyes. "You're seriously trying to convince me that freezing that girl—locking her in a damn block of ice—is somehow going to save her life? That's insane. You make it sound like ice is some kind of miracle cure. But all it'll do is shut down her body until there's nothing left. It'll kill her."
Her gaze lingered on Yumiko, frozen stiff and exposed, her body suspended in the translucent prison of ice.
Leofric stepped forward, his voice steady, almost ritualistic in tone. "She isn't like the rest. She's a knight born beneath the full moon's blessing. The cold won't destroy her—it will purify her. The ice will seal her wounds, suppress the infection, and burn away the poison that's turning her blood to rot. The crimson curse will fade. And she'll live… but only if she's truly worthy of surviving the trial of frost."
"Even if she was born under a full moon, she's still human!" May protested, frustration tightening in her voice.
But before she could say more, Roderic stepped in, silencing her with a sharp glare.
"Human? Not quite," he said, voice low and firm. "She's more like... a child of the rare blue moon. Her blood might look human, but it's something far beyond that. Something unique. And to prove it, this evolution must be allowed to unfold. Tonight, under the rise of the full moon—bathed in its rare blue glow—her fate will be decided. If she survives... the transformation will be complete. She'll emerge, and she'll be free."
"May… what do we do now?" Aurora asked, her voice shaky with concern. "There's too many of them, and there's no way we can melt the ice without drawing their attention. There has to be some way to save her..."
But May didn't answer. Her jaw clenched as she stood still, lost in thought, eyes locked on Yumiko while her mind raced for a solution—a way to free her without risking harm.
"If we try to melt the ice, we could end up burning her... and if we try to break it, she might get seriously hurt," May finally muttered under her breath. "Not to mention, we're surrounded from all sides. Maybe... maybe the best thing we can do right now is wait. Watch for the right moment. It might be the only chance we have to save her."
To be continued...