CapĂtulo 1494: Azure Island (Part 1)
It had been a long evening, but everything was coming to an end.
âTake care,â Leona smiled at Adam as she turned to Silvana. âI wish you luck.â
Silvanaâs cheeks flushed as she nodded slightly.
âBye, bro!â Trici exclaimed, waving goodbye. Even though it was late, deep into the night, she was full of energy. Well, maybe it was because she had learned a lot of interesting things today, or maybe it was because Damien had secretly bought her an energy drink instead of soda.
Adam smiled.
âSee you next time. If I can, Iâll come visit you again!â
Thus, Leona, Gary, and Trici left as the elevator closed and headed down to the first floor of the great skyscraper. A car was already waiting for them downstairs, and in less than an hour, they would be home.
But for Adam and Silvana, this was not the end of the evening; it was the beginning of something bigger, and it wasnât just about them.
Tap.
Damien put down his half-empty beer bottle with a satisfied grin.
âYou have a wonderful family, Adam. Youâre very lucky, you know that?â
Adam nodded deeply as he approached the table. For a moment, his gaze darkened.
âYeah, I should spend more time with them. I only have six and a half years left before⊠before the last meeting.â
Damien didnât respond, but the corners of his lips curved for a moment.
âWho knows what will happen by the next World Wipe?â He thought, glancing across the table. âPerhaps itâs time to extinguish the two brightest lights in this world. Or⊠do it in a few hundred years.â
Alexia, who clearly looked bored, turned to Beth, her ear still slightly red.
âSo, what are we going to do?â
âIsnât it obvious?â Beth raised an eyebrow. âWeâre going to Heaven Island. I donât really care when you decide to go on your next mission, but this is your best chance to get to Heaven Island.â
She continued:
âEven though youâve already become the K4-Phantoms, itâs still not enough to freely visit Heaven Island like your favorite coffee shop on the corner. Youâll need to get permission.â
Louis crossed his arms over his chest. âBut someone like you doesnât need permission, does she?â
âOf course,â Beth nodded. âPermission and rules are only for the weak. You should know that, Louis.â
He didnât respond. Such a harsh and domineering approach didnât quite suit his tastes, although he understood that Beth was right.
The strong set the rules, and the weak followed them. It sounded rather grim and despotic, but that was how societies began.
If no one followed the rules or there were no rules at all, it was pure anarchy and chaos.
In order for people to follow the rules, they had to not only have the will and good intentions, but also understand the consequences if they broke the rules. To make bad people fear the consequences, there always had to be someone strong enough to instill that fear.
For this reason, there was a police force, and even the Phantoms were no exception.
Every day, hundreds of Phantoms appeared at the Citadel. Obviously, a small number of them wanted to use their newfound power, money, and authority for less than noble purposes. Well, they could want whatever they wanted, but no matter how strong a Phantom was, there was always someone stronger.
Although⊠Damien would have argued with that statement.
In the hierarchy of the Citadel, Frida held the same position as him, but even though she believed it was necessary to always follow the rules, she couldnât stop Damien when another crazy idea popped into his head.
âSo, can we do this right now?â Adam suggested.
Damien grinned. âThatâs the spirit! Just a moment and Iâm ready!â
He walked over to the refrigerator, took a cold beer out of the freezer, and took a refreshing sip.
âAgh⊠Great, what could be better than a refreshing drink?â
Step. Step. Step.
Beth headed for the balcony and, under the puzzled glances of the others, she just jumped down.
The next moment, a powerful gust of wind lifted her, and when Damien waved his hand, they found themselves in the same situation.
It all happened too quickly for anyone to react.
âOh! What theâŠ!â Silvana exclaimed as she tried to regain her balance.
For Adam and Alexia, this was somewhat familiar, but not for Louis and Silvana. It seemed to them that they could fall at any moment, yet they continued to rise upward on the gusts of wind.
The only ones who were completely relaxed were Damien, who was drinking beer, and Beth, who had already climbed onto his back like a sleepy panda.
Tap.
Adam touched Silvanaâs shoulders as he hugged her tightly from behind.
âDamien isnât one to warn people about his actions, right?â
Silvana gulped, looking at the tops of the skyscrapers and city streets that were getting smaller and smaller as they climbed higher.
âYes, although⊠I feel silly. Itâs not so bad when he just threw you and Alexia off the balcony.â
Adam shrugged.
âYou think Iâve forgotten about that? When Iâm strong enough, Iâll find a way to get revenge. Maybe Iâll throw him off a skyscraper too, or maybe Iâll just throw a tomato in his face.â
Such a silly, almost childish plan for revenge made Silvana laugh:
âHahahaha! Youâll need a lot of patience for that!â
Adam nodded. He understood that he was still far from Damienâs level, but now he was closer than ever to that power.
âIâve come a long way from being a simple human to a K4-Phantom. Should anything stop me from continuing on this path? Sure, the trials and battles have become much more dangerous and difficult, but Iâve also become stronger. All I need is a little timeâŠâ
Louis, in turn, tried to remain calm, but when Alexia took his hand, he couldnât hide his smile. After all, he was an Operator, not one of the formidable Phantoms who were the driving force behind all of humanity.
Whoooooooosh.
With a powerful gust of wind, they crossed the clouds when a majestic floating island appeared before their eyes. Light from cyan crystals covered the surface and edges of the island, and at its very center was perhaps the most important human for the entire CitadelâQueen Elisa.