"Haha!"
Lying at the center of the stage, still tightly bound, was Haji. With the blinding lights and the deafening noise around him, he cracked one eye open. The glare forced him to shut it again immediately, tilting his head down slightly before trying once more.
Slowly, Haji opened his eyes again and could barely make out the crowd gathered before him.
"Huh?"
For a moment, his mind was blank—confusion clouding everything.
"Haha!"
"Ha!"
His brows tightened at the weak call echoing somewhere nearby. The sound was faint, yet unmistakable in the brief silence that fell over the main square.
Then...
"Hajime!"
This time, the call—though weak—was raspy, old, and painfully familiar.
"Hajime!"
Haji turned his head, spotting a large cage on the side stage. His brows lifted when he saw Chuck, then the others. Relief nearly escaped him before his heart thudded hard against his chest.
When he turned his head to the opposite side, his pupils constricted, and his breath hitched.
