A small, dimly lit room surrounded her. The air smelled faintly of damp stone and rust. A small window high above leaked pale light.
Her breath caught when she saw the tally marks carved into the wall, chains hanging around, blood streaks marring the wall—all of it was too familiar.
"Please no…" Her voice trailed off, breaking. She froze as she heard a whimper.
She slowly turned around to see a little girl kneeling on the floor, arms bound, a black cloth over her head, streaks of blue hair escaping out of the cover. A gun pointed at her head.
Optima staggered back, hands shaking. Her eyes slowly moved to the little girl's shoulder, praying it wasn't what she dreaded.
But it was, a vivid and realistic blue butterfly tattoo inked at the shoulder.
They had found her, what she'd always protected, why she didn't want to get involved.
Optima knew this wasn't real, but for Zoran to show her this, it meant they had really found her.
Optima lowered her head, despair suddenly turning to anger. Her hand tightened around the pistol.
"Zoran!!!" Optima screamed out, her voice raw with anger.
The red cross glows turning deep crimson, thrumming in response to her anger.
His voice drifted from behind her. "Don't shout. You'll give me a headache."
"What's the meaning of this?" She asked, voice tight like a volcano waiting to explode.
"She's fine," he said calmly, rubbing his neck.
"Just needed your attention. It worked, didn't it?"
"Now ya have it," Optima snapped, her voice maniacal as she sharply turned around.
The muzzle pointed at Zoran who was calmly leaning on the wall, his coat missing.
"Woah," he lifted his hands, a universal gesture for surrender.
"How did ya find her, where is she?" She asked, the gun thrumming, the gold rapidly filled up by red.
But Zoran did not answer her question, a small smirk on his lips.
"If anything happens to her," Optima muttered, pushing the gun towards him.
Optima's voice turned cold. "You'll regret this."
"Nothing will happen," he said, pulling the phone from his pocket. "As long as you come with me."
She glared at him, her gaze moving to the phone, "resorting to threats now, how low can y'all go."
Zoran smirked, "wrong again, I could easily take you by force, and honestly I don't agree with this method, but…" he rubbed the back of his neck, "insurance, according to the boss, if anything goes wrong."
"Like Serif getting involved," she muttered.
Zoran simply shrugged. Optima turned back to the girl.
"The boss doesn't break promises, as long as you come with me, she'll be fine," Zoran reassured her.
She glared at him, brows scrunched.
I can't let anything happen to her.
Clenching her jaw, she closed her eyes. Then slowly the gun lowered.
There was no way she would let anything happen to her.
But nonetheless the cross was still glowing, still charged, the threat still hanging.
"What do ya want?" she asked.
"Finally." He held the phone out.
Optima hesitated, then took it. A video played revealing a girl on a beach, blue hair in a bun, smiling as she built a sandcastle. The sea wind whispered faintly through the speaker.
Optima's lips curved into a small, broken smile. Her eyes scanned the background for clues to her location.
Nothing.
She replayed it again.
Still nothing.
She sighed and threw the phone back. Pulling out her phone, she quickly scrolled down to a number and dialed it.
The call went through but after a few seconds there was no reply, just voice recording.
Optima glared at Zoran again, and redialed but same thing.
"It's no use," Zoran muttered, looking up once more.
She lowered the gun with a sigh.
"If anything happens to her," she said, "you'll wish ya hadn't been born."
"Nothing will," Zoran replied. "So long as you comply."
Optima sighed and holstered the gun. "Ya know if Serif finds out—"
"Yeah, we all know he wouldn't do a thing," Zoran answered, "he's strong, but strength in bondage is no use."
Optima's smirk returned faintly. "We'll see."
The room began to fade, the walls burning away into light.
Optima glanced one last time at the girl and made a silent promise to herself as the room totally disappeared.
The reception area revealed. The faint smell of smoke and iron lingered.
Somewhere outside, sirens wailed in the distance.
Optima looked at the door then at Zoran, "well?"
"Time to meet my boss then" He muttered as he went towards the door.
Optima looked back at the motel and sighed, she tightened her grip around the suitcase, her anima.
She was aware that was the only reason they came for her.
After all… even among the five Pentaclast, she alone possessed two.
Restoration.
And Annihilation.