Rayn heading towards the boat nearby he somehow recognize the sign on the side of the boat "The Whailers?" Rayn suddenly gasped in shock as he knows the boat belongs to Lensfer.
"So Spiral was talking the truth, when she appeared as Carm" Rayn quickly head towards the boat. As soon he reach towards the main deck and almost heads towards the insides he first spotted some slash marks on the boat.
"There must have been a tussle" Rayn thinks to himself. Spotting a harpoon, Rayn took precaution as he picks up the harpoon, and headed downstairs. To only witness his friends, Lensfer, Annie, Sarah, and Carmlien tied up.
"Oh my god... guys! Your alright" Rayn first united Carmlien,
"Thanks Rayn" but as he was about to untie the rest of his friends but stop for moments and leaves them tied.
"Hey Rayn why aren't you untying them?"
"Carm how about you wait," Rayn then takes off the duck tape off their mouths.
"Rayn, what the hell! Is going on!"
"Where have you been? And where's Max"
"And where's the doppelganger pretending to be Carmlien. I have a bone to pick with her for what she did to us, and to my boat!" Lensfer being in rage.
"Hey, all will be explain soon. But are you people real".
They were then all confused by Rayn question "listen today me and Max had a hard day today, as we were fighting a crystal being who can become anyone".
The others soon looked at each other, then looking towards at Rayn "Rayn your an idiot" they all said in unison.
"Fine, fine, that fair enough. You're all real" then Rayn proceeds to untie the rest of his friends "alright now it's time for payback" as Lensfer was about to leave, he was suddenly stopped by Rayn "you can go out there yet" "why someone need to teach that thing a lesson" "true but, Max is already fighting a huge crystal being that is named Spiral, over there" "wait Max is fighting a what?!" Then Carmlien quickly runs out of the boat to see the action unfolding of Max and Spiral fighting each other then Rayn walked beside her "Carmlien how did you get captured by Spiral.
Carmlien then explain to Rayn off what happened after, Max, and Rayn falling through the portal, as Carmlien was about to take action as to where Max and Rayn are. But she was quickly captured and taken by Spiral as she then took the form of Carmlien and was able to mimic everything about her appearance due to her gallery being filled with crystals that were brought from specifically the crystal caverns. Afterwards Spiral after taking the form of Carmlien, tried to find about the where of Max and Rayn, until suddenly met up with Annie and Lensfer.
"Hey Carmlien didn't think your off work early" Annie waving at Carmlien and she waves back.
"Sorry I had to close work due to Max and Rayn's shenanigans"
"Is that so. Well where are they Rayn was heading towards your museum"
"Yes Max was at my museum, and he did met up with us and he and Max are out again"
"Well they are probably doing something important"
"Oh that reminds me can you assist me in something"
"Sure Carm we are available today. But you have to wait in the afternoon"
"Of course and is Sarah coming?"
"Why are you asking about Sarah, she's at her friend's house"
"Sorry my mind was somewhere else". Then leaves Lensfer and Annie away from the docks as during the five hour wait Spiral then goes to find Sarah and where's she is at, spending two hours of searching for Sarah as Spiral keeps using the word "friends house".
Until as she was walking through the park, "hey Carm didn't expect to see you here" someone was behind her, quickly she turned around to see Sarah behind her.
"Hi... Sarah didn't expect it see you here either"
"Have you seen Max and Rayn? I was going to check on how Max is. And when I went to his house he was not their, I did the same with at Rayn's house he wasn't home either"
"Well they were at my museum for the moment then suddenly had to leave"
"Oh, well did you know where they are now?"
"Not sure but I did need assistance"
"Assistance with what exactly"
"In three hours I am meeting up with Lensfer and Annie at the docks soon. And I need something at the crystal caverns"
"The crystal caverns alright I'll meet you at your museum"
"Okay I'll have everything prepared".
Soon they went towards their separate ways as Spiral headed back towards Carmlien's museum and heads towards the closet as she laughs manically, as Carmlien is tied up "you better behaved because all your friends will be joining you soon, and then even your beloved Max will be joining. King Quartez would pay me dearly for this accomplishment" then suddenly knocking her unconscious while laughing maniacally.
Rayn was shocked of what happened to his friends after he and Max went through the portal "so this is all you can remember."
"Yes this is all I know before I was knocked unconscious as I woke up to see the others also tied. I know this because a piece of her crystal fell beside me and it allowed me to hear her thoughts, words, and sight. Seems like she wanted me to see everyone in parrel."
"Wait so you mean to tell me we've been gone for a whole day!?"
"Apparently yes"
"Aw shoot that means I passed the curfew already. And I haven't fed Catholic"
"Now's not the time Rayn. Where Max?"
"Well he's right now fighting Spiral". Suddenly Max was then flung towards the boat creating a dent onto Lensfer's boat, the others suddenly came up towards the main deck.
"What happened... oh no! My baby, what did you do to my baby!" Lensfer falling to his knees as he witnessed Max made a dent on his boat.
"Lensfer, your... oh, I'm so sorry Lenny, but I'll fix it... later" then quickly flung himself from Lensfer's boat making an even bigger dent as Lensfer looked into despair.
Continue the fight Spiral is trying to swing at Max, but Max dodges every attack Spiral throws at him then he retaliates firing a cannon shot from his arm breaking off a piece of Spiral's shoulder to push her back away from the others as he continues to move with a jolt of speed, charging towards Spiral.
"Max seems different" as his friends at watching the battle from Lensfer's boat.
"I think it was the crystals he use when we first discovered he can use the attributes from the crystals" as Carmlien is taking an observation in the fight.
"Yeah and yet he still a good fighter when we first met"
"Also Rayn in the crystal caverns what did Spiral do with you two when she took my place"
"Well... during my time in the crystal caverns with Max, when he was unconscious Glim used a shard of Minrallia. And if you wouldn't believe it, that's their god, or titan"
"Is that's why he seems more serious?"
"Not sure?" Rayn shrugged his shoulders in confusion.
"We better help him quick"
"With what exactly? You don't have your satchel and even you do have crystals Spiral will just knock you away"
"Who says I need a satchel". Then suddenly Carmlien jumps off from Lensfer's boat and makes her way towards Max.
"What!? What is she doing" Rayn looking back at the others he then makes a big sigh before also jumping off Lensfer's boat and follows Carmlien towards Max, as Carmlien is holding onto her necklace they can barely reach Max due to his battle with Spiral and the high speed of movement, jolting and clashing at each others.
As Rayn and Carmlien are heading towards the caverns "why the heck are we going back to the caverns!?"
"We don't know how long those crystals would last, even though it's from a god. And we need to gather as many crystals as we can and give it to Max before the enhancement wears off".
As they head into the entrance of the caverns and deep enough into the canners till they can see the crystals while knowing the way back to the main entrance of the caverns. However Spiral witness Max's friends heading into the caverns and tries to charges towards them, Max takes note of Spiral heading towards the crystal caverns.
"Oh no, Rayn, Carm" still being powered by the crystal of Minrallia, he then starts moving with a jolt of speed stopping in front of Spiral as he then slams his fist creating crystals spikes appearing and heading Spiral, yet she dodges. Then with a swipe of Max's right leg more crystals appear from the ground as it surrounds Max, and the entrance to the crystal caverns.
"You think just a measly wall is going to stop me!"
As Spiral began to punch the wall relentlessly and repeatedly trying to destroy the crystal wall, Max runs into the caverns trying to follow Rayn and Carmlien as fast as he can, moving with a jolt of speed to reach them.
(End of chapter 16)