Challenging the Flow

Haru’s eyes widened, and he lifted his head to look at me. “What do you mean?”

Even Shiba turned his gaze toward me, though his teeth still clenched tightly around the cuff. A flicker of alarm gleamed in his eyes. I couldn’t blame him. I was about to break every law the military had drilled into me. His concern was warranted.

I inhaled deeply. “If we fail in bringing you back, they’re going to transfer your mother into the military hospital.”

There. I said it. A wave of relief washed over me, like taking a sip of water after being parched for far too long. For the first time in a year, I felt like I could breathe. I should have done this sooner. Maybe Yuna was right. I should have fought back. The military had never done anything to make our lives better.

“They’re going to stoop so low as to take my mother as a hostage?” Haru shook his head, disbelief etched across his battered face. “Why am I not even surprised?”

I nodded. “You have limited options here. Either take on new identities for both you and your mother, so Bluefort can’t track you, or rent a boat and cross the ocean, far enough to get out of Bluefort’s range.”

Both options were fraught with danger. His mother’s condition might not even allow for travel. But staying wasn’t a safe choice. If she stayed, the military would take her hostage. Who knew how far the threats would go? They seemed willing to cross any line.

Haru looked conflicted, his brows knitting together in concern. It was a difficult decision to make, but we didn’t have much time. My team would start looking for me once they realized that they couldn’t reach me. At least now he understood his options and could weigh them carefully. I had done my part.

The real problem was getting her mother out of the hospital without anyone noticing. That would be the trickiest part. She couldn’t stay there. Not with the military likely having stationed their men inside, ready to take her away the moment we announced our failure.

“We need to get her out,” I said, voicing my thoughts. “Do you have any plans?”

“If there’s a distraction, I might be able to carry my mother on my back and sneak her out. I have a safehouse where we can hide for a while, and I’ll rent a boat to leave Japanova.” Haru had made his decision. A highly risky one.

“Is your mother’s condition stable enough?”

“She’s in the general ward. I think it’ll be safe to move her.”

How should we create a distraction in the hospital? What would make them panic? My eyes darted from Haru to Shiba, the cuffs linking them. If Shiba dragged him into the hospital, it would definitely draw attention. While they kept everyone distracted, I could either trigger the sprinklers, pull the emergency fire alarm, or cut the electricity—whichever I could reach first.

“Shiba, can you drag Haru into the hospital?” I asked. “That would create a good distraction. Enough to buy time for me to set up another one, Haru can get to his mother.”

“I’ve already broken so many rules today. Might as well break another one,” Shiba deadpanned.

I glanced at Haru’s injured hand. “I know it hurts getting dragged around like that. Hang in there.”

Haru lifted his left wrist, where the skin was already cut and bleeding around the cuff. “This is nothing.”

Without a word, Shiba suddenly dashed out from behind the truck, pulling Haru along with him. He pretended as though he had been running the whole time, deliberately taking a few turns around the parking lot to ensure he was visible to the others before heading into the hospital. I struggled to catch up, slipping inside just in time to avoid Hideo reaching us.

As predicted, chaos erupted in the hospital once Shiba and Haru entered. I weaved through the panicking crowd, frantically searching around for anything that could amplify the chaos. Doctors and nurses scrambled to calm the patients and visitors. One staff member was already on a call, likely with the police or emergency services.

I hadn’t brought any matches, so starting a fire to trigger the sprinklers was off the table. Cutting off the electricity was too risky. What if patients were in the middle of surgery? My best bet was pulling the fire alarm. There should be one installed on every floor, and it shouldn’t be hard to find.

And there it was, right before my eyes. I looked around, making sure no one was paying attention. With a swift pull, I activated the fire alarm. More people hurried past me, rushing toward the exit. Amid the chaos, I was practically invisible. Hopefully, Shiba and Haru could slip away unnoticed.

Haru’s height made him stand out in the crowd. When I saw him moving against the flow, I quickly followed. We reunited inside his mother’s room, where she was still asleep, possibly under the effect of medication. Thankfully, the room was empty of other patients.

Haru shook my hand, a wide grin spreading across his face. “Thank you. I don't know how I’ll ever repay you for this.”

“Just don’t get caught,” I joked. “That would really help me out.”

Haru chuckled as he carefully lifted up his mother, setting her onto his back. “Good luck with whatever you’re planning to do. Justice will prevail.”

I offered him a smile. “I’ll see you when Japanova is a better place. Go on now before the nurse notices us here.”

Haru walked out of the room with his mother on his back. Before stepping through the door, he glanced back, bowed once, and then vanished into the chaos outside. Just as I was about to follow, Shiba stopped me.

“Wait. There’s something I need to tell you.”

I sighed. I really couldn’t stay here much longer. Someone would definitely notice if I stayed out of reach for too long. “What is it? This better be quick.”

“Remember when you asked for Hideo’s files from his training period? I finally managed to bypass the main system’s protection and copy some of the recordings. Want to see them? I don't think it's safe to look at them inside the base.”

This wasn’t something I had expected. I had thought that I would never get to see them because of his blackmail. “You decided to help me? Why?”

“While going through the classified files, I discovered that my creator had been murdered. That’s when I decided to dig deeper and search for Hideo’s files, since they’re also classified. And I’m not helping you. It just so happens that the secrecy surrounding them piqued my interest.”

That was also what Enma had been searching for. But for now, Hideo took priority, as my curiosity was getting the best of me. Once we dealt with Hideo, then we could focus on Shiba’s creator. I just hoped time would be on our side.

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say. Show me Hideo’s files first,” I demanded.

Shiba projected a holographic display into the air, showing video footage of Hideo being beaten by a middle-aged man in a military uniform. The way the man insulted him suggested he must be Hideo’s father. So Hideo’s father was also someone in the military? The uniform was slightly different from ours, indicating he held a higher rank. But then, I noticed someone else standing in the background, watching the abuse silently.

What the hell is Yuna doing over there?