Where Are The Children ?

“I looked everywhere in our office but it seems that all the children have disappeared and I heard that there are no more children in the entire district.”

“What ?!”

“We don’t know what happened.”

“Why you didn’t wake me up ?”

“You seemed to have had a bad dream, you kept turning over in your bed.”

“Actually I had a kind of message from the goddess.”

“What did she say ?”

“That we couldn’t do anything about the missing children and that we’ll have to fight a monster worse than the others.”

“I see, we have to be fast, if there’s a monster, children could get killed, we can’t wait any longer.”

Mihail joins our conversation.

“Exactly, the survival of children is what matters most.”

Peachi says.

“We also know that not only the children disappeared but also their plush was taken so they must have held them strongly surely because they were afraid.”

Mihail completes.

“Yes but it would be better if they had lost them on the way, we would have a clue.”

I add.

“Maybe we should look for places where there is enough space for all the children.”

Mihail says.

“Exactly, and a far away place, maybe a cave where a hundred children could get in. I’m going to search on maps, I’ll tell you after I find some places.”

“Okay.”

About an hour later, Mihail lays out his map on the table.

“So I found three caves where there is enough space for a hundred children.”

I look at the map.

I don’t know but I feel the children must be here.

“I think we should go to this place first.”

“Why do you think that ?”

“I don’t know, it’s my intuition.”

“But it’s better to part ways to find the children faster.”

“No ! We can’t do that !”

“Kanael ?”

“I can’t explain it but trust me, we have to go together at every suspicious place no matter what and stay together until the end.”

“But time is against us.”

“I know but trust me, I beg you.”

“The way you’re reacting. What are you thinking about ?”

“It’s hard to believe me but anyway I have to tell you, we will have to face a very dangerous monster.”

“How do you know that ?”

“The goddess told me.”

Mihail makes a face that shows he doesn’t believe me.

“And now you talk to the goddess.”

Lovy flies and stays in front of Mihail.

“If Kanael says it then it must be true.”

He abdicates.

“Okay, since you beat two giant lava monsters, I guess I can trust you.”

“Thank you, you won’t regret it.”

☼

Since we have an important mission, we decided to let our hearts speak and take some personal time before going.

Mihail is on the bird phone.

“Just in case I don’t come back, you know I…

“What are you saying ?! You have to come back to me.”

“I know but I need to say it… I love you.”

“I love you too. Don’t make me worry like that. Usually I don’t like it when you don't answer your calls so this time it’s hard for me too.”

“I know, I promise I’ll come back safe.”

“That’s what you should have said before, idiot.”

Fleur comes to see Mihail.

“Mihail, can I talk to you ?”

“Yes.”

“Can we go to your office ?”

“Okay.”

Mihail and Fleur enter Mihail’s office.

“So, what do you want to talk to me about ?”

“Actually, I have always been envious of your lover.”

“Ah ? What do you mean ?”

“I always wanted you to look at me that way, to talk to me that way… to love me that way.”

“Fleur, all this time you were…”

“Yes and I made a decision, I won’t hope anymore, I know you will never love me that way.”

“Fleur, I’m sorry, I didn’t even notice.”

“I know you didn’t.”

Mihail takes Fleur in his arms.

“But still, I love you as a family member.”

Fleur puts her arms around him.

“I love you too.”

“Iris, I just want to tell you I love you.”

I kiss her.

“I love you too Kanael.”

Lovy flies and stays between us.

“Me too, me too ! I love you too !”

Iris and I say.

“We love you too, Lovy.”

“I should let Kanamiyah here but since children disappear I don't want to take my eyes off him.”

“You’re right, let’s bring him with us, in the worst case he would flee by flying.”

“Yes.”

I kiss Kanamiyah on his forehead.

“Agha.”

No matter what happens in this mission, I will protect my family.

Peachi throws himself in my arms.

“Ah ! Peachi.”

“Kanael, don’t worry, I’ll protect you with my body if needed.”

“I hope you won’t have to go that far.”

“By the way, we could do something before we go there, you know, since maybe we’re going to die.”

Peachi seems to hesitate, both of his forefinger keep touching each other.

“What are you thinking about ?”

Wait, I'm afraid to understand.

“We could do that together, in my bed, the two of us, I promise I’ll be good.”

Iris grabs Peachi’s collar and speaks in a scary tone.

“What-do-you-want-to-do-with-my-Kanael ?”

“I…I… nothing, I’m joking, it’s just a joke. Ah, save me.”

We are ready to go, Mihail announces.

“Now, let’s go !”

“Yes !”

☼

We finally arrive at a cave on the edge of the district.

“Okay, since we’re all together as you wanted Kanael, I think it will be okay. No matter what happens we have to save the children and this even if we have to make sacrifices.”

“Yes !”

I have a bad feeling.

I remember what the goddess told me.

“I have to warn you, it won’t be easy at all, you will have to face the worst monster.”

“Wait, I think we should be careful, something dangerous awaits us.”

“We know that Kanael. Let's be more careful than usual.”

“This cave is so big that even Yogan can enter, there could be a giant monster here.”

“It’s possible, stay focused.”

Iris is near Yogan.

“Yogan, you have to walk quietly.”

Yogan roars quietly.

“You’re a good spino.”

Iris strokes Yogan first left foot.

Fleur uses her fluorescent nails.

“Stella Nails.”

Fleur’s nails illuminate the cave.

“Stay close to me to see better in the dark.”

Iris looks around.

“Did nobody come here before ? It looks like an uninhabited place.”

Mihail adds.

“Well it’s a cave I don’t see who would live here.”

“It’s true but I thought maybe some people would have at least visited here.”

I say to them.

“It makes it a good place to hide children.”

Mihail adds.

“Exactly.”

We go deeper into the cave, we hear a breath sound.

“Hah…”

Lovy is worried.

“Ah ! What was that ? It’s the monster ?!”

“Lovy, make less noise.”

“Ah, sorry.”

Lovy sits on my right shoulder, near my neck.

We arrive in front of three tunnels.

“Which one should we take ?”

“I’m going to fly in the different tunnels to check which one we should take.”

“Okay, we’re waiting for you here.”

A few minutes later, Lovy comes back.

“We should take the right tunnel, I didn’t see clearly but I heard some sounds so there could be someone there.”

“Okay, let's move forward with caution.”

We walk in the tunnel, the more we go into it the more it gets darker.

“Maybe we should hold our hands, so as not to distance ourselves from each other.”

“It's a good idea, Kanael.”

Peachi hurries and takes my left hand into his right hand, Iris holds my right arm from behind. Fleur takes Mihail's left hand with her right hand and Mihail holds Peachi's left hand with his right hand. We keep walking forward holding hands.

Lovy is flying around in the tunnel.

“I didn’t know tunnels would be so long.”

“It’s true, it's like we’ll never end it.”

“Ah, finally !”

We come out of the tunnel, we see a lot of little lava monsters.

Mihail shouts.

“Everyone, let’s get ready to fight !”

“Wait ! Let’s just walk quietly and maybe they won’t do anything, we need to keep our strength for the big fight.”

“I’m okay only if they don’t attack us.”

We walk discreetly and quietly. The monsters seem to notice us but they do nothing for now.

See ? They’re not dangerous when we don’t attack them.

Suddenly, they all go in the same direction deeper in the cave.

“We should follow them, they’re not going there for no reason.”

We walk behind the little lava monsters, then we see the children but the monsters keep going.

“The children are here !”

We run towards the terrified children.

“Are you okay ?”

“Monster…”

“The monster… behind.”

No way, it’s still here ?

We hear a horrible breathing sound near us, we are turning our heads when we are facing a giant monster but we can’t see it clearly for now, it lets out a heavy breath.

“Hah !”

When we turn completely and finally see it clearly, we can’t believe our eyes.

We don’t have the time to understand what happens, Kanamiyah gets drawn in and gets swallowed up by the monster.