I stood there, suspended in the frozen moment, my gaze fixated upon Ciara, studying her intently.
'This is... Ciara?'
I didn't think it would be so easy to find her. I thought we would have to take some time investigating and exploring before we finally encountered our comrade in this world, but to think it happened so fast.
'And it's Ciara this time, huh? That leaves Edward and Neron...'
Still, I felt an odd feeling as I kept staring at her.
There was something undeniably amiss, a nagging sensation that crawled beneath my skin, warning me of a discrepancy that transcended the physical realm.
'The very wavelength of her energy seems distorted. It doesn't align with what I know...'
Doubt began to gnaw at the edges of my consciousness. Could this truly be the Ciara I knew?
The notion of variants, alternate versions of individuals from different dimensions or timelines, flickered through my mind. It was an unsettling thought, one that had become all too familiar in my travels across the branches.
Could this be a variant of Ciara, a different iteration of her existence that had somehow found its way to this moment, to this spacecraft on the brink of departure?
'That seems like a possibility, doesn't it?' My doubts began to grow, and more questions surfaced.
As I contemplated the existence of variants, the lingering questions clung to the recesses of my mind, further convincing me that this could very well not be the Ciara from my original world.
"The notion that she would orchestrate such devastation, attempting to blow up the Grand Federation Base and endanger countless innocent lives, seems inconceivable."
Confusion danced in my eyes, mirroring the whirlwind of thoughts that swirled within me.
Curiosity propelled me forward, driving me to seek answers, to determine the truth.
"There's are ways to find out for sure." I stretched out my hand, reaching out to make physical contact with her.
Either through Resonance or using [Judgement] to read her mind, and also [The Fool] to sort through her memories. My hand trembled as I reached out, fingers extended in anticipation, longing for contact.
The moment my touch grazed her form, a sudden buzz coursed through my veins.
'What in the—?!' My eyes widened as I felt a distortion in [The Hermit]'s effects, and the world around me erupted into motion once more.
No, that wasn't it. It was just my immediate surrounding. The spacecraft... and Ciara!
As I cautiously stared at Ciara, her frozen visage had already melted away and she blinked in surprise, locking her gaze with mine.
A symphony of emotions played across our faces—shock, recognition, and a myriad of unspoken questions.
The silence between us held an electric charge, pregnant with the weight of revelations yet to be unveiled. In that fleeting instant, as our eyes locked in mutual surprise.
"C-Ciara, you—"
"Bounty Hunter? How did you...?" Her tone was completely different from what I expected, and before I could even understand what she meant by that, I felt a surge of energy course through her body, pushing me back as it glowed brighter.
"Wait, Ciara!"
"You shouldn't have come here!"
At that moment, as I looked into her eyes, I could see no form of warmth in her recognition. Just cold hostility that threatened to engulf the moment.
Was she Ciara? Was she not Ciara? I had to find out!
"I want to take you back, Ciara. I'm here with the others. Come back with us!"
I would have liked to use my powers. Perhaps to stop time, or to get past the ever-growing pulse that Ciara was generating, but I felt too much interference to do anything.
'Unless... should I do tha—?'
"I'm not going back! You should just stop now!"
Hold on, did she just say she wasn't going back? My face warped in confusion as I stared deeply into Ciara's glowing eyes.
"But... why? We came here just for you. You don't belong here. We need your help to—"
"I've made up my mind already. Don't look for me anymore." Some form of warmth coursed through her statement, and I found myself struggling with confusion.
'What is she talking about? What is more important than returning home?'
"I don't... want to kill you. Jerry considered you a friend. So, please..." Her tone both contained sadness and firm resolve.
"... Stay away from me!"
And with that, the pulse grew brighter, pushing me away and completely swallowing Ciara in its bright light.
Before I could stop her or utter any more words of resistance...
>VWUUUUSSSSHHHH!!!<
... She vanished.
*********
After watching Ciara teleport, I also vanished from the spacecraft, teleporting the entire vehicle into my special dimension.
Returning to my previous position beside my comrades, I relinquished my connection to the frozen moment, allowing time to reclaim its hold on the world around me.
As the veil of stillness lifted, reality surged back into motion.
Kuzon and Aloe, freed from their temporal stasis, blinked in bewilderment, their eyes darting around the lobby, searching for answers. Their gazes settled upon me, filled with a mix of anticipation and concern.
"What happened?" Kuzon asked, his voice tinged with urgency. "The explosion—"
I met their questioning stares, my mind racing to piece together the fragments of the recent encounter. "I'll explain everything later," I replied, my voice steady but laced with an undertone of determination.
"Right now, we need to leave."
The base had descended into chaos. The explosion had triggered a security breach protocol, sending the entire facility into lockdown.
Panic rippled through the air as alarms blared, red emergency lights casting an eerie glow over the bustling throng of alien races and species. By now, the authorities would have discovered the lifeless bodies of officers, evidence of criminal activity that had infiltrated the heart of the Grand Federation Base.
Realizing the severity of the situation, I turned to Kuzon and Aloe, a sense of urgency igniting within me. "We have to go," I urged, my voice firm.
"They're locking down the base, sealing off all escape routes. We're leaving before things get any worse."
Freezing time once more seemed to be the best solution to our current predicament. We would steal away before anyone even noticed.
'I should still have enough energy for the three of us.'
But as I focused my thoughts, ready to invoke [The Hermit], a sudden wave of dizziness washed over me.
"E-eh...?" I stumbled, my mind clouded and my senses swirling in a disorienting haze. The world around me blurred, transforming into a maelstrom of fragmented images and sounds.
Fighting against the encroaching unconsciousness, I clung to fleeting moments of clarity. The weight of my exhaustion bore down upon me, a heavy burden that threatened to consume my every thought.
'W-what is... happening?'
Darkness beckoned at the edges of my vision, pulling me deeper into its embrace.
My last conscious act was a faltering gasp for breath, as I succumbed to the overpowering haze, falling into the abyss of unconsciousness.
