Chapter 35: Crossroads in the Gloom and the Call of the Unknown
Himeko's suggestion to find a safer place and her intention to discuss the drawings in the dust hung in the dense air of the Cine Theatro Esperança. The brief interlude with improvised coffee and pães de queijo had brought a glimmer of normality, but the reality of the situation – four beings from different worlds and one overwhelmed local young man – was inescapable.
Léo and his friends had departed, taking their chaotic energy with them and leaving behind a deeper, almost expectant silence.
Joey, still nestled in his corner with Lyra, felt a mixture of relief and dread at Himeko's words. Relief because the idea of someone more experienced and capable taking some control was comforting. Dread because "a safer place" and "talking about what they'd seen" meant more exposure, more interaction, more opportunities for his anxiety to overwhelm him.
His eyes met Lyra's. She seemed to have understood Himeko's serious tone, and her expression, though still cautious, held a hint of resignation. The cinema, despite its neglect and dust, had become a familiar refuge for her, especially with Joey's silent, protective presence. The thought of leaving it, even in the company of the seemingly kind Himeko and Mirajane, was clearly unsettling for the elf.
"A safer place would be... prudent," Mirajane agreed with Himeko, her soft voice echoing lightly in the vast auditorium. She looked at Joey and Lyra with palpable empathy. "This place has served well as a temporary hideout, but it offers no real protection, and the city's curiosity, as we've seen, has already been aroused." She thought of her own guild, Fairy Tail, a place that was both a home and a fortress. Everyone deserved a place where they felt safe.
Himeko nodded, her analytical gaze sweeping the room. "My exploratory probe is landed in a rural area, a few kilometers from here. It's a controlled environment, with resources and security. It could serve as a temporary shelter and a place for us to talk more privately and analyze the data I've collected on the local anomalies." She referred to her technology with the casualness of someone discussing the weather, but for Joey, the mention of an "exploratory probe" was another reminder of the vast unknown that had invaded his life.
"A probe?" Joey managed to ask, his voice low. "Like... a ship?"
"Something like that, but smaller and designed for research and reconnaissance in planetary environments," Himeko explained patiently, as she would to one of her young companions on the Astral Express. "It's comfortable and has defense systems, if necessary. And," she added with a slight twinkle in her eye, "I have an excellent coffee machine on board." Her passion for coffee was a universal constant, it seemed.
The idea of going to an "alien probe" was terrifying for Joey. It meant moving even further away from any semblance of normality, diving headfirst into the unknown. He looked at Lyra. She seemed equally hesitant, her fingers tightening on the silk handkerchief Mirajane had given her.
"We understand this might be... a big step," Mirajane said, sensing their apprehension. "We won't do anything you don't want to. Perhaps there are other options here in the city? A discreet place where Lyra can stay safely for a while, and where we can talk without interruptions?"
Joey thought. His house was out of the question. His grandparents' house, was small, and they were elderly. Any other public place would be a risk. He shook his head negatively. "I... I don't know any place like that."
Himeko reflected on what Léo and his friends had said at the bakery. They had mentioned local legends, abandoned places, but nothing that sounded immediately safe or practical. The conversation with the teenagers, though amusing, hadn't yielded many clues about discreet refuges. Léo, in his excitement, had spoken more about "mysterious caves on the outskirts" and "haunted houses," which would hardly be suitable.
It was Lyra who broke the impasse, unexpectedly. She looked at Joey, then at Himeko and Mirajane. With the twig she still held, she drew Joey's silhouette beside hers in the dust, and around them, she traced a circle, as if it were a protective barrier. Then, she pointed to the drawing and, subsequently, to the dark corner where they sat. Her hesitant words followed: "Here... Joo-ee... safe?"
The question was clear. For her, safety wasn't in a specific location, but in Joey's presence.
Himeko and Mirajane exchanged a look, a silent understanding passing between them. Himeko's "maternal and caring nature" and Mirajane's deep empathy, forged in her own losses and the importance of her family ties, allowed them to grasp the depth of that sentiment.
"Lyra," Himeko said gently, "we understand you feel safe with Joey. And he has been incredibly brave and kind in protecting you." Joey blushed at the unexpected praise, looking away. "But this cinema isn't safe long-term. If the people who were here last night return, or if the police decide to investigate this place because of reports of 'strange activities,' you'll both be in danger."
Mirajane added, her voice a balm: "What Himeko is suggesting isn't to separate you, dear. But to find a place where you can both be safe and where we can better understand what's happening, so that, perhaps, we can help you find your way back to your... home of light." She used the words Lyra had whispered to Joey.
Lyra's eyes widened slightly upon hearing the mention of her "home of light." She looked at Joey, then at the two women. The thought of returning home was a painful, almost unbearable longing, but the prospect of venturing out with strangers, even kind ones, was still frightening.
Joey felt the weight of the decision. Lyra trusted him. And he, as much as it terrified him, felt he needed to do what was best for her safety. Himeko's probe, however alien, seemed the least risky option at the moment.
"The... the probe," Joey managed to say, his voice trembling. "Maybe... maybe it's better. If... if Lyra agrees. And if... if I can go too." The last part came out almost like a desperate plea.
Himeko smiled, a genuine smile of relief and approval. "Of course, you can come along, Joey. In fact, your presence would be very welcome. You seem to be an important source of comfort for Lyra." She then turned to the elf. "And you, Lyra? What do you think of a little trip on a ship that travels between the stars? I promise it's more comfortable than this cinema, and the coffee is definitely better."
Lyra looked at Joey, seeking his confirmation. He, mustering all the courage he possessed, slowly nodded. If he was going, perhaps she could go too. She then looked at Himeko and, with a small, hesitant nod, agreed.
A small smile of discreet triumph appeared on Himeko's lips. "Excellent. Then it's settled."
Meanwhile, at the police station, Roberto was finishing signing his statement about the substation incident. The police chief, a pragmatic and somewhat skeptical man, thanked him for his cooperation but mentioned that the forensic analysis of the "strange tools" found at the site was still ongoing and that they might need more technical information from him.
Roberto left with a growing headache and an uneasy feeling that something very odd was happening in his normally quiet city. His gaze fell on a "Wanted" poster tacked to the station's notice board, but it wasn't for any local criminal. It was a rudimentary but strangely detailed sketch of Zylar, the capsule pilot, with the caption "Unidentified individual wanted for questioning. Report to authorities." Roberto frowned. That face... it seemed vaguely familiar from the news, but seeing it there, on a wanted poster, was unsettling.
Kael, the Tracker, had followed Himeko and Mirajane to the bakery, observing them from a safe distance as they interacted with Léo and his friends. Their ability to blend in and extract information without raising suspicion was professional. When the group separated, with Himeko and Mirajane returning to the cinema, Kael hesitated.
His intuition told him the cinema was the epicenter, but Himeko's presence, with her advanced technology, posed a potential threat to his discretion. He decided to maintain broader surveillance for now, monitoring energy emanations and the movements of all players on this increasingly complex board.
Pip, in her hideout, felt exhaustion in her bones, but the adrenaline of success still kept her alert. Her portal locator now showed an unstable but possible three-dimensional path to a dimensional nexus several hundred kilometers away. The problem was the energy needed for the initial stabilization of the jump. The charge she had managed to get from the substation was enough for the journey, but the "ignition" would require a stronger pulse.
She looked at the city map she had improvised. That unstable convergence point near the "place of stories" (the cinema) was her best bet for finding residual energy or a natural conduit. But it meant approaching the area where she had encountered the pale human again. It was a risk she would have to calculate very carefully.
Zylar, in his reinforced cell, had finally managed to decipher part of the data on the guard's tablet. It was mostly procedure manuals and incident logs, but among them, he found simplified schematics of the small city's security network, including the locations of communication towers and radio antennas. If he could find a way to send a broadband signal, even briefly, he might be able to reach one of the emergency communication probes he knew were scattered throughout the galaxy by space traveler safety protocols. Hope, though faint, rekindled in his chest.
Back in the cinema, Himeko began to give practical instructions. "We'll need to move discreetly. My probe is in a somewhat remote area, and we don't want to attract unwanted attention during transit. Mirajane, your ability to calm spirits will be invaluable if we encounter anyone. Joey, you'll stay close to Lyra. Your presence is clearly reassuring to her."
Joey swallowed hard but nodded. Close to Lyra. That he could do. It was the fear of the rest that consumed him.
"Shall we wait for nightfall?" Mirajane suggested. "It will be easier to move unseen."
Himeko considered. "It could be, but there might also be more... 'vigils' or curious onlookers at night, as Léo mentioned. And I don't want Lyra and Joey to spend more time in this place than necessary. Perhaps a departure during the quiet of the early afternoon, when many people are home for Saturday lunch, would be more strategic."
The decision was made. The next step in their unexpected journey was about to begin. The dust of the Cine Theatro Esperança had witnessed many stories, but few as strange and laden with such vast potential as the one about to unfold beyond its dark walls. The sun outside seemed to shine with a different intensity now, as if it too were aware of the secrets the city harbored.
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