Part 2

Kumo traveled for days. Leaving Coasta, it eventually arrived in Syrena. It had memorized the map and knew exactly where it was. Syrena was populated by strange creatures—some terrifying, others not. It encountered scientists, but all were too engrossed in their research to speak to it or inquire about its purpose. Kumo continued on its way, but even when it passed by the Flower HQ, no one spoke to it. The silence and the intense focus of the people were unfamiliar to it.

Finally, after what felt like hours, or perhaps even days of walking, Kumo spotted a village in the distance. "Rotdon," it thought. As it approached, the village appeared well-maintained, with even the sign indicating its name freshly renovated. Yet, there was no one in sight. The village was completely deserted. "It must have been evacuated because of a war," Kumo deduced. Despite a strange sensation of being watched, it continued forward, determined to leave the village.

After hours of walking, it reached the edge of a vast forest, filled with towering trees that stretched as far as the eye could see. Only one path cut through the dense vegetation, leading to Anclona. Though Anclona was not its destination, Kumo decided to find a quiet place to settle and wait before beginning its research. Despite the path being frequently traveled, the surrounding areas were deserted, overgrown with thick vegetation.

Kumo walked for hours, finding it difficult to orient itself, but it managed. Eventually, it discovered a perfect spot at the edge of a cliff, offering a breathtaking view of the Coasta mountains. Relieved to finally rest, Kumo ate some food it had brought with it and then slept. It awoke at sunrise, getting up to admire the landscape once more. Lost in its thoughts, Kumo didn't hear the rustling in the bushes behind it. Suddenly, a loud "HELLO!!!" startled it, and it spun around, drawing its knife. Its eyes filled with a murderous intensity. But when it saw that the noise had come from a young woman, about 20 years old, who was now doubled over with laughter, Kumo felt foolish and embarrassed.

It waited for the girl to calm down, and when she finally did, she spoke. "Hello! I'm so sorry, you were so surprised that I couldn't stop laughing. It was just too funny... oh, but wait, YOU ARE SUPER BEAUTIFUL!" The young woman eagerly approached Kumo, admiring it. Kumo was deeply moved by her words. For the first time, it felt something new—was this joy?

The girl introduced herself as Eucalyptus, a 19-year-old and the Boss of the Liberty, an organization opposed to the Cross. She invited Kumo to join her. Kumo was delighted; it hadn't even needed to seek out the enemy organization—the boss herself had extended an invitation! Though Kumo was puzzled by Eucalyptus's odd demeanor, it accepted. However, upon realizing that Eucalyptus was the only member of her organization, Kumo felt a pang of disappointment. But it knew it no longer had a choice.

After talking for a while, they decided to continue walking through the forest. In the distance, they noticed someone approaching—a young man with blue hair. It wasn’t surprising to encounter someone on the only path in the forest, so they kept talking and walking. But as the boy drew closer, Kumo sensed an aura emanating from him, one that only members of the Cross possessed. Believing him to be a traitor, it quickly drew its knife and threatened him. Upon closer inspection, the young man seemed ordinary, possibly blind. Ashamed, Kumo quickly apologized.

Surprisingly, Eucalyptus congratulated it! She saw potential in this young man, noting that without an organization to judge his appearance, he would be perfect to recruit. Eucalyptus introduced herself and her companion, Kumo. After explaining the purpose of her organization, the young man, who introduced himself as Zephyr, agreed to join. He, too, wanted to see the Cross destroyed. Kumo was taken aback to find that hatred for the Cross was not as rare as it had thought. It began to question everything. After all, it had never known anything outside of being a member of the Cross. How could it have known that the organization’s ways were far from normal?

The three of them continued their journey towards Anclona. Eucalyptus shared her plan: to destroy the Cross, they would need the support of every other organization and city in the world of Orstyma. They had to recruit every person not allied with the Cross, without exception. This reign of terror had to be stopped at all costs. Kumo and Zephyr were skeptical. They didn’t trust the feasibility of her plan. To earn their trust, Eucalyptus revealed something very personal: her animal was a koala, and her power was the ability to see a few minutes of the coming day in her sleep. Kumo and Zephyr were shocked; it wasn’t something usually revealed to strangers. But now that she had shared, they felt obligated to do the same.

PART 3