Chapter 22: Aftermath
Shortly after the terrorist cell was completely neutralized, the Trimounts Police Department and local Enforcers swarmed the commercial district to wrap up the scene. Joshua and Saria were quickly ushered aside to give their statements to a commanding officer.
"Well, it looks like that covers everything," the Liberi police captain said, snapping his notepad shut with a heavy sigh. "I must say, what you two did was either the bravest or the absolute dumbest thing any sane civilian could possibly do."
He looked over at the restrained terrorists being loaded into armored transports, then at the surviving hostages receiving medical care. He shook his head. "But considering your actions saved us a massive hostage crisis and dozens of lives… I'll let the vigilantism slide this time. Enjoy the rest of your evening, you two."
Freed from the bureaucratic red tape, Joshua and Saria hurried over to the medical staging area to check on Muelsyses, who was sitting in the back of an ambulance, heavily bandaged and waiting to be transported to the hospital.
"Make sure you get plenty of rest, alright, Mumu?" Joshua said softly. He had removed his glove, gently holding her hand with his bare skin so his Originium Nullification Field could continuously cleanse any lingering toxic dust from her system. He nervously glanced at the passing paramedics from time to time to make sure no one was questioning his lack of protective gear. "We'll come visit you tomorrow, and we'll bring all your favorite snacks."
Muelsyses offered a weak, tired chuckle. "You had better. I expect full compensation for my bravery today."
Saria stepped up, awkwardly but gently holding Muelsyses's other hand. "See you tomorrow, Mumu. Thank you for holding on."
"I'll be fine. Go finish your date," the Elf smiled.
As the paramedics signaled it was time to leave, Joshua and Saria parted hands with her. The moment Joshua's fingers slipped away, the lingering warmth in Muelsyses's palm began to fade, replaced by a sudden, hollow chill in her chest.
She instinctively reached her hand back out toward him, but the paramedic closed the ambulance doors.
Through the small window, Muelsyses watched Joshua and Saria slowly distance themselves, walking side-by-side into the night. She pulled her hand back, pressing it tightly against her chest, right over her rapidly beating heart.
When that terrorist had held the Originium shard to her chest, she thought her life was over. But then Joshua had appeared—her fierce, brilliant savior—chasing away the pain and the darkness. Now, a strange, tight knot had formed in her stomach as she watched him walk away with Saria. It was a bizarre, fluttering ache that she couldn't quite put a name to.
Was it just the adrenaline fading? The trauma of the near-death experience? She didn't know. But as she watched Saria lean her head affectionately against Joshua's shoulder, a completely irrational, bitter pang struck her heart.
She buried her face in her hands, utterly confused by the turbulent, unrecognizable emotions swirling inside her.
Not far away, another paramedic van departed from the plaza. However, instead of following the route to the city hospital, this vehicle subtly drifted off course, taking a series of dark, abandoned backroads.
Inside the dimly lit cabin sat the young physician from the hostage group, Doctor Aegis. Sitting across from him, entirely out of place in an ambulance, was an imposing Liberi man in a tailored black suit and dark sunglasses.
"So? Did you say or give them anything?" the man in black asked, his voice smooth but laced with a lethal edge that sent a chill down the doctor's spine.
"N-No! Not a single word! I played the terrified civilian perfectly, just like you instructed!" Doctor Aegis frantically reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a highly encrypted flash drive. He handed it over with shaking hands. "I secured the preliminary telemetry data on the meteorite impact near the Sargonian border before the terrorists seized the plaza."
The man in black took the drive, plugging it into a sleek, unmarked tablet. Lines of complex data regarding a bio-metallic, egg-shaped object scrolled across the screen. After a moment of uncomfortable, heavy silence, the man looked up.
"Well done. You passed the test," the executive said smoothly. As Doctor Aegis visibly deflated in relief, the man in black offered him a hand. "Welcome to the Chronos Corporation, Doctor."
By the time the police had entirely secured the plaza, the sun had fully set. With the commercial district in shambles, Joshua had to abandon his carefully planned itinerary. Instead, the couple retreated to a quiet, sprawling city park where only a few evening stragglers wandered.
"Well… there goes our perfect, romantic date," Joshua sighed, slumping his exhausted body onto a park bench beside Saria. "But, at the very least, we were able to prevent the worst possible outcome."
"And because of you, we were able to save Muelsyses in time," Saria added softly.
Joshua shook his head. "No, it's because of you that I was able to do my part. And—"
"Ah!" Saria suddenly gasped, looking down at her hands. Guilt washed over her face as she lifted the battered, heavily dented remains of the metallic briefcase. "Sorry… it seems I pushed the kinetic absorption a bit too far. The core overloaded, and the casing is completely busted."
"Hahaha! Don't feel guilty about it, Buttercup," Joshua laughed, gently pushing the ruined briefcase aside. "It's just a prototype. What matters is that it served its true purpose: keeping you safe from harm."
He reached out, gently caressing her hair. Saria leaned into the touch, finding his warmth incredibly relaxing.
Suddenly, Joshua paused, his eyes catching sight of something in the distance. Saria followed his gaze. Standing near the edge of the lake was a large, old oak tree. Carved into the bark near the base were the letters: J+S BFF.
"That's the tree we used to play around when we first met," Joshua smiled nostalgically, walking over and kneeling to brush his fingers against the old carving.
"Really? Because what I recall is that being the tree you used to cheat at hide-and-seek and tag," Saria said, giving him a flat, side-eyed glance as she walked up behind him. "Not once did you ever play fair."
"Hey, hey now. There were no official rules explicitly forbidding psychological warfare in a game of tag," Joshua countered with a smug grin. "And to be fair, you were quite naive and a little silly for falling for the exact same trick three times in a row."
A prominent vein pulsed on Saria's forehead. She cracked her knuckles, the sound echoing ominously in the quiet park. Joshua flinched, suddenly realizing the mortal danger he had placed himself in.
"Ahem! H-How about we have a rematch in tag, then?" Joshua proposed hastily, taking a step back. "Right here, right now. No tricks this time, okay?"
Saria looked him dead in the eye for a long moment. "Alright. I'll be the seeker. You run."
With the mutual agreement set, they took their positions a few yards apart. Seeing that Saria was wearing a long skirt and dress shoes, Joshua confidently decided to give her a massive handicap.
"Ready? Three… two… one… Start!"
Joshua began with a slow, arrogant jog, giving her time to catch up. However, that was a severe tactical miscalculation. When he glanced back over his shoulder, she hadn't started running at all.
Instead, Saria had dropped the battered Simon Co. briefcase flat onto the grass. She pulled her leg back and kicked it with her strength, sending the heavy metal sliding across the grass like a massive hockey puck.
Bang!
Smack!
"Ouch!"
The briefcase shot straight between Joshua's feet, sweeping his legs out from under him. He went tumbling into the grass.
"Hey! That's a cheap trick!" Joshua yelled, but before he could even scramble to his feet, Saria pounced.
She tackled him around the waist, sending them both rolling several meters down the grassy slope until they finally came to a stop. Saria ended up on top, expertly pinning Joshua's limbs to the ground.
"Didn't we agree not to use any tricks?!" Joshua laughed, struggling against her immovable grip.
"I agreed to play. I didn't say anything about not adopting your underhanded tactics," Saria smirked. She pinned his legs down with her heavy tail. "It's payback time."
The tip of her tail expertly slipped under his guard and started ruthlessly tickling his ribs and thighs.
"Hahaha! No! My thigh! Haha! My weakness! Hahaha!" Joshua thrashed wildly, trying to struggle loose from her trap, but her grip only tightened as the merciless tickling continued. "Hahaha! Stop! Please! I yield! I'm sorry I was a cheating brat! Mercy!"
Feeling thoroughly satisfied with her petty revenge, Saria finally ceased her assault and released her grip. Joshua rolled onto his back, staring up at the sky with heavy, exhausted breathing.
"Hah… hah… how did my sweet, naive girl… hah… turn into such a cunning, ruthless woman?" Joshua asked, looking up at her unimpressed face. "Who did this to you?"
"Who do you think changed me?" Saria smirked warmly.
Joshua sighed, raising his hands in defeat. "Alright, alright. Guilty as charged."
After catching their breath, they simply sat shoulder-to-shoulder on the soft grass, looking out over the serene lake. The night sky was clear, and a massive, brilliant full moon reflected perfectly across the water's surface, accompanied by a gentle, cooling breeze.
Joshua found himself completely captivated, staring at the beautiful, radiant woman sitting beside him under the moonlight.
Feeling the weight of the velvet box in his inner jacket pocket, he decided to play his final, greatest trick of the night.
"The moon is beautiful, isn't it?" Joshua whispered, using the classic poetic phrase as he slowly reached into his jacket.
"I could die happy."
Saria's immediate, perfectly matched literary reply caught him entirely off guard. Before Joshua could pull his box out, Saria suddenly shifted her posture, presenting a navy-blue ring box right in front of his face.
"I'm not very good with elegant words, so I will just say exactly what is in my heart," Saria said, taking a deep, slightly trembling breath. Her golden eyes locked onto his, burning with absolute sincerity.
"Joshua Obsidian… from the very moment you crashed into my life, my entire world changed for the better. You bring a profound joy and warmth that I thought I would never be allowed to experience. You gave me a place I can finally call home." She clicked the box open, revealing the stunning silver ring adorned with a ruby and a sapphire. "I can no longer imagine a life without you by my side. So… will you marry me?"
Faced with the surprise reverse-proposal,
Joshua's jaw dropped. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, utterly speechless.
"That is… so incredibly unfair," he finally managed to say, a brillian smile breaking across his face. He pulled his own hand out of his jacket, revealing the velvet box. "I thought I was the one full of surprises tonight, but it turns out we're exactly on the same wavelength."
He popped his box open, revealing the dazzling tennis bracelet. Saria let out a soft gasp of surprise.
"A bracelet, huh?" she giggled, her eyes welling with happy tears. "Considering my gauntlets… how incredibly thorough and thoughtful of you."
Without another word needed, they both reached out, helping each other put on their respective symbols of oath. The bracelet clasped perfectly around Saria's wrist, and the ring slid flawlessly onto Joshua's finger. They both took a moment to adore their partner's choice of vow.
"So… what is your answer?" Saria asked, a teasing smile spreading across her lips.
"Greedy, aren't you?" Joshua chuckled. He reached up, gently lifting her chin. "Here is my answer."
He closed the distance, pressing his lips passionately against hers.
Under the brilliance of the full moon, their two shadows merged into one. They held each other for a long, timeless moment before finally separating, leaving a thin silver lining of moonlight between them as they caught their breath.
"Shall we continue this at home?" Joshua whispered huskily.
"B-But… won't your mother still be there?" Saria asked, her face flushing crimson.
"Don't worry about Latina," Joshua smiled, his black tail playfully coiling around hers. "Since Mumu is in the hospital, I asked Kristen to stay over and watch my mom tonight. So," he leaned in close to her ear, "the house is completely empty. It will be just the two of us."
With the promise of an uninterrupted night, they practically sprinted back to their shared house, heading straight for the bedroom. Neighbors in the adjacent housing block would later report that a series of minor, localized earthquakes could be felt near the Obsidian residence late into the night.
[The Next Morning - Trimounts General Hospital]
Most of the Rhine Lab staff had already come and gone, visiting Muelsyses early in the morning to drop off flowers and well-wishes after hearing about the terrorist incident on the news. Once the doctors confirmed she was past the critical stage and her leg was healing properly, they bid her farewell, leaving only Kristen and Latina remaining in the private room.
"Is everything alright, my dear Mumu?" Latina asked affectionately. She was sitting by the bed, expertly peeling an apple and cutting the slices into cute little rabbit shapes before feeding them to the Elf.
"Everything is fine now, Latina," Muelsyses smiled, though a hint of melancholy touched her eyes. "Although, the doctors said that due to the localized trauma of the Originium shard, my body may become even more hypersensitive to Originium concentrations in the future."
Even though she tried to stay positive about it, the fact that her already fragile constitution had become even weaker stung deeply.
"You don't need to worry about that at all," Kristen chimed in. She nonchalantly snagged one of Latina's rabbit-shaped apples, quickly chewing and swallowing before continuing. "With Joshua's ONF anomaly around, you essentially have a walking, talking, heavy-duty air filter by your side."
The incredibly dry, clinical remark brought strange, utterly bewildered looks to both Latina and Muelsyses's faces.
"…It was a joke," Kristen sighed, returning her attention to the data scrolling on her tablet, completely unbothered by her failed attempt at humor.
"Well… I suppose that was the first time for everything, right Mumu?" Latina chuckled, turning back to the bed. But the reply never came. "Mumu?"
Latina looked closely. Muelsyses was staring blankly at the blanket, completely dazed.
Kristen's mention of Joshua had sent her thoughts spiraling back to the ambulance, to the lingering warmth of his hand, and to that strange, unexplainable ache in her chest that she had felt when he walked away.
"Mumu!"
"Ah! Y-Yes! It really is a strange joke that she made, haha!" Muelsyses panicked, quickly stuffing her mouth with a handful of treats brought by her coworkers to hide her flushed face.
Just then, three sharp knocks echoed from the door before it swung open. "We're here!"
The sudden entrance caused Muelsyses to genuinely choke on her snack.
"You're finally here," Kristen said, standing up. "I was wondering about the energy output variables regarding the Arc—actually, on second thought, I'll ask you later at the office."
"Saria, Joshua, what took you two so long? Do you not care about our poor Mumu at—" Latina paused mid-scold as she finally got a good look at the couple standing in the doorway. A wicked, knowing grin slowly spread across the mother's face. "Hehehe… never mind. So… how did last night go~?"
Once Muelsyses finally cleared her throat, she looked up at the doorway and was absolutely stunned.
Saria looked incredible. She was wearing a casual outfit, her skin glowing radiantly, and she carried herself with a bright, energetic, and deeply satisfied aura.
Joshua, on the other hand, looked like he had just survived a war.
He was trembling like a leaf, gripping the doorframe for sheer physical support. His eyes were sunken, his skin was pale, and he looked entirely drained of his life force—a literal dried-out mummy. Peeking out from the collar of his shirt were highly visible, unmistakable bite marks and scratches along his neck and shoulders. The stamina of her had completely and utterly broken him.
"Oh, hah!" Muelsyses blurted out, her eye twitching as a sudden, potent spike of irrational irritation pierced her chest. She crossed her arms, masking the strange flutter in her heart with faux annoyance. "So, it seems you two enjoyed quite a passionate night together… while poor me was out here fighting for my life, huh?!"
For some unexplainable reason she couldn't quite understand, the sight of the intimately bonded couple sparked a deep, confusing sense of jealousy within the little water Elf.