"Isn't that Felix?" Kairo asked, eyes locked into one of the guys following after Sam. The ICMA was easy to pinpoint from the other groups thanks to their single earring that was mandatory for them.
"After escaping the submarine, I thought he would have laid low long enough for him to vanish. Why take the risk to return here, and with the independent card mages at that? This makes no sense," Nyx said.
Kairo didn't allow his gaze to linger in Felix's direction. He still had a way to put his deal with Sam to their advantage, but for that, Felix and Ortega could never meet. "Whatever he does here, he should never meet with Captain David after what he did to his brother. I fear a full-scale conflict will be inevitable."
Kairo and his group moved at the forefront of the expedition. Leading to the top of the mountain, a dense forest path appeared. Like buzzing flies, the card mages dove into the canopy one after another.
The trees were so high in the sky that Kairo could hardly see what was above them. By his side was Sorel and the other reapers, acting with ease on the uneven terrain.
"Chosen destiny is at the top of this mountain. What are we going to find in here?" Kairo thought. They had been briefed on the possible dangers of the island but until now the thunder birds had been the only thing they saw.
Kairo glanced left and right and started noticing a trend. "Some seem to be intentionally about following the card mage police group," he thought. It was very subtle but some card mages were not far behind them.
This made Kairo feel a tinge of unease with so many hostile people around them. But it was something Kairo had anticipated. The Reapers were the ones who had been studying the island for years already. The other mages surely believed by staying close to them they could avoid at least part of the danger.
Mirelle at the front was completely unfazed being surrounded by so many people. Leading the group, she would sometimes murmur a few things to others while they advanced in formations.
"What were those thunder birds by the way? They seem to be coming out of those circles. What was that?" Kairo asked in Sorel's direction.
Sorel used her left hand to lean on the tree, coughing slightly with her hand.
"Any problem?" Kairo asked, his voice full of worry. The ascension had just started yet Sorel's face was pale and almost gray as if she was having a hard time breathing.
"Nothing to worry about." Sorel wiped her face and steadied her back, trying her best to appear perfectly fine. "Those birds were called Prime Cards. They are not different from the white foam that covers this island," Sorel explained.
"Prime cards," Kairo repeated. This was a word he read when going through the tablets they had received from the reapers.
"Prime cards are natural creations of the island. They are reminiscent of card magic that activate on their own. There are quite a few prime cards in this place," Sorel said. Not only was she very attentive to Kairo but was also keen on their surroundings.
Waving at him to slow down, she said, "We have entered the next prime card zone. The Fog of Separation. Stay close to me, Kairo. This thing is not only…" Sorel coughed loudly, stumbling forward as she spoke.
Kairo, alarmed, stepped out and caught her by the waist. "Prime card, you say? The fog seems toxic," Kairo said. In his chest he could feel his muscles tightening as if his lungs were being compressed against his body.
"Moreover, we can't see more than a meter away. For us, this will be problematic," Kairo frowned. He didn't know how they had missed such a detail but the fog seemed to be everywhere around them. Before he could call out to the others, he saw Mirelle's body vanish into the fog.
Slowly, almost no one could be seen around Kairo, giving him the impression that the fog was eating his friends. "This is bad. It's trying to separate us," Kairo thought. Because of how hard it was getting to breathe, Kairo didn't pull out his cards for fear of falling unconscious.
Instead he took Sorel's hand and held it firmly. "Even if we can't see, by keeping some sort of contact we should be able to fairly be aware of the others' positions. This is our only chance," Kairo said, making his voice intentionally loud enough. He couldn't be certain the others heard him but he tried anyway.
"The Fog of Separation is not supposed to be toxic. According to our analysis, we weren't even supposed to encounter it before halfway up the mountain. Kairo, I fear few things have changed on the island," Sorel warned. As a reaper, she was trained to survive in this environment. No one knew the island better than her, thus Kairo decided to rely completely on her knowledge.
"Stay close and keep moving. It's not some stupid fog that will keep me away from chosen destiny." There was a loud and almost aggressive voice at the forefront. Around the figure was a suffocating aura that prevented the fog from getting too close.
"The Titan aura," Kairo thought. The card mage police was ahead of everyone and the tendency was not changing.
Kairo's voice had not gone unnoticed and as he moved with Sorel, he quickly came across another group of people, all holding onto each other either via their hands or their sleeves. Upon closer inspection he noticed that most of them were males.
There was a woman at the forefront. The group held hands, all palms placed on her back, making her stand like their shield. The golden swirling hair made Kairo frown. There was no way Kairo could have mistaken this person. It was her.
"Selis," Kairo said.
"Behind you, Kairo. Step out of the way," Selis said, her voice neutral and calm. Almost sincere in Kairo's perspective.
Yet Kairo didn't budge, not out of fear but out of distrust. "Why would I listen to you?" Kairo asked. She had tried to kill all those for whom he fought. There was no way Kairo would ever trust her with his life.
Selis sighed, "I feel so disappointed you are unable to see things as they are, Kairo," Selis said. Then she flipped a card in her finger, summoning the circuitry of the void. Metallic chains began clinking and singing around her, giving the impression that a web of chains had instantly formed around them.
Kairo was swift to activate the protector, encasing his frame into the imposing frame of his armor. While Sorel summoned a dagger from the confines of the card she held in hand. Next to each other, the duo was ready to fight if needed.
But surprisingly, the chains didn't go for Kairo. They snaked their way past him like eager vipers, clinking and ringing in the air. There was a clear ringing sound, that of something being caught midair behind him.
Kairo had a vague feeling something was off and quickly stepped out of the way with Sorel. In the void, a shadow had been caught.
From the shadow, Kairo felt a strange arctic cold, as if the shadow could freeze their heart just with a single look. Two blood moons as eyes, it fought vehemently to free itself from the chains but to no avail.
"The prime card?" Kairo's eyes flashed in surprise. He would have never imagined Selis would actually help him. "I would bet my last card it's not out of compassion she did that. It's because of the card Eye of Truth in my possession," Kairo thought.
It wasn't a secret anymore that Kairo held onto one of the cards that belonged to the deck of origin. Thus many wanted him alive, at least until they could piece it out completely.
"Don't expect a thanks. I would have evaded just fine alone," Kairo said. He felt no form of gratitude whatsoever for her person. The only thing he wanted for her was prison for all the crimes she had committed.
"Neither do I. However, I am pretty sure we aren't facing a prime card." Selis pointed at the shadow. The chains in the void coiled around its neck and tore it in one swift motion. However, the fog didn't disappear; instead it intensified around them, with the shadow sinking back into it like a fish into water.
"It's a card fossil," Sorel said by his side.
Kairo said no more, keeping his instincts on high alert. "I don't really appreciate her but she is right on this one," Kairo thought.
Actually, if it had been a prime card, it would have disappeared once its origin was destroyed, exactly like the thunder birds. But this time around, the shadow and the fog had not disappeared even after being crushed to death by Selis's magic. This could only mean one thing.
Kairo took a deep breath. "The very first card fossil we meet," he said.