Chapter 278: Same but Different Dream 10
Naomi returned to the surface with Mischa and immediately took a car to the military base. The people on the base were confused by her action, but she ignored them.
Mischa also didn’t say anything and only accompanied Naomi. She knew why Naomi was in a hurry to the military base. Her father was there, and the military base must’ve had an Esper who could track someone else.
So why did they take a car instead of flying? It should be faster to reach the Military base by flying instead of taking a car.
It was because Naomi wanted to stay out of the spy’s radar. She didn’t want to alert the spy, so she took a car with Mischa, so the spy would think that they were on a date. Or something like that.
As the car entered the main street, Naomi gripped the steering wheel tightly as she gritted her teeth.
“It’s my fault. I ignored Melaine’s message yesterday and took it as a joke. I also felt that her Esper pressure was gone, but I didn’t think much about it.”
“Don’t think too much about it, Naomi. We are all only humans. If you say you’re at fault, then I am at fault too. I also felt Melaine’s Esper pressure disappear instantly last night and only thought that she went out or something.” Mischa said in a sad voice.
While the platinum-haired girl was smart, she still put herself behind Naomi. The existence of Akasa Naomi was special for her. As a friend, lover, and someone who could easily solve any kind of problem.
So Mischa wasn’t too worried about this situation. She was confident Naomi would be able to solve it. Her role was to support her lover by her side and help her when she was in trouble. Of course, she was the only one who could stop her from rampaging, too, like what she did earlier.
And it seemed like Naomi already had something in mind.
“No, no. You’re perfectly fine. It was my fault as a leader that my mother got kidnapped. I just never thought that Melaine would disappear too. There are 3 possibilities of why this situation could happen.”
“And what is that?” Mischa asked curiously.
“First, it might be Melaine’s prank or doing. She might find something and disappear with my mother for a while to evade some unnecessary attention, including mine. That was why she left a message for me.”
“I see… That’s also a possibility if we look at Melaine’s personality.” Mischa nodded. She put her hand on her chin to concentrate and think about the other possibility.
After a few seconds, she thought of one possibility and asked, “Then the second one is they found the spy, but the spy managed to defeat or take them away from the base. Is that right?”
“Yes, that’s the second possibility. Honestly, this possibility seems to be less likely among the three. I mean… Melaine can stop time. I can't even move when she uses her ability. There is no way the spy can kidnap Melaine and my mother. Unless…”
“The dolls, huh? That’s why you include that possibility even though it is less likely to be true. We have guessed the dolls to have Melaine’s ability, and the boy may have Avos’ ability. Combined, they can control time and space. That’s a bit scary when we think about it.”
“Yeah, that’s why I trained myself. Hopefully, this training bore fruit.” Naomi chuckled a little. The training that she did with only her theory might not be able to handle Avos’ ability. Still, she could only try.
“I will also help, Naomi. We are in this together.” Mischa reassured. She put her hand on top of Naomi’s thighs to give her some reassurance. She wanted Naomi to believe in her too.
Finally, after a long day, Naomi smiled again as she said, “Thanks, Mischa.”
“So, what is the third possibility, Naomi?” Mischa asked.
“Ah, this is less likely, but… the third possibility is something that I hope won’t happen.”
“And that is?”
“Hotaru or Luna being the spy and teleporting them to somewhere else,” Naomi replied seriously.
“… Really?” Mischa’s reaction was weak, mainly because the third possibility was more absurd than the previous one. “I would believe it more if you said Avos came to the base himself and kidnapped them instead of that possibility.”
“Right? That’s why I actually don’t want to include that, but I must do that. Hyun-Woo’s barrier allowed him to feel someone from the outside. Avos can breach the barrier just fine, but that’s less likely as Hyun-Woo would feel the strangeness in that place.” Naomi explained her reasoning to Mischa.
She turned to her lover and continued, “That was why at first, I thought it was only Melaine’s prank. But then, this third possibility felt like the most real one among the three. I don’t know, but we will find out.”
“Yes. I hope it is the first possibility, though.”
“I hope so too. Oh, we’ve arrived.”
***
Naomi was given a face pass when she entered the military base. Without stopping somewhere else, she traced her father’s Esper pressure and went toward him directly.
She managed to trace him easily. He was at the training ground with the special squad that she obliterated the other day. She quickly drove to the training ground and passed the familiar track inside the military base. Then she arrived at the location.
Parking the car to the side, Naomi exited with Mischa.
“The military base is huge…”
“It is. Now, let’s ask whether my father knows where my mother is. Maybe the first possibility is the correct one.”
“Alright.”
Naomi’s father, Tetsuma, was standing on the side of the training ground with his arms crossed. He apparently noticed Naomi’s arrival as he looked in their direction with a soft smile.
When Naomi and Mischa approached him, he raised his hand slightly. “Look who it is, my lovely daughter and Mischa.” He exclaimed. “Should I ask why you are here? Your expression looks serious.”
Naomi stopped right before Tetsuma, with Mischa standing beside her. She looked at her father and said, “Yeah, actually. I am here to confirm something.”
“What is it? Is it about the Military’s preparation for war? If that’s the case, then the preparation is going smoothly. We have put some soldiers around our border, so we will immediately know when the Esper Association attacks us.”
“That’s good. But that’s not what I wanted to confirm and ask. It’s unrelated to the Military.”
“It’s not about the Military?”
“Yes. Father, do you know where mother is? I can’t find her and Melaine everywhere. More than that, I can’t feel Melaine’s Esper pressure anywhere.”
“Huh?” Tetsuma’s expression became serious as he lowered his arms. “Isn’t she in the base?”
“No.” Naomi shook her head. “So, as expected? She’s not here too?”
“No. Mizuki never leaves the base. She told me that if she ever leaves, then… It’s either there is a personal matter, or she is forced to leave by someone. If it is the former, then she will say something to me. So it leaves the latter.”
“I see. Mother has really been kidnapped by someone, right?”
“Damn it!” Tetsuma cursed loudly.