308 All By Herself

The cuffs that the Baron tried to use on her had this very symbol on them.

"You have?" Tykus gasped in shock. 

The organisation had been known to be secretive, but their items were apparently widely used and traded across the land. Few of these items had ever been recovered nor much is known about them.

But for the time being, the mission was more important. So they continued their discussion. While the real name of the organisation is still not known, the Future Eye associates had nicknamed it 'Usagi Ring'. 

Further interviews with the branded man revealed that the Usagi Ring had a secret location where they regularly kidnapped and sent people to. The man claimed to have been in this location for over three years. 

"Was he able to provide any detail about the interior of the location?" Vy asked. 

Mirin shook her head, "No, he was too broken to remember too much. Prolong questioning worsened his mental state. Half the things he spoke off could not be verified."

Future Eye did everything they could to recover the man's former identity. But that was when things got even more baffling and intriguing. After weeks of scouring through data records that they could find, they realised the man was much older than he claimed to be. 

"What do you mean by older than he claimed to be?" Lycster asked out of curiosity. 

While the man looked like a young man in his late twenties, he had actually been missing for over fifty years. 

"Fifty years?!" Lycster gasped in shock with his mouth agape. 

He turned to look at his sister, whose eyes were widened in shock by the news. The location ran on a different time plane. Anyone who entered it experienced time differently. 

"We understand this is a lot to ask. And the missions you've been sent on prior to this all turned up to be more difficult and trying that we had anticipated," Zylphy justified the situation, "So if you do not want to this, we will just have to find someone else."

Before Vy or anyone else could say anything else, Tykus, the man in the black fox half mask, spoke up. 

"We've been trying to infiltrate this location for the longest time. We've used our own associates as bait countless times in the past but it seems like no one could quite catch their interest," he explained. 

Tykus looked straight at Vy as he continued, "You, on the other hand, is the perfect bait. You're everything they are looking for to have."

"Me?" Vy asked in disbelief. 

She had never considered herself special or different. 

"We know you're an otherworlder. We know you've not been able to recover the memories of your life in the world that you came from. To the Usagi Ring, you are the perfect specimen to add to their collection," Mirin revealed. 

Mirin explained that they had sufficient evidence to prove that all these people, unlike the rest, were being sent to a certain facility to be kept. But they did not know what these people were kept for. 

The man whom they spoke to claims that there is a maze in the facility and that was where the kidnapees were kept but they were unable to verify that fact. 

"So, your mission is to infiltrate the Usagi Ring's secret location and find out any and all information you can about this place," Mirin announced. 

Vy listened in silence, the gears of her mind processing the information before her. She flipped through the countless files laid out before her, reading them in great detail. 

After a long period of silence, she looked up at them and asked, "If I agree, when do I begin?"

Mirin, Tykus and Michael looked at one another. They had expected much more resistance from Vy, and were prepared to convince her to help them. 

"Now," Tykus replied. 

"Now?" Vy echoed his words. 

"We have reason to believe Usagi Ring might have spies everywhere. Including, in our organisation. While that is something we sincerely hope is just a myth, there is still a chance that it could be real."

Tykus walked around the table to get closer to Vy. 

"Time is of the essence. If you agree to help us, we will make preparations immediately."

"It is a rush, but it is necessary," Michael added firmly. 

Lycster bit his lip. He had expected there to be a little more time before he had to part with his sister. But from the sound of it all, they were going to have a hasty goodbye. Vy was worried. She had expected to have more time to make arrangements. 

She turned to look at her brother. He was still just a boy. Could she really bear to leave him on his own for an indefinite period of time? Zylphy gave her an option to decline the mission. 

It would be the safest decision to make. 

Yet everything in her body screamed for her to do this. It was like she had to do this. Vy turned back to Mirin and the other associates. 

"I assume that it would be a solo, solo mission? So even my familiar cannot follow me?" She asked. 

Mirin nodded. 

Aether, who was coiled on her wrist, perked up. He already knew what she was going to say. He extended his long slithering body and gently rubbed his head against her cheek. 

-Don't worry, I will make sure Lycster is safe and sound.- he assured her. 

Vy nodded, as she handed Aether to Lycster. Knowing she likely could not bring any weapons with her, and or any other items, she removed her spatial bracelet and handed it to Lycster as well. 

Last but not least, Vy also handed her brother her energy dagger. 

"I will take great care of myself, sis! Remember the promise you made to me, you pinky promised!" He assured her. 

Lycster's eyes were watering but he kept up a smile upon his face. He did not want the last memory of him to be one of him crying in puddles of tears. Vy wrapped her arms around her younger brother, holding in her own tears. 

"I promise I will come back to you as soon as I can," she whispered.