The next day…
"Misa? Where are you?"
Gio, Misa's father, called out through the quiet house. Sunlight streamed through the windows, but something felt off.
"It's already 11 AM... Doesn't she have somewhere to be with her team?" he muttered, scratching his head.
He opened the door to her room.
"Misa? Are you still—?" He stopped short. The room was empty. Her bed was neatly made. No sign of her.
"Huh. That's weird. She usually tells me when she's leaving… maybe she was in a rush," he shrugged. "Whatever. I'm starving."
Team 17 – At the Gathering Grounds
"We're missing Misa," Yuna said, scanning the field.
"Yeah… I haven't seen her all morning," Azar added, arms crossed.
"Anyone?" Zanden asked, turning toward the others.
"Nope," Jett replied simply.
"Where is she?" Taro frowned.
Kaien just shrugged, silent as usual.
Yuna stepped forward. "Then let's go check her house."
Outside Misa's House
"This is it," Yuna said.
"Yep," Azar confirmed.
Yuna knocked firmly on the door.
After a few moments, it opened. Gio stood there, blinking at the unexpected visitors.
"Yes? What's going on?"
"Are you Misa's father?" Yuna asked.
"I am. Why?"
"Have you seen her today?"
Gio's brow furrowed. "Seen her? I thought she was with you."
Yuna's voice tightened. "She never showed up. That's why we came here."
Gio's eyes widened. "What...? She wasn't in her room this morning, but I assumed she left early."
Just then, Azar wandered toward the cliff, then froze. "Guys… come look at this."
The others quickly joined him.
Zanden's eyes narrowed. "What happened here?"
Azar pointed. "See the cracks? This was her ability. She recently developed a new technique that can shake the ground."
Gio's expression darkened. "Now that I think about it… last night, she was outside, just staring up at the sky. I remember feeling a faint tremor."
Yuna bit her lip. "I hope I'm wrong, but… I have a theory. Your daughter might've been kidnapped."
Moments Later — The Arrival of the Spiritual King
A sudden gust of wind swept through the yard. The Spiritual King descended, accompanied by Okata, his ever-serious buddy.
"You believe Misa is missing?" the king asked.
Okata adjusted his glasses. "What's happened now?"
Yuna stepped forward. "Spiritual King! Mr. Okata!"
"Check this out," Azar said quickly, pointing to the cracks.
The Spiritual King narrowed his eyes. "What is it?"
"She's been practicing a ground-shaking move," Azar explained. "This wasn't here before."
"Okata."
"On it."
Okata knelt, placing his hand against the earth. After a few moments, he stood with a grim expression.
"She fought back," he said. "Then she was taken."
"What!?" Taro shouted.
"Three men. All dressed in black," Okata said calmly.
"Did you catch a glimpse of their faces?" the king asked.
"No. Nothing clear."
The king frowned. "Check again. Any clue matters. She's a ninja of this village."
Okata refocused. Seconds passed in tense silence… until—
"There," he said. "A tattoo. On one of the kidnappers. When his glove came off—must've been when Misa landed a punch."
"Paper. Anyone got paper?" the Spiritual King asked.
"I do!" Gio shouted and dashed into the house. He returned with paper and a pen.
"Here."
Okata snatched them and sketched swiftly. His hand moved with precision, forming the image of a dragon—three sharp horns atop its head.
"This… this was the tattoo," he said. "I only saw it for a second."
The Spiritual King stared at the drawing in silence.
"…This is bad."
Gio's voice trembled. "What… what does that symbol mean? What happened to my daughter?!"
The Spiritual King's eyes hardened. "Let's talk inside. In my office."
Inside the Spiritual King's Office
Gio sat stiffly across from the king. The others stood nearby, hearts heavy with dread.
"Tell me the truth," Gio said. "What's happened to Misa?"
Azar leaned forward. "Is she going to be okay?"
The Spiritual King exhaled slowly. "No. I'm sorry. She's not."
Silence fell.
"That dragon symbol… it's not just a tattoo. It's a mark—a mark of an underground human trafficking auction."
Gio froze.
"To be specific," the king continued, "Misa has likely been taken to be sold. As a slave."
"No…" Gio whispered. "My daughter…"
The air in the room grew heavy, a crushing stillness spreading like a storm on the horizon.
To be continued