Lockeroom's Pandemonium

Chapter thirty two: The Child of Thunder

Alina Vandergaugh looked at the child who was now at the other branch of a tree next to her.

She cannot believe what she is going to do. She kept staring at the child—at Jiero—who was now cheering her by raising his fist, and pumping it in the air.

Alina looked at the group of vines that she is holding. Earlier, Jiero was just beside him. But thank you to this vines, Jiero managed to swing his body and transfer himself next to the tree they were on.

“Do I really have to do this, Jiero?” she asked.

Jiero nodded with a stoic face. But Alina knew that Jiero was happy, or that he was enjoying the sight of her being afraid of swinging with the vine—he was just trying to hide it.

“I should be Jane, not Tarzan, you know that?” she jokingly said.

Then Jiero released a restricted, different laugh. His voice were enclosed in his throat as he laughed like a real child—but more or less.

Alina sighed. She gathered all of her courage, and finally set her foot out from the tree she has been standing for a long time.

She swung herself as her hands held the vines tightly. She was afraid that she might end up being dead if ever she would ease her grip.

The warm wind of the afternoon setup hit her face as she released a loud scream. She realized that if ever she would fall, her spine would be broken into hundreds of pieces, for the branches of the tree they were swinging at, was as tall as any building in the metros.

“AHHHH! Jiero!”

She quickly released her grip from the vines when she knew she can land to the tree branch Jiero was standing at, laughing too hard.

“What is funny Jiero?” she asked, but she as well were laughing.

Jiero shook her head as he tried suppressing his laugh—but he can't.

Alina found Jiero's laugh really dragging. That is why for a minute, they had their moment of laughter.

It was yesterday when Alina met Jiero.

She was unconscious, too weak, and powerless. The thought that she was separated to Silver had made her down, for she, in all honesty, found herself immediately attached with the man, to the point that she relied herself and her safety to his hands.

All of this happened, all of this is what she is suffering, because of Leandro. That rotten man.

He acted as if he saved Alina from a sure death that she would be facing, if ever the attacks of the Harpies would hit her. But it turned out, he did those things for his own desire—just for his own self.

The healing potion he let Alina drank was already fused with sleeping potion formula, making her fall into deep slumber while he tried executing his hideous, dirty plans.

That's when Jiero came in.

Alina have no idea what happened earlier minutes between Jiero and Leandro for she was asleep.

But the sound of explosion and the shaking of the ground had made her escape from the land of dreams.

It was a child whom she saw first. A young child holding a trident spear zapping with electric current as he wield it at his front, towards the man he was seriously fighting.

The next man he saw was Leandro. His handsome face was smeared with anger and frustration. He is holding a pair of small knives.

It wasn’t a normal knife. Its blades were not made of metal, but of shadows—real shadows.

Alina then witnessed how the two started fighting each other.

Leandro suddenly disappeared from where he is standing. Then, he immediately appeared at Jiero's back.

Yet, Jiero saw through it. He ducked his head. His trident spear arced an attack towards were Leandro can be located.

Before the trident spear could hit Leandro, he then again disappeared. It was just a split second when he appeared again. He was now at Jiero's front.

Leandro's face was mischievously smiling as he was about to stab the flustered Jiero.

Alina was about to scream at Jiero, to warn him, but her mouth left open as he witnessed how Jiero's body suddenly exploded. It wasn't just a simple explosion. His body exploded and scattered huge voltage of thunder. Jiero became a thunder. A group of lightning.

It electrecuted Leandro who was near with him, making him fell unconscious.

Sooner, Jiero returned back to normal. His blank, emotionless face was looking at her. Then he rushed towards her. He pointed something at her body.

When she followed where the child was pointing, she realized how her clothes was half-opened; how it almost revealed her body.

She immediately secured and closed her shirt with surprise and disbelief.

Jiero then pointed Leandro.

From there, she knew what had happened. She knew she was about to be taken advantage of Leandro. She was about to be filled with dirty horrors.

But Jiero came, luckily. She never realized that she would find a child to be her hero. To be a superman who would help her from a disastrous event.

From then, the both of them accompanied each other.

Of course, Alina knew she had to find Silver. He was originally her partner, and nothing would change about it.

When she asked if Jiero had a partner for this level, he shook his head. She then offered if she wanted to be her partner, but what he answered was a shake of head—a refusal.

“You back partner,” he said. “Me help.”

It was the reason why they were accompanying each other.

Jiero was surprisingly easy to accompany with. Despite the fact that he was with an unexplained syndrome, Alina found him jolly and thrill-seeker.

He was incredibly strong and intelligent as well. He could easily asses the environment especially if there is a danger that is waiting them; or if they could peacefully stroll the whole place without minding if beasts or players would be able to see them.

He was also very accurate of everything: his steps, the identification of the sound coming through his ears, and the distance of whatever he wanted to find. All of it, he could easily execute it. And it was an incredible skill.

Alina then looked at Jiero's eyes. The ash in his eyes as its color resembles infinite universe. It was beautiful.

“Jiero.” Alina smiled.

“You pity me. Sense,” told Jiero, smiling.

“Even in identifying emotions, you were pretty accurate.” She weakly laughed.

“You easy read.”

“Yeah, I guess I'm easy to be read.” She then sighed. It was just yesterday when they first met. But she can sense the strong urge to treat him as his own little independent brother. All of the traits that she wanted for a little brother is what he is possessing. Added with his condition, the urge became stronger.

“Do you think . . . we could survive this game?” Out of nowhere, Alina asked.

Jiero fell silent. His gray eyes moved uneasily.

It was indeed, a difficult question. A question that every player would want to say ‘yes’ but was too unreal to believe.

Yet, after a minute of silence, Jiero broke it with a, “no.”

He then stood up. The trident spear appeared in his hands.

“But you and me and other good, we save. I promise.”

He then threw his trident spear above of the branch they were now resting.

An explosion occurred.

The shadows from the tree branch had scattered—moved.

It then revealed someone.

A man; smiling at them, holding a pair of shadow blades.

“That’s quite impressive, young man,” said Leandro. “But I will get back what you have stolen from me.”

He then looked at Alina.