Jade, wearing the snug suit with her long black hair cascading down her back, turned to Gojaro. "This is surprisingly snug. What’s it for anyway?" she inquired, her voice echoing slightly in the spacious room.
Gojaro, with a sense of urgency, replied, "I will explain on the way. Let’s not keep the higher-ups waiting." As they both proceeded to exit, Jade noticed the familiarity of the long hallway they traversed.
Although it seemed somewhat recognizable, the intricate designs adorning the walls differed slightly from those she had seen before, imbuing the space with a unique yet vaguely familiar essence.
The ground beneath their feet was polished black with white lines that snaked along its surface, guiding their path. Gojaro, focused, pulled out a small crinkled paper map.
He studied it for a moment before confidently stating, "Okay, let’s see. Yes, that’s right. The infirmary is about 30 minutes away.
Okay, let’s go."
Jade, still curious about the snug fit of her suit, was caught off guard by Gojaro’s sudden acceleration through the facility’s intricate hallways.
The walls, adorned with cryptic designs that hinted at the organization’s rich history, seemed to whisper secrets as they passed.
"Why are we walking so fast?" she inquired, her voice echoing slightly against the polished, monochromatic floor that stretched before them.
Gojaro, with a light chuckle that seemed to dance through the air, shared, "Well, the ceremony starts in barely 20 minutes, and we’re a good 30-minute stride from the stage area. Time is of the essence."
Jade’s confusion deepened, a frown briefly crossing her face. "But how? I was just with the director no more than a quarter-hour ago," she protested, her tone laced with disbelief.
With a reassuring glance back at Jade, Gojaro simply stated, "He’s known for his efficiency and tight schedule."
As Gojaro transitioned into a jog, he called back to Jade, "I’ll go slow, but do try to keep up, okay?"
Jade, momentarily caught off guard and coughing slightly, struggled to maintain her pace as Gojaro accelerated, practically sprinting through the intricate maze of hallways.
She pushed herself into a full-on sprint, attempting to close the distance between them.
Intrigued, she noticed that with each step he took, faint traces of gold lingered in the air, sparking curiosity about whether this phenomenon was a manifestation of his power.
Despite the initial shock of his speed, Jade found herself surprisingly capable of keeping up, maintaining a consistent pace about 20 feet behind him. The fact that she could sustain such velocity was a revelation in itself.
They maneuvered through the winding corridors with agility, passing one door after another in a blur.
Glancing back at her, Gojaro cautioned, "Be careful not to bump into anyone up ahead, okay!"
Gojaro rounded a corner. Jade watched him leap over an unseen obstacle, then step onto a floating book. He spun, rolled on the ground, and resumed his sprint with effortless grace.
Jade, momentarily bewildered by the sight of floating books and clipboards drifting through the hallway, decelerated briefly.
The corridor, alive with levitating objects, offered little time for contemplation. In a full sprint, she leaped forward, her jump so powerful she nearly touched the 10-foot-high ceiling.
After tumbling to the other side, she saw Gojaro continuing his dash down the hallway. Jade, shaking off the disorientation with a determined nod, lowered her head and propelled herself forward, eager to close the distance between them.
After what felt like an eternity of relentless sprinting, Jade finally noticed Gojaro coming to a sudden halt.
Her attempt to stop mirrored his abruptness, but her shoes betrayed her, causing her to skid and crash into the ground, ultimately colliding with the door just in front of him.
Panting, she managed to say, "You could have warned me we were going to stop," as she wiped the sweat from her forehead, trying to regain her composure.
Gojaro, unfazed, responded, "Yeah, but learning to control your speed is crucial. Instead of crashing into the wall, you should’ve utilized the surroundings to maintain balance. Whether it means breaking down the door or bouncing off it.
In encounters with creatures like those we’ve seen with Ash and the others, they won’t hesitate to use every underhanded tactic to defeat you and breach our defenses."
Rubbing the top of her head, Jade considered his words, "I guess that makes sense. Does this mean we’ve made it in time?"
Gojaro, after a brief check of his phone, confirmed they were on schedule but still needed to descend further. He strode past Jade, his hand reaching for the door handle, which emitted a subtle blue glow at his touch.
As he pulled, what appeared to be an ordinary door revealed a massive elevator on the other side, now fully opened.
"Let’s go. The ride down takes a few minutes," he said, stepping into the elevator.
Jade, still catching her breath from the sprint, followed with a nod. "Just how far down are we going exactly?"
In response, Gojaro produced a small golden key from his pocket and inserted it into a slot. Turning the key triggered a second panel of buttons to emerge, and he pressed the R button at the bottom.
"To the crystal, so pretty far down," he explained as the elevator began its descent. Anticipation and wonder wrapped around the thought of their destination.
Jade’s curiosity piqued at the mention of a crystal. "A crystal? What does a crystal have to do with anything?" she inquired, her brow furrowed in confusion.
Gojaro, pulling out his phone momentarily before tucking it away, responded with a hint of mystery in his tone. "I had the same questions years ago, and to be honest, I still don’t fully grasp it.
But essentially, it’s this indestructible object that prevents us from using our powers," he explained as the elevator began its descent, its movement marked by the gentle clanking sounds of its operation.
Jade’s mind raced with questions. "So, you’re saying that everyone on Earth has this ability, but it’s locked away by a crystal... why?"