Secrets of the Administration

Chapter 14- Jay

Back at the Realm Relocation Administration Headquarters, a different kind of chaos was unfolding. Jay, still sporting a sheepish grin and clutching a bag of ice to Dr. Julian's throbbing elbow ("Sorry, Doc! Reflexes!"), listened intently as the other officials recounted their encounter with the ninja.

"They... they fought back?" one official sputtered, his voice laced with disbelief. "And that girl... she used some kind of... strange power!"

Jay frowned, his brow furrowing in confusion. "Strange power? You mean like that teleportation thing they always do? Ninjas are full of weird tricks." He winced as Dr. Julian shot him a withering glare.

Suddenly, a flicker of recognition sparked in Jay's eyes. The word "ninja" hung in the air, a familiar yet distant echo. He felt a strange tug at his memories, a hazy image of a blue uniform and the comforting weight of nunchucks in his hands. But the image was fleeting, swallowed by the overwhelming sense of duty instilled by the Administration.

"Those rogue ninja are a menace," Jay declared, puffing out his chest in a display of misplaced authority. "They need to be brought back to the fold, reintegrated into proper society."

Dr. Julian, his face twisted in a grimace of pain, rolled his eyes. "Of course, Jay," he muttered sarcastically. "Perhaps you should lead the next retrieval mission. Show them the error of their ways with your... administrative expertise."

The idea struck a chord within Jay. A mission? The chance to prove himself? He thumped his chest with renewed enthusiasm. "Excellent idea, Doctor! Those ninja won't know what hit them when they face the full force of the Administration... and Jay Walker!"

He beamed with misplaced confidence, oblivious to the doctor's exasperated sigh. A plan began to form in his mind, a plan fueled by a strange mix of misplaced duty and a subconscious yearning for something more.

Chapter 15- Mia

Mia sank onto the worn training mat in the monastery's training room, exhaustion finally claiming her. James, ever attentive, materialized beside her with a bag of ice and a worried frown.

"Here," he said, gently pressing the cool pack against the throbbing pulse in her forehead. "You pushed yourself too hard today, even for a birthday girl."

Mia winced at the contact, but a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "It was worth it," she mumbled, her voice raspy. The exhilarating, yet terrifying, ride on the cloud still sent shivers down her spine.

As James settled beside her, their shoulders brushing in a comforting silence, a sudden, sharp voice echoed in Mia's mind. It wasn't her own voice, but a chillingly familiar one – Jay's. It was a cacophony of fragmented thoughts, a jumbled mess of "Jay is this," "Jay is that," punctuated by a final, echoing scream of "Jay forgot about you!"

A wave of nausea washed over her. Her head throbbed, not just from exertion, but from the onslaught of unwelcome thoughts. Fear, a cold, slithering serpent, coiled around her heart. They all knew. They knew about Jay, about her connection to him, and yet, no one had told her.

Overwhelmed by a cocktail of emotions, Mia shot up from the mat. Tears welled in her eyes, blurring her vision. She couldn't breathe. She needed space.

Without a word, she sprinted out of the training room, her legs propelled by a desperate need to escape. She didn't care where she was going, as long as it was away from the concerned looks and unspoken words.

Her frantic journey took her through familiar corridors until she stumbled upon the rarely used entrance to the monastery's dungeon. Cool, damp air greeted her as she pushed open the heavy, iron-barred door. The faint smell of mildew and stone hung in the stale air, but it felt strangely comforting in the face of her turmoil.