Winds of Freedom

Chapter 35: Happy Birthday

Chapter 35: Happy Birthday

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Shang Tu Island - Remote Forest, Night Hours

High above the ground, nestled deep within a remote forest in Shang Tu, the night air bristles with a cold breeze. The tall, ancient trees sway gently and the moon casts its soft silver glow across the landscape. The only sound, besides the wind, is the occasional hoot of an owl hidden somewhere among the foliage.

Amid the silence, perched high in the boughs of a sturdy tree, Spade lies on one of the branches. His expression is unreadable, his green eyes reflecting the glow of the moon as he gazes upwards, lost in thought.

In his hand is the Silver Chaos Emerald. Its otherworldly light casting a gentle silver light.

Spade lifts his arm, holding the emerald closer to his face. "That was too easy," he mutters under his breath, his lips curling into a wry smirk. He had expected more of a challenge-had prepared himself for a difficult mission to find the legendary emerald of supposedly unlimited power. Instead, it turned out to be the easiest job of his life.

He remembered the radar he had been given. The Silver Chaos Emerald had simply appeared as a tiny dot on the screen, leading him to this remote forest. After only minutes of searching, he found it sitting quietly in a bird's nest, unbothered and unguarded as if it had always belonged there.

Now, as Spade contemplates the emerald, a strange sense of calm washes over him. There is something about the gem's soft glow that comforts him. But even as he stares at the emerald, his thoughts begin to drift away from it, to something more troubling-someone important to him.

His expression darkens as memories flood back. "He's been brainwashed," Spade mutters to himself, the words bitter in his mouth. "That's why he became so erratic, so paranoid. Heh... I should have seen it sooner. What a brother I am." A harsh, self-deprecating laugh escapes him, his lips curling into a snarl. "But there's no point in regrets now."

He shifts his position on the branch, glancing down at the emerald radar. Two points of light blink steadily on the screen. One dot, blue, is moving steadily southward-out of Shang Tu and seemingly out of the archipelago. The other dot, purple, remains stationary, unmoving somewhere to the east.

The purple one didn't concern him much-it had stayed in one place for too long to be of immediate importance. But the blue dot intrigued him. It was heading away from Shang Tu, traveling fast. He wondered where it could be going, but quickly pushed the thought aside. He had more pressing matters to focus on.

His gaze returned to the emerald in his hand, and a frown creased his brow. "Robotnik said he needs all seven Chaos Emeralds to 'show the world' his power," Spade mused, his voice low and angry. His hands clenched tightly around the emerald, the fact that he had been deceived so easily-been drawn into Robotnik's plans without hesitation-made his blood boil.

"Well," Spade muttered, his voice growing firm with resolve, "this one won't be joining the others anytime soon."

He had his own plans now. With both Robotnik and that alien likely wondering where he was, it wouldn't be long before they discovered his absence. He needed to act fast, to come up with a strategy before they found him. As the thoughts raced through his mind, a decision began to take shape.

"I can't believe I'm considering this..." Spade muttered, bewilderment flickering across his face. But as much as it pained him to admit, there was only one group that could help him now. He needed to rely on them, he knew he had no other choice. He couldn't take on both Robotnik and the alien alone.