Winds of Freedom

Chapter 52: Bonds and Metallic Reflections

Chapter 52: Bonds and Metallic Reflections

Royal Palace – Healing Springs, Morning Hours

The scent of life petals lingered in the air inside the healing springs, mingling with a tension that had replaced the earlier tranquility. Lilac and Sonic stood beside Spade, who held a sleek radar device aloft in his hand. The screen glowed faintly, displaying seven distinct colored dots arranged across its interface, each representing a Chaos Emerald.

Sonic tilted his head, his arms crossed as he tapped his foot, an unimpressed expression plastered across his face. "Yep, that's sure an Emerald Radar, alright," he said with a shrug. "I've seen, like, a dozen of those before."

Spade rolled his eyes, clearly unimpressed. "Yeah, no surprise there," he replied dryly. "Robotnik told me all about your little adventures with these magical rocks that turn your fur into piss," he added with a smirk, drawing a scowl from Sonic.

"Real classy," Sonic muttered, though he didn't deny the jab.

"But here's what's important," Spade continued, turning the radar so they could see the glowing display more clearly. The seven dots gleamed in vibrant colors, scattered unevenly across the screen. He pointed to two dots that were slightly closer to their current location. "You already know we've got the silver and blue ones."

To emphasize his point, Spade reached into his pouch and pulled out the Silver Chaos Emerald,the gem shimmered brilliantly. Sonic followed suit, retrieving his own Blue Chaos Emerald, its blue glow complementing the silver light.

Lilac stared at the two emeralds, their brilliance reflecting in her eyes. She could feel their faint energy pulsing in the room.

"But unlucky for us," Spade went on, his tone turning serious, "Robotnik and Brevon have the other four. That includes the red echidnas Master Emerald, and the Kingdom Stone." He gestured to four clustered dots on the radar, all concentrated in one location.

Lilac's frown deepened as she exchanged a worried glance with Sonic.

"So they've got the other four..." Lilac murmured, her voice heavy with concern.

"And we didn't even know they had that many because of our defunct radar," Sonic added, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Talk about a blind spot."

Spade leaned back against the wall, his smirk returning. "Yeah, you guys kinda dropped the ball on that one. But don't worry—yours truly has a radar that actually works." He tapped the screen, pointing to a lone purple dot on the far edge of the display. "They're missing the last one, the purple emerald. And it's close. If my guess is right, it's sitting pretty in Pangu Lagoon."

Lilac's eyes widened in surprise. "Pangu Lagoon?!" she exclaimed. "That place is sacred! No one's supposed to disturb it!"

Spade shrugged casually. "Yeah, and? Didn't stop Brevon and Robotnik from almost leveling Shang Mu or kidnapping the Magister and sticking an impostor in his place. Sacred or not, they're going for it if they get the chance."

His words struck a nerve, but they also made sense. Lilac's hands clenched at the thought of Brevon or Robotnik desecrating such a place.

"And while we're on the subject," Spade continued, his tone turning colder, "I overheard something while I was still working with them. Some Shuigang guards were talking about a commotion in Parusa from a few days ago. Apparently, someone—or something—grabbed one of the emeralds there. Whatever it was left a mark."

Sonic's eyes narrowed slightly as Spade's words brought back a memory, clear and sharp. Sari. The way she had looked at the emerald, at him. Her injury. That was not an accident, was it?