AST
PHASE 43 . FIRST ENCOUNTER

Unknowingly, the water droplets flowed back over Adara's cheeks. He sobbed, even as the pain on his right wrist left him nearly numb. His clenched left hand hit the dashboard perfectly.

He couldn't do it after what he saw just now. The young man attacked him mercilessly, though

he really did not want to overthrow the Clibanarii. This phase makes Adara think that Adnan is unlikely to change.

But, why?

Why was that thought unable to make him believe his words in the past?

Adara descended from the cockpit after landing the Paladin among the icy mountains that were still shrouded in a slight storm. Simply freeze if the uniform is not as thick as a winter coat. After hurtling through the sky, the Paladin flashed a lot of smoke, making its trail disappear and hoping that Sarkan could not detect it again. Very stupid according to Adara who had just controlled a rare Clibanarii for his entire life.

His steps came to a halt when he heard the footsteps of someone ahead there. His gaze lifted, seeing a young man standing facing him— about 10 meters away. Saliva Adara gulped. Right, the controller he saw on the cockpit screen of the Paladin earlier was the same person as the figure that was in front of him at the moment. The girl's smile even looked bitterly engraved and was unable to shake off the doubt in her mind.

Meanwhile, Adnan stepped back. However, when the distance was only a few meters left, the girl actually shuffled back. He then stopped.

“Why?” The voice came from Adara's lips that were shaking. “What's wrong with you?”

Adnan was about to speak, but the girl again snatched his session.

“What are you doing?” adara cried with trembling.

The young man's saliva gulped, it was quite difficult when his body had to endure such a cold temperature this second. He exhaled many times, at least trying to keep his body warm.

Adnan remained silent. He took a few steps forward, cutting the distance between them. Convinced that the girl was no longer retreating, she smiled bitterly and slightly lowered her head. His fingers that had red hueed were about to clench, but were stopped for some reason.

The young man raised his eyes again. The other side of her who was about to speak suddenly gasped when she saw Adara now walking over. The girl's nose and cheeks had been flushed. His eyes were puffy, not since when he cried. And that made Adnan's heart rustle.

Adnan's mouth was open, now with tightly clenched hands. He ventured back to look at the girl in front of him.

“Ad—”

Damnit. Supposedly, this moment could be something that makes Adnan talk first before the girl in front of him. However, why did the girl also open her mouth like that?

Adnan tried to keep looking at the girl in front of him. Adara's hair that was shaken and blown by a gust of wind with snow grains that began to accumulate at the top of it attracted the attention of the young man. He sighed, then extended one hand to the head of the girl in front of him.

Silently, Adara understood one thing. The other side justifies the statement that the young man has not changed. He let Adnan get rid of the snowflakes in his hair and instead did not care about his own condition.

“Away.” A voice called out the girl's name.

Adara looked over, finding a man approaching her. He can't remember when Jason left the front row and followed him. Meanwhile, Adnan's outstretched hand was then attracted back. Adnan and the man he had seen for the first time were staring at each other. The blue-eyed young man sighed when he got an intimidating look from the man who was now beside Adara.

“Adnan!” Again, a voice distracted them.

This time, Adnan was almost upset, as well as confused. How not? The captain of the western alliance instead left the army and followed him here. What the fuck? Why is he so childish?

Erick ran up to three people, of which only one was known. He looked at the two people in front of him who were different uniforms with him. “They ...,” murmured.

Jason screeched softly. “What kind of view is this?” clap it while folding both hands in front of the chest.

“We have to go back, Adara,” take him later. Not forgetting, he turned his head towards the two young men in front of him. “Kalian

also come back.”

Adnan looked at the man whose hair looked messy. He fell silent and sighed, then nodded. Adnan again looked at the girl who was still raising a gaze full of ambiguity.

“Command the troops to retreat, Erick,” said Adnan, making the young man standing next to him slightly jerked.

“But, Commander—”

“There is no more time,” cut Adnan, then turn around after it is felt already ‘satisfied enough’ look at the girl with eyes

that chocolate.

Erick also turned around and followed the steps of his colleague. “Commander has not asked us to step down, Ad,” he said.

Adnan then stopped his steps and snorted. He stared intently at the brunette young man. “Someone I have to take care of after this,” he said. “I have to go back to Cosmo and meet someone.”

Frederick Add finally could only silence while nodding his head. He turned around for a moment, trying to check on the girl and the man. However, they were no longer there as if they disappeared under the increasingly thick snow.

A flash of memory was pouring out in Erick's mind. He had met the girl before.

However, when he saw how Adnan reacted when he and the man came, it felt very strange. What is

with the boy? Why just leave?

“Adnan! Hey, Adnan!” he shouted as he reached for the shoulder of the young man who had walked before him. “Adnan, stop!”

Adnan stopped his steps and turned to face his partner. For a moment he glanced at the point where he met Adara earlier. The girl was no longer there.

“You ... You don't want to meet him?” ask Erick.

The black haired young man sighed. One hand extended out toward Erick's ear, more precisely he turned off the communication channel that was still active in the young man.

“I don't want to make the weakness of the eastern alliance known to our side,”.

Erick stunned. So that's the reason.

Adnan patted the young man in front of him. “Nothing,” said. “At least I know that he is fine.”

Adnan's touch stretched and slowly slipped off Erick's shoulders. Adnan turned around and headed towards the Sarkan

they are not far from their current position. The snow storm is getting bigger. The gust of wind blew Adnan's black hair and made the young man's stiff back slowly disappear in the silence.

Erick gulped down the saliva. He could feel how his friend was feeling now. It was not this kind of meeting that he wanted. Well, they don't even have the right to arrange that encounter.

***