Lina sat alone in her room, crying tears of frustration. Why was Zell being so stubborn? Dan had been her only pillar of strength when she needed support most, but their relationship was strictly platonic, but no matter how she tried to explain to Zell, Zell'd still be so fixed on some idea that her feelings might suddenly shift. How preposterous! She decided she'd need to go back and clarify with Zell, and make sure he understood--wouldn't that be best? Sure! Lina scurried to the door and pulled it open, but standing in her path was Nakago, standing still in her doorway as a statue.
"You look a little stressed," was all he said, and Lina chuckled a little bit, even though she found no real humor in his remark. Lina wiped the ridiculous tears from her steamed cheeks and nodded. "Hey...come with me. I know the perfect place right out there in the woods where you can relax."
"What? No...I'm just on my way to Zell's--" but it wouldn't matter what Lina said, because as soon as she'd opened her mouth, Nakago had grabbed her wrist and pulled her out of the room, leaving the door wide open. "Nakago! Let me go, what are you doing!?" He stopped for a second and turned around, his grip around her wrist tightening but with no response. Lina's eyes widened in understanding. "You're joking... I trusted you."
"Well, you're just too nice," he said, then covered her mouth as to stifle her screams and carried her the rest of the way out of Garden so quickly that barely anyone could see exactly what was going on. Lina knew it from the malicious glare in his storm blue eyes--he was kidnapping her. "You have nothing to fret about--soon all your pain will be over."
Lina kicked against him and struggled to free herself for just a second, about to sprint as quickly as she could, but not a second later, she'd find herself in gagged, the hand that'd been covering her mouth now around her wrists and the rest of him pushing her through the thicket of trees. Just outside of another ruffle of pines and oaks, Lina saw through tear-streaked eyes a moonlit clearing, and within said spot was a shrine all spruced up for the occasion. From its ceiling hung dimly lit lantern and red and gold streamers dangling from the ancient Chinese architecture.
Finally, Nakago dropped Lina to her feet and removed the gag from her mouth. "Come on now, in here... there's a nice little spa where you can relax and get Zell off your mind. He's been nothing, but trouble to you thus far anyway," Nakago said, but Lina began to back away even though something inside of her was boiling--how dare he kidnap her to the middle of nowhere then insult Zell as if he knew Zell even one fourth as well as she did. Finally, she pivoted on her heel and began to run, but Nakago grabbed her suddenly and pushed her roughly into the shrine.
Lina toppled over and found immediately, her fingers growing numb. She looked up in Nakago's direction and glared at him, able to utter, "You deceived us this whole time. Why would you do that? I thought Balamb Garden had given everything to satiate you." Her arms were then numb, and soon her shoulders--the stinging burning of a million invisible needles in her skin began to expand and reach over across her collar bone. She choked with coughs until the numb became uniform.
"Instructor, you don't understand. I came to Balamb Garden for some freak like you. Sorceress from two worlds," he scoffed. "Your sacrificial death is the only thing from Garden I look forward to." Finally, Lina fully collapsed across the floor, the numb shutting her eyelids, but not her hearing yet.
She couldn't feel the footsteps of a figure sauntering into the room, but could hear the girl's voice as she spoke in a haughty tone, "You've got her?" Lina realized the girl was prodding her foot into Lina's side--like she was some kind of lifeless doll. Lina didn't hear Nakago's response as her hearing and overall consciousness began to spiral, but she did hear the girl's shrill laughter--the blood curling shrieks of malevolent pleasure.
"Lady Yui, shall I prepare her for the Ceremony?" Nakago asked, and the lady shifted her weight to the side.
"No, allow me to," Yui said. "What's her name?"
"Lina Heartilly." Yui stepped over Lina's unconscious figure and smirked.
"Well, Lina. Goodbye."