39:14

After everyone has rested, they prepare themselves for the next mission. This time, CHE5TER doesn't seem mad anymore, yet the emotionless expression of His still remained. Hard to say why is He like this all the time. He is giving commands to His people now, making sure that everything is ready for the quest.

[N4THAN]-...So if anything, we can use the exit from the east?

[CHE5TER]-You hear me being doubtful?

[N4THAN]-I'm just asking... I don't know how fast you can get to that exit.

[CHE5TER]-Just do as I say. It's not like I cannot do anything on my own.

[N4THAN]-*sigh* Alright, Master...

[CHE5TER]-Mr. J4CE, did you check on the equipment?

[J4CE]-Yes, Master! We just need to wait for all the members to get ready and we are off to go!

[CHE5TER]-And the supplies?

[IZA4K]-Is it really necessary? It's just a quick mission, nothing so extravagant.

[CHE5TER]-It's not just this one, Mr. IZA4K. Mr. M1SH4M needs help with a rescue as well. Weren't you paying attention when I explained the tasks for today's night?

[J4CE]-I'll be checking the supplies in no time, don't worry!

[CHE5TER]-Alright. Tell me if we miss anything.

[RY4N]-...CHE5TER?

[CHE5TER]-Hm?

From behind though, RY4N seems to be approaching Him again. The realisation of who's talking to Him just makes the Great Leader take a deep breath and hope to get over the worst.

[CHE5TER]-*sigh* You came to argue again? Right now, it's not the time for that. We are about to go in our mission soon. You know that already.

[RY4N]-And you know that I don't want to argue with you. You just make it hard for me to communicate with you.

[CHE5TER]-RY4N...

[RY4N]-I'm serious, CHE5TER! You do not want to talk to me at all, and you don't want to even admit it! But I'm seeing it all, Brother! I see how you simply don't want me to be around you anymore!

[CHE5TER]-Just... tell me what do you want. It's not that hard to get to the point, for the gods' sake. I really don't have time for any of this right now.

RY4N just looks at Him when he hears His words, almost as if the words themselves hurt him. He is... disappointed... but doesn't seem to be of the person that stands in front of him. He just looks down, upset, and turns around to go back to his position.

[RY4N]-...Nothing. I just wanted to wish you... a safe mission.

[CHE5TER]-...Huh?

So as His brother leaves, He is a bit confused by his words. He expected another fight between them, not a wish of "good luck". He stands for a while still to watch RY4N leave, almost as if He couldn't move, paralysed by the words. Then...

[CHE5TER]-...Wait! RY4N!

...He tries to reach out for him, raising His right hand towards his brother which was covered by a torn cloth, revealing an injured hand, almost even paralysed for good. Maybe He got scared, but of what? Yet it's a bit too late anyway, because RY4N didn't hear. He was already too far away from Him to respond.

He gives up in the end, looking unhappy this time, observing this hand of His. A hand that you could barely say it belongs to a living being. It is bandaged everywhere, yet one of the fingers is missing. He tries to move it for a bit, failing, before He sighs and goes back to His duty.

"...But even so... it doesn't seem like it. I want to know what changed him so badly, I want to fix what's broken. Yet in the end, no matter how hard I try, I remained a failure. Maybe in his eyes, I'm a disappointment, maybe I'm not even his brother anymore at this point. Who knows what's in his mind... Yet from the way he acts towards me, I just feel like we separated our paths long time ago, and there is no way back.

We used to talk to each other no matter the subject, even if we felt or knew that the other one will hardly disagree on what we were going to say. We didn't mind anything. He had things that hated at me, and I had mine at him. It's normal after all. We all have our own opinions. But now, we can't even discuss with each other. He blames it on work, yet I blame it on his desire to get as far as he can from me.

Maybe I did something wrong that made him hate me? Or said something that I shouldn't? Maybe I wasn't present on a moment when he needed me the most and didn't forgive me? But even if I stay for months and think about every single possibility, I would still not get my answer. As much as I would like to see him safe, I just miss these days when everything was perfect. When we never had any worries about anything around us. I know it's hard to get back to them, maybe even impossible. But everyone has a dream, right? And I don't think I'm the only one with this small desire.

250 years of war and hiding to survive, decades on building the concept of "freedom" among the citizens of the underground and ourselves, to believe that we are forever safe from the terrors of the outside. Yet, look where we are. We fear the day of tomorrow like children fearing to lose at a game. But this is no simple game, it never was. Life means survival, giving up on your dreams for the sake of your own protection. Is it really beauty in this so-called "gift from the gods"? We are lied that there is suppose to be hope out there waiting for us to find it. We are told to fight till the very end until the Light Itself comes to take us to our eternal rest. Can you truly call it "living", when we are trapped in a cage with no way out? Because there is not a more cruel thing that this destiny could give us.

Or maybe we are simply the unlucky ones. Maybe others lived better and they could actually call it "living". Maybe we are the ones that simply ended up in the worst times of history, doing nothing but endure and fight against it. If so, maybe in different times of history, we wouldn't have even argued once. Maybe we were still having the best life you could ever wish for, without anything ruining it. But in the end..."

"...maybe this is simply our fate."