Chapter 20 - INHUMANITY: Curse Of The Dead

10.06.1642

The Underground City

38:42

And yet again, we found ourselves around the Underground City, watching the liveliness of it from the distance. But more exactly, we are witnessing now Miss MY4, young Healer of the shelters, helping people as always. It does seem as she has been doing it for quite some time now, as she has treated a lot of patients that have waited for her arrival today. From ill people, to injured ones, to slaves, you name it! After all, this is the job she has decided to take, and she loves what she's doing more than anything else. She loves helping people in need.

And so, as said, she walks around the busy hallway of a shelter, going from person to person in order to treat them all. It is rather a depressing atmosphere if you work in this kind of environment though, seeing people this way all the time. And it is maybe a reason why LUK3 found it so unexpected what this girl has to deal with all the time when he assisted her for the first time in his life. But for whatever reason, she doesn't mind it at all. She doesn't mind hearing people crying or screaming for help. She doesn't mind seeing people die naturally every day. Sure, it is hard for her to deal with it even so, but what can she do? The gods have already written their fate, and Death is a part of their story. Other choices than feeling bad for all the losses, there are... none... actually. This is all you can do. Hope for everything to be alright.

And yet... there are things she regrets even so. She learnt to deal with Death for years, but some deaths are putting her into constant nightmares. After all, wouldn't it be the same for everyone? Nobody wishes to see one day a dear friend dying from whatever reasons, nor the one you love the most in this world. She can help people, but she cannot protect them from Death Itself. As she cannot... protect Him from It.

As she walks towards the exit, after she has done her work for today, she sees people standing together, either patients of her or simple citizens of the city that live in those shelters. And those that stay together... fear Death as well. Injured people staying with their loved ones near them, hoping to get better. Ill people with theirs, hoping to survive. They all smile, hiding such a sadness in their eyes, knowing damn well that one day they will have to face reality and accept the fact that they are simple mortals. And she too... has to accept it.

Though she doesn't want it, as she has fought for the one she loves so much in the past to keep Him alive, she knows deep down that nobody lives forever... not even a god. No matter the powers a being can have, Death is way more powerful, even more power than the Immortals themselves. It is said that immortality is a curse, and yet somehow it can still be affected by this cruel god. After all, Immortals can still die, but not naturally. And He too can die like all the others. A thought that... makes her a bit uncomfortable to think about all the time.

She is one of the people that saw the worst natural deaths that exist in this world of theirs. He isn't that far from this path either. Though she seems powerful to keep herself motivated even with this environment around her, she is still as gentle as a dove in the end. If it is for her to lose one day someone she cherishes in this world, then who says she will still be as strong as she pretends to be around all the other people?

And so, not long after she has left the shelter, she goes on her way towards the base, while also doing a few stops to buy things she might need, as well as watching a bit the city for one last time until she takes a rest too. But, as she does so, in the distance, there can be seen LUK3, who also seems to be looking around the city, but this time, to find someone in particular. And, of course, the person he tries to find is MY4 herself. So, when he finally notices her, he rushes towards her direction.

[LUK3]-MY4? MY4! Hold on!!

[MY4]-Hm?

After hearing his shouting for her name, she walks towards him too, while the young man seems pretty excited as he comes closer to her.

[MY4]-Oh, hi, LUK3! Anything wrong?

[LUK3]-Oh, no, no, no! Nothing like that! I just wanted to talk with you!

[MY4]-Okay... Then what is it?

[LUK3]-Well, you know how tomorrow is a special day and someone deserves something for it... So I was thinking... how about you take a break? You can talk with Boss and sort it out! Only one day!

[MY4]-LUK3...

[LUK3]-Oh, come on! Don't be like that! You and Boss work the most in this city after all! And even He took a break for quite some time! You saw that on your own! Why don't you want to take one as well?

[MY4]-LUK3, there are thousands of people that need help every day. I can't just simply say that I'm not coming for the sake of me taking a rest.

[LUK3]-Yeaaah, but it's your day, Mimi! It's once a year, god dammit! They will understand!

[MY4]-Even if I took a break, what would we even do the whole day exactly? We can't just stay at a bar as we did in the past few years. I simply don't understand why do I have to take a break the whole day. There are 52 hours, counting the sleeping schedule. What exactly could we do in them?

[LUK3]-Well...

[MY4]-Please, understand that there is no point in doing that. KYR4 didn't wish to do something like this either. Nobody did. There is nothing but a waste of time. I will go with you wherever you wish, I promise. But I don't need to take a free day.

[LUK3]-Then what about CHE5TER's opinion? What would He say? You would listen to His opinion, right?

[MY4]-You know already that He doesn't mind any decisions made by us as long as it doesn't cause any trouble. He would've let me do whatever I wish to do.

[LUK3]-Ninini... You guys just don't know how to live your lives, for Heaven's sake!

[MY4]-*sigh* You know that's not possible for us to do it, LUK3... When we were younger, it was a different story, but now we have too many things to handle to even think of making these dreams come true.

[LUK3]-MY4, as your best friend, I'm telling this to you from the bottom of my heart... you are stupid. So what if you have responsibilities now!? Do you really have to give up on everything that makes you happy??

[MY4]-Easy to say when you don't really care about your responsibilities at all.

[LUK3]-HEY, THAT'S NOT EVEN TRUE! I'M TAKING MY RESPONSIBILITIES SERIOUSLY!

[MY4]-*giggles* Yeah, sure. That's why you didn't want to accept your fate, huh?

[LUK3]-Oh, shut up! You know very well that I had nothing to do with that title at all! I'm not afraid of responsibilities, I simply didn't like that job!

[MY4]-Mhmm... Look, I will try maybe tomorrow to see if I can go somewhere for a few hours, but I don't think you will come with me this time.

[LUK3]-EHH?? WHY!?

[MY4]-We will go wherever you wish together after that, but I want to do something else first, alright?

[LUK3]-Mmokay, okay... KYR4's gonna kill me for this, but alright... It is your day and I have to respect it...

[MY4]-Thank you! Anyway, let's change the subject... Wasn't a mission programmed in a few hours? Why are you here and not at the base to prepare for your leaving?

[LUK3]-Well, yeaaah! In a few hours, not now!

[MY4]-So instead of preparing, you came to search for me in order to tell me to take a break tomorrow? Couldn't you just wait until I came back at the base or after the mission was done? What's with the rush?

[LUK3]-I just wanted to ask you, that's all! What? I don't have permission now?

[MY4]-Alright, you tall child. How about we just go back at the base now? You have a mission to do and you didn't even get ready.

[LUK3]-Yeah, yeah. Make fun of me now.

The Southeast Military Base

41:57

And so, we are going back to the base as said, a few hours later, where RY4N seems as he walks around the hallway while everyone is getting ready for a new mission once again. Except... there is no sign of the Great Leader among these people, but it doesn't seem to bother anybody this idea either.

[D4NI3L]-Master RY4N, we are ready to go!

[RY4N]-Alright, just give me a minute. I have to do something first.

[D4NI3L]-Anything troubling you?

[RY4N]-No, no. Don't worry about it.

[LUK3]-Ughh, just hurry up alreadyyy! I want the mission to start, I'm sick of forever waiting!

[KYR4]-Can't you just be patient for a damn minute, LUK3?

[LUK3]-No! No, I can't!

[KYR4]-*sigh* Are you serious now...

[RY4N]-I will be quick, alright? I promise.

[KYR4]-...No need. Take your time. Don't listen to this idiot.

[LUK3]-Hey!! I'm right next to you!

[RY4N]-Alright. I'll be back. Make sure that we took everything we needed in the meantime, Officer KYR4. Okay?

[KYR4]-Alright, alright...

[RY4N]-See you all at the exit?

[KYR4]-Yeah, see you.

And so, he waves at the group and leaves them behind, starting walking once again around the hallway, but this time, with a destination in mind. It sure seems like he is searching for something... or more exactly someone. Most likely the Great Leader, but is it really a surprise at this point? Yet there is no worry, as the Officer seems to already know that He is in His office, as he enters the room and greets Him, the ruler standing on His chair as always, while looking around some documents on His desk.

[RY4N]-So? You are not coming this time either, I assume?

[CHE5TER]-Hmph. Greetings to you as well, RY4N. Haven't we discussed this already? What's so hard to understand that you have to take my role for a while?

[RY4N]-What makes you think that it is a good idea to let me lead the team anyway? Why don't you want to do it anymore all of a sudden? Anything happened?

[CHE5TER]-No. Nothing happened so far when it comes to my wellbeing.

[RY4N]-Then? Why did you decide such thing so randomly?

[CHE5TER]-It's simple, actually. You said that the M soldiers think that I've died, right?

[RY4N]-Yes... So?

[CHE5TER]-So... why not abuse this information for a while? Think it like this: if they believe that their biggest threat is out of their way, they will start organising themselves and do the preparations for the real plans which they couldn't fulfil because of Seven Two. Now that Seven Two is "dead", won't they be stupid enough to get cocky? Thinking that they are more powerful than us only because of one soldier's death? Let them think that for a while. I want to see how things progress. Maybe it could help us in finding more about those secrets that are kept hidden from us.

[RY4N]-*sigh* Is it really the best plan you could think of?

[CHE5TER]-Not the best, but it's an advantage that we have to use now. If anything goes wrong though, nothing stops me from coming back to my duty as the Leader and fix everything once again. And, come on... you should've been already used to being a Leader, RY4N. Wasn't this our plan anyway?

[RY4N]-We had many plans in the past, CHE5TER, and you know that. It just so happened that none of them goes as we thought they will. You know already that this wasn't even our dream job in the first place, yet here we are.

[CHE5TER]-Then we should give up on it, shouldn't we, Brother? We shall give up on everything our father and all our ancestors have built so far, so that the M soldiers can win and so that we can lose all the freedom we have left, leaving nothing else but ashes from this city we know. We shall surrender, shouldn't we?

[RY4N]-You know I hate when you talk to me like that. Sarcasm won't get you anywhere, god dammit.

[CHE5TER]-And you know that I hate to explain myself over and over again just for you to doubt my powers and every single word I say. And yet... you continue doing it every day.

[RY4N]-You know the reason behind my doubts already. Wouldn't you rethink every word as well if the roles were reversed?

[CHE5TER]-Not really. Even if I joke around sometimes, I still trust your skills, remember? If you say you can do it on your own, then I have no further questions.

[RY4N]-Even in desperate situations?

[CHE5TER]-Even so. Anyway, you should get going, shouldn't you? The others are probably waiting for their Leader to come and it's not the best idea to keep some of the soldiers waiting.

[RY4N]-*sigh* I didn't know you want to get rid of me until now, actually... So you got sick of me in the end, huh?

[CHE5TER]-What a strange thought of yours... But if you want to take it like this, then sure. So, are we going to continue this after? Or do you want to keep the members waiting and make them argue about it?

[RY4N]-...Alright. Fine. I'm leaving. Happy?

CHE5TER doesn't respond to that question though, but RY4N prepares to leave the room, not until he says one more thing as he looks at his brother.

[RY4N]-...What changed you this badly, CHE5TER?

And yet again He doesn't respond. He only looks into nothingness before He says His words, with a strange feeling that kills Him slowly, as a short goodbye.

[CHE5TER]-...Doesn't matter. Just go.

So, in the end, RY4N takes another look at his little brother, before he leaves the room and closes the door for good. As a consequence, CHE5TER remains alone in His office, continuing looking at the documents on His desk, before He turns around towards the window with the view of the city and takes a deep breath. He admires it for a bit, a city still so lively even at this hour, until He puts His left hand on the back on His neck for an unknown reason, touching a weird sign that He was born with, which also seems to have been cut, yet healed a while ago.