Arriving back at the cafeteria, I could see a bunch of new boxes on the floor. We brought the wagon with us to load it all up, but it was getting too late. It would have to be done in the morning.
"Looks like you guys have been enjoying yourselves," I said.
They were eating in the kitchen. Ael seemed to have made a meal for us again.
"Yeah, we got done early. We were just waiting for your slowpokes." He teased.
"We both know you had the easier job."
"And you're the one who wanted to swap."
"Yeah, and we both know why."
He shut up as he looked at Amiel.
'Huh, look at that, the man can shut up.' I thought.
"Anyways, where are the plates?" I asked.
"Back here." Said Eira.
I turned back, looking at Amiel. "You're eating?"
"In a second."
He sat down on his sleeping back, resting on his hands as he leaned back.
'Must be tired.'
I turned toward Ael, and I whispered to him. "Go give him his plate."
"Wha-"
I grabbed the plate from the counter, I put it in his hands, and pushed him forward. Walking away, he mouthed something to me. I'm pretty sure he was telling me he hated me.
'Not my fault you poked the bear.'
"How is the food?" I said, turning to Eira.
"Good." Her face shone.
"Nothing compared to mine, I'm sure."
She choked. "No, no, it's not what I meant."
I chuckled at the sight of her being flustered. I think Ael was rubbing off on me a bit too much now.
I have only known him for about half a month, and yet he has already grown so much on me. It wasn't a bad thing, but still something I should be cautious of. Don't want to overstep myself.
Ael is coming back, I could see him sighing. "That was a pain."
His saying that left a smile on my face. Little light revenge for the whole clock tower incident.
"So are we heading out tomorrow?" I asked.
"Seems like it." He sat down on one of the stools, crossing his arms on the counter and laying his head on top of them. "All we really have left is putting the boxes in the wagon."
I could see all the boxes and wagons set near the entrance.
"Shouldn't be long then," I said. "It should only take about an hour to do.
"Pretty much."
***
The next morning, we loaded the boxes of food and medical supplies into the wagon. One person passed it off to someone on the wagon while that person organized it. We had a whole system going. I estimated about an hour yesterday, but we were able to get it done in about forty minutes.
When it came to pushing the wagon, we had a two-person system going as well. Ael and Eira would push it for one hour, while Amiel and I would push it the next. To be honest, I just didn't trust Ael to be paired up with Amiel again after what happened last time. It was like I was looking after a dog, but worse.
Using the main path to get off campus, it led us south, away from the mountain, which was north of campus. It was a bit hard to navigate the campus with some structures blocking pathways, especially when pushing this huge thing around, but Amiel's map came in quite useful. There was the fact that we figured out a decent amount of the path through campus, just bringing the wagon to the cafeteria.
When finally arriving at the forest, it was noon. The bell rang; it wasn't as loud as before, seeing how far we were, but it could still be heard clearly.
"Going to miss the campus," Ael said.
'I'm not.'
Walking past him as he was pushing the wagon, he smacked the back of my head.
"What was that for?"
This place was hell for me. I was the only low noble around. Meaning I had to face constant slander from the others. Then there was also that whole bunker thing. I just wanted to move past this part of my life and onto the new.
I haven't even thought about what is going to happen to me after this is all over. Was I still going to be able to study so I can create weapons for the empire? I hope so. I did not go through all this just to get sent to the front lines for nothing. I had a mother to take care of.
My mother gave up too much for me when my father died. She took care of the settlement my family governed while my father fought in the war. But just like many who joined the war, he fell too.
I don't have many memories of him since he died when I was young. Looking up to the sky as we get closer to the edge of campus was, 'war really is nothing but an endless cycle of hate and greed. Driving all that hate and greed was the propaganda that the empire set up.'
Looking back to where I was going, the forest clears up. I could finally see beyond—except there was one problem. Instead of the wasteland, I saw this white mist that governed the border of the campus.
"What is that?" Said Eira.
"Is that fog?" I added.
"I don't think so," Ael said.
Ael and Eira placed down the wagon while I walked forward, trying to inspect it. Looking to the left of me, the white mist ran until I could not see anymore. The same went for the right side.
"Great, another problem." Said Amiel.
Just then, in the hope of inspecting it just a bit more, I touch the mist. The world turned black instantly. Any light that there was, the snow that surrounded my feet, the people around me, they were all gone. I was now back in the place I least wanted to be in—back in that nightmare.