16

Perhaps it was the gnawing nervousness of venturing into the darkness for the first time, fully aware of the terrors that lurked there, that kept Eldric from falling asleep. No matter how much he tossed and turned in his bed, his mind refused to let him rest. His thoughts were plagued by an endless stream of potential dangers—what might be waiting out there? He tried to plan for every situation, from the most mundane to the horrifyingly unpredictable. The more he thought, the more his mind raced, and time seemed to stretch endlessly. Eldric couldn't recall how long he lay in that restless state, but eventually, exhaustion won over, and he finally succumbed to sleep.

"Wake up." A voice cut through the haze of his slumber, dragging him back to consciousness. It was Jeron.

"Ugh…" Eldric groaned, still disoriented, the remnants of sleep clinging to him as he raised his head to see Jeron standing before him. His eyes half-closed, he gave a slight nod and dropped his head back onto the pillow, as if he hadn't slept long enough. Every muscle in his body seemed to protest the idea of waking up so soon.

Watching Eldric's sluggish movements, Jeron ground his teeth together, the tension in his jaw visible. His fists clenched briefly, his first instinct to reprimand the boy, but something held him back. After a moment of silent frustration, he shook his head in exasperation. He couldn't fathom why they were bothering to babysit this kid. Just having him around was a liability, and if things went wrong, it would be their lives at risk.

"It's time," Jeron muttered, his voice cold and clipped. Without another word, he turned and left the room, his footsteps heavy with irritation. He wasn't going to waste another second coaxing Eldric to move. Whether the boy followed or not, it wasn't Jeron's problem anymore.

"Ugh… already?" Eldric muttered under his breath, rubbing his eyes. The thought of getting up now felt unbearable. He hadn't slept enough, and his body yearned for just a few more minutes. But that momentary complaint vanished as soon as reality set in—he was about to go out into the darkness, and more importantly, he was going with Reona and Jeron.

Suddenly wide awake, Eldric bolted upright, hurriedly making his way to the bathroom. Splashing cold water on his face, he let out a sharp breath, trying to shake off the grogginess that still lingered. The chill of the water bit into his skin, but it was effective. With a renewed sense of urgency, he rushed out of the room, his mind now fully alert. His heart pounded faster in anticipation as he hurried toward the small meeting room where they had gathered before.

"You're here." Reona's voice was calm but focused, her attention fully on packing various items into her travel bag. She didn't bother looking up as she tossed a small cloth bag toward Eldric. "Pack what you think you'll need."

Eldric caught the bag awkwardly, blinking at the terse instruction. "What I'll need?" he echoed, more to himself than to her. She didn't offer any further guidance. There was no list, no directions—just the bare command. It felt like a test, though he wasn't sure of what. Was she gauging his preparedness? His instincts?

He gave her a brief nod and stood there for a moment, lost in thought. What exactly would he need out there in the dark? The first thing that came to his mind was basic survival: food and water. After all, no one knew how long this journey would take. He had no idea what they would face in the abyss beyond the walls of the diner, and if they were lucky, they might reach his house in an hour. But if luck turned against them… well, it was better to be prepared.

With that in mind, Eldric left the room and headed straight for the storage area. His steps were quick, almost hurried, as if he were racing against some unseen clock. Once inside, he began gathering supplies—packets of biscuits, chocolates, and a few water bottles. His fingers moved faster than his thoughts, driven by the simple notion of filling the bag with whatever seemed practical.

As he glanced around the room for more useful items, his eyes settled briefly on the shelves of old clothes. "Clothes?" he wondered aloud, but he quickly shook his head. The loose, worn-out clothes he had on would suffice for now. Even if they became filthy or damaged, he wasn't too concerned. In the worst-case scenario, he'd rather go without clothes than be weighed down by excess baggage. Out there, in the darkness, it wouldn't make a damn difference even if he were to run naked.

Returning to the meeting room with his bag partially filled, Eldric found Reona still packing her own belongings. She looked up as he entered. "Back already?" she asked, her gaze flicking toward the bag hanging from his shoulder. A faint smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

"What do we have for light?" Eldric asked, ignoring her question. His mind had quickly shifted to a more critical concern—the stalkers and the supernatural threat they posed. Bright light, from what he understood, was the only effective way of countering their abilities. He wanted to make sure they had enough of it to last for a few hours.

"Not much," Reona replied, her voice carrying a note of grim finality.

Eldric blinked in surprise, his heart sinking. "What do you mean?"

Reona sighed, pausing her packing as she explained, "After decades of use, most of the lights we had have burnt out or become useless. The only ones still working are those with rechargeable batteries."

Eldric's breath caught in his throat. Decades? The thought that their light sources were dwindling sent a chill down his spine. "And those don't restock like food and water?"

"No," Reona said firmly. "Once they're gone, they're gone."

Eldric frowned, the weight of her words settling in. He had hoped the light sources might replenish themselves as the food and water did, but that hope was swiftly dashed. The room felt colder, darker somehow, as he processed what that meant. The light was their last line of defense, and it was running out.

"Can I have a flashlight then?" he asked, his voice quiet but insistent. Even if they were running low on them, he wasn't going to compromise his safety.

Reona hesitated. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she seemed to weigh the decision. After a long pause, she nodded reluctantly. "Here." She handed him a worn flashlight, its surface covered in scratches, and a crack running along one side. "But listen carefully. This light will only last two or three hours at most. We only have a few left, so unless I give you permission, do not use it UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES."

Reona's voice was serious as she spoke every word carefully. She was taking an extreme risk by handing one of the few sources of portable light in her possession to Eldric. The last thing she wanted was for him to mess it up.

"And remember, only one of us uses a light at any given time. No matter what happens."

Eldric nodded, the gravity of her warning sinking in. Carefully, he placed the flashlight into his bag, treating it like the fragile lifeline that it was.

Then his eyes drifted to the leather belt around Reona's waist. He hesitated, watching as the knives and sharp metal objects glinted faintly in the dim room. His heart pounded faster as he swallowed his apprehension. "Can I… have one of those?" he asked, pointing at the weapons.

Reona looked at him for a long moment before finally smirking, a faint chuckle escaping her. "You want this?" She pulled out a knife, flipping it in her palm with ease. "I'll give you one before we leave."

With her assurance, Eldric was relieved. At least he would have something to defend himself with, no matter how small the comfort.

"Are you finished packing?" Looking at his bag that didn't seem full, Reona couldn't help but let out a frown.

In response to the question, Eldric just gave her a nod.

"Let me see." Without waiting for a response, she took the bag from his hands and opened it, inspecting the contents.

"All food and water?" Her brow furrowed, lips twitching in mild disbelief. "Is that all?"

Eldric simply nodded again. He didn't think he needed anything else. The lighter the load, the better for the journey, or so he thought.

"Fine," Reona said, not reprimanding him. She knew that experience would teach him better than words. Until he learned the hard way, her advice would only fall on deaf ears.

"Let's go." She slung her bag over her shoulder and made her way toward the door.

Eldric followed without a word. Together, they reached the main hall. As they stood in front of the glass walls, staring out into the thick, impenetrable darkness, Eldric felt a familiar chill crawl down his spine. No matter how many times he saw it, the sight always unnerved him.

"Ready?" Jeron's voice cut through the silence, heavy with seriousness.

Both Reona and Eldric nodded.

Jeron didn't say another word. He stepped outside, scanning the area around him with a practiced eye. For a moment, he stood completely still, as if looking through the darkness around him. After a few minutes passed, he then closed his eyes and began to take deep breaths. And after what felt like an eternity, he finally motioned for them to follow.

"Oh, almost forgot." Just as they were about to step out, Reona turned to Eldric with a piercing gaze. "Remember, don't make any noise out there. The quieter you are, the better our chances of survival."

She was about to take another step when she paused again. "Oh, and the knife…"

There was a teasing smile on her lips as if she found his request amusing.

"Consider this expedition your first lesson."

"Remember this golden rule - There are only three types of survivors in this world: the fast... the cowards… and the dead."

Her tone was heavy, laced with wisdom earned through blood and tears. "This world doesn't need heroes. The sooner you learn that, the better."

Eldric narrowed his eyes, studying the old woman standing before him. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could get a word out, Reona stepped outside, leaving him with one final, grim sentence.

"Welcome to the new Aernos."