First Step Towards Freedom

As the trio arrived at the entrance of the town, a large crowd had gathered in front of two wooden carriages. Amidst the mass of people, Theo, Dawn, and David stood quietly, absorbing the scene. Suddenly, Theo felt a firm grip on his shoulder, and he turned to find himself face-to-face with Mr. Gramm and his wife, Mrs. Gramm.

"Mr. Gramm! You're alive!" Theo exclaimed, his surprise evident in his voice as he realized that the couple had managed to survive.

"Of course I am! Don't you go writing me off so easily," Mr. Gramm scolded Theo, but the twinkle in his eyes betrayed his amusement.

"I'm so glad you both made it out safely," Theo said, hugging Mrs. Gramm with a hint of despair radiating from his voice.

"Theo... Please accept our condolences. We've heard from the others about what happened," Mrs. Gramm spoke softly, holding him even tighter.

"Your parents were truly remarkable people, son. They could have left us to our fate in our humble home, but instead, they helped us and many others to escape," Mr. Gramm said, commending Theo's parents for their selflessness.

Theo felt a pang of anguish, hearing the extent of his parent's bravery, but his eyes widened with a sudden realization.

"I hate to ask this of you, but could you do me a favor?" Theo asked, taking Mimi from Dawn's arms and presenting her to the couple. 

"If possible, could you take Mimi with you guys?" Theo requested, and Mrs. Gramm's expression turned blank, confused by Theo's request. 

"I'm sorry, Theo, but I don't understand. Why are you asking us this?"

Theo's eyes spoke volumes, and Mr. Gramm quickly understood his unspoken thoughts.

"You're not planning on coming with us, are you?"

Mrs. Gramm also realized the gravity of the situation and asked, "What's going on, Theo? Why are you doing this?"

Theo remained silent, unable to articulate his reasoning to the couple, but his eyes spoke of his profound sadness.

"Think about your parents, Theo. What do you think they would have wanted for you? Don't go rushing off to your grave!" Mrs. Gramm implored, worried about Theo's decision.

Mr. Gramm placed his hand on his wife's shoulder, trying to comfort her. "It's okay," he said reassuringly.

"No!" Mrs. Gramm exclaimed. "We can't let him do this! Alvin and Alicia would—"

"Listen to me, dear," Mr. Gramm interrupted her, his voice firm yet reassuring. "When a man finds the courage to commit to something, he'll see it through to the end, regardless of the circumstances. Or he'll live the rest of his life haunted by regrets."

Mr. Gramm reached out to take Mimi from Theo. "We'll take care of Mimi, but only under one condition," Mr. Gramm continued.

Theo raised an eyebrow, unsure of what condition Mr. Gramm could impose. "And what might that be?"

"After you've found the answers you're looking for, come back for her. If you don't, I'm releasing her into the wild. That's my only condition," Mr. Gramm added with a hint of threat.

Theo stood shocked that Mr. Gramm would even joke around in such a manner. But from the tone of his voice, Theo could tell that this was not a joke. He had forced Theo's hand, leaving him no choice but to nod in agreement with Mr. Gramm's contract.

"Good, I'm glad you understand," Mr. Gramm replied as Nozomu and the others approached the crowd of townspeople.

"All right, everyone, simmer down!" Evaughn called out to the townspeople, and the gathering of survivors became silent. Nozomu stood tall in front as he explained their next course of action.

Theo and the others stared at him intently, soaking up every word. 

"Two carriages, as promised. The one on your left is en route for Nageama, a town slightly east of here. The one on your right will take you with us on our mission to liberate the People of the Wastelands."

Theo's heart raced at the thought of what lay ahead. This was it, the moment of truth. He had to make a decision that would shape the rest of his life.

"I trust you've all used the night to come to terms with your decision," Nozomu continued. "Now is the time to make a choice. One that you all hopefully won't regret."

The crowd was anxious yet quiet enough for the many sounds of the morning to echo throughout the vicinity. 

"If you wish to relocate to Nageama, now is your chance to board the carriage on your left," Nozomu stated, and a bulk of the crowd made their way to the carriage.

Mr. and Mrs. Gramm said their goodbyes to Theo, and he did the same, his heart heavy with the extent of their circumstances.

"Don't worry, Mimi," Theo said as he caressed her head for the final time. "I'll come back for you."

Mr. and Mrs. Gramm took Mimi to board the carriage, disappearing into the crowd. The mob shuffled around Theo and the others, the weight of their decision heavy on their shoulders.

Dawn gazed out at the departing crowd, a sense of finality washing over her. "There's no turning back now," she whispered, steeling her resolve.

As the swarm of children and their parents passed, David mumbled, "Gramps, I won't forgive them for what they did to you." His eyes narrowed in anger, and his jaw clenched.

Theo was lost in thought as he muttered, "I promise... I'll avenge you both and change this world..." His mind fixated on vengeance, his determination unwavering.

After the townspeople finished boarding, Theo, Dawn, David, and a few others were the only ones left. Nozomu's gaze lingered on the remaining individuals in the crowd.

"I commend you all for taking the first step towards freedom," Nozomu said, his voice carrying over the murmurs of the group. "Our objective is still the same. Liberation for all People of the Wastelands means we'll eradicate the Mad King and his men."

Tana leaned over to Evaughn and whispered, "He's going to scare them away again." Evaughn chuckled softly in agreement.

"Sacrifices..." Nozomu continued, "That is the cost for us to achieve this goal. Some of you may not see it through to the end. But those of you who do, the ones who survive, time and time again, will become exceptional. Superior on the battlefield with a high rate of survival."

The group stood still, paralyzed by fear and uncertainty. Nozomu's words hung heavy in the air, weighing on their minds and hearts.

"Now that you know these daunting facts, I want you to ask yourself this. Are you willing to risk everything, more importantly, your life, to be free?"

"He's done it this time, huh?" Pop remarked to Isabella, who let out a faint sigh.

"At this rate, I don't think we'll ever find any more recruits," Isabella answered, her voice tinged with disappointment.

"Well, at least he's honest with them," Pop said as a few more townspeople left the group and headed toward the first carriage.

"This is crazy... I'm not dying with you all," a man and woman whispered to each other as they made their way toward the carriage. "Yeah, I don't know what I was thinking. I'm just not cut out for this."

David felt the weight of Nozomu's words settling on him like a heavy blanket. "Most of us will die...?" he thought aloud, the cold sweat dripping down the back of his neck. 

The reality of their situation hit David like a ton of bricks, and he wondered if he had made a mistake by joining this rebellion. But even as doubts and fears swirled in his mind, David's resolve remained unbroken. He would fight for what was right, no matter the cost.

One of the men in the group abruptly spoke up, "Fighting against the God-King... Now that I've said it out loud, it sounds ridiculous. I'm out of here," and made his exit.

Dawn couldn't help but mutter to herself, "You've already made up your mind..." 

Dawn trembled with fear but fought the urge to flee as Theo whispered under his breath, "To be free..." 

It was as if Nozomu's words sent a wave of horror through the remaining members of the group, who had already dwindled in number as Nozomu gave the small group a piercing stare.

"This will be considered treason. Not to mention that you could die at any moment. Is this okay with you all?" Nozomu asked, with his last attempt to weed out the weak-hearted.

Curtis Carpenter, a young man in his late teens, had a lean build and wore his hair in a sharp Ivy League-style cut. His striking features effortlessly captured the attention of women, even those much older than him. And as he stood tall with his chest puffed out, he bellowed with a booming voice, "We don't want to die!"

Nozomu smirked, holding back a chuckle, "I like that answer. Today, you nine have all gained my utmost respect." He proceeded to the other carriage and commanded, "Fall in! We're moving out!"

Theo and the others followed him and were greeted by Isabella's warm smile, "Welcome aboard recruits! I hope we can all become good friends."

"Evaughn, Tana, I'll leave the other carriage to you. We'll regroup back at base," Nozomu ordered Evaughn and Tana, to which they both replied with a salute, "Yes, sir!" and boarded their respective carriages.

As the carriages rode off in different directions of the Wastelands, Mimi quickly escaped Mr. Gramm's hold and leaped toward Theo's carriage.

"Hey, Theo, isn't that Mimi?" Dawn asked him, pointing at the small figure in the distance.

Theo looked in the direction Dawn was pointing and replied lazily, "Can't be. Mr. and Mrs. Gramm have her." 

Theo yawned and stretched his arms up to the sky.

"Are you sure?" Dawn asked, and she brought his attention to a black blur chasing the carriage.

"Mimi!? What are you doing!?" Theo shouted out as she became exhausted from the chase, slowing down more and more.

"Hey, stop the carriage!" Theo yelled but halted after watching Mimi carried through the air by a gust of wind and placed into the carriage.

"Mimi, I told you I would find you a good home. Why'd you leave them?" Theo asked her, but all she did was snuggle herself into his arms.

"You should take better care of her, dumbass," Pop told Theo as he hovered above him before landing atop the carriage.

"Who the hell does this guy think he is?" Theo mumbled under his breath.

"Just let it go, Theo. There's no way we're beating him," David advised as he stared out into the vast plains of Sector Five. The now ruined town of Artimia became smaller and smaller as they got further away.

"Let's learn as much as we can from these guys and, more importantly, get stronger," David said to Theo and Dawn as they nodded in approval of his plan.