The calm blue

"Wasteland? What's that?" Keir asked.

A blurred image of what he saw from the vr resurfaced in his mind, 'Another world?' Keir thought, waiting for Amant's answer.

Amant pursed his lips, placing a hand on Keir's shoulder, "Stay clear of anyone who said they are from the wasteland. Born or forced there, it doesn't matter."

Keir raised a brow as Amant continued, "Anyone that escaped out of the wasteland, only bears hatred for the world." .

Keir frowned, "How do you know all these?"

For a moment, Keir thought he saw hesitation in Amant's eyes.

Amant closed his eyes while forcing a smile, patting Keir's shoulder, "Ramona told me."

Keir didn't reply to that, with a thought creeping up in his mind, 'He doesn't trust me…'

He glanced down at Amant's empty sleeve, feeling bitter in his heart.

"Let's eat something and get going soon." Amant slowly stood up, his legs trembling.

"You alright?" Keir asked, supporting Amant up.

Amant brushed his worries away and kept insisting he was fine.

This time, Keir was the one who kept the bed while Amant checked what supplies they had left.

After they were done with that, they ate a late breakfast and set off again.

Keir removed his glove and brought his finger up, 'There's no wind today…' his eyes narrowed, 'The weather is going to get worse in a few days…how long till we reach a city?'

He stared ahead at the snow field, with only rocks in sight.

The grip on his bag strip tightened as he slowed down while glancing up at the bright blue sky.

He fell into a daze, unaware of his surroundings.

Amant slapped Keir's shoulder, causing him to snap out of his daze. The force also nearly caused him to trip.

"Oi!" Keir raised a fist to his chest.

Amant laughed while Keir started cursing him. Amant placed a hand over his ear, indicating he can't hear Keir. Causing Keir to become more frustrated and punch him.

Dodging the punch, Amant ran ahead as Keir chased after him.

"Wait till I'm the last thing you see before your death!" Keir shouted through the thick cloth.

Amant peeked over his shoulder and saw Keir swinging his arm around in anger.

Amant pointed a middle finger and ran faster.

Keir pointed two middle fingers, but Amant didn't see, causing Keir's face to turn red.

'You bastard!!' Keir thought as he increased his own speed.

The two ran a distance without noticing the sun was slowly hanging over their heads.

'How are you so fast!?' Keir thought as he slowed down, placing his hands on his knees. He pulled down his mask, gasping for air

Seeing Keir running out of stamina, Amant slowed down, too. He was also panting but wasn't as heavy as Keir.

/"Mat! Wait for me!"/ A young little girl's voice echoed.

His eyes widened, seeing the same faded figure overlapped in his vision.

/"Slowpoke!"/ An almost unrecognisable little boy voice echoed.

"Amant?" Amant snapped out of that daze, noticing Keir was in front of him now, with his gaze full of worry, "You good?"

He gave a thumbs up with a nod, Keir raised a brow but didn't comment further.

'Ever since the journey started…' Keir thought, as he pulled his mask up, 'Why do I feel like the distance between us is increasing?'

His pacing slowed down again, 'Maybe it's just cause I'm getting to truly know him?'

Amant glanced back, seeing Keir seeming in the daze again.

'He's head is in the cloud again…' Amant sighed, slowly walking in front of Keir.

After hours of walking, the sun started setting.

The two decided to take turns to sleep after what happened, where Keir insisted that Amant sleep first.

They were inside what remained of their tent. Even without the protective element of it, it was better than laying out in the wild.

They found a spot more open than the previous one, with fewer rocks around.

Keir had a few simple gadgets out, controlling it with his interface.

He adjusted the setting and threw out the robots with wheels.

"What do those do?" Amant asked, watching Keir pressing on air.

Keir shrugged, "Beats me, I never tried them before."

"Wow, I'm feeling so safe…" Amant forced a smile, "Thanks."

"No problem." Keir gave a thumbs up.

Amant sighed while pulling the blanket over his head.

Keir rubbed the back of his neck as he split the panel apart.

With four smaller panels in view, he moved the bots around the corners.

In a distance away from them, a little girl could be seen sitting on a rock, with a big plaster across her nose. It was Awilda

Despite the dark environment, she sat there patiently. Her outfit blended along with the darkness. Like a hunter.

With a pair of eyes like placid water, contrast to the bright and burning eyes.

'I couldn't see his fate…' She thought, 'It was like, he had transverse fate itself…' The corner of her lip curved up, 'Something big is brewing, I do wonder who will get caught in it..'

She glanced up, seeing the starless sky. Her hood fell down, revealing her short silver coloured hair.

She whispered softly, "Fate slayers, huh…"

"See, we are still alive." Keir said when Amant woke up, "Now the question is, should I trust a disabled person to keep watch?"

"Wanna see what this disabled person can do?" Amant raised his clenched fist.

Keir replied while digging his ear, "I can catch it and punch you with my other hand. What you gonna do?"

"I can flip you. Literally. " Amant answered as he got off the bed, "I will use the bowl as self defence…"

"Yeah, and that makes soo much difference," Keir made an okay sign with his fingers.

Amat rolled his eyes in response, folding his blanket.

Keir got into his own bed and added, "I better not see heaven when I open my eyes."

Amant turned around with his middle finger, causing Keir to giggle as he rolled over to the side.

Leaning against the frame of his bed, Amant glanced out the holes of the tent.

It was quiet, with the tent providing little warmth against the cool night.

His pupils suddenly dilated as he felt his body froze. His gaze fixed at the figure standing outside.

Awilda, with her hood down, stood there calmly. Staring at him through the gap of the tent.

'Her aura…is different than before…' Amant gulped, feeling sweat dripping from his back.

She slowly strolled to the front, standing at the open entrance.

"You have the blood of the fate slayer in you, that's interesting…" She mumbled, her words loud enough to be heard.

'Fate slayers?' Amant thought, having never heard of that term before.

"It would explain how you are still alive, after so long…" She stared at his short, empty sleeve.

He bit his lips, trying to take deep breaths but found himself unable to control it.

"Do you feel scared?" Raising her hand, a shadow scythe manifested in her hand.

Seeing that, his eyes widened, 'Magic user? But she had a panel?'

"You're fate," She swung the scythe around her arm, stabbing the blade onto the snow.

'Legs…move…come on!' He screamed in his mind.

She slowly dragged the tip across the snow, creating a semi-circle in front of her.

"Doesn't end here," She brought the handle to her shoulder, "Nor does it end with me."

'Huh?' Amant wanted to voice out his questions. However, he found himself unable to.

"You will end how you started through the flames of war. Until then, let's enjoy the winter while it lasts." She tilted her head up a little, her calm sapphire eyes meeting Amant's gaze.

In her right arm, sparks started flying out.

Her right eyes shut tight, and she swung the scythe tip to the ground again.

She forced a smile, "Don't be surprised, that's the fate of every fate slayer."

More sparks flew from her arm, and her grip on the scythe tightened.

'Is that the drawback of her power?' Amant thought, realising he could slowly control his breathing.

"We are just shooting stars afterall…" With that last sentence, she seemed to have disappeared like an illusion.

Amant shook his head. He dragged his body outside.

'Was it an illusion?' He saw that the snow seemed untouched.

Squatting down, he grabbed a handful of snow, "Enjoy the winter while it lasts?"

In a distance away, Awilda had sweat dripping down her forehead as she panted.

Holding her right shoulder, she took a deep breath.

Smoke sipped from her sleeve as her arm dropped by her side.

'Am I growing weaker?' She wondered, sighing deeply as she opened up her panel, 'Are they going to the academy too?'

Opening up a map, she felt her brows twitch, 'They are going further away from the academy…'

Glancing from her panel, she leaned against the rock, 'Should I tell them? Or just go by myself?'

"Why should I even care about others anyway?" She stared up at the sky that's slowly brightening up.

Keir yawned loudly and stretched his arm, startling Amant.

"Is it morning already?" Keir slowly sat up while rubbing his eyes.

He stopped rubbing them after a while and grinned, "Hey I'm not in heaven."

"How would you know you won't end up in hell?" Amant responded.

"Cause…" Keir rubbed his nose and answered, "My goals are those of the purest of heart, and that should land me in heaven if I achieve it."

Keir puffed his chest up with his chin high.

Hearing Keir's statement, Amant sighed in his heart, 'If goals determine your place in the afterlife…all the survivors from the wasteland will end up in hell. Despite it never being their original goals..'

"Says the one who prefers traditional over tech." Amant smirked, causing Keir's smile to freeze.

"I said drop that…" Keir grumbled, "It was just a one time thing."

"And I will hunt you with that." Amant chuckled while walking out of the tent.

He glanced over his shoulders and saw the sun shining on Keir. The gleam in Keir's eyes seemed to be glowing brightly.

He stared ahead at the sky, wondering how bright his own eyes were shining.