Chapter 10

He welcomed everyone with a warm smile. "You don't have to be on edge. You are safe now."

I stared at his back as he talked and walked over the table. "You might be wondering; how can I understand the unfamiliar language this fine gentleman is speaking? Well, if you look at your right arm." My eyes lowered as I raised my arm. Around it was a leather bracelet, embedded in said bracelet was a green gem that glowed as the man spoke. "That device will help you understand the common tongue, be sure not to lose it."

Abruptly stopping the man glanced around the room. "Why have you found yourselves here? That's what's going through your heads isn't it?"

He closes his eyes, inhales deeply, and then opens them once more. "A vicious attack targeted your world, transforming it into an uninhabitable ruin. Seeing this tragedy unfold, we employed all the resources we had to save at least those who survived. Which are all of you."

"So, you kidnapped us, and you're trying to justify it?" From within the large crowd around him, the gray-skinned man could hear someone rebuke him. Several others chimed in agreement with the man's statement. 

Despite the loud shouting, the man with gray skin remained composed. Shifting his eyes, he locks his gaze onto the man who initiated the ongoing murmuring. The man's body trembles as he takes a step back, feeling unsettled by the gray-skinned man's piercing blue eyes locked onto his own. 

"I understand how you might feel, but I don't see a problem with what we did. We could have left you to rot, but we gave you a chance to not squander the only life you are given. If you had rather died than seen the next day, I can still oblige you?"

As these words escaped his lips, the once warm and inviting aura surrounding him dissipated, leaving behind a chilling coldness. Those who expressed their views felt an invisible weight, causing their legs to tremble.

He noticed quickly that he was slipping out of character, which made him do a complete one eighty ones more. "I'm sorry I showed you something I shouldn't have." 

These words seemed to be filled with sincerity, but they did nothing. People nervously stared at him, their eyes shaking with fear, afraid of the consequences if they were to provoke this mysterious individual. 

"I will state this here and now, if it wasn't clear yet, I am not your enemy. I will be taking care of you for the time being, if you have any problems, you can ask me and I'll try to fix them, But I am not all-powerful. All those horrors happened, all of you have felt pain, and all of you need to move on. You are getting a chance to continue to live, it will differ from before, but I am here to make sure you can integrate with the society you'll become a part of."

Witnessing that many individuals were less anxious, the man with gray skin continued his stroll. "Where was I, right? You are now en route to the city of innovation and the place you'll be calling home. It will take about a week before we arrive. So, you'll be living in the rooms you just came out of, for the time being. As I don't know what you people would do during your free time, I sadly would have to inform you, you'll have to figure that out yourself. When it comes to food."

With a leap, he jumps from the left end of the dining table and afterward snaps his fingers. As the giant tablecloth is rolled open, fancy tableware magically appears on its surface. "Anything you want to eat or drink you can get. All you need to do is get seated."

He gives a playful smile before turning to his right. "That was all any other questions you can ask me tomorrow."

With complete disregard for his surroundings, he strides towards a door labeled "Conductor's Room".

"Mister, mister." As fast as they could, a man on the ground floor sprinted towards him. "Mister, my son, my son."

With a quick movement, the conductor shifted his attention to the man kneeling in front of him. "My son was with me before I woke up, do you know where he is?"

All eyes were fixed on the conductor, anticipation filling the air as everyone awaited his response. With a smile, the conductor gently places his hand on the man's shoulder. "I shall see what I can do. Can you tell me the boy's name?"

"Right. It's Damian Brown, sir."

"I'll make sure you can reunite with your son. That I can promise you."

The man held his hands together, his gratitude pouring out in an endless stream of thanks to the conductor.

With that finished, he could see more people frantically sprinting towards him, their footsteps pounding against the ground. However, he turned away and left through the conductor's room.

As I glanced around, I noticed a stream of people converging towards the expansive dining table. I follow them and arrive at the table, searching for an empty seat.

"How does this work?" On either side of me, I saw people brainstorming ways to get the meals they were promised.

"Do they take orders?"

"He said we could have anything we wanted, right? Because I'm craving pizza."

"I could go for a burger."

"Sushi would be fantastic."

In the end, the topic of conversation naturally veered towards their personal food preferences, and they excitedly exchanged their favorite dishes.

"What's going on up there." 

Looking up, the once stone roof had transformed into a canvas of clouds, painting the sky. From within the white fluff, birds suddenly materialized, each holding a cloche in their delicate talons. 

With a graceful descent, they flew down towards anyone seated at the table. As they placed it in front of them, the handle on the cloche turned with a smooth, mechanical motion. As it rotated by a hundred and eighty degrees, the birds tightly gripped the handle and took flight once again. From underneath, plates filled with drinks, snacks, and delectable food magically materialized, astonishing everyone, even more, was that each person received their desired dish.

As I stared at the food in front of me, my mind drifted away.

"Isn't it great?" Sarah munches down with a bright smile on her face. "You should try some as well."

Holding a rice cake with her chopsticks, she brings it close to my mouth, the aroma of the spicy sauce wafting towards me.

I eagerly open my mouth and devour it. With that bite, a sensation of flavors delight my tastebuds. "That's really good."

"I know right, this place is also dirt cheap. We should come here more often after school."

I smile at her while she relishes the food.

As I looked at the plate with lifeless eyes, a wave of nausea washed over me, leaving me with no desire to eat. The sight of her face made me think back to that malnourished monstrosity, to the moment I lost her. My body shivered as a cold wave washed over me. I wanted to roll up into a corner, to go somewhere where I was alone, a place I saw nothing, where I could never ponder, a place I could never be seen again. Getting to my feet, I avert my gaze from the dish and walk away.

As I arrived on the first floor, my memory failed me, and I couldn't recall which room I had just exited. In my aimless wanderings, I unexpectedly found myself standing in front of a door adorned with a striking green room number.

Room 134

I firmly grasp the handle and exert force, bringing it closer to me. Behind the door, I could see the rustic room, it had a cozy vibe; it gave the same feeling as a mountain house when you're hiking. A respite that was there to protect you from the harsh environment outside, but I felt worse when I came into its embrace.

With weak steps, I walk through the uncomfortable room and crawl into bed.

A young woman sees an elderly man walking past, causing her to abruptly end her conversation with a coworker and chase after him. "Sir, mayor." 

"What is it?"

"It's about the refugees." Upon hearing her, he lets out a sigh.

"Let's talk about this in my office."

He rushes through the double doors and quickly makes his way to his desk. "What did you want to say?"

"I have heard from the priest that the otherworld refugees are ready to be transferred any moment, but with recent circumstances, we haven't thoroughly discussed their residence. So, it would be great if you were to bring up this subject at the council meeting today."

"Oh, Memosa why have you placed so much on the shoulders of an old man like myself." The old man looked upward as he spoke.

"Sir, mayor the goddess must have her reasonings for all these hardships."

"You might be right, but I don't know if my frail heart can hold on for much longer." The mayor lets out a deep sigh and looks up at the woman. "How much longer do we have?"

"Five days."

Leaning in his chair, he stares at the ceiling. "Can't we send them to Brassway? The place is currently undergoing renovations, but there will still be some space available when they arrive."

"About that." The woman hesitated to speak but didn't need to say much for the mayor to grasp the situation. 

He sighs and gets up, turning his back to her as he gazes out the window. The city buildings were made of stone, metal, and occasionally wood was used. Pipes connected everything, and small airships filled the sky.

"The towns located farther away from the main city have become extremely difficult to live in as a result of the recent surge in monsters escaping from the abyss. Therefore, we relocated them to Brassway, but the influx of people has reached an unprecedented level."

Upon turning back, his eyes meet hers in a stare. "How's the investigation going?"

"With not much evidence, it's hard to pinpoint who it could have been, but many believe that the vampire clans might be behind this massacre and the recent monster attacks."

"They haven't shown themselves in years. Although they could have been the orchestrators."

He quietly mumbles all his thoughts as he ponders deeply. "Would he do something like this?"

Shaking his head, his thoughts wandered off to other possibilities, but they were stopped by the woman's voice. "Sir?"

He looked at her with surprise, realizing that he had completely forgotten she was standing there. "Right, How are the priests?"

"Their leader is extremely furious, but they have not caused a problem so far."

"Leave them be for now. As long as they don't start a witch hunt for the orchestrator, they can do whatever they want."

In deep thought, the mayor sighed once more as he recalled why they were having this conversation. "Call the architects. We'll get a home build for them before they arrive from their long journey."

"But sir, shouldn't you ask the other council member's opinions?"

"The goddess has bestowed upon me this trail, a sanctuary for those from a distant realm seeking refuge. They have no authority on how I fulfill our guardian's request."

My stomach grumbled, causing me to leave my room. As soon as I left my room, I was greeted by an unusual and unexpected sight. Slowly opening at the right end of the hall was a gigantic door. 

A group of people stood in front of the gate, their eyes filled with anticipation. From within the vastness behind the gate emerged multiple figures, gradually growing larger and larger.

In between all these people stood an anxious man, fidgeting nervously. When he saw a confused boy walking in his direction, a smile spread across his face. With all his might, he sprinted towards the teenage boy and tightly wrapped his arms around him as they met at the gate. "Damian!"

"Father!"

"Oh, Damian, my boy I'm so happy to see you."

"I missed you too, Dad."

Just like them, others embraced their loved ones who had arrived inside the hall.

"Now then." A loud clap reverberated through the entire hall and people's rooms. With that, he began to call out the names of people.

These individuals gathered before the conductor, their confusion evident, as they were unable to comprehend the purpose behind calling them.

"All of you will be leaving through that gate." The conductor was straightforward with his words. This caused all of them to panic. 

Overcoming their fear of the gray-skinned man, someone spoke up and asked, "Why should we?"

"The majority of you wanted to reconnect with family, friends, and loved ones, didn't you? For all the rest, you were randomly selected, so don't think you have done something wrong."

The conductor patiently waited for someone to speak up, but everyone remained silent. "Alright then if you could make your way to your new homes." He gestured with his hand, indicating the opposite side of the gate.

They followed his instructions and walked into a fast, white plane. As the distance between this group and the gate increases, it begins to close.

As I sat at the table, I observed everything that was happening while patiently waiting for my meal. As soon as the dish was presented to me, my appetite vanished once again. I gazed at it for a while, but in the end, I walked away without taking a single bite.

As time went on, things began to change. The moment I left my room, I was taken aback by the astonishing makeover of the hallway's interior. It had shifted from a medieval design, featuring an abundance of wood and hints of stone, to a mesmerizing steampunk-inspired ambiance.

 I struggled to walk while descending the stairs. As I sat at the table, devoid of any liveliness, I could perceive individuals stealing glances at me. Over the past few days, I've noticed a significant weight loss and a further decline in my mood. Throughout this period, I had no desire to engage in conversations, and it seemed that no one had any desire to engage with me either. I simply wanted to see it every day again and again. When I reached my breaking point, I only consumed water and not many other substances.

When the dish was unveiled in front of my eyes, I could only stare at it. My stomach grumbled, but I never took a bite.

"Are you not going to eat that, mister?" A young girl sat down on the chair beside me. Rather than responding, I maintained my focus ahead without acknowledging her.

"Can I have it then?" She glanced at me expectantly while speaking, hoping for a response. Without receiving anything, she grabbed a fork and gazed at the plate. She impales one of the rice cakes with her fork, pausing briefly before devouring it. 

She jumps up, her eyes quickly darting towards me. "This is really good." Startled by her reaction, I quickly turned my attention to her.

"You should try this as well." With another serving on the fork, she extends it towards my mouth, the anticipation of the taste makes my mouth water. As I stood there, speechless, my eyes were drawn to her neck, where her long, golden blond hair shimmered in the light.

"Come on, it's good for you." As I open my mouth, I savor the soft texture of the rice cake.

"See it's delicious, right?" My heart ached whenever she spoke, but my body seemed to regain itself as a comforting feeling washed over me.

When I raised my head, the long golden hair I was seeing turned brown. When I truly looked at her for the first time. I already knew I wouldn't see what I wanted, but my heart still sank when I found out it was all just in my head."Why are you doing this?" 

My voice, previously unheard by her, caused her face to light up with a radiant smile. "I've seen you here every day, doesn't matter if it's breakfast, lunch, or dinner. You sit here staring at the same food and unable to take a single bit. I thought I could help."

My gaze fixed on the girl who didn't seem older than thirteen. Her words were something I wouldn't have expected from her mouth. She was like a tiny angel that was sent to help me, but in her brown eyes, I could see more than just a naïve child.

"That's kind of you, but should your parents be worrying about you?" My words didn't come over as well as I wanted when the energetic little girl turned somewhat cold.

"Do you want more?" When I slid the bowl before her, she looked at me with glistening eyes. "No, this is yours, so you should finish it."

The young girl bobbed and swayed while humming. As I ate, she was by my side, and occasionally attempting to sneak a taste herself. My eyes, which were usually dull and lifeless, gained a subtle sparkle from the time we spent together.

"Mister, what is this called?" Her finger pointed at the empty plate.

"It's tteok-bokki."

"Top o ki?"

How she said it brought about a faint smile on my face. "Close enough."

When I finished the whole bowl, it was time to say our goodbyes. "I really liked it, can I see you again tomorrow?"

I hesitated for a second, but it was that bad having a ball of joy around. "Yes."