Enduring

Level 20 of Tokyo Underground Base

Prime Minister Level

Prime Minister Kiyoshi scans through his transparent iPad the profile of the 100 bio-genetics viewed accordingly. He paused when he got to Hiro's profile, his picture coming up, and his details.

"General Kimura's son," Kimi Touka said. She was standing beside his seat with a transparent iPad at hand also.

"He wasn't present in the classroom!"

"Did you expect him to be?" Kiyoshi said like he knew it would happen.

"The poor kid woke up blind. His eyes were damaged during the explosion, he's in much pain than any of those kids".

Touka looks sad. Kiyoshi's eyes are still lingering on Hiro's picture.

"He's the spitting image of his father. We lost an admirable General on Black Storm day and now his son is now a part of all this".

"Do you think the bio-genetics will believe what happened?!" Touka asked with a dark look.

"Only time will tell, for now, let them mourn their lost ones, it's a privilege we should give them".

"They are the future of the world, these kids will pave a way for us, a hope that humanity may have a chance of surviving this pandemic," Kiyoshi said with a stern look, his eyes averting to Touka.

"Begin preparations for their training!"

"Already?!"

"It's been 2 years since the Black Storm. We did all we could to gather survivors and secure them to the base, we lost tons of soldiers in the process. Discovering the kids was like a miracle to us, kids who survived the exposure of the virus".

"Finding out what they are capable of will make things clearer. There is no time to waste Dr. Touka!"

"Yes Kiyoshi-sama," Touka said, bowing slightly before walking away, her heels sounding as she left. The door slid shut.

Kiyoshi reached for his drawer and brought out a white transparent light bag with a headset inside broken in two, it was black looking like neon, the buttons at the side, lined with red. Hiro was clinging to it tightly when they found him unconscious. His eyes drift to Hiro's profile picture once more.

"I wish your son wasn't caught up in all this, Haruto!"

His looks darken.

_ _ _

Level 17: Bio-genetics Level

Cafeteria Hall

Solemn Silence

The bio-genetics were seated in a cafeteria, it was a wide hall that contained all of them, long iron tables and chairs, a wide space at the center, bright lights on the ceiling.

A dark gloomy expression was on each of their faces, a tray of one-course meals on their tables, preserved for them with white transparent nylon.

"You should eat Yumi," Mirai said, forcing a weak smile. Yumi's eyes averted to her and then back at the food.

"What the Prime Minister said, did you believe it?" she asked with trembling eyes.

"Our families are  gone, the world is ending, is it all true?" tears were building up in her eyes.

"I don't think it's true!" Kaneki said, halting at their table, carrying a tray of food.

"Kaneki Senpai!" Mirai said.

He took a seat at the iron bench in front of them.

"I don't care if the Prime Minister said it himself, it sounds off to me, I mean the part about surviving the virus, is that even possible?!"

"Well, you did say you were on a plane close to the Chemical Plant when it exploded," Mirai said.

Kaneki gulps.

"All the events that happened are unexplained, I don't even know how I'm still  alive," Kaneki said as his fist clenched on the iron table.

"Our house came down," Yumi said, their eyes averted to her.

"I was hidden in a wardrobe when it happened, I didn't know what happened, and I thought it was an earthquake".

"Yumi, why were you hidden in a wardrobe?!" Mirai asked, confused.

Yumi's fist clenched on her lap as her body trembled.

"Yumi," Mirai said with a worried look. 'Was she abused?' She thought with shaky eyes.

"I don't wanna talk about it," Yumi said, shaking her head negatively.

"It's okay Yumi, just eat okay".

"Eat while you are still alive", a voice came in, they turned to a boy, he was seated behind them.

Shimizu Ren, his orange hair messy, he turned, his blue eyes averting to them, his mouth moving to chew on the food calmly.

"Shimizu Ren" he introduced himself with a mouth full of rice.

"And this is my twin sister Rin", a girl with dark long hair and blue eyes walking towards the table but she trips, her tray slipping out of her hand but she caught it clumsy, with blank white eyes. She took a deep breath.

"It happens all the time" she murmurs to herself raising her head noticing Kaneki, Mirai, and Yumi's stare. She laughs nervously.

"Hi... hi!"

"I'm Nakata Mirai," Mirai said, forcing a brilliant smile.

"Okura Kaneki".

"Takai Yumi".

"Nakata?" Ren said as a mirage question mark arises on his forehead.

"Wait, you mean the famous dojo in Tokyo?" Ren asked with shining eyes. Mirai just nods.

"I'm a fan!" he squeaks, sliding to where Mirai was, holding her hand.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Kaneki said in a bored tone.

"Um?!" Ren made a sound dumbfounded, a slap landed on his face.

"OUCH!" Ren shouts with blank white eyes.

Mirai gasps realizing what she has done.

"I'm so sorry, you took me by surprise, that's why" Mirai said, panicking.

Ren gave her a thumbs up in agonizing pain, with a wide grin, her hand imprinted on his cheeks, red.

"It's alright, it's my fault," Ren said grinning.

Mirai just chuckled nervously. 'Touch me again and it's your face on the ground with my foot. Mirai thought darkly while imagining the possible action.

"So like you Ren," Rin said, taking a seat next to him, she ate. He just rolled his eyes.

"You two seem full of spirit," Kaneki said, raising an eyebrow. They turned to him.

"You don't seem like you heard what the Prime Minister said".

"Well we did, it's just that, we have to keep living, it's been 2 years after all" Ren shrugs.

"How could you say that?!" Kaneki yelled, pissed that he took the situation casually.

"Stop it Kaneki Senpai!" Mirai scowled at his action.

"Kaneki-san," Ren said, grinning with his eyes closed.

"Whether it's true or not we should be lucky we are alive!"

Kaneki stiffen. 'What's this?' Kaneki thought with trembling eyes. 'Oh, I see'. His eyes fixed on Ren's bright expression. 'That's some fake smile'. Kaneki noticed he was trembling.

Rin silently ate her food with a dark expression.

"Then I guess you are right," Kaneki said, facing his food. He opens the transparent nylon.

"Yumi!"

Yumi's dull eyes land on him.

"Eat up, be lucky you are alive," Kaneki said with a mouth full.

Yumi nods with some tears at the corner of her eyes, she ate. Mirai forced a smile as she ate too.

Ten finished his third plate, his eyes averting to the table with more food. His glasses shine.

"Don't tell me you are still eating," Shino said, he was seated on the same iron bench with Ten. Ten turns to him, then his food, it was touched just a bit.

"You can have it", he shifts his tray towards Ten.

"But there's more than enough food in here".

Shino faced him. Ten froze when he saw the natural scars on Shino's face, two on his left cheek and one crossing his nose. 'Was that caused by the explosion?' Ten thoughts. 'No, it looks like it has been there for long. He studied it more, careful not to make it obvious that he was.

"I know you're staring," Shino said.

Ten stiffen, Shino's eyes avert away from Ten.

"And to quench your curiosity I got these scars when I was a kid".

"Sorry for staring".

"It's alright, I get the stares a lot. I'm Higa Shino", his eyes averting to Ten.

"Saito Ten".

"Saito Ten, even though there is enough food in here, if civilians are on this base like the Prime Minister said then there will be a shortage, you should watch the way you eat".

"Worry about yourself and not others, they probably left this food here just for us," Ten said, making a face. 'Dammit, he's right'. Ten thought in his head, but he didn't want to admit he was.

"I guess it's still in my body," Shino said as his eyes grew sad.

Ten blinks.

"I had one responsibility, to care for my little sister and I couldn't do that. I failed my dad and my sister".

Ten's looks sad. Shino faced him.

"So tell me, you're a smart guy," Shino said, changing the topic.

"Do you believe what the Prime Minister told us?"

"Not completely".

"Good!"

"You better believe it…  scarface" a devious voice came in.

They turned to Sumi seated in front of them, her tray of food empty. She turned to them in amusement, it was dark and twisted.

"The world has ended!"