SYSTEM ASCENSION

A flicker of light was lit, and pressed to a candle. The little stick immediately caught the fire, and illuminated the room a little bit.

It was dark now, and all they could hear were the growling and screeches of beasts. The underground room was quiet. Zeal was sound asleep, spread unnaturally on the ground without a care in the world.

Rolarza who kept lighting candles as soon as they went off, was sitting a few feets away. Two children clung to her, already asleep.

Her grandmother, grandma Cho, kept watch. The old woman constantly gazed up and up at the door that lead underground.

Elias on the other hand sat on a stool, expression calm beneath the mask. His gaze however remained solely on Rolarza.

The candle stick burned, then another and another. Soon, they all drifted off to sleep, the background screeches, a lullaby they were already use to.

Then—

”We should see for ourselves.”

Elias glanced at the person who spoke.

Zeal.

He sat up, and yawned.

Elias thought were the same. He stood up and walked.

Without another word, they exit the underground room, their steps so light it couldn’t be detected. No one noticed.

The door at the top was cracked open.

Outside, the yard was worse than below. Screeches cut through the air in waves, closer now, raking against the walls and street.

Zeal moved to the nearest tree, thick trunk. He climbed first, to the highest and toughest branch.

Elias followed. At the top, they stopped.

Wind tugged at their clothes.

”Would you look at that.” Zeal grinned.

Below, the yard was a mess of movement and shadows in the dark. Creatures unidentified, clawing at the gates, snapping at anything that moved.

”This ain’t anything we have seen.”

Zeal sat on the thick branch, legs dangling, and looked out.

Elias stood beside him and spoke.

”I suppose we have to fix this problem right?”

”Probably.”

”So, we have to close the gate.”

”Probably.” The older man shrugged again.

A moment of silence followed. Then Elias glanced at him.

”I suppose you’re expecting an explanation right?”

”Right.”

Zeal sighed.

”Being a chosen is a chance to walk away from all this. I suppose the system is basically saying, you survived and now I’m giving you a chance to choose.”

”Choose what?”

”I’m not sure either. The reason all of this exist. It’s still unclear to me,” Zeal pointed into the empty air. ”you see, there is a countdown only those who go pass the stage of a chosen can see. I guess we’ll know what this is all about after the countdown ends.”

Elias gazed back into the night, at all the gnawing creatures.

”How did you know all this?”

”Sector one has five survivors during my barge. The system erased memories of their faces after we were sent out. Nevertheless, we were close, and was able to search for each other via other means. Only three out of the five of us decided to continue the quests.”

”The quests without a penalty?”

”Exactly!” He snapped his finger, and swung his feets.

”One among us died in the quest. The rest got promoted. Me, and him.”

Elias glanced at him. While he was telling the story, his eyes were clear as the sea. It was obvious that the story was a fleeting experience.

”After a while, those who rejected the quests soon forgot their memories. Us, the quests, the trial. Everything. Like it never happened.”

He glanced up at Elias.

”If you had ignored the quest, you would have walked away without a care.”

”But...I don’t see a reject quest button.”

Zeal froze.

”What?”

”No reject quest button.” Elias repeated.

Zeal blinked twice.

”That’s certainly odd. It’s like the system do not want to let you go.”

He rubbed his chin.

”That’s odd. I wonder why...”

Immediately, he recalled a memory he saw in the sealing stone.

”Wait, what did you do for three years in the trial ground? It was supposed to be two years with twenty trials. I’m pretty sure they was not a quest that involves hunting each other in mine.”

”I triggered a bounty quest, so I killed everyone.”

Zeal eye widened drastically. His hands stilled for a full minute, then he glanced at the boy again.

”You triggered...a bounty quest? Why?”

”I don’t remember.”

Zeal’s hand shook.

”Are you even...”

”By the way,” Elias cut him off. ”Your friend. The one who survived with you. Where is he?”

Zeal smiled again.

”I said you should not reveal your abilities, or you might get killed for it,” he pointed to himself. ”You see...I got a stealth ability.”

Elias turned his gaze back into the night.

’Basically, you killed him and took his ability.’

Elias bent his knee, ready to take off.

”I’ll follow these creatures and...”

His senses caught another presence. Both of them turned their gaze to the yard.

Rolarza stood before the open door, lantern flicking in the wind. Her feet refused to move in fear that little light was already attracting the creatures.

Zeal tilted his head.

”I don’t know if she’s genuinely stupid, or partially stupid.”

Elias sighed.

”Both are still stupidity.”

Elias vaulted down the tree, and made way to her in few seconds. He landed behind her and tapped her shoulder.

”Aarrgh! No!” She flung the lantern and fell on her face. ”I don’t want to get eaten! Save me.”

”She’s genuinely stupid.” Zeal landed beside them.

At the sound of Zeal’s voice, she raised her head.

He waved.

She glanced back at the person who had tapped her.

”What are you both doing outside?! I woke up and you were gone!”

Zeal grabbed the lantern and turned it off.

”Luckily, your voice sound as loud as an opinion we don’t fancy,” he sarcastically said. ”Otherwise, you’d be calling them to your yard for a free meal.

”I was worried!” She snapped. ”You both can’t run around at night!”

”Did you expect us to stay underground?”

”Of course, I...”

She narrowed her eyes.

”Are you both going to close the gate?”

”Do you know the gate’s location?” Elias asked.

”Yeah... it’s just outside Yuta...I’m..”

”Take me there.”

”What? No! I can’t...”

”I’ll draw them away.” Zeal said.

”No wait...”

He was already walking away, fading into the dark.

She sprang up and turned to Elias.

”Are you both raiders despatched here to close the gate?”

”Are we leaving or no?” Elias closed the distance, and before she could declined, his hand was already around her waist, lifting her off the ground, before she could kick.

”Wait!”

The word tore out of her throat, but it was already too late. The world blurred into a rush of cold wind as he leapt back toward the tree line.

Rolarza flailed. ”Put me down! Put me down right now!”

The next second, a chorus of screeches echoed.

The sound rolled through the yard like a tide turning. Dozens of creatures scrabble off the gate, heads snapping toward the new noise.

They followed Zeal as he let out a loud whistle.

”Hey!” His voice cut through the dark. ”Over here! Dinner’s walking!”

Rolarza went rigid in Elias’s arms. ”He’s insane! He’s going to get killed!”

Elias didn’t answer. His eyes were fixed ahead. He moved again, footsteps barely disturbing the grass. Her weight didn’t slow him either.

”Put me down,” she hissed again, lower this time. ”If they see us—”

”They won’t,” Elias said.

Rolarza stopped struggling. She realized if she made a sound now, she’d ruin everything. Her hands gripped the front of Elias’s hood instead.

With Zeal leading them away, she was able to show him the way to the gate. It was just a miles after Yuta.

They arrived an hour later.

”There it is.”

The gate stood at the center of a deserted road. The air shimmered, light bending and twisting with a low, humming sound. A ring of violet and blue energy spinning, as a cool wind rushed out from the other side.

”Stay here.”

”Wait—”

Elias left her at the top of a building. He approached the portal, his boots barely making a sound.

”You should do this in the day!” Rolarza called out, glancing around.

”Hey!”

He ignored her, and stopped two feet away from the gate.

”What if another one comes out?” She yelled.

No reply.

”Elias!”

No reply.

”No one has been able to enter!”

He blinked once.

Then—

He stretched his hand.