SYSTEM ASCENSION

As soon as the morning light shorn in through the broken window, the yard was up and murmuring.

Unlike other night, this night was anything but peaceful. The occasional screeches from creatures and an unfamiliar laughter echoing through the night.

The people paced around in search of Rolarza and the strangers she had brought home last night. They turned the yard upside down, but not daring to venture outside yet, incase some creatures still lurk around and had not returned.

”Those people are suspicious, I tell ya!” A woman was yelling. ”They took her in the night!”

”We should have been more careful!” One of them voiced out.

”That masked boy was especially creepy!” Another barked.

Her grandmother sat still, holding Rolarza’s siblings. A boy, and a girl. Her posture was calm, yet her eyes betrayed her.

”It’s already day time. We should go in search of her.” One suggested. ”If they took her, they couldn’t have gone too far.”

Grandma Cho nodded, words instantly making sense to her. ”Yes! We should! We should search—”

”Everyone!” Someone’s voice cut through the troubled air. She waved from the garage, few feets away from their gathered spot. ”Come over here. Check this out!”

The people rushed over. By the time they arrived, the veil covering the wagon has been pulled down, revealing the game Elias and Rolarza hunted the day before.

They instantly drooled.

”Are this all meat?”

”So many of them!”

”Was this hunted yesterday?”

”We parked the wagon in a hurry yesterday. Who knew that it was holding so much.”

Grandma Cho stretched out her hand, desperately waving off the temptation of food.

”We need to search for Rolarza first!”

Everyone’s eyes hardened again.

”Yes!”

”We need to search! All this cannot buy Rolarza from us!”

”Let’s —”

”Huh? They are not back yet?”

The voice came from behind them. No one had expected. In union, they all turned.

Zeal stood there, covered in blood and guts. His expression bored beyond explanation, hands tucked in his pocket.

”They should be back anytime soon.” He muttered, reaching for a piece of flesh on his shoulder and tossing it away.

The crowd moved back.

Her grandmother stepped closer, her movement very cautious.

”Young man, why...are you covered in blood?”

”Hah...right,” he scratched his head. ”I hunted those things all night. There is really no end to them.”

He turned around.

”There are about a thousand corpse laying on the street though...if you guys eat those stuff.”

They all blinked.

His words triggered their hunger button. As soon as he walk away, they dashed out of the garage in search of the promised free food.

Some grabbed cutlasses, while some reached for the baskets.

A few stayed behind, and began to address the meat in the wagon. The old woman went after Zeal, taking a bit of effort to caught up to him.

”Where is my granddaughter?”

”Am I suppose to know?”

Her eye shook.

”But she...”

”She’s with him.” He cut her off. ”Don’t bother me.”

Before the old woman would get frightened, the yard gate was pushed open. All attention was drawn.

”I’m saying,” Rolarza laughed. ”Your hair is too long. It has already gotten to your waistline. Mine isn’t even that long.”

”So?” Elias muttered, still in his mask, but hood off. His dark hair spilled across his face and back.

She ran few steps forward and blocked him.

”I’ll give you a trim.”

”A trim?”

”Okay. A cut.” She fold her lip.

”Rolarza!” Half of the residents in the yard yelled, making her flinch. She turned around and chuckled awkwardly.

”I’m back.”

Her grandmother closed the distance in an unnatural speed, and grabbed her cheek.

”Are you trying to murder me before my time! You damn brat!”

”I’m sorry.” She laughed.

”Going on a date in the middle of the night?” Another grabbed her second cheek. ”Are you courting the afterlife?!”

”No! It’s not that...”

”So why did you go out so late!”

”He took me to show him the gate.”

”The gate?” The old woman paled. ”Why would you...”

”They are...” She glanced around, like she was gathering excuses from the morning wind. ”they are raiders dispatched to...help us. They would close the gate.”

Everyone stared at her like she had eaten something ridiculous.

”WHAT?!”

She chuckled, and stepped side.

They turned their gazes to Elias, and observed him with critical eyes.

The old woman stepped forward.

”Young man. Could you please take off your mask.”

All attention move to him.

He stared at her for a moment, then reached for the mask and took it off.

The mask slipped free, revealing his stoic appearance, and rare eyes.

A collective gasp followed.

Rolarza stepped back to observe him fully.

’So this...is how he looks like.’

Her heart suddenly beat faster, and when she recalled how he held her a day before, or how she had pulled him all around, her face flushed.

The old woman narrowed her eyes. Her gaze moved from his face, to his necklace, and back to his eyes.

”You’re a Black-eyed.”

This time, their reaction shifted from awe to shock.

”Black-eyed?!”

They pressed closer.

”That is how a Black-eyed look like?”

”I thought it was a rumour but it really is true!”

”His eyes are really black.”

”I heard that they never leave their empire.”

”Why have you graced us with your presence?” The old woman continued.

”Nothing you should be concerned about.” He replied.

She nodded, and asked instead.

”Have you come to help us?”

”If I can.” He looked away, his eye subconsciously looking around for Zeal.

”He’s not sure.” Someone muttered.

”He can do it.” Rolarza stepped in front of him, and stretched out her hands. ”He can close the gate.”

”Rolarza, he said...”

”He can enter the gate!” She announced. ”I saw him enter it!”

They froze.

”He can enter it?” A man muttered.

”Wasn’t it sealed off to humans?”

”How did he do it?”

”Elias can do it,” she declared. ”So, I don’t want you all disturbing him!”

She turned around.

”El...”

His eyes were wide, fixed on her. Her seemingly innocent action, struck a chord.

”Elias?”

His lips parted.

”...ten...”

”Ten?” She glanced back. They all shrugged. Her eye returned to him.

”Elias!” She shook his arm.

He snapped out of it. He glanced around, and back at her.

”Are you alright?”

His neural expression returned, like a switch flip.

”I’m fine.”

She forced a smile.

”Alright.”

She turned around.

”Let’s prepare a feast!”

The people scattered, murmuring in awe and barely contained excitement.

She glanced at him. He was still staring at her.

”You...” Her face heat up.

”What?” He tilted his head.

”Nothing.” She grabbed his hand and yanked him. ”Let’s go!”