Ender? A Hopeful Tomorrow

With the day now climbing to its summits, the morning’s excitement had already begun to dwindle. Those who set out much earlier for work had started to roam to the streets for lunch and various errands. The traffic was no longer as prominent during the rush hour as few vehicles moved here and there, bypassing a notable car with a black sheen and angular edges parked at a crowded outdoor food stall.

Naturally, it drew the eyes of nearby individuals and even the stall customers, busily eating at their seats. A few couldn’t even help but comment, forming a minor commotion.

“That car is a Vulian, isn’t it? Who would park such a classy ride here?” one person asked curiously.

“You must have been sleeping. Didn’t you see when those guys pulled up? Look over there. I know, right? The owners are eating away at that seat,” another person said as he hinted towards the party with his eyes.

The other person looked on in interest, eyeing a fat blond youth with a plate full of sandwiches and fries. By his side was a beautiful blond girl with smaller portions of food and a handsome brown-haired youth that sat before them, eating while chatting with them.

Not paying attention to the onlookers, Joe, who chewed away madly at his food, spoke to vent his discontent.

“Micheal, that bastard! I’ll let his entire family pay for his actions if I ever get the chance! Not to mention that piece of shit supervisor in the Golden Hall, I’d give him a good lesson and let him know a thing or two about mocking a Goldsmith!”

Emily giggled as she spoke, “Hehe, brother, don’t curse when you’re eating. You look so silly. See, you’re making those women laugh because of your face; how will you get married like this?”

Joe snorted at this while chewing even harder, the meat sticking on his cheeks as he replied, “Psssh! I may not get married, but so won’t you. I’ll make sure to hound any man you take home in the future.”

“That’s so mean! You better not think of doing that!” Emily cursed as she smacked her palm against his back, causing a loud slapping sound which even made the onlookers shrink.

Oddly though, Joe didn’t even seem to flinch as if such a slap was normal for brother and sister. He chuckled at her while eating with no regard. He looked at a few women she mentioned, noticing that they giggled and whispered, a few giving him strange looks. Being quite experienced, he knew that the signals these women were sending were far different from what Emily might have thought.

Evan smiled, enjoying the brother-sister antics. He was an only child and never had a chance to see such a setting, even more so after the apocalypse. As he took in the mood, his eyes started to wander across the buildings and surroundings, basking in the daytime atmosphere.

This peaceful mood…it’s been way too long since I’ve seen it. How long has it been? Ten, twelve … no, fifteen years since the Dimension Era. It’s rather pleasing.

While thinking, Evan couldn’t help but turn his sights back on Joe, who bantered with his sister. The winds blew softer as even the noise from the environment had dimmed, causing an unusual occurrence.

Instantly, the world around Evan grew dark as the scene changed to one of his most vivid but distant memories.

✽✽✽

It was a ruin filled with corpses of both humans and monsters, a place that seemed like an unknown world. In this very picture akin to hell itself, Joe’s plump but blood-soaked figure leaned back onto a broken wall. His body was fully clad in ancient armor, which made him seem gallant, but sadly, his chest was run through by a fragment of an exceptionally large bone.

With his back bleeding profusely and breath haggard, he stared at a different-looking Evan, garbed in light armor with a long sword in his trembling arms and a terror-stricken face as he stood atop of the silhouette of a giant monster’s head.

“So … you’ve finally woken up. It’s … a good thing. Ha … ha … It would have been … troublesome … if you’d continued … as you did. Now, I … I can rest at ease. I can leave and return to my … sister. Evan … cough … it looks like my time … came first. It’ll be a harsh world … but … from now on … always remember … to keep on fighting.”

Joe said with a weakened voice. His vision grew blurry and dark. He lifted his hand, using the last ounce of strength he had to tap Evan’s shoulder as he stared him in the face before slumping over, falling into eternal slumber.

Looking at Joe, who perished, Evan, who was on his knees, had a blank expression, he was unable to say anything, as his eyes had tears flowing down their corners.

I … I’m so useless … I let Joe die, and I couldn’t even protect anything. I … I must change. I can’t be this weak, never again! He thought with a flame in his heart, eating away at his regrets, his eyes having a dark shimmer as his fingers around his sword clenched it tighter.

Suddenly, in his strange state, a hand soon tapped his shoulder, pulling him away from his thoughts as a male voice sounded, “Get up. We don’t have time to grieve. Let’s continue our quest.”

Following the source of this voice, Evan turned and stared at the voice’s owner, a figure garbed in a worn-out cloak with armor underneath it. His face was hidden behind a dark blue mask that covered the upper part of his face, as his arm was stretched forward with his fingers wide open as if waiting for Evan to grab his hand.

Evan, who had regained his bearings, slowly reached his hands forward and grabbed this person’s arm, his eyes burning with a new flame as he spoke, “You’re right. Let’s go … Ender.”

Quickly, both Ender and Evan continued onward as the scene of the memory wrapped before fading away, bringing Evan’s mind back to the current reality.

✽✽✽

Back within the food stall, Evan, who had the peculiar recollection, frowned, even more so as he recalled Ender’s appearance. He spoke in a soft tone, “Ender … that son of a dog. I will certainly let him pay.”

He wanted to think further about this person, but it was at this time Joe’s voice sounded, “Evan? What are you doing mumbling like a madman? Are you okay?”

Emily, who sat by his side, also asked with curiosity, “Who’s Ender? Sounds like a character from a video game.”

Joe didn’t hear the name mentioned, but he soon looked at Evan in shock as he spoke in a wary tone, “Ender? It sounds like a male’s codename … Oh dear, Evan … don’t tell me that after going to prison you … your preferences…”

Evan, who was now fully awake, had an embarrassed look. He cursed, “Like hell I do. Listen, pal, you’re the only one here with those kinds of preferences!”

“Hahaha! Jeez, I’m only testing you, okay? So calm down! No need to get so upset,” Joe said with a laugh as he shrugged and ate his food.

“Hehe, you guys are so foolish,” Emily said while giving them odd looks.

Joe, having recalled something, finally spoke again, “Oh yeah, classes for college are starting next week. Are you planning on continuing your studies at a school?”

Evan looked at him and replied, “That’s right. I did finish my application today. I’m planning on attending the Dawn Star Academy.”

Emily was a bit surprised by this. She spoke, “Oh wow, brother, it’s quite the coincidence. I didn’t think he’d actually go to the same school as us!”

“Yes, indeed, it seems that we’re like-minded after all,” Joe said with a smile.

“Oh … I see,” Evan replied, feeling a bit touched deep down. Of course, he already knew that it wasn’t a coincidence, but he didn’t say anything.

The scene remained quiet for a while as no one spoke. One could feel an even more refreshing atmosphere from around their table. Suddenly, Joe and Emily looked at Evan, who gave them a warm look before he tapped Joe’s shoulder and spoke in a calm tone, “You’ve worked hard.”

Joe was surprised, but he soon replied with an expression as if it was nothing, “Yeah, but it was worth it.”

After speaking, they no longer said anything else and returned to their usual posture. They knew each other a bit more from the simple exchange and didn’t need to overly state gratitude.

After a while, everyone finished eating. Joe, Evan, and Emily left the food stall and traveled to a few stores where they got some supplies before heading back towards his apartment.

By the time they arrived at its gates, it was already in the afternoon. Evan looked at the brother and sister duo as he spoke, “I’ll see you guys later.”

“Awesome. Take care of yourself, man!” Joe said with a laugh.

“See you later, Evan!” Emily said with a beaming smile.

Evan then turned away and waved his hand while walking towards the stairs; Joe gave him a deep look before he whispered while driving off, “It’s a fresh start. Let’s look forward to a better future.”

The Vulian drove into the distance of the busy road, vanishing into the sea of buildings and vehicles.

As Evan entered his apartment and he sorted out his newly bought items, he grabbed a backpack and stuffed it full of med kits, knives, a rope, and other essential tools. When he finished, his bag looked almost like that of an archeologist’s in the wilderness.

He even looked at the calendar in his room and marked the fifth of January as he spoke, “Tomorrow is the start of my new beginning.”

As he said this, he couldn’t but recall today’s memory, the masked individual flickering in his eyes that soon shone firmly. He spoke in a voice that trailed off in the surroundings, “Ender … you can be certain that I won’t make the same mistake twice.”