Chapter 48

Where it all started

As the three of us, we're traveling halfway out of the Noble Land, I was still trying to figure out what Althea's plan. My brother never got to tell his side and just now, Althea's giving hints about it. I'm still hoping for a better life. Even though things changes, more of risk chances are at the top of our head, we couldn't still give up just because we are outnumbered. There are still ways on how to develop such instances that could make the High Council fall on their own feet.

"And now, we're leaving the Noble Land," Althea said as passed through the signboard says, leaving Noble Land. "This ride will gonna take more few hours before we reach our destination." She added when we're seeing across a tunnel that we're driving towards.

We're approaching closer to the tunnel called Endless Tunnel and I don't know why it was called like that but we'll see when we got to experience the tunnel.

When we enter the tunnel and darkness envelop our surroundings. Our visions were slowly adjusting from the dark. There are also some lights on the walls of the tunnel which also give some lights to the darkness and help us to get see from it. From our car's headlights only we got to see what's on our way. Althea tried to blow the horn and it just echoed many times. We laughed but suddenly got to think it is a long, exhausting ride to get passed through the tunnel.

She also told that there's no other way of getting out of Noble Land. One possible travel option was the air flight but we don't have an aircraft to fly and that's an option we couldn't risk because if we would fly into the air, we could be easily seen by the High Council and I think that'll end us.

"What are you thinking, Dy?" Al said, placing his hand on my shoulder. I look at him, shaking my head. "Well, that's not what I'm seeing. I think you're thinking of something that bothers you, what is it, Dy? But if you aren't comfortable telling it, that's okay. I understand."

I look at the rear view mirror and sees Althea's face that also waiting for my answer.

"Alright," I started and they were all ears on me. "It wasn't that deep but got me thinking somehow... what if we don't make it—I mean our plan didn't succeed. What could go wrong for us?"

"That was deep, Dy." Althea corrected.

Al scoff, "you're on the wrong side of hopes, Dy." He said, my brow raised on him. "It is not right, maybe, to think that we're planning can go all wrong and our fates will be determined by the High Council's cruelty. We make our fate and that won't be put up on their hands. We'll end this in the right way. I know you're more than that Dy. I know you believe in yourself more than anyone else, don't give up your hopes."

"The thing is..."

He patted my shoulder, "I know what you're thinking. They could kill us, yes can do that but we can stop them doing that. Do it for your family. Do it for the ones we lost. Do it for the world we didn't deserve."

I took a deep breath and contemplate everything they said. I know I shouldn't deprive myself of thinking those things but I couldn't help when we were in between of situation where we could save a thousand of lives or ended up risking them and what worse could happen, we could all end up dead.

And that's the scariest part running in my head every time we make a move.

I come in silence while looking at the vast darkness outside.

For few hours, Althea couldn't just drive the car by herself that's why we do some rotation in which an hour after someone will replace the driver's seat to continue driving and to relax their hands and feet from it.

While I'm driving the car, Althea talked about how the world was so wide and big. The Noble Land is big enough for millions of people and how about the other continents which have been abandoned and some are made for the rebirth's process. For the past years, Althea has been around the world for assisting the participants and because of her medical profession, she has met a lot of people whose determination of surviving the process were indescribable that's why she's sad for those ones who didn't get to have their dreams.

"I'm gonna tell you something, Dylan." She said, I look at her on the rearview mirror, creases my forehead. "Something your brother wouldn't even tell you."

"What is it?"

"For the past few years we have been together, he never failed to talk about his family. He's longing for it. He knows that when you step into the Noble Land and branded as Licit, you should forget the life you had before and that's the thing he couldn't do. He couldn't just forget his family, his inspiration to survive the last nine months of danger. He did it for his family that's why I also never fail to choose him over anyone else."

"I didn't know that."

"Of course your brother wouldn't you want to know his other side, but that doesn't mean it was his weakness. Never look it that way because his family became the foundation of his strong personality and attitude and on where he's now. He uses something part of himself to motivate and made something out of it. And that's his ability to come through at any given circumstances."

I sighed after hearing it. I was a little bit sad knowing it. It was way too opposite of what we think. "My brother must have been lonely all this time—but good thing you are there to save his loneliness. I just didn't know what he has to take her for a living."

"On the first time I have known him, he wasn't like the person who is now. I mean, he's hard to get with. He's having a hard time of adjusting but I didn't give up on him. He was just homesick, terrified of what he has got through and all that brings trauma to him. And when I get close to him, every weeks and month I've seen him grow and more likely to engage in Noble Land activities and in next years, he was promoted to becoming Tech Supervisor. I'm so proud of him."

"I just hope we get to see him grow. 'Cause way back on the Waste Land, my mother and I do think that he forgets all about us. That he just move on with his life and forget that he had a family. But I didn't expect what I'm hearing from you. The brother whom I have known determined, full of courage and bravery has also his downfall. When we don't get a chance to help him from it, you were there and I'm so grateful you did. Thank you, Thea..."

She smiled, "no problem, Dylan. I'm just happy I get to be with a man who's willing to fight not just for his family, but for every life he thinks deserve to live. He's a grown man now. And I think I don't deserve him."

I chuckle, "you do, Thea... you are for him."

He reaches out her hands on me and holds me on the back, "thank you, Dylan."

"Oh-okay. I'm sorry for ruining the drama guys. I gotta replace you there Dy." Al said.

I got out of the driver's seat and exchange with Al on the passenger's seat. And when I get to the seat beside Althea, I didn't lose the chance to hug my soon sister-in-law. Conrad was lucky for the life he deserves in the Noble Land. I do hope he had a best of it and this time that he's running away from it, it won't last 'cause I know my brother would do anything to change the situation.

It has been a few hours since we enter the Tunnel and what this place called were literally claiming it endlessly. Althea said that if we take an aircraft, we could only travel an hour or so but with the tunnel, it feels like forever.

Al shakes me and woke me up from sleeping. From the darkness that covering our surroundings, the light from Al's tech brings up some glow. I looked away 'cause it affects my vision. But he keeps bugging me.

"What is it, Al?" I asked him.

"We're almost there!" he exclaimed.

"On where?" I ask him once again but didn't directly answer my question.

"Look at your front, Dy," Thea said and when I look at the front, I saw a light at the end of the way and as we are coming forward, the blinding light is expanding until we come out of the Endless Tunnel. Well, at least it has some ends. 'Cause in today's generation, anything doesn't last forever.

When our sights adjusted from it, my eyes widen as I recognized to the place we are heading. I keep looking back at Althea and Al 'cause I think we are on the wrong place but once we passed through the signboard that screaming out of smudge paint—Welcome to Waste Land were unbelievable. Althea keeps nodding on me that we're on the right place and this is the place where my brother plans to run ahead. Once we see the houses and old buildings, I knew that we're on the Waste Land and I couldn't imagine that after few long hours of driving we reach to a place where it all started.

"What are we actually doing here on the Waste Land?" I asked her.

"Conrad brings us to the place where it all started, where everyone has the same guts of strength, courage, and bravery. He went back to his roots, Dylan. And we'll see him again once we get there."

"And where that specific?"

"You'll see." She said.

I'm still in the blank slate when she teases me with those things. I may have thought that being in the Waste Land could also be a risk. We're runaways. And the High Council are smart enough to think that the only place we could run back to we're the place where we grow up and this is the Waste Land. But it gives me goosebumps and chills over my body seeing it again for about months on the field. And I just couldn't wait to see my family.

Althea drives the car into where we're heading and still she knows what road to take. We're passing some Null people and I can see their faces. Some are shocked, terrified and afraid of seeing a vehicle from the Noble Land. It is unusual for them to see something like this that's why they are so vigilant and somehow they couldn't take away in their heads that danger is coming, but we didn't bring any of those instead of a reason to fight for their lives.

Not that long when we reach the spot Althea speaking about. When we step out of the car, I immediately recognized the place and within seconds it hit me. I know the place. Althea looks at me like she knows what's gonna happen. She doesn't tell us about any plan but getting us out of the Noble Land and follow Conrad. Just like that and nothing else.

"Why are we on the secret place of the movement?" I asked her.

"Hmm..." she hums, "you should see what's inside, Dy."

As Althea knows more what to do, she leads the way. Al and I follow her entering the old rusty metal door. I remember what my brother told me before. That's why the place was so familiar to me because I have heard it from him. That's why maybe, we're coming back to this place.

When we come inside the premises, we followed Althea on the hallway. We already heard some noises echoed on the hallway and my heart was pounding like it's never been before. When we reach where all the people are, I stopped and stood sturdy when I saw a hundred—no, thousands of faces gathering around. They looked at us, staring on newcomers but after that, getting out from the crowd himself, we saw my brother.

"Welcome, buddy," he said and I still couldn't believe what I'm seeing. It is surreal.