The Morrow's Yesterday

Chapter 13: First Task

Chrysan’s POV

As soon as Daphne finished instructing us, she let us do our things. She temporarily let go of her title of being our commander and passed it on Keith who’s having a mischievous smile on his face as if he was going to do something silly.

He stood up in the center while his hands are on his waist and his head was held high. He’s acting like he was on top of a cliff while embracing the warm breeze. Our backs straightened when he let out a mischievous laugh.

“Bow down, you peasants!” he exclaimed in a low voice while looking down on us and he continued his laugh.

“Are you sure this is alright?” I heard Vane ask Xyxo.

“Let’s just pray,” Xyxo responded and they hold their hands and started praying. They even mentioned the gods of air, water, and land in their so-called prayer.

“Did Keith hit his head?” Jairo asked with horror while faintly pointing his index finger in Keith’s direction. When our eyes met, I made an awkward smile and shook my head as a response. He held his chest and sighed in relief.

“I knew it! Something was on the food that Daphne gave us, maybe that’s the reason why Keith is acting like that,” Reikkie muttered very seriously while holding her chin as if she was solving one of the mysteries in the world.

“Maybe Keith drank some pesticide, what do you think, Chrysan?” Sy said while holding her chin too, imitating Reikkie.

We’re all back in reality when we heard something. We looked at Keith who’s covering his head as if he was protecting it. On the side, we saw Daphne who have a sweet smile plastered on her face and she was holding a file of papers. We noticed that it’s crumpled as if she hit someone with those. My mouth formed an 'o' when I realized something.

Don’t tell me…

I looked at my friends when they tried to hold their laughter. I just bit my lower lip to hold mine too. Until Xyxo can’t endure it and he started bursting into laughter, followed by Vane and Sythel while Jairo and Reikkie remain in their monotone face as if they don’t care about what’s happening.

“Don’t be full of yourself, Keith. To begin your training, you need to give us concrete orders and responsibility will fall on your shoulders, got it?” Daphne instructed. Keith gulped many times before nodding.

Wow, I felt the pressure.

He faced us again while holding his head high. He cleared his throat before speaking, and he kept looking at Daphne’s position. Daphne just motioned her hand as if she was saying that he should continue what he’s going to say.

“I’ve n-noticed that our water supply was about to be drained. I want you all to fetch some water, outside the Ozainus Dome. Each one of you should have two trips,” Keith stated and looked at Daphne again. She was saying something but it was inaudible. Keith nodded while listening to her and continued speaking.

“Except for Xyxo,” he added. We all turned to Xyxo who’s eyes widened while he’s pointing at himself.

“You’ll be having seven trips to fully full our water tank,” Keith said making my eyes widened.

Seven trips? From outside the Ozainus Dome? What the hell is that?

Seems like Reikkie read my expression and she explained what I’ve asked in my mind. “The Ozainus Dome isolates us from the Electrocytos. Electrocytos are dangerous creatures that devour human beings to regain their energy, if you see one, run for your life.”

I blinked many times because of what I've heard. Devour? As in devour? That thing never exists in the present. I wonder what it looks like. Where did that thing come from, anyway?

For the second time, Reikkie answered my question in my mind. Is she a mind reader or what? “Electrocytos are creatures who waked up due to the excessive amount of electricity being used for machinery, and they’ve been active lately. And no, I'm not a mind reader. You're just transparent.”

I just nodded and hide the amazement I've felt. She's so cool! But, according to her, Electrocytos are dangerous creatures, does she means that aside from the government, we need to hide from those Electrocytos thingies?

“Let’s go, guys! We need to go back before dawn. I don’t want to be a feast for those Electro-things.” My thoughts disappeared when Sythel spoke and took one of the containers in the corner.

I just shrugged and follow her steps. I took one of the containers. It is made from metal but when I lift it up, surprisingly it was so light. I just shrugged again and I make my pace fast to keep up with them.

It is still dark in the main facility and we can't see any guards here in the area where our headquarter are located. Sythel used her invisibility and she lead us up to the main entrance. I tried my best to not make any noise or lessen the sound that my shoes make every time it touches the floor. Sythel looked back at us and motioned her hand to come, which means that, there are no other people except us. Xyxo slowly opened the main door using his Restone lever. My mouth formed an 'o' when it really opened.

My eyes twinkled when drones with lights flying in the deep dark blue sky greeted me. There were also shining stars in it. The amazement on my face vanished when I noticed that there's some boundary between us from the sky. It's a glass-like structure and it can barely be seen, I looked around and skyscrapers blocked my sight right away. It's dark but thanks to the drones and lights on the road, we can see our surroundings. During our trip outside the headquarters, I was linking at Reikkie’s arms like a gecko. Thankfully, she didn’t shoo me.

I guess being in the future is no joke. For no reason, I stopped walking, and my chums noticed it right away. They kept asking what's the problem but I can't give them a direct answer because even I, I don't know the answer. My instinct said I should look back so I did, but I didn't find something, just a calm flower bed and the wind sways it, making it dance.

My eyebrows furrowed. Weird. I'm certain that someone is looking at me.

"Chrysan?" Sythel muttered, so I looked back on them, worriedness was painted on their faces. I just forced a smile and told them to continue walking.

I looked at Reikkie when she simply throb her muscles, on the area where my hand was placed, gaining my attention. She whispered to me something, “Let’s talk later.”

I gulped and nodded when I felt something was not right. It feels like, there’s something in the tone of her voice and I’m afraid to know what’s that. For the second time, I looked back on the artificial flower bed when I noticed something move. Is somebody watching me or it is just my brain playing tricks?

I just shook my head to erase that thought. We took the safest way to the water station outside the dome. The underground tunnel. They said that it’s safer here than citizens could see us carrying this metal jug. According to Vane, when it's normal days, there's a lot of security lurking around here. But fortunately, everyone was busy, so we grabbed the chance to train for this upcoming general assembly.

At the end of the tunnel, I saw some lift, it's like the lift in our headquarters to the main facility. Sythel was the first one to step on it, next is Reikkie. I was planning to be the last one but the boys pushed me towards the girls and Xyxo immediately lift a lever attached to the iron wall. Suddenly, the lift began to rise, it caught me off guard causing me to lose my balance but thankfully, Sy and Reikkie were able to catch me when I'm about to fall.

When the lift reached the surface, a warm breeze embraced us. My mouth formed an ‘o’ when I noticed that this area outside the dome was already deserted, and I couldn’t see any signs of life here, as if humanity was wiped out in this region. Just pure sand, nothing more. But the only thing that caught my attention was the oak tree in the center of this abandoned area. Oldness can be seen on its features but it still remained standing.

I flinched when someone poked me on the shoulder, it turns out that it was Xyxo. There I realized that we are already completed. Reikkie said where the water station is located. We started walking until we reached there. When we arrived, we just handed our jugs to the man there, and he said that he will take care of them. Basically, we are all standing in front of the station while waiting for our water. I wandered my eyes to ease my boredom.

I kept looking around until my attention was focused on something moving from afar. Since it's far away, the fog was covering it and I can't see it clearly I needed to squint my eyes to identify what it is. I gasped and unconsciously took a step back when I saw a spider-like creature when it narrowed the distance from us. It was aggressively moving, making my chest move up and down, panicking.

“Chrysan, what’s wrong?” Jairo asked. I didn’t speak, I just point that spider creature with my trembling index finger while my entire body was shaking.

In an instant, all of us panicked as soon as it rushed faster towards us. Sythel was screaming along with Vane and Xyxo while Reikkie and Jairo were looked tensed. We are just six because Daphne and Keith were left in the headquarters.

“What should we do?!” I asked Reikkie as loud as I can and tried my best to surpass the three’s screams. I'm doing my best to keep myself from crying because it won't do good in this situation.

Reikkie was staring at the spider as if she was on deep thinking, but suddenly she looked at me, terrified on her face. I can't help to be scared, too. There's no point to be brave at this moment. we are all going to die!

“Reikkie!” we all screamed in unison when we noticed that that spider-like creature was almost in our area.

It’s huge! It’s larger than me! And its black metal legs were flowing with electricity, and this thing have 10 eyes!

“Run!” Reikkie exclaimed when it almost hit us using its legs. Thankfully, we all run before it lands on us.

The spider was about land a blow again when suddenly, a group of people arrived with the same uniform as ours, the only difference is that they have a green lining while ours is red, they are wearing earpieces too. They started tying the spider’s legs. The spider screamed when a machine was placed directly at him and suddenly, a blue light emerged from the spider to the machine as if that machine was used to extract some kind of energy from them. The spider cried out loud, making me cover my ears. But suddenly, I took my hands off the moment my eyes widened when I heard tons of footsteps.

I panicked when I saw tons of spiders from afar and they were hurriedly rushing on our area. They were like a pack of horses. One of the people who arrived earlier to stop that single spider turned his head on us and screamed.

“Run! Run back inside the dome! Hurry!” He said, and he joined the fight between the humans and the spiders.

We were running nonstop and due to that, my lungs began grasping some oxygen. I stopped and placed my hands on my knees and I catch my breath heavily. Sweats from my foreheads kept pouring. I was panting and I’m trying my best to save some energy. My vision turned black but suddenly it's back to its normal one but for me, my vision's still blurry.

“Chrysan!” someone called my name.

I lifted my gaze to see who’s that but I’m too exhausted, and my vision was still not back to its normal as if any minute from now I’ll collapse.

“Chrysan! What the heck are you doing?” A familiar voice exclaimed once again, but I can’t move a single limb.

“Damn it,” I heard him cussed and faced his back on me and he tapped it.

“I’ll give you a piggyback ride,” he said and kept tapping his back but I’m really exhausted to move or speak.

Who is this?

He messed his hair up and licked his lower lip out of frustration. My eyes widened when he carried me in bridal style. I was about to whine but I’m too tired for that, plus some ugly spiders were coming into us.

“You’re so lucky that I love you. 20 years, still you,” he whispered and I felt some liquid dropped on my cheeks.

But the weird thing is, I felt some kind of spark flowing in me when he said those words.

Who the heck is this?