My Beginning After the End Downfall

Heartbroken

Two Months Until Victoriad

Aya Grephin

We haven't seen or heard from Veer in a month now, it's assumed by the people that he is dead. I don't believe it, but at this point, it's hard not to, the gods are saying he's dead, there are no clones, it's just heartbreaking.

Alice Leywin hasn't left the house, which I get, she has lost two sons, even if Arthur is alive, he hasn't been here in close to a year. Rey had been doing his best to stay strong for her, making sure that Alice got what she wanted, but I could tell that it hurt him almost as much. The look of defeat on both of their faces was clear.

Ellie has been the one going to council meetings, but even she has been acting differently, then again, everyone is acting differently. Veer was dead, that's what everyone thinks, and unless he comes back soon, the more and more it'll settle in as true.

It was late, everyone in the bunker was asleep, and honestly, I should be too, but it's hard for me to sleep. I've been struggling to accept everything, and I just felt weak, powerless to do anything, which I was.

Compared to Veer, I don't even come close to him, and I hate that, a kid, a mere kid thirty times stronger than me. "Aya?" I heard a voice say from over my shoulder as I sat around a fire outside the house, we were living in. "What are you doing up?"

I turned around to see who was speaking to me, and walking my way was Commander Virion. "Commander." I said, standing up in front of the rock I was sitting on, and looked at him. "I'm thinking, that's all."

"No need to stand, sit down." He told me, and I did as he said as he walked slowly around the fire and joined me, sitting across the fire pit. "That's what I've been doing, but I've been walking around the bunker, talking to the people."

"I prefer to stay out of their way when I can." I told him truthfully. "It's just hard with everything we have going on." He nodded his head, but I could tell something was wrong, like he had bad news for me, or the people. "Is there something wrong?"

"You could say that." He said, shaking his head as he put his hands up to the fire. "We have about one month of food left for the eight thousand people down here." He looked back up at me and went on. "We would be good if there were like a thousand or two in here, but with all the people Veer has saved, we are running extremely low."

"So, we are going to be sending a team out there then?" I asked, knowing that we couldn't exactly get more food without going out there. "If so, I would like to volunteer, we could attack an outpost."

"I was thinking of sending at least two Lances, without Virion here, there's a high chance you come across a Retainer or Scythe." He told me. "I would feel a lot better not sending Eleanor, but she might be the strongest person in here at the moment."

"I agree." I nodded my head. "Send Bairon and me, or Varay, we can do it. The outpost near Blackbend was just attacked by Virion months ago, so they probably built it back up, we could take that place with ease and get out before anyone knows."

"I still have to talk to the council." He told me. "I just can't believe everything that is going on, all the death, struggle, it's just getting worse and worse." That was very true, things were getting harder and harder for us each day. "If I do send you, I'll probably add an additional unit to accompany you."

"Okay." I took a deep breath, taking in the heat of the flames. "Mind me asking, Commander, I don't think I've heard your personal feelings on this whole Virion thing." I started off, and I could see that this changed his attitude a little. "Do you honestly believe he is dead?"