Last Era

Chapter-05 Graduation Chapter

As the morning rays passing through the curtains fell on my sleepy face, my brows wrinkled strongly in response and noticing I had to get up I reluctantly propped myself up from the bed and moved towards the bathroom.

"Hmm..." looking at my own sleepy reflection in the mirror I recalled what today was.

"My last day at school huh..." I whispered lightly to myself.

That's right today was my graduation ceremony and after this I will start with my entrance to the military academy shortly after...

I knew what my plans after this were...but before that I had solve this strange feeling that had lodged itself in my chest.

Unexpectedly... I have been longing for this day for some time now but when it finally presented itself before me I'm starting to feel an unforeseen anxiety.

Why... I didn't understand.

"Surely it isn't some sort of nostalgia...", I convinced myself. But that had no effect on the feelings spiraling inside me now.

Putting my thoughts on hold I proceeded out of the room after finishing my work there and started walking towards the kitchen. On the way I passed by Cass's room with its door half open. Peeking in I saw Cass in her business suit sprawled on the table amidst a number of papers scattered all over her desk. I went in to wake her up, shaking her by her shoulders.

"I'm preparing food so get up"

And in response she simply muttered something without showing any sign of waking up.

Haa... I sigh deeply and shake her again.

"Oi..."

"....C-coming..." she responded weakly following it with a yawn and tried to raise her body slowly.

"....Fine I'll come again after food's done"

I leave the room saying that and softly closed the door behind me

And thought to myself as I leaked out a sigh, "Seriously... she's been working too hard nowadays".

At the kitchen I wielded the knife skillfully cutting the vegetables and swiftly putting the ingredients in the pan with routine movements. I started cooking my own food since when I started high school coz I didn't feel like depending on the prepared boxed lunches sold at convenience stores that don't in the least satisfy my picky tastes or to depend on Cass.

Even as I did this the feelings that I pushed to the back of my mind were resurfacing... and the speed of my cooking dropped significantly.

It was...weird. I had thought that I would be the last person I know to harbor such feelings.
Nostalgia, regrets, even I have no memories that stimulate such feelings in me and things like this never occurred to me as I lived everyday normally, but only now the realization hits me that those weren't going to keep going on forever.

Every day was repetitive; it was all just repetition of yesterday.

Be it the loud laughter of my classmates bursting through the room during recess and when leaving school. Or the occasional invitations I received. The complaints of the teacher and rare slightly hostile confrontations with the other members, all those to which I had only responded with an indifferent attitude so far. The memories of each of those times were flowing through my thoughts. I tried to suppress them again and tried finishing my work at hand.

Just then at the corner of my vision I saw something rare happen. Cass slowly descended down the stairs with a slow and weak gait sliding her hands against the walls.