Chapter 34: A Caged Life
Meanwhile, Bright and the others were practically living in comfort while the outside world was experiencing hell.
At least, that's what an outsider would think.
To the three of them, the bunker felt less like a haven and more like a prison.
Bright, Emily, and Elijah had settled into an otherwise normal routine—if being locked underground while the world collapsed above them could be called normal.
In the morning, after their bonding session was over, Franklin arrived with breakfast.
Though the weirdest part was when he and Emily started chatting as if they were best friends.
Bright had never thought they were close or even knew each other. But it turned out this Franklin guy was their butler.
As for why Bright had never met him before, he had apparently been running errands for Mr. Carter back then.
Bright could tell, though, that their relationship seemed like more than just that.
He didn't miss the tone Franklin used with her—like a father or an elder speaking to their child. It was subtle, but Bright still caught it.
Elijah, on the other hand, was clearly still wary.
Which was hilarious.
For all his confidence, Elijah—who had grown up surrounded by dangerous people—was afraid of his own butler.
Bright couldn't stop himself from smirking.
It seemed Franklin wasn't around often, and whenever he was, Emily and Elijah were subjected to beatings in the name of "combat training."
Elijah was clearly traumatized.
Emily, however, was perfectly at ease.
After breakfast, Franklin gave her some training pointers.
As expected, she dragged Bright into it.
Elijah, still not fully convinced he needed to start training, made a convenient excuse and disappeared into his room.
Coward.
For the next hour, Bright found himself being tossed around like a training dummy.
When Franklin finally left, Bright could barely stand.
Emily, looking completely fine, dragged him to the shower.
Yes, the bunker had showers.
Bright had long since stopped questioning these things.
Where was the food coming from?
Why was the air still fresh?
Why was everything sparkling clean when no one was actually doing any cleaning?
If he started thinking about it, he'd never stop.
So, he didn't.
Later, after lunch (which Franklin brought again), Bright found himself lying in bed with Emily curled up against him, flipping through a book.
He wasn't reading.
He was thinking.
He was eighteen, nearly nineteen.
Emily had just turned seventeen.
And yet, they were already… doing things.
Was this normal?
Would the cops come knocking on his door if society ever got restored?
He chuckled at the thought.
Emily glanced up. "What's funny?"
"Nothing."
Her eyes narrowed. "You're thinking something stupid again, aren't you?"
Bright smirked. "When do I ever think stupid things?"
Emily sighed and went back to her book.
A knock interrupted the quiet.
"Guys, I'm coming in."
Elijah.
Without waiting for a response, he pushed the door open.
Emily groaned. "Go away, you stupid donkey."
Elijah ignored her, strolling in like he owned the place. "Bright, wanna play some card games?"
Bright considered it. "Are you gonna cheat?"
Elijah smirked. "Would you know if I did?"
Bright squinted. "...Fine. Deal the cards."
Emily sighed. "If either of you cheats, I'm setting the deck on fire."
Bright and Elijah exchanged a look.
Neither of them doubted she would.
---
The next day was the same.
Bright, feeling unusually motivated, woke up early to train.
Emily, though reluctant at first, eventually joined him.
After breakfast, Franklin returned with more combat lessons.
Again, Emily dragged Bright into it.
Again, Elijah vanished.
Lunch. More training.
Dinner. More bickering.
Bed. More… Emily things.
It was almost starting to feel routine.
Almost.
Then came the third day.
And with it—disaster.
Bright and Emily were jolted awake by a deafening boom.
The floor beneath them trembled violently.
For a moment, Bright thought the bunker was collapsing.
His ears rang, his vision blurred. A deep, distant rumble followed—like thunder, but heavier.
Something had just exploded.
Something big.
"What the hell was that?" Bright muttered, still dazed.
Emily was already up, pulling on her clothes in record time. "That… was a nuke."
Bright's stomach dropped.
"A nuke?!" His voice cracked slightly.
Emily shot him a sharp look. "If it didn't hit us directly, we're lucky. But there could be another one. Get up."
That was all the motivation Bright needed.
He scrambled out of bed, throwing on whatever was closest, his pulse racing.
Emily was already out the door before he could ask anything else.
Bright followed, heart hammering.
Something had changed.
And for the first time since going underground—
He wasn't sure if they were actually safe down here.