Pov: Eirian
The truck rocked back and forth as a huge man sat across from us, with soldiers on either side. The man's head almost touched the ceiling of the truck.
He held black, messy hair with strands that lingered over his eyes where I could make out a scare on his eyebrow. His beard was shaved but grains still showing, and he wore a Lune military uniform, just like many of the others, but his seemed a bit different. The cape he wore emphasized the star of Numen more than the others. His outerwear was more decorated, and the way he handled himself.
"You say you are survivors of the academy?" The man spoke. His voice was somewhat raspy.
"Yeah..." I replied.
"I find that hard to believe." He let out.
"Why does everyone find it so hard to believe us? The only reason the soldiers dragged us along was that we didn't have any resemblance to the people of Sol." Ael asked.
The man sighed. As he turned his head towards the door where we could see the aftermath of the battle that had just gone on, he replied, "Because it's been seventy years since the veil came up. If you were to survive that long, you would be much older than me."
"What do you mean, seventy years?" I questioned, stunned. The others seemed more stunned than I was.
"I mean that veil that surrounded the campus has been there for seventy years."
"How is that even possible?" Amiel asked.
The man glanced at our clothes, which we still wore from the bunker. It was cut up and dirty.
"It's only been a few weeks for us," Eira replied.
"A few weeks?" He let out. Still calm, finding it hard to believe us.
"If we start from when the alarm went off initially, then maybe closer to a month," I added.
"That seems about right." Ael agreed.
The man looked at each one of us. "You're not joking... are you?" Then, under his breath, he said, "No, no soldier would be dumb enough to do what you all are doing right now."
"Look, I still have my student ID." Amiel reached for his pocket.
"You still have that?" Ael asked.
Grabbing it, he glanced over it, flipping it over to examine it. "Are you messing with me?" The truck shook back and forth a bit more. We didn't say anything, letting the silence fill the room.
The truck finally stopped. As the door swung open, we were met at a camp of sorts. Getting up, the tall man walked outside and said, "Bring them to my quarters."
As I was dragged along, I could see many wounded soldiers being healed. Some lost their limbs, while others only had a few cuts.
My eyes find it hard to look at the disgusting sight of it all. The bunker was ugly, but held a completely different level.
"We are here." He held up the tent flap before going in. Entering after him, the room seemed bigger than all the other tents. As he made his way to the back of the room, he placed his sword on the desk and turned towards us as the soldiers who were leading us left the tent. When they did, he examined the ID again.
"Alright, if you all want me to believe you, I'm going to need you to explain everything."
Leaning against the table, he looked at each one of us. "Eirian... correct?"
"Yes." We all stood in front of him in a line, shackles still on.
"You telling me you were in a time loop trapped where a moose, well, two corrupted beasts hunted all you down?"
"That's correct."
"How did you guys even understand how to get out of the veil. No scratch that, how did you all survive two corrupted beasts?"
"We made a pact, and Fey told us how to destroy the veil."
"Fey?" He seemed stunned for a moment. "You mean the God of Numen?"
"Yeah...?"
"Is something wrong?" Ael asked.
"You're telling me you spoke with the God of Numen herself?" He questioned one more time.
"Yes," I replied once more.
"How many times are you going to ask him?" Amiel questioned the man.
"Is something wrong?" Eira asked.
"If that is true, then...might this be the reason why the church sent me?" His eyes lingered for a moment as he grabbed his chin. "No, I can't be so rash yet." His eyes shot back up, "We need to head back to the capital."
"Wait, why?" I asked, concerned. Ael seemed not to have moved while Eira watched, just as concerned as I was.
Getting up from leaning against his desk, he spoke, "I will choose to believe you all for this moment."
Still confused about what was happening, we watched him as he walked past us. Peering his head through the tent's door, he summoned some soldiers, "I need you to take them to a tent and watch over them carefully." He ordered as he made his way back to his table. "Oh, and also, when you get there, take their cuffs off. Make sure to treat them with care."
"Wait! I have some questions." As Amiel said, wanting to break from the hands of the soldiers, who seemed to have grips stronger than most people, Leuan turned towards us, "I will answer your questions in due time. For now, get some rest."
As we are finally taken away, we are put in a small tent. The soldiers took our cuffs off as ordered.
"Don't try anything, we are going to be outside if you do." One of the soldiers let out. They wore the same cape as Ieuan. It was less decorated and seemed to be a standard for others like it.
Just as the soldier left, Amiel let out something. "What is this?" He walked forward, looking back at the entrance, "I didn't even get to figure out what happened to my family."
"Seventy years passed, Amiel, a whole new generation is running it at this point," Ael said, looking around the tent, cuffing his wrist. Amiel doesn't reply.
The tent was smaller than Ieuan's. It only held a bit of space to walk around with sleeping bags on either end.
"At least we are getting to the capital in less danger than before," Eira added.
"Eira, I don't think you understand the situation." Ael turned towards her. "Right now, we are held captive; we aren't citizens of Lune."
"Now what then?" I let out.
"We wait," Ael replied.