Chapter 70: Freedom
The silence that followed the battle did not last forever.
It never did.
Life had a stubborn way of returning, even after devastation on a scale that seemed impossible to recover from.
One by one, the prisoners began to awaken.
Low groans echoed across the shattered landscape as broken bodies slowly stirred. Some coughed violently, expelling dust and blood from their lungs. Others rolled onto their sides before forcing themselves onto trembling knees, every movement accompanied by sharp gasps of pain. Bruised hands pressed against fractured stone as they struggled to remember where they were... and whether they were even alive.
The battle was over.
Yet the scars it had left behind were only beginning to reveal themselves. As more survivors regained consciousness, they instinctively lifted their heads.
Then they froze.
An eerie silence spread through the crowd.
Where the towering walls of Gregor Naught had once stood...there was nothing.
No prison. No towering watchtowers. No stone fortifications. No streets.
Only a colossal crater stretching toward the horizon.
It wasn't simply destruction.
It looked as though the earth itself had been hollowed out by the wrath of a god.
The edges of the crater were jagged and uneven, layers of rock exposed like torn flesh, while enormous cracks spread across the surrounding landscape. Entire sections of the city had collapsed into the basin below, leaving behind little more than scattered ruins and mountains of shattered stone.
A cold breeze swept through the wasteland, carrying ash and dust across what had once been Gregor Naught.
"...No way..."
One former prisoner whispered, his voice barely audible.
Another slowly dropped to his knees, staring blankly into the distance.
"...The whole city..."
His words caught in his throat.
"...It's gone."
No one corrected him.
Because it was true.
Everything they had known had vanished in a single battle.
The prison that had defined their lives... The streets they had walked... The walls that had imprisoned them... Reduced to rubble, reduced to memories.
Then, amidst the suffocating silence—
"Cough...!"
Monday suddenly rolled onto his side, his body shaking violently as he struggled to breathe.
"Kh... kh..."
He spat a mouthful of blood onto the cracked earth before planting a trembling hand beneath himself.
Every muscle screamed in protest. Burn marks covered his body.
His clothes had been scorched almost beyond recognition.
Faint arcs of electricity danced briefly across his skin before disappearing into the air with a soft...
Bzzzt...
"...Tch..."
He grimaced as he forced himself upright.
"...Damn..."
Despite everything...he was alive.
Several meters away, another figure stirred.
Daito.
His breathing was slow and uneven, each breath feeling heavier than the last. His eyelids fluttered open only halfway before immediately narrowing against the bright sunlight overhead.
"...Gh..."
His vision blurred. The world around him spun. He tried to push himself to his feet. His arms gave out instantly.
The moment he began to fall....a strong arm caught him.
"Easy there, bro."
Champagne steadied him before he could hit the ground again, wrapping one arm around his shoulder to support his weight.
Although he smiled, exhaustion was evident even on his face.
His own arms trembled slightly from fatigue.
"You're not built like that yet," he said with a light chuckle. "Try surviving before showing off again."
Daito managed a weak smile.
"...What..."
His voice was dry.
Barely more than a whisper.
"...What happened...?"
Before anyone could answer, a familiar voice echoed across the enormous crater.
"Ladies and gentlemen!"
Cassian.
His voice carried effortlessly over the ruined landscape, drawing every pair of eyes toward him.
He stood atop a broken slab of stone with his hands resting casually inside his pockets, looking almost absurdly relaxed considering the devastation surrounding him.
"The prison..."
He swept one hand dramatically toward the ruins.
"...is destroyed!"
His voice echoed.
"So is the town!"
A murmur spread among the survivors.
Cassian allowed the words to sink in before continuing.
"But..."
His expression softened ever so slightly.
"The people..."
His gaze slowly passed over the countless survivors scattered throughout the crater.
"...are safe."
Silence followed.
Real silence, the kind born from overwhelming relief.
Cassian shrugged.
"Buildings can be rebuilt."
He smiled faintly.
"People can't."
* * *
The words settled heavily over the crowd.
Some lowered their heads as others quietly wiped tears from their eyes. For the first time since the battle ended...many of them truly understood that they had survived.
Then a voice interrupted the moment.
"Why should we rebuild it?"
One of the former prisoners stepped forward, crossing his arms defiantly.
"You people are the ones who destroyed everything."
Several others exchanged uncertain glances.
It wasn't an unreasonable question.
After all...none of them had asked for this battle.
Cassian slowly turned toward the man.
His smile disappeared.
He stared at him for several long seconds.
Then shouted—
"It sounds like someone doesn't need his mouth anymore!"
The prisoner's confidence evaporated instantly.
"...!"
His eyes widened.
Without saying another word, he awkwardly lowered his head and slowly backed away, pretending to whistle innocently as though he had never spoken.
Cassian pointed after him.
"Yeah!"
His voice boomed across the crater.
"That's exactly what I thought!"
A few nervous chuckles escaped the crowd.
Even Brandon couldn't help laughing quietly.
"...He's unbelievable."
The tension eased slightly.
Yet as everyone's attention returned to the ruins around them...the reality finally settled in.
Not the battle nor the destruction, but the aftermath.
Someone sniffled.
Another wiped tears from their face.
"...We really have to rebuild all of this..."
The words escaped almost unconsciously.
Another survivor laughed weakly.
"...From scratch..."
Even the strongest among them couldn't ignore the weight pressing against their hearts.
This city had fallen.
If it was ever going to stand again...someone would have to build it.
Stone by stone, brick by brick, and hope by hope.
The responsibility belonged to all of them now.
Shinsei calmly walked toward Daito's group, the heels of her boots crunching softly over broken stone.
She stopped a few steps away before folding her arms.
"Well..."
She glanced around the crater.
"I suppose there's no prison anymore."
A faint smile crossed her lips.
"...Which means..."
She looked directly at Daito.
"...you should all consider yourselves free."
The word lingered in the air.
Free.
After everything they had endured...After all this time behind iron walls...Freedom had finally arrived.
Daito slowly straightened himself, relying less on Champagne's support as he looked toward Shinsei and Cassian.
His expression was sincere.
"...Thank you."
His voice remained hoarse, but every word carried genuine gratitude.
"...All of you."
Brandon nodded silently.
Monday and Avenor lowered their heads.
Aerin smiled warmly.
Even Wei-Wan and Zachia quietly shared the sentiment.
Without another word, the group turned. Ready to leave the past behind. Ready to begin the next chapter of their journey.
"...Oi."
Cassian's voice stopped them.
The group froze mid-step. Slowly...they turned back.
Cassian stood exactly where he had before, hands still tucked inside his pockets.
This time...there wasn't the slightest hint of humor in his eyes.
"You're not going anywhere."
A heavy silence followed.
"...What?"
Brandon frowned.
Cassian gestured toward the shattered landscape surrounding them.
"This..."
He slowly swept his hand across the enormous crater.
"...is your mess too."
Several former prisoners immediately began protesting.
"Hey!"
"We didn't ask for this!"
"We're the victims here!"
Cassian raised one hand.
The complaints died instantly. His presence alone commanded silence.
"You want to leave?"
His voice remained calm.
"Fine."
He shrugged.
"Walk away."
No one moved.
No one even breathed.
Cassian's gaze slowly swept across the crowd before a faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
"...Or..."
He paused deliberately.
"...you stay."
Another pause.
"...and help rebuild the city you helped destroy."
No threats.
No force.
Just responsibility.
One by one...
Heads lowered.
No one argued again.
The choice had already been made.
to be continued...