RE:volt! Chapter 30: The Morning After.

  Laying on the wooden board that constituted his cot, Ark kept opening and closing his SPELLBOOK, flickering the system screen on and off between watching the other kids sleep.

  It was nearly daybreak now, the sky above the hole in the roof already mixing blackish night with morning orange. Soon the others would be up, soon a new day would start, soon they’d be worked to the bone, but today, and all days going forward would be permanently minus one less evil.

  Ark took comfort in the deed he’d done. For the first time in a long time, he was feeling a bit of catharsis.

  Shuffling of movement, the early risers waking. Ark shifted his gaze, turning to look at Thirty-Four and Thirty-Three who were, as usual, the first to rise.

  Immediately they began waking the others, sluggishly shuffling one by one across the dirt floor and overgrown grass penetrating their hut to fulfill the tasks of barracks leaders.

  As Thirty-Four passed, Ark called out and tossed her shirt back to her.

  “I hope it was useful.” Thirty-Four said, smiling at Ark.

  “It was.”

  Thirty-Four and Thirty-Three paused, the duo staring at Ark with other slaves nearby joining in.

  “What? Do I have something on my face?” Ark said, looking down and patting his body.

  Thirty-Four walked over, pressing the back of her hand on Ark's forehead.

  “Are you ok? Are you sick? Do you need an apothecary? Did you hit your head?” Thirty-Four rattled off drawing Ark's confusion, before her eyes noticed his hand was injured. “Thirty-Three, get a cloth!”

  “I'm fine! What's wrong with you guys?!” Ark scowled, batting the girl's hands away and grabbing his hand that had a scabbed up wound in the shape of a bite mark.

  “Oh. Huh. He is fine.” Thirty-Three said with her sister letting out a sigh of relief.

  “What's wrong?” Ark asked the pair, both of them silent for a moment and sharing a look before they turned back to the boy.

  “You were smiling.” Thirty-Four said with concern. “You don’t ever smile.”

  Ark blinked.

  “Is that right? I just think today is going to be a good day.” Ark said, giving off a warm smile that sent Thirty-Four into a panicked uproar.

  *****

  Gathering around for morning assembly, Ark and the other slaves stood around in the open square in the middle of the barracks, each slave growing restless and tired as they waited for what felt like an eternity.

  The helpers were also getting antsy from what Ark could see.

  Looks like it’s begun. Ark said to himself, the slaves already feeling the disappearing of Manfry. However, judging from the looks of the helpers, it appeared more than just that. Fortunately, the helpers weren't the most disciplined of individuals.

  “Is it true?” A scrawny helper asked a fat one as he came out of a nearby shack.

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  “Is what true?” The fat one replied.

  “Delia. That she died?”

  Ark’s eyes widened, his gaze unintentionally shifting toward the pair.

  The Head Overseer is dead?

  “Yeah, Bruno found her yesterday with her skin all yellow in what not. Dead in her bed.” The Fat one said.

  “Ah, ain’t that the way to go. Too good for a child didler if ya ask me. Who spose to replace her? Manfry right?”

  “Yeah, but he ain't nowhere to be found.”

  At the news, Ark couldn’t help but smile that he had unexpectedly nipped a problem in the bud before it even began.

  HA! Ark laughed to himself, the image of a scarred Manfry crying as Ark buried the man alive under seven feet of dirty becoming a fond memory to him even if it took hours to dig the hole.

  “Well isn’t that a boon.”

  “Eh, probably an inch deep in some sow right now.” The skinny one said with a chuckle. “Who's next in line then?”

  “Bruno probably.”

  Ark inwardly swore as the aforementioned Bruno appeared from around the bend.

  The man was haggard, unshaven with dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep and visibility hunched. He violently shoved a helper out of the way, moving to stand on the stage at the center of the grounds.

  “Nothing planned for the day, fuck off the lot of ya and get some rest.” Bruno said before stepping back off the stage and walking off much to the dismay of everyone gathered.

  A break? An actual break? The slaves gathered couldn’t believe what their ears had told them with even the helpers stunned.

  A few moments passed before the helpers finally broke from their encirclement, walking around and ushering the kids from their assembled lines back to their dorms instead of the usual morning exercises and training.

  “What did you do?” Thirty-Three hissed, cornering Ark beside his cot before he got a chance to sit down.

  [Reality Sphere Ready]

  “Why do you assume I did something?” Ark said, unintimidated by the teen towering over him as his SPELLBOOK notified him that the cooldown on his Reality Sphere was reset.

  “Because you’re trouble.” Thirty-Three growled, leaning over Ark. “I knew you smiling meant something was up.”

  “Go ahead, report me then.” Ark said, his head cocking to the side to look at Thirty-Four ignoring a pair of teenage boys attempting to talk to her and approaching Ark and her red-sashed sister.

  Thirty-Three growled, lifting her hand only to be yanked back by Thirty-Four.

  “What are you doing?” Thirty-Four scowled, staring her sister down despite their size difference. “Stop bothering him, idiot.”

  “Tsk.” Thirty-Three folded her arms and took a seat across from Ark with her eyes glaring at him. “I’m not an idiot.”

  Thirty-Four sat beside Ark, her demeanor warm compared to her treatment of the other boys.

  She leaned in toward Ark, her breath tickling his ear and making him twitch.

  Watching her sister get so close to Ark, Thirty-Three narrowed her eyes, her face growing red.

  “So when are you gonna teach me mana?” Thirty-Four whispered, causing an involuntary tingle to travel down Ark’s spine and his body to heat up.

  “Oh, is it monkey mating season?” Irelix laughed, ridiculing Ark.

  Disgusting. Ark shot back, his face contorted into a scowl. They’re practically my kids.

  “What? Did I do something wrong?” Thirty-Four asked, pining for Ark’s approval and causing him to sigh.

  “In the future. If you can learn your letters and techniques then yes.” Ark said, dangling a carrot for the eager girl. “But for today, how about you two take a break. I need to rest.”

  “But I want to learn!” Thirty-Four protested, acting her age for once and causing Ark’s heart to hurt.

  “One day. I promise you.” Ark said, taking the girl’s rough hand. “You’ll be able to learn everything you could ever want.”

  Thirty-Four froze, her breath caught in her lungs before she blinked gave off a smile that nearly broke Ark. “I’ll hold you to it!”

  “EHEM!” Thirty-Three coughed loudly, grabbing her sister and peeling her away from Ark. “I believe Six-Two-Six wanted a break for today, so let’s leave him alone!”

  “I-hey! STOP!” Thirty-Four protested but her demands fell on deaf ears.

  Suddenly, the doors of their barracks opened, drawing everyone’s eyes to the red-sashed trustee Ninety-Nine who was marching in a stream of unfamiliar kids.

  “Oh hey! Fresh meat!” Thirty-Three growled, the girl excited and punching her fists together as Ark sighed.

  Great… fresh meat.