Chapter 460: The expected outcome
There wasn’t much that the two of them could say to each other after that. Rhys and Kellen just held each other, drifting off into rather restless sleep, both waking up periodically in the night just to make sure that the other person was still there.
In the morning, the call came.
No one else had volunteered. Unlike last time, Rhys was at Kellen’s side when the video call went through. No one looked well. Everyone looked tense, stressed, and like they hadn’t slept well.
Sakura looked particularly ruffled, her normally groomed appearance lacking and her hair in a messy bun on the top of her head. She wasn’t wearing her uniform and instead looked like she was wearing a baggy sweatshirt and Kellen hoped for a pair of sweats. She was allowed to wear normal clothes.
Kellen came in his uniform, only because he was getting ready for the day. He was actually wearing the Saturn Guild’s uniform. He’d been wearing the Field Guide uniform but today it just...felt right.
Rhys was holding onto his hand in his Field Captain uniform. A form of solidarity. Kellen knew this was going to hurt him, and honestly, Kellen didn’t know if he was making the right choice. Everything felt so damn confusing, so absurd. He didn’t know what the right answer was, even after begging Rhys to stay behind.
Hill, Taylor and a rather on edge Sergei were on video from the front lines. Hill looked rough, her hair a curly mess and her eyes the orange of her powers. Taylor didn’t look much different. Her hair was still in a ponytail, but her eyes had giant bags under her eyes. Her Doctor’s coat was smeared with dirt and dust, making it look like she’d gone through some shit. She probably had.
Sergei? Well, Kellen could tell the man was on the cusp but he had probably insisted on being here. Kellen wondered what had pushed the man over the edge. There were too many options for Kellen to know what it was. Brent disappearing, the monster attack, the gate...swallowing people up, the D.E.C. bullshit, the E.A.G. bullshit. Any of that could be what was weighing Sergei down.
The silver of his piercings stuck out on his pale skin, his normally blue eyes leached with the yellow of a surge. His sclera were slowly changing from white to black, but he looked rather calm about the whole situation. A guide was beside him, holding his hand, doing their fucking best as sweat poured down their face.
Kellen felt terrible, but he was sure that Sergei felt terrible as well. It was probably a good thing that Taylor was next to him.
Lieutenant Fisher was looking rather bleak as well. His hair was disorganised, his eyes dark pits in his face. Out of the faces that stared back at him, he looked the most guilty. Like he hated that there was no other choice.