Chapter 329
Despite the banality of the setting, there was a heaviness to it. The sort of atmosphere I'd always struggled to diffuse. Nick, Julius, Charlotte, and Sae had been mostly out of play for the first transposition for various reasons, but by now they'd seen enough of the footage and aftermath to know exactly how badly things could have gone if we'd failed.
I still saw the red-stained hellscape of region six every time I closed my eyes.
We drank our coffees with the solemnness of monks partaking in some ancient ritual that had long since lost meaning.
"Anything to eat?" The server announced, shattering the quiet.
"Eggs and bacon?" Charlotte said, speaking up when no one immediately answered.
Julius crossed his leg and leaned back, seeming to follow suit. "Same for me. Pancakes on the side."
"I'm alright." Sae said. When I looked at her, she added, "Ate before I came."
"Waffles, of course." Nick grinned, earning himself a disparaging eye-roll as the server jotted the rest of the order down.
"Nothing for me." I said.