Chapter 69 – A Night with a Restless Mind
I looked at Celes, still sitting calmly with a cup of tea in her hand. Curiosity began to creep into my mind, especially after seeing her serious reaction when I mentioned New Dawn. Finally, I asked softly, trying to dig a little deeper.
"You know New Dawn?"
Celes turned to me and nodded slightly, then replied while slowly rotating her cup,"Of course. They’re quite well-known these days. An extraordinary group that managed to take over and restore a former major military base to use as their headquarters. Many say it’s one of the safest places left."
I frowned a little, not expecting them to be that famous. "Hmm... I didn’t know that. The way information spreads among humans is... terrifyingly fast," I muttered—half impressed, half amused.
Celes gave a faint smile, then stood up and asked me to follow her. "Come on, I’ll show you the room you can use for the night."
We walked through the quiet hallway of the villa, dimly lit with warm-toned lights that added to the cozy atmosphere. The room she showed me was simple but clean and comfortable—with a soft bed, a small wardrobe, and a window facing the outer wall.
"Feel free to rest. I imagine you’ve come quite a long way."
I nodded. "Thank you." Then stepped inside and threw myself onto the bed. The softness of the mattress against my back made me realize how tired I really was. I stared at the ceiling for a moment, thinking about how, even on the brink of extinction, humans could still build places like this.
Meanwhile, outside the room, Celes remained awake.
She sat back in the living room, staring blankly at the now-empty cup. Her thoughts drifted far—logistics, security, and the future of those under her protection. Despite the base appearing tidy and organized from the outside, the truth was quite the opposite. Food supplies were dwindling, and their weapons and defenses were far from sufficient should a large-scale attack occur.
"If things stay like this... it’s only a matter of time before everything collapses," she whispered.