Elias and Ace were both dead silent as the elevator rose to surface level, but Eli was still holding on tightly to Ace's hand without realizing it.
"Ah! Sorry..."
Eli says, quickly pulling his hand away, his face a light shade of red from embarrassment.
"I didn't mean to..."
Elias trails off as the elevator comes to a stop.
~Ding~
The doors open to a hall lined with bright lights, The floor is bumpy and hard to walk on. Ace still says nothing as they exit the elevator and head towards a brighter light in the distance. Ace walks slower and quieter the closer they get to the light, his footfalls no longer making any sound. Elias tries to match, but he keeps stumbling every few steps and Ace would reach out to steady him before he made much noise.
"Wait here."
Ace says, finally speaking. Then he continues to walk towards the light, almost running, yet still making no sound whatsoever. At the opening of the cave stood two men in hazmat suits, each one equipped with a heavy-duty gun meant for hunting the Kharaneae. Ace quickly unsheathed a knife from his belt. He lifted it and swiftly pressed it against one of the guard's throats and turned him to face the other, using his body as a shield.
"Don't try anything or I'll cut your suit, and you can die a slow and painful death as the air scorches your lungs."
The other guard had his gun raised and pointed in Ace's direction.
"Put the gun down."
He ordered. The guard hesitated.
"P-please. I don't wanna die."
"You heard your friend. You don't want him to die either, do you?"
He clicked his tongue but still placed his gun on the ground in front of him and backed away from it, hands raised. As soon as he did, Ace pulled out a thin metal whistle and blew into it. The whistle appeared to make no sound, a human being can't pick up the frequency it produces. But the guard knew what it was for, he lunged for his gun, but it was too late. A Kharaneae appeared from behind the cave entrance, standing on top of it. It let out a high pitch scream as it bit down on guard. It then carried him away back over the rock as another one walked out right next to them. A low rumbling noise came from its throat as the guard squirmed and whimpered, trying to break free of Ace's hold. Ace shoved the guard forward and he fell onto his knees as Ace re-sheathed his knife. The guard tried to lift his gun to the Kharaneae, but when he looked over its face was right up to his own. It opened its mouth baring its teeth and let out the same high pitch scream as it grabbed the guard with its mouth and threw him up into the air, catching him as he came back down. Satisfied, it ran off towards the forest. Tossing the dropped guns aside into the tall grass that now surrounded the cave, Ace took his mask off his face, placing it in its holder on his tank. Then he called out to Elias.
"You can come now!"
He yelled into the cave, his voice echoing off the walls. After a few minutes, he could hear Eli's footsteps as advanced as he held onto the wall. He held a hand up covering his eyes from the bright sun. Ace climbed atop a rock and helped him up so he could see over the grass that was taller than him.
"Wow... It's amazing..."
Eli said as he looked out from on top of the rock.
'It's different from my dreams though. It looks older, more destroyed'
The grass wasn't this long before. He could see the forest from there, the trees looked bigger even though he was farther away from them. In the distance sat a yellowish ball. Everything looked so familiar, yet different.
"Eli, come here."
Ace called to him as he climbed down the rock. Elias jumped down from the rock and went to where Ace stood by where the long grass started. That's when he realized.
"Ace! Your mask!"
Ace chuckled at the small boy panicking in front of him.
"It's okay Eli. We can breathe up here."
"We?"
Ace nodded. This was the first time he saw Ace's face. His messy black hair spilled onto his forehead and stopped right before his eyes which were a lovely luscious green, his face sharply chiseled out.
"Take your mask off."
Ace said. Elias looked away placing his hands over his mask, realizing that he had been staring at his face. Then he registered what Ace had just said and his eyes filled with fear as he looked back to Ace. Ace smiled lightly.
"It's okay Eli. Trust me."
Ace said, reaching for his mask. Elias stumbled back, but Ace caught him by the arm before he fell. Eli looked back to Ace after he steadied himself. Ace reached for his mask again, this time Elias just looked Ace in the eye and held his breath as his mask came off his face. slowly he breathed out, then in.
"I-I can breathe...haha. Ace! I can breathe without it!"
Ace chuckled.
"You seem like a totally different person out here."
"Is that a bad thing?"
"Not at all."
Ace helped Eli take the tank off his back and plopped it on the ground in the grass. Then he grabbed his hand and with a big smile, pulled him into the grass, and they ran.