Should I open my eyes? It should be fine... right?
My body swayed from one side to another. I opened my eyes and took in the view in front of me—a strip of LED glaring back at me.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I was in the van. It had been about half an hour since I woke up, but I couldn't summon the courage to move.
What is going to happen now? The armored van swayed gently as I lay on a cushioned seat with its armrest adjusted to form a single bed.
It was pure bliss. 'What do they use to stuff these things?' I wondered. It was completely different from sleeping on cold, hard ground with nothing to cover me.
A few things were obvious—I was now, from what I could guess, a Runebound. That much was clear. But what I didn't understand was...
'What the hell is a Runebound?'
Reluctantly, I left the embrace of the soft, heavenly cushions—I loved them!—and looked around. The van wasn't very large. There was another pair of seats in front of me, a door to my left that led to the back of the van, and to my right...
There was a squarish, transparent glass panel through which I could see the back of someone's head. Their hair looked like golden silk, woven into a thick braid.
Assessing my current situation, I noted that I was patched up. Bandages were wrapped around my right palm, one side of my face, and my ribs.
It hurt less than before but was still painful. I sat in silence for a while before knocking on the glass.
The woman, the same officer who had performed the check, turned to look at me. We stared at each other through the glass.
'I don't look funny, do I? That would suck!'
The van came to a halt, and the door at the back opened upwards. Stepping outside, I took in the scenery around me.
It was just desert as far as I could see, with hundreds of deep fissures that seemed to swallow every ray of sunlight at their mouths.
If not for the poorly maintained road the van had been traveling on, there were no signs of human presence left here.
Everything had been swallowed—by floods, earthquakes, or landslides.
I made my way to the driver's cabin and sat to the officer's left. I noticed a bunch of buttons in front of her as she firmly held onto the steering wheel with one hand.
A security camera? There was a monitor showing the van's surroundings from all angles. One window even projected the interior of the van.
'Was she watching me sleep?' It was a random thought, so I brushed it aside.
I said nothing, just gazed out the window as the barren landscape rolled past. It was all very unnerving.
It had been eight years—close to nine—since I had seen how much the world had changed beyond the slum.
It had only gotten worse.
***
From what I heard, it all started half a century ago. Back then, Earth had seven continents and vast seas. There were no daily earthquakes hitting 12.5 on the Richter scale, no floods that could swallow entire continents. That time is now called the Pre-Disaster Era.
Billions of people were killed. The population dropped from nine billion to what seemed like ten, maybe fifteen percent. There's no census to prove the numbers—just guesses and whispers.
It was a strange time. I wasn't born at the start of the chaos, or even in the middle of it. I came into the world at the tail end of the catastrophe, when most of the damage had already been done.
The continents had merged by then, forming a massive supercontinent called Vaalbara.
That's all I really knew before life shoved me into the slums. After that, whatever happened outside wasn't my business, though I still heard things.
Like how the government wasn't really running the show anymore. They were propped up by two companies—"Houses," people called them for some reason.
The House of Solvor and The House of Aegir.
That's just how things are now.
As I was lost in my thoughts, a soft voice called out, "What is your name?" The officer's tone was calm yet firm.
Peeling my eyes off the view, I looked at her for a moment before answering, "Arthur Dahl."
She raised a brow, like she hadn't expected me to have a last name. Not many do. Most kids born in the slums never meet their parents, and plenty name themselves. It's all so heartbreaking.
But I was different. I had a parent who loved me dearly.
"Verna Willow," she introduced herself. "I'm from House Solvor."
…Was it odd that I didn't have anything to say? I knew I should keep the conversation going, but about what? The weather?
"What happens from here?" I asked instead, deciding it was better to stick to the situation at hand. Nobody likes the idea of being some kind of experiment… unless they're offering food. Even then, no. Definitely not.
She answered immediately, "I'll be taking you to the nearest stronghold. It's called Khaiber."
Khaiber… People really lost their naming sense. We used to have cities called Paris and London, but now… wait, those names weren't that great either.
"A stronghold?"
Verna seemed to realize something and added, "Ah, right. You wouldn't know. Under the rule of House Solvor, there are four strongholds designed to protect humanity. The nearest one is where we're headed. You'll be patched up there, and from then on, you'll live there."
A place that can protect… humans? I couldn't help the bitter feeling that crept in.
"So why didn't House Solvor save all the people in the slums?"
I wasn't fond of anyone back there—not even close—but if strongholds like Khaiber exist, shouldn't they help everyone? And what about this other house—Aegir? Do they have strongholds too?
Verna took her time before answering this time. "We will. The slum where you were is nearly nine thousand kilometers away from the site under construction. Once Khaiber is fully built, the House and government forces will start relocating people. There are many scattered slums, and it'll take a year or two before everyone is moved."
Still under construction? I guess that makes sense.
Still, I couldn't stop myself from asking, "Why did you rescue me before anyone else? Is it because I'm a Runebound?"
I didn't mean to sound self-important, but it was obvious they gave me priority because of that.
This time, Verna held my gaze longer than usual, her sapphire eyes seeming endless, like the ocean my mother used to tell me about—beautiful and terrifying.
Her lips curved into a subtle smile, faint amusement flickering in her expression. "Who said you're a Runebound?"