Part 6
Looking at the message flashing on all the screens, Seven tilted his head slightly.
What were they fleeing from…?
— Immediate Evacuation —
Scattered and overturned chairs on the floor, along with some knocked-over monitors, gave the place a somewhat chaotic atmosphere. In addition to the computer screens and the large display, small TVs on the walls showed the same message, glowing in an intense red.
"Father, what is this place?"
Still beside the power panel, Father removed his helmet, producing a slight hiss of decompression.
"A military bunker, designed to control combat forces outside of it."
Hearing an unfamiliar term, Seven furrowed his brow. "Military?"
"Yes. It's a force tasked with defending a state or nation." Turning around, Father began to walk.
Quickening his pace, Seven followed him.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Well…"
As they advanced through the facility, searching for the best way to explain, Father remained silent for a few seconds.
"Imagine that our family is a nation. Yuliya, Ísis, Leon, Victor, and Mia each have their roles to help at home. But in my case, besides those, I have the duty to protect all of you, at any cost. That, in a way, is similar to the role of the military, only on a larger scale, protecting non-combatants, or civilians."
A force meant to protect others…
"Wait." Realizing something was missing, he turned to Father . "…But what about me?" he said, pointing at himself.
In a more serious tone, Father replied:
"Your role is the same as mine: to protect your siblings at any cost. That's why we're here."
Stopping near a robust-looking door, it slid open automatically with a slight scraping sound.
The fully lit interior revealed a large room divided into two sections. In the smaller part, there were tables and counters, some chairs, and a vending machine. On the other side, the larger area was a wide shooting range, with some targets still hanging.
...
Standing in one of the lanes, Seven held an old bolt-action rifle covered in signs of use — scratches and stains.
Right beside him, watching his every movement, Father spoke:
"Brace the stock against your shoulder and aim. Note that, even when trying to steady it, your aim will wobble a bit. So every time you shoot, hold your breath, aim, and exhale after firing."
He had already fired several times, with Father giving periodic instructions to improve his handling and posture, while gradually increasing the distance to the target.
That's why I keep missing… Even if it was a small wobble, the farther the target, the greater the deviation in the bullet's trajectory.
"Let's start again. Remember to apply the tips I gave you."
Removing the stock from his shoulder, Seven took a deep breath and lowered the weapon, relaxing his posture.
"Begin." At Father 's monotone words, he started moving.
First, check the weapon. Pulling the bolt, he removed the empty cartridge from the previous shot, which fell to the floor with a light clink, leaving the chamber open.
Load. Picking up a bullet from the counter, Seven quickly inserted it into the chamber and closed it, sliding the bolt until it locked.
Aim. Shouldering the weapon a bit awkwardly, he assumed the shooting stance and aimed at the target.
Prepare. Holding his breath, he placed his finger on the trigger and steadied the weapon, but was interrupted by Father .
"You're forgetting the safety again. Release it."
— Click —
Why always at this stage… It wasn't the first time he had forgotten; it kept happening, something that irritated him.
With a bitter taste in his mouth, he pushed the thought aside and waited for Father 's next command. After one final check of the weapon and Seven 's posture, Father took a step back.
Understanding that he had permission to shoot, he continued.
Carefully… Since the target was so far away, a strong or clumsy grip could easily deflect the bullet's trajectory.
So, gently, Seven pressed the trigger.
Activating the mechanism, it produced a loud bang, followed by a strong recoil that pushed Seven backward. Tensing his arms and bracing his body, he controlled it, though he felt his shoulder ache slightly from the kick.
The bullet, flying at high speed toward the target, produced a sharp sound on impact.
Exhaling from his lungs, he lowered the weapon.
Realizing he had finally hit the target, excited, he tried to see where, even though it was far away.
"Check the weapon."
"I forgot!" Containing his excitement, Seven pulled the bolt twice before placing the rifle on the counter.
"Let's see where you hit this time."
Pressing a button beside the booth they were in, the target began moving toward them, reaching them quickly.
"Your aim has improved a lot. After the corrections, you maintained a good hit rate on all targets."
The silhouette, although covered in bullet marks, had a more recent one right in the center.
"What do we do now?"
Eager to know what would come next, he turned to Father , since he had already shot at all possible distances — this last one being the maximum available there.
"Stop for today."
Like water turning into wine, his expression changed completely, his shoulders dropping.
"What? Why?!"
"Your shoulder needs to recover."
"Ah, that? It's nothing serious, just a discomfort. Look—" Moving his arm, he tried to prove it was nothing, but… "Ow!"
Feeling a sharp Father n, he stopped moving his arm and lowered it slowly, discouraged.
"Like I said, let's stop for a bit so you can recover."
"But Father, I won't always have this chance. I can't let this beat me and go back home."
I don't know when we'll come back here, whether before winter or only next year… After days of studying, the day to practice with firearms had finally arrived. Losing it because of shoulder Father n was unacceptable.
Observing him in silence, Father looked at the target before speaking:
"Very well. Let's take a quick break, then continue later, switching weapons to spare your shoulder."
"Yes!" Trying to raise one arm in celebration, Seven felt his shoulder hurt again and stopped.
Turning around, Father went to a corner of the shooting range where there were chairs, a counter, and two backpacks. Picking up one, he took out some dry biscuits, jerky, and a bottle of water.
"A break to eat won't hurt either."
Seeing the food, Seven ran toward it.
"Thank you!"
After all the training — even if relatively light — and the long walk they had taken, Seven was hungrier than usual.
Father also picked up a type of medicine wrapped in paper and placed it with the food.
"This will relieve the Father n, although it won't cure it, so rest until it takes effect."
Nodding, Seven took everything and sat down to eat, but stopped when he noticed Father had only sat nearby.
"Aren't you going to eat too?"
"No, I'm not hungry."
Taking some boxes out of the backpack, he began counting the bullets in each one and separating them.
"I see…"
Looking at the medicine Father had given him, Seven unfolded the paper, revealing a fine brown powder.
They must have run out of pills and only the ones we made are left… which means Father will go to the citadel in a few days…
Tilting the paper, Seven consumed the medicine with some water.
Bitter, like Yuliya's tea… Making a bitter face, he shook his head slightly before folding the paper and setting it aside.
"…Father, when are you going to the citadel? Will you wait until mid-autumn?"
Finishing counting the bullets, Father stored some away, leaving the rest out along with a small full box.
"I don't know. Maybe at the end of autumn. Although some things have already run out, we can wait a little longer to buy them."
"Are you going alone as always?"
"Maybe. I'd like to take you this time, but I'm not sure if I can leave Ísis alone yet, the way I do with you."
I'd love to go… Being a place with other people, he was curious about what he would find there, as he had heard from his father that some machines still worked, similar to the scrap piles they found in the city.
"But if everything goes well, maybe I'll take you this year. It all depends on Ísis and how she acts in the coming days."
She has been doing much better. She even handled it well when I went after the rabbit… Maybe this year I'll have a chance…
Pausing for a moment, remembering the night before, Seven stopped eating.
"…I don't know if I can go… She had a nightmare yesterday. From the look on her face and how she acted when she woke up… it must have something to do with her past…"
Slightly surprised, Father turned his head toward Seven , but soon looked forward again, thoughtful.
"Well, that complicates things a bit. Even after all this time, she still struggles with it."
Lowering his head, Seven nodded.
"Yeah…"
Even though it had been years since she was rescued…
Although she was his sister, she wasn't blood-related. She had been rescued by Father after losing her entire family to humanoids while trying to cross the city with a group of survivors.
The only thing left from her family were those three lockets… and the terror that haunted her… Even after arriving home, right after waking up, she would scream a single name he had never heard, crying.
White Wanderers.
That was when he learned of their existence. After asking Father , who explained what they were, it was only after seeing one that he understood the reason for so much terror.
Frowning, he turned to Father .
"…Father, how was Ísis rescued? Since the Wanderers only live in the center of the city?"
A bit surprised by the sudden question, he took a moment to answer.
"…It was a notable event. I don't know what that group of survivors did, but they made the humanoids chase them all the way out of the center. That's why we heard their screams."
"Those screams near home were from the people being chased?!"
On the day Ísis arrived, Seven had been helping Father late in the greenhouse when they heard distant screams.
Realizing something was wrong, Father quickly picked him up and ran home, only to leave immediately afterward, fully armed.
I remember him running very fast back home while carrying me like it was nothing…
"It wasn't the people, but the humanoids. The screams were theirs. When they hunt something, they use that to signal each other's position."
"What? They scream—" Stopping mid-sentence, Seven remembered that the humanoid he had encountered had done the same, screaming when it realized he was escaping.
…So that was why… But for some reason, he felt it sounded more like a scream of desFather r… Remembering that moment, Seven felt the hairs on his body stand on end.
"…" Observing him in silence, Father read his expression. "The one you encountered also screamed, didn't it?"
"…Yes. It was a loud and terrifying scream, but it sounded more like a scream of Father n or something like that…"
It didn't sound like a roar… Recalling that moment and the wounds on the humanoid, the scream that had terrified him seemed less and less like a roar.
"…"
Seeing Seven lost in thought, Father took advantage of the moment and picked up the backpack. Rummaging through it, he took out something wrapped in a worn, yellowish-white cloth.
"I think it's time to give you this."
Snapping out of his thoughts, Seven looked at the object with curiosity.
"What is it?"
"Open it and find out."
Taking it, he began to unwrap the cloth, revealing the object.
"A gun!!"
It was a matte carbon revolver with a raised inscription on the barrel.
— Tauros —
The weapon, although marked by use, was remarkably well preserved. Besides the detail on the barrel, it had the number 1197 on the grip.
This…
"Since you've been doing well in this training, it's time for you to carry one and leave the bow with your sister."
"Thank you very much, Father!"
He had been expecting to go through more shooting lessons before carrying one, so it was a surprise.
"You did very well with the shots, as well as with the handling. From what I saw, you're capable of carrying one. But know this: a revolver is not for hunting, but for defense. That is its purpose."
Noticing his father's more serious look, Seven felt a heavy weight on himself.
"…"
"The helmet you used is also yours. Take good care of it, because it belonged to your mother."
Looking at it, right beside the backpack, Seven had an expression of disbelief.
"…But Father… wouldn't it be better to give it to Yuliya?"
I didn't even get to know her… Although he liked the idea of having it, it was largely because it was an impressive piece of equipment — a small thing, since it carried an emotional weight that, for Yuliya, who had lived with her and remembered her, would mean much more.
"…Your mother left this for you. She also left things for Yuliya, but besides choosing your name before she died, she wanted you to have some of her things, including this helmet."
Looking at it for a few seconds — marked by use but well preserved — Seven finally agreed.
"I understand. Then I'll keep it…"
"That's good. Your mother would be happy, just as I am. She loved you very much, son." Extending his hand, Father placed it on Seven 's head. "Besides these items, take these bullets, because you'll need to carry some from now on. When you need more, just ask, but use them wisely."
So that's why he was separating the bullets…
Looking at the bullets Father handed him, he noticed they were already separated and counted, except for one group that had only six, black ones.
Why are they so different…
Interrupting his thoughts, Father stood up.
"The medicine should be taking effect by now. Let's continue the training."
***
Inside the bunker, Leon, Victor, and Mia stood in a line, with Ísis facing them, holding a small list.
A short distance from the group, seated at a table, Yuliya watched everything with a smile.
"Did everyone get their backpacks?"
"Yes!"
They answered in unison.
Preparing to leave, with everyone fully awake, Ísis began the final check of what they would take.
"Knives?"
"Yes!!!"
"Canteens?"
"Yes!!"
"Rope?"
"Yes!"
Checking each item in sequence, diligently, Ísis didn't notice that with every question, the trio's vibrant enthusiasm was diminishing more and more.
Watching everything, still smiling, Yuliya murmured:
"You're only going out for a few hours, not traveling the world…"
Several minutes later, finishing the check, Ísis sighed in relief.
"With this, I think we're — Wait!"
Slightly widening her eyes, she turned toward the bedroom and ran in that direction, leaving everyone there completely confused.
Entering, she began looking around, then, remembering where she had left it, started moving again.
Approaching her bed, she crouched down and crawled underneath.
"Found you!"
There, a bow was stored, along with a quiver.
Seven 's bow!
Grabbing it, she pulled, but due to its size, she knocked over a small box, which opened and spilled three lockets.
Letting go of the bow, Ísis quickly picked up the box and put them back, but stopped before closing it, looking melancholically at the old lockets. They had a simple round shape, with a slightly dirty golden tone.
"…"
After a few seconds, shaking her head, she renewed her expression with a light smile and finally closed the box.
Standing up, she equipped the quiver and left the room.
"Let's go!"
With a smile, she began leading them toward the exit, for their first mission