District 42-Chapter 150: Recognition and departure

Their anxiety arose once they stepped inside the elevator. Their movements were slow and calm, just to press the button and to close the doors and make the elevator start to go down took an eternity.

Their faces were pale, cold sweat was covering their backs and armpits. In their efforts to prevent their bodies to tremble, they ended up getting too stiff.

The only thing that passed in their minds was the image of a bunch of prisoners dying beside them, giving their lives, their blood, sweat, and tears just for the sake of that escape. And, in the end, their figures were left behind for Casper and the other two, in an action that was difficult to differentiate from good or bad.

One thing was certain: those people must have had felt betrayed, just like the soldier felt when Anton showed to be the culprit from that mess, and when Alfar closed the doors of that elevator.

The trip seemed to last as long as it was before when they were going against a horde of Ridires, unsure if Amelia did as they ordered and started a ruckus to distract them.

Alfar was the most shaken of the trio. Throughout the years he had built a sense of responsibility towards those prisoners that neither Casper nor Olaf had.

The man got enjailed just because of them. He passed through all sorts of situations because he was hoping that, someday, they would finally be able to get their freedom, even with the masks still on their faces, and be treated as common people.

Even though the trip seemed unbearably long, when they finally arrived at their destiny, they felt like they needed more time to get prepared, that the interval they got wasn’t enough.

Casper was the first one to take the initiative to press the button again and open the doors.

"W-what...? Vick? Freygar?" Casper spoke in disbelief. He couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw two figures standing in front of them, the Princess and the Aesir.

Freygar was bandaged all over the body. It was a gray bandage, that Casper was sure that had a different property than the normal bandages. He was with the pants and boots of his uniform, but not with the upper body part. Instead, he was wearing a white shirt, which was a color not so uncommon to see Jarls wearing.

"Don’t mind us, Casper. We were just setting the stage for you." She passed for them to enter the elevator.

Freygar kept looking to Casper for some time. The soldier didn’t see rage in his eyes, nor frustration, just that smart and calm look.

One couldn’t afford to look down on another, because they couldn’t claim to be the best there.

Casper won because Freygar didn’t use his true strength, and Freygar lost because one of his strengths wasn’t enough to beat Casper’s.

It was as if they were still tied, but they didn’t feel as frustrated by it as in their first fight.

Without any words, the Aesir moved towards the elevator and left them there.

With that, the trio returned to their trip. The Princess said that she had settled the stage for them, and Casper had an idea as to what she did, and it left him more confident.

The other two couldn’t grasp exactly what she said, but they would see it soon.

"So let’s start with Block A, then keep going until H, ok?" The soldier proposed, and the other two nodded.

Once they stepped at the beginning of the corridor from Block A, they lined one beside another. Alfar and Olaf gulped nearly at the same time. They clenched their fists, gathering courage. Unfortunately, they couldn’t find the strength to raise their heads and look at the prisoners’ eyes, so they choose to keep looking down.

The White warrior, instead, kept his head raised, looking in front, his chest filled with pride.

He had made this before sometimes. He escaped from other prisons in his time acting in the Yanke Forces. But that was the first time he didn’t escape alone, and also helped a lot of people who were unfairly suffering inside that place.

That selfless act made him feel more powerful. He was not as helpless as he was before. If those people could have more hope in their lives from now on, then it was due to his actions, his efforts.

"I didn’t manage to have a goal yet, but I think that this type of situation makes up for it... at least for now."

Casper began to walk, and some steps behind him Alfar and Olaf also came, still insecure about what would happen. Those two could barely maintain their eyes open.

The first thing that welcomed them once they started to walk in those corridors was silence. An uncomfortable silence that made their bodies shiver, however it didn’t last too long before something happen.

Slowly, claps could be heard. In the beginning, just one or two people, then two more, then more... until the entire corridor of prisoners were standing behind their cells and clapping for the trio.

Casper, who was confident that Vick had prepared something like this, just smiled and kept walking, greeting the prisoners, even though the majority he didn’t even know.

Alfar and Olaf raised their heads again, looking to their left side, dumbfounded, and wondering what the heck was happening there. They were certain that the prisoners would just greet them with threats and curses, but they were complimenting them, giving them words of support, thanking... It was not something they were expecting.

"Held your heads high and straighten your back, you two! We are being recognized, not cursed here. They want to see your proud figures walking through the corridors." Casper ordered them, and so they did.

That same situation happened in all the other blocks where they passed. From A to H, all of the prisoners just showed gratitude and pride. They treated them like heroes.

"But... what happened? Why they are treating us like this?" Alfar asked.

"That’s obvious, man. Vick and Freygar made sure to speak to them about what we did, and why we did it. They could not maintain the prisoners blindfolded about everything, so they probably said all the story, what we did in the reform, and maybe they even added something more to the story to make our images better. Now, we are the heroes of Halden." Casper explained, and Olaf agreed with him. As smart as that man was, he must have had sorted out that thing before, but the nervousness got him that time.

Pass to all those corridors didn’t seem to be a trip as long as it really was. The time flew by, and when they realized, they were already standing at the end of Block H. During that time, even some Ridires who were taking care of the corridors complimented them.

After all the greets and thanks and everything else, they said goodbye to everyone and went up to the surface again. Their hearts were in peace, and their minds filled with confidence and determination.

They stood in front of the Third Lab and kept lined one beside another looking to that construction. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"We did it... It’s finished, right?" Alfar was the first to talk, which was surprising for him.

"Yeah. No doubt." The soldier nodded. Olaf just kept fidgeting as always, looking to the ground.

All of them already knew what they needed to do, but they didn’t want to do it. For some reason, they were waiting for some more minutes, but it was pointless.

"Well, that’s the end," Casper stated, and those words seemed to be like a rock hitting their chest. "I think it’s better if I go to solve my things."

"Yeah, and I need to solve mine..." Alfar shook his head positively. His voice didn’t seem melancholic, but he certainly wasn’t too fond of that idea.

"Well, at some point, we would need to part ways... I think... I mean, we could keep in touch or... Or not, I mean, if you two are up to it..."

None of them answered that question. Those words remained in the air. The trio knew that, once they went to their own paths, they wouldn’t be meeting each other again. They were three people with great potential to be good friends, but with ways that were too different to converge.

In truth, they didn’t want to meet each other again. If they did, they would be enemies, not friends anymore, and all they prioritized there was to keep the few good memories of those crazy situations.

"I will be going then. Goodbye for you two." Casper waved to them and just walked off.

"Hey, Casper!" Olaf called. The White warrior was already a bit distant and didn’t turn to him. "What will you do for now? I think you didn’t say..."

The soldier thought for a while, still looking forward. Then, he started to walk again, and never responded to Olaf.