Solo Cultivation in The Apocalypse

His eyes were focused on the entrance, expecting to see anyone standing in the doorway, looking for them. But what greeted them were the flames of fire around the hall. The plastic glasses were still lying on the table and Akira was missing.

Reon caught up with Hitori. Her heart was already beating hard and she was exhausted from the fighting and crying, and the running had cost her all of the air in her lungs.

She put her hand over the side wall and examined the hall. "Where is everyone?" she asked.

Hitori's eyes fell on the way at end of the hall. They were in that room, he thought. But what are they doing there? He had to find out. What was the thing from they were excluding Reon and him?

Reon kept staring and panting as Hitori walked to the doorway at the end. It was just an empty door frame, what ahead was a room with firewoods in the corner, and a few mud utensils. Totally an Edo Period vibe.

The path in front of him covered whatever it was hiding in the darkness. Not a single lamp, but he was sure they were somewhere down this path. When he lowered his eyes and examined the narrow path, he felt chills running down his spine.

"Hitori, where are you going?" she called from behind, but he could barely hear her. His mind was focused on the path ahead.

He was determined, but trembling to find the unknown. Suddenly, he heard something from the path. Hitori took a step back when the rustling sound intensified.

"Hitori, come back here!" Reon shouted, and Hitori was considering that option now.

Hitori clenched the door jamb and balanced himself. "I can—" The dragon. Kyuryo was a dragon breeder.

Hitori released the door jamb and took a step back. Then he turned and walked back to the hall. He stopped in front of Roen, she was headed to get him.

"What were you doing?" she asked.

"Where is everyone?" he asked in return.

Reon opened her mouth to say no and lifted her shoulders halfway when they heard Akira behind. "Hitori!"

Hitori spun at the moment and saw Akira approaching him, not from downstairs, but from the kitchen! But he had just checked the kitchen. Where did he come from?

Not just Akira but everyone followed him from behind. Kakashi was carrying plastic plates with Kyoryu was holding some sort of container made of steel. Behind, Eya brought a big bowl with noodles in them.

"We were off to get something to eat," Akira said, "some monsters taste just delicious."

Hitori frowned. "N-NO. No way I am eating a monster from this forest."

Eya chuckled. "Do you see these tentacles, Hitori-san? They are just like noodles, but far more delicious. And, rich in proteins. Try a few—"

Hitori raised his hand and shook his head. "No, thanks. I reject."

Kyoryu walked past Hitori and went to the table. He raised his hand and covered the table with a cloth. Then he increased the width of the table.

Kyoryu kept a hand over his shoulder and said, "We have bread too," then he paused and said, "made from fresh fungus."

Hitori felt a chill run down his spine. Eya tried to suppress her laughter while Akira covered his mouth to stop himself from laughing.

Kakashi walked past him and arranged the plates on each corner of the table. For the first time, he had a mischievous smile on his face.

Reon was watching this from a distance and a smile spread on her face. No way she was going to ruin this moment by telling them about her dead brother– it would be such a bloomer.

They ate the noodles which were not any monster's tentacles; and the bread which was made from fresh yeast– Kyorryu had baked the bread himself.

During breakfast, Even Hitori forgot about Reon's brother and her misfortune. He would not have recognized it if she had not grabbed his hand under the table.

Rein threw her a glance with wide eyes. He stayed quiet, so the others would not get suspicious.

He saw tears forming in her eyes. She grabbed his hand to stop herself from crying by suppressing that urge to let go of the tension and cry.

Eya took Hitori's plate and went to the kitchen's backside, where Kyoryu cleaned the dishes. Kakashi went to the seat behind them while Akira sat with Hitori and Reon.

"Are you alright?" he whispered.

She had enjoyed the breakfast, but her brother's death was still lingering in her mind. She messed up this time, so her brother had to pay the price. No Christmas or New Year with Hiroshi anymore. No teasing him, or him teasing her, and no more seeing him smile the way a child does.

The realization hit her hard–  if they (or she) messed up this time, she would not have another breakfast with them. She would not have another laugh or two at the dinner table. And… just like she could not hold Kamiya, watch Hitori's hand slip from hers.

She shook her head. "We need to tell them."

Now he remembered that he had forgotten about her brother. "Yeah, we better do this in the morning… we are not safe in the dark."

Akira heard that soft sob. "Hey, what is wrong?" he asked as he leaned forward. "Oh, did you call your parents? I doubt you even got the signal."

"We got the signal," she said, rubbing her eyes.

Akira raised his eyes. "Y-You got the signal." He was not expecting that when he sent them away. He gulped and then asked, "Did you talk to your parents then? Did you tell them?"

"Yes. I did." Reon raised her red eyes and sniffed. "And I received bad news from them. I want you to listen."

Akira leaned back. "Bad news? Do you just want me to know or—"

"Everyone, Akira," Hitori said, "everyone needs to hear it. We have a place to visit."

He threw a glance at Hitori. "Did something bad happen?"

"Yeah. Bad news, you see. So gather everyone. They need to hear this."

Akira waited for a moment before nodding. He got off the table and went to the kitchen.

Hitori grabbed Reon's hand and nodded at her– she nodded back. Then he dropped his head and thought to himself:

Before every flower falls, we should pluck the bad flower.