There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)
Chapter 390 - 382. Signs of Peace

Chapter 390: Chapter 382. Signs of Peace

"Are you sure you don’t need to rest more?" Zein asked the Eiyuta ladies, who proclaimed they would return to their home instead of staying in the lakehouse. "I know it’s not fully furnished yet, but--"

"Oh, it’s not that," Ria shook her head swiftly. "It’s terribly nice here, and I--we--would like to stay here sometimes, but..." she patted her daughter’s arm and smiled at Zein. "Hana had to return to work."

"Ah..."

"And Grandma will grumble from loneliness," Hana added with a mischievous smile. "Although she would never admit it."

Zein chuckled as he recalled the fussy and nosy grandma who easily invited them to lunch and even gave Bassena a short cooking lesson alongside her own recipes. "Bassena said he had something for her--some ingredients, I think. Please relay it to her."

"Of course," Ria patted the younger guide with a fond smile, before a loud voice compelled her attention to the front--the lake.

Or rather, toward Bassena who was standing behind an advanced camera on a tripod. "Alright, stop moving around and messing up the line!"

At his yelling, the boisterous youths stopped making fun of each other and stood still, pressing their lips in an attempt to hold back their laughter. The adults also promptly looked to the front, looking left and right to make sure everyone was neatly standing in line.

Satisfied, Bassena jogged back to the group to position himself beside Zein, holding a shutter trigger in his hand. "Alright; in three, two, one--" he pressed the trigger and the camera let out a soft light.

It wasn’t the only picture they took that day, and the rest of the photo had them in various poses, and even while cheering loudly. There were also those that Bassena took during the feast and that of the blue hibiscus grave.

"Hmm, it was good that we also purchased this one that time," Bassena nodded in satisfaction. Polaroid was nice and commlink’s camera function was practical, but the quality of the picture was wholly different. "I’ll develop this tomorrow."

"Can you send us some?" Senan asked expectantly.

"For free?"

The middle-aged man chuckled and patted the smirking Bassena’s back--something they never thought could happen last year.

Zein smiled as a warm feeling spread inside his heart. He swept his gaze around the estate, at the group who were now tidying up the tables and the leftovers of the feast. He looked at the people whom he would call his cousins, his uncles and aunties. At the person whom he saw a future with.

This was his family; in the place where his parents built a family, he realized wholeheartedly now that he had one.

Even if there was no blood tying them.

They are his future now.

* * *

"What?" Zein tilted his head after catching Bassena staring at him for the umpteenth time on the way back.

"Just..." Bassena tapped his fingers on the stirring wheel of the car they used to go from Trinity to their apartment. "You smile a lot today," he said. "I like it."

The guide raised his brow and leaned against the door, looking at Bassena teasingly. "So you don’t like it if I’m not smiling?"

The esper stuttered, almost swerving the car out of the lane. "N-no, that’s--"

Zein chuckled and patted the esper’s cheek. "Just joking," he said, caressing the bronze cheek with his thumb.

The blue eyes observed the view outside, of the night he usually found dull. But the colorful night light of the Althrea looked beautiful tonight, just like the fluttering petals over the lake he watched earlier. They were the signs of peace, of life undisturbed by the encroaching filth.

He used to see this peace with a hurtful gaze, with questions; was it right for him to enjoy this peace while many others struggled in the end zones? He saw this peace with resentment toward the people who should have the power to change things. He saw this peace with doubt and skepticism, of whether or not things would truly change if they got rid of the darkness in the East.

But he realized now that all of those thoughts were foolish. Futile.

What did it matter if he could change things or not? How could he find the answer if he did nothing? If he didn’t even start?

This peace; if he was so hurtful by it, and so upset about the lack of action to achieve it, then he should do it himself. He should try to provide it--as a human, as a guide, as an Ishtera, as...the fragment of Setnath.

This power he had might not be intended to change things, no. But it was his power, and by using it as he saw fit, it became truly his. Rather than avoiding it because he rejected the identity of a vessel, he should overwrite said identity and make the power his own.

And so, as he accepted that conviction, he started to see these signs of peace as something new;

It was the picture of a future he wished he would see in the end zones. It was the peace he had to protect so there wouldn’t be any more red-zone city--or worse, another Deathzone.

It was not just a mission. Not just a duty.

It was what he wanted from deep within his heart, and he shall see it to its completion.

So now, it was no longer pain and bitterness that he felt when he saw the peaceful scenery.

It was hope.

"I’m happy," he said. "And people smile when they’re happy."

"I’m glad," Bassena smiled--because he was too, feeling happy. It didn’t matter whether it was him or other things that made Zein happy, as long as he was. He chuckled. "Heh--I bet your little troop will get dumbfounded if they see you today."

"I’m not that grumpy."

"No, but your expression rarely changed during training," Bassena grinned. "They would probably think you are preparing some hellish training every time you smile."

Zein tilted his head, nodding in agreement. "On that subject, I do have a new training regime."

Bassena raised his brow, and Zein continued with a deep smile. "The researchers contacted me."

"What about?"

"You know they had been trying to measure the wavelength of the miasma emanated by the Specter core that we hold, don’t you?"

"Yes."

"They managed to do it and had been configuring the wavelength in the simulation chamber."

Bassena widened his eyes. "Ah, so that’s what the report is about."

"You haven’t read them?"

"No," Bassena grinned. "Things had been rather hectic, don’t you think?"

Zein chuckled in agreement. "Anyway, now I can really give them a taste of the Deathzone."

* * *

"I’m not going to answer anything," Zein raised his hand before any of his chicks could open their mouth.

It was their first time meeting Zein after the whole debacle with the Horins. The last time they saw him was in the morning before he left to see Han Joon in front of the military base. While they didn’t have the details, the matter of the Horin compound’s raid was known to all, because their case was being discussed and broadcast on television.

Of course, including the matter of how they were the ones behind the annihilation of House Ishtera.

And then, before they could digest their surprise, they found out that Abel was visiting the mourning house, which led them to find out that it was for the funeral and memorial of their Captain’s parents.

Understandably, there was chaos inside the strike guide division. If Abel did not tell them to stay put, they probably would have stormed the mourning house. Thankfully, Nadine was wise enough to warn them about disturbing their Captain.

But now that Zein had come to work again, it would be okay to ask him, right?

The answer to that is no.

"But, Captain!" Dheera whined, shamelessly shaking Zein’s arm.

"You can find out during the trial," Zein rejected firmly.

Radia had advised him to not tell anyone about anything, because anything that would be used in the trial was sensitive material. It would be best if no one knew about it yet.

"Along with other people?" the girl pursed her lips. "But we’re your people!"

"You are not," Zein rolled his eyes at the choice of word.

"Colleague, then?" Nadine offered an alternative with a smile and an inquisitive gaze. "You don’t think we will go around and gossip about it, do you?"

Zein glanced at Dheera in response. "You might."

The girl gasped, clutching her chest dramatically. "Have you no faith in your subordinate, Captain?"

The only response Zein gave was a flick on the girl’s forehead, before he told them to gather in the meeting room. Alice was already there, waiting with the document that Zein had requested--the progress report on everyone.

He perused them for a while, both the guides who would go to the Deathzone with him and the one who would stay. He had set a threshold that they must achieve before he moved to the new training, and he found out everyone had managed to achieve it.

"Seems like you haven’t been slacking off in my absence," he said, showing his rare smile. "I’m proud."

The guides couldn’t hide their satisfied grin--finally managed to get a nod from their strict Captain. Perhaps he would reward them by telling them what exactly happened?

"In fact, you’ve done so well that I don’t think you need to continue with the current training."

Dheera gasped. Brisk gasped. They clenched their fist in victory because, even though they had used to stamina training every day, it was still a hard part of their daily routine.

They would have cheered, honestly, if it wasn’t for what Zein said next.

"The current training won’t be so effective anymore, so I have devised a new regime," said Zein, followed by Alice who operated the screen with a little smirk.

"What?!"

"Since you’ve been doing so well, it’s time to increase the challenge, no?"

"No!"

As such, another cry of lament could be heard from the strike guide division’s meeting room. Again.