ᴛᴏɢᴇᴛʜᴇʀ ʇou ꜰᴏʀᴇᴠᴇʀ

81

"Have a good look, Zeke. That's Liberio, our home." Grisha said to Zeke as he held him in his arms.

He, Dina, Zeke and Monika were currently outside the internment zone and stood on one of the tallest buildings outside to take a good look of their hometown.

Monika is still upset about the two but decided not to show it to Zeke.

"Compared to the rest of the world, it's as small as a birdcage. We're forced to live there until the day we die, being unable to go anywhere else." Grisha continued and looked down at Zeke.

"Zeke, don't you want to be free of that place?" Grisha questioned.

"Yeah. I do." Zeke quietly answered as he looked down.

Monika silently stared at the two and sighed through her nose.

The sound of the door opening gained Monika and Zeke's attention, the two glanced at the door showing an old man with a gentle smile on his face. It looks like he's a janitor in the place based on the outfit he's wearing.

"Well, would you look at that? Visitors this early in the morning? I'll come back later then." the man said, giving them a close-eyed smile.

Grisha and Dina frowned as their bodies tensed up, pulling the two kids closer to them.

"No, we were just about to leave." Grisha responded to him.

"Ah." he hummed as he looked at them. Noticing their armbands, the bright, gentle smile in his face was immediately replaced with a glare, looking at them in disgust.

"Oh... Eldians." he spat out with disgust and splashed the water in the bucket he was holding to them.

Grisha turned his back as he tried to shield Zeke while Dina pulled Monika back and closed their eyes in reflex.

But slowly opened their eyes when they didn't feel any water in themselves and looked at Monika.

Monika shielded them with something they never saw before. She was holding a small, circular structure consisting of a fabric held on a collapsible frame of thin like ribs.

"Monika..." Grisha muttered as his eyes were slightly wide, he thought it was some walking stick she was holding earlier.

Monika lowered the makeshift umbrella in her hand with a calm yet stern look in her face and looked at the man in front of them.

"Why did you do that? We have permission to be outside." Monika told them man, who gritted his teeth as he failed to make them look miserable.

"I'm a janitor at this tower. It's my job to get rid of filth." he told them.

"You should check your attitude then. You should be able to find filth in them and be sure to clean it thoroughly." Monika told him, slightly glaring at the man.

"How dare you talk back at me, you demon!?" he glared at Monika, who looked unfazed at his glare.

"Because that's how conversations work, mister janitor. Do you perhaps not know that?" Monika asked him as her brows furrowed, she coldly looked at the man who looked really pissed off.

"What did you say!?"

"Oh, my apologies. You may seem to have damaged your hearing. Do you want us to help you with it? My brother here is a doctor, if you didn't know." Monika continued, making the man throw his broom on the side in frustration.

"Stop it, Monika..." Dina gently pulled Monika closer to them. Monika could feel Dina's hand tremble so she decided to shut her mouth at the moment.