Chapter 143: The Gap
Chapter 143: The Gap
The heavy breaths of the Prisoners were as if roars, as one of the very things that caged them now laid before their eyes, welcoming them to explore the world unknown.
Their eyes and jaws were trembling as they tried to keep them close, but could not. For most, it was only months or years, but for the few, it was decades. A decade of only seeing the same faces over and over again. A decade of only breathing the same air that they slept in.
But now, they were…
"F… free!"
"W… we are free!"
The Prisoners all looked at each other, scrambling and pushing each other in the thick forest to see if a part of the Wall truly had crumbled.
"...Free?"
Gerald, who had just arrived in the Pit a few minutes ago, was utterly confused. How are they free when the Portal that they arrived in was on the other side?
"Oi, b… beggar. What is going on here?"
Not knowing anyone around him, Gerald had no choice but to follow closely behind Van and ask him questions. Van, however, completely ignored him as he stayed by his group's side, staying close to Latanya.
"...Someone you know?"
With this golden-haired teenager asking these multiple questions and Van completely ignoring him, Gil could not help but be curious.
"Someone who belongs here," Van muttered, only slightly glancing towards the bewildered Gerald.
Suddenly, the clamor and the thundering whispers of the Prisoners all stopped at the same time as they examined the Wall. Not even a single Local to be found around them. The top of the Wall, which never lacked its garnish of Locals, was also desolate; there was not even a sign of movement on them.
"Wait… could this be a trap!?"
"Y… you might be right."
"But there's no one there!"
"Fool, maybe they are lying in wait on the other side!"
"..."
"You, go check it out!"
"W… what, why me!?"
The Prisoners all unanimously voted an unfortunate random Prisoner to go first. The Prisoner tried to refuse but was threatened by the other Prisoners near him that if he didn't go, they would kill him right here and now.
Left with no choice but to go, the unlucky Prisoner could only sigh as he moved his shivering legs towards the Gap.
"..."
"What happened here, Reed?" Latanya pulled Reed to the side as she looked him straight in the eyes.
"I… I truly do not know, Boss." Reed, however, could only let out a sigh as he shook his head. He was just watching and observing the Wall as always, but then suddenly, without even a warning, a part of the Wall collapsed.
"...No, it burst into pieces almost instantly. The debris scattered and reached even here so I had to avoid some of them," Reed then looked at the top of the Wall, "After that… I noticed the Locals on the Wall panicking before jumping down. I thought that they would scurry to close down the Gap, but none of them even bothered or checked it."
Hearing Reed's words, Boss could not help but take in a deep breath, "Just… what could be going on in there?" She muttered.
When she was still the Chief of the Wall VIllage, not even once did she allow the Wall to be left unattended and unguarded even just for a millisecond; her predecessors have done the same. And even if it's just a little bit, she knew the current Chief as a juvenile-- and she was sure that he would not allow any mistakes to happen.
Latanya trailed her eyes across the gigantic Wall, and not even a single speck of movement could be seen on top.
"Haaa!"
Her thoughts were then disrupted when she heard a voice coming from the gap. She quickly turned her head, only to find that the Prisoner that was unfortunately tasked to check the gap was now standing there quite leisurely; waving his hands in the air like he just doesn't care.
His screams were loud enough that they could hear his voice cracking. The other Prisoners slightly backed away, in fear that a Local might notice them. But even after a few seconds, there wasn't any movement whatsoever.
Realizing this, the Prisoners all looked at each other, still confused as to what to do. But then, one of them took a step forward.
"..."
And soon, he was followed by another step… and then another.
A smile creeping on their face as slow as their legs were taking them; with their breaths echoing one another.
"W… we're free!"
And like a bell being rung, those words brought light to the Prisoners' boring lives. They all scattered and scurried to run towards the Gap. It didn't matter whether they were on Rick's side, or Grant's; it didn't matter that they were pushing each other, they just ran.
"W… wait!"
For some reason, Latanya tried to stop them, "Don't you fools even try to step on the other side!"
She screamed, but none of them could hear her.
"What are you doing, Miss Latanya!?" Van could no longer watch as he grabbed Latanya's wrist, "Just leave them! We might still make it out of the Portal if we go now!"
"No! That doesn't matter now! The Locals... they are not as strong as the Prisoners imagine them to be... I... I made it up," Latanya quickly slapped his hand away before chasing and pushing the other Prisoners back, followed by Reed and Solomon, who were doing the same.
Should he just drag her away? Van thought as he stared at Latanya, whose back was already being drowned by the other Prisoners, '...No. What if she doesn't end up healing him?'
"What do we do, Van?" Nisha and Gil remained by Van's side, being nudged side to side by the onslaught of Prisoners rushing from behind them. Cynthia and her husband, however, seemed to enjoy what was happening as they kicked and tripped the Prisoners.
"No, choice. Let's follow her for now."
And they did, even Gerald, who had no idea what was happening right now, followed behind Van.
Soon, though, the hurried steps of the Prisoners died down as they got nearer and nearer to the Gap. This was their first time seeing the Wall this close; and right now that they were here, they realized how colossal it really was.
Their heads needed to look up to the heavens for them to see the top of the Wall. This made them wary, some even crouching on the ground slowly to see if there really were no Locals present to stop them.
The Mage-type Prisoners that could control earth also reinforced the Gap, making sure that they won't get buried alive.
"...Looks like… it's safe!"
"Let's go, everyone!"
"No! Stay in the Encampment!"
Latanya once again screamed, but still, no one bothered to listen to her. "Solomon! Stop them!"
She tried to shout for Solomon, but now even he was ignoring her. As if entranced by the world unknown to them, Solomon salivated as he pushed the other Prisoners and jumped to the other side of the Wall.
'...Should I just kill everyone here to get this over with,' Van's hands were starting to tremble as he watched the scenery of chaos in front of him; But quickly, as he realized what he just thought, he shook his head.
For now, he should just follow Latanya, she was still his best bet to escape this place. Van was about to follow her, but then something made him stop…
...A voice.
"Messenger, I finally found you."
"!!!"