"What happened? How did I end up here?" Rod rubs his head, which feels heavy after waking up—maybe because of the medicine or the injury that landed him in the clinic.
"I'll leave it to [The Mentor's name] to explain the whole thing," the doctor says, stepping aside to let The Mentor speak.
Rod flinches. He swears he heard a name, but as soon as it reached his mind, it vanished without a trace.
Why can't I remember that name?
"Sure," The Mentor nods, his expression calm and gentle. "Basically, we were surrounded by mutants trying to eat us alive. For some reason, they were more active than usual, which made them hunt in groups. They knew where our bunker was, so they waited there. Apparently, because you weren't patient enough, you walked straight toward the bunker and fell into their trap. They rushed in to attack us. During the fight, you got pushed, hit your head, and lost consciousness."
"So we were surrounded, but you managed to handle them and carry me here?" Rod asks, surprised. He hadn't expected The Mentor, with his slender build, to possess such strength.
"I did my best to defend us, but we were lucky that the watchmen on the bunker's towers spotted us. That's how we got help, and I was able to carry you here. You're damn heavy! You almost made me run out of breath!" The Mentor's eyes widen as he delivers the last sentence.
Rod smirks. "I have plenty of other ways to leave you out of breath."
The doctor finds Rod's response hilarious—she's a fan of BL series—but she says nothing, not even interrupting.
"Well, looks like my boy finally learned to be funny. I guess you got your head back on your shoulders. Let's go, I'm starving," The Mentor then turn to the doctor, "Ms Duncan, I'm taking him back. Thank you for your service."
"You're welcome, [The Mentor's name], take care out there," the doctor replies.
The Mentor waving his hand as a signal for Rod to follow.
And so, Rod follows.
As they walk down the corridor, their footsteps echo against the perforated metal floor, designed to help air circulation. Despite the sealed environment, ants still find their way through the smallest cracks, but the steel mesh layer keeps out scorpions and snakes. The reinforced metal walls lined with concrete, showing patches of rust where moisture seeps through over the years, yet they remain strong enough to withstand the weight of the earth above.
A faint vapor curled from the vents—pressurized coolant escaping from deep within the bunker's machinery. Not enough to be dangerous, but enough to signal a slow failure. Looks like there would be more work about fixing the vents soon.
The air is damp, with the air conditioner working to lower the heat. The ventilation system maintains airflow by drawing in outside air, filtering it thoroughly before distributing fresh oxygen throughout the bunker, while a separate tunnel expels CO₂ off back to the wilderness.
Artificial forest was created on every floor, with UV lights simulating sunlight to keep the plants alive. The plants also help support the ventilation system, working together to maintain air quality and keep the bunker livable.
They enter the elevator to reach the cafeteria, and The Mentor notices Rod keeps looking at him, smiling. However, he saves the question until the other guy, who is carrying sacks of harvested fruits, gets off the elevator.
"Something on my face?" The Mentor asks.
Rod looks away. "Oh, just curious. Didn't expect you to be this friendly."
"Really? I've always been this way," The Mentor argues, crossing his arms and shaking his shoulders slightly.
"Nah... you were always tense and took everything seriously. Sometimes I had to throw you into the river just to get you to relax," Rod looks back at The Mentor. "Do you remember that day? We went camping, treasure hunting... shared our first kiss?"
"I'm sure you're mistaking me for someone else," The Mentor replies calmly.
"No, it was you!" Rod insists, scratching his head. Why does Charles forget everything we shared together? "You kept being so serious, so I threw you into the river, and you finally chilled out. Wait, I think that was yesterday? But yesterday—wait..."
The Mentor patiently waits for Rod to figure things out. But since they've reached their floor, Rod has to stop thinking and follow The Mentor out of the elevator.
Just after they leave the elevator, two men stop them, looking directly at Rod . They appear rugged, their faces unfriendly. Once they recognize The Mentor, one of them calls out,
"Hey, [The Mentor's name], let's have a drink together."
Again, Rod notices a name being mentioned, but he can't remember it. It disappears, just like a mirage. And it's so annoying.
"I'm sorry, we're in the middle of something," The Mentor says, continuing to walk, but one of the men grabs his elbow, stopping him.
"Sir? It's just a drink—nothing urgent about it. Can you let go of my elbow?" The Mentor glares at the rugged man.
"Then what's so urgent about him?" The man nods toward Rod without even looking at him.
"I was entrusted with him. That makes it a responsibility—an urgent one," The Mentor says, attempting to pull his arm free, but the man's grip is firm.
Finally, the rugged man looks at Rod , his expression full of judgment. "Hey, boy, what's my name?"
"Uh..." Rod hesitates. He doesn't know.
"It's Vic," the man tells him.
"Vic, short for Victor, I guess?" Rod tilts his head.
"And this one is Holler," Vic nods toward his long-faced friend.
"Holler, got it," Rod nods in acknowledgment.
"Then who is this?" Vic points at The Mentor.
"That's Charles Baxter, my roommate, and someone important to me," Rod says.
Immediately, the two men burst into laughter.
What's wrong? What's so funny about that?
Vic grins at The Mentor. "See? He doesn't even remember your name. Why care so much?"
Holler, the long-faced man, steps behind The Mentor, ready to grab him if he tries to run. "He remembers everyone's name but yours. That alone tells you how important you are to him. You're not that stupid, are you, [The Mentor's name]?"
Rod hates this—hates that they're using him to make The Mentor uncomfortable. But The Mentor's response lowers the tension they've built up.
"The argument is irrelevant. Me and Rod are partners, I chose him, and it has nothing to do with him remembering my name or not," then, The Mentor turns to Vic. "And you, sir..."—he swats Vic's hand off him like a fly—"…get a wife."
He then eyes Holler with a smirk. "Upgrade your handsomeness first before asking me out." With a casual nudge of his fingertips, he pushes Holler aside. "Move!"
Without missing a beat, he strides away. "Follow me, Rod !"
Rod runs through Vic and Holler and catch up with The Mentor.
This isn't the first time Rod has seen this kind of treatment. To be honest, The Mentor is a beautiful androgynous man, and he amplifies that beauty by applying makeup, wearing earrings, and dressing impeccably. He looks effortlessly feminine without wearing explicitly feminine clothing. With that sleeveless turtleneck and silver chain necklace, who wouldn't find him attractive? His gentle voice and composed demeanor complete the picture.
Many have tried to woo him, but he always finds a way to slip through their grasp.
"Wow, this is surprising, honestly, Charles. As far as I can remember, you always so introverted and not very sociable, you barely even noticed a joke. But now, look at you!" Rod try to catch up with The Mentor.
However, The Mentor huffs as if he's had enough. He stops walking, then pinches Rod's ears with both hands. "Cutie, listen well. My name is not Charles. I'm not Charles. My name is E***n**. You hear me? **ie***. I'll say it once again..."
The Mentor spells his name letter by letter, slowly, making sure Rod hears every single one.
But still...
"Charles?" Rod looks confused.
"Ohhh, this is so hard to accept..." The Mentor dramatically runs to the wall, leaning against it like he's in a tragic opera, pretending to cry.
"Why so dramatic? It's just a name. Let's go—you said you were starving," Rod says, walking toward the cafeteria.
"Fair enough. Ugh, this is so difficult if he keeps calling me with that name!" The Mentor grumbles, following Rod .
The cafeteria is located not far from the bunker's entrance, on the third underground level—just below the floor where they store tools and clothes. It's wide and spacious, built to accommodate most of the workers. There are times when it gets so crowded that they can't even enter and have to wait outside.
This time, they're lucky. It's midnight; no one is really around, and most people are sleeping.
Of course, no one can actually tell if it's night or day down here, but there are clocks on every floor, and everyone wears a watch on their wrist. That's how they keep track of rest time, wake time, and work shifts.
As Rod sits down with The Mentor, order their food and banters.
Someone enters the cafeteria—a boy with blue eyes and blond hair. His frame is small and slight, the kind of person you'd instantly perceive as fragile. The serious tension on his face shows he has no time for jokes or to relax.
Rod's eyes widen.
Now that?
That's Charles. He is wearing soldier uniform, unlike himself who is clearly at the position of worker, Charles is a soldier, means, he might lead the bunker one day
Then he looks back at the Mentor.
And he's confused.