Let the Games Begin | Dream Smp

Chapter 37

Wilbur turned back when he heard Kayla and Ranboo's hurried footsteps, slowing down to walk at the girl's side. Then, Ranboo sped up to stand beside Phil, exchanging words with him too quiet for the others to hear.

"Everything okay?" Wilbur asked her.

"Everything's just fine," Kayla replied, "I can't wait to get out of this hell hole. I can't believe I spent ages inside the arena and, before that, so long inside the administrative area. Can you believe that I never left the facility a single time while I worked there?"

Wilbur blinked in surprise. "Seriously?"

"Not once. I suppose it had something to do with the secrecy of the department," She hummed with a nod. Wilbur leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek and the butterflies fluttered inside Kayla's stomach again. They would never get old, she decided, because there was no better thing in the world than knowing she could spend the rest of her life with her childhood love.

She suddenly slammed into Techno's back. The pink haired male stumbled forward a step before turning around and rolling his eyes with a smile as she rubbed her head. He motioned up ahead to the arena exit, where a figure stood.

"Callahan?" Kayla asked hesitantly. From beside her, Wilbur's hand tightened around his sword and he took a step forward, but Techno placed a hand on the brunet's shoulder, holding him back. Wilbur looked over at the pink haired male, eyebrow raised.

"He's with us. Saved us in there," Techno explained. Callahan looked over the group with a sad and regretful expression on his face, and then began to make a series of quick hand movements.

"We don't know what that means, Callahan," Sam told him with a frown, "Sorry." Callahan's head dipped in understanding and disappointment.

"I understood."

Kayla's head turned towards Ranboo in surprise.

"He said that he was sorry for what happened to us," Ranboo said quietly, "And that he wished he would have done something. But he was scared after learning from Karl what happened to Kayla."

The others exchanged glances in surprise and shock. Callaghan's eyes widened and he continued making hand movements. Ranboo's eyes studied them carefully, and then he cleared his throat when Callahan was done.

"He can take us to the exit."

"Ranboo, how..." Techno asked in confusion, "how are you able to understand him?" The boy hesitated for a moment, then swallowed a lump in his throat and muttered something under his breath, too soft for any of the others to hear. Kayla understood his feelings.

"You don't need to tell us if you don't want to," Kayla told him softly. Ranboo looked up at her and then whispered a word of thanks before stepping back to stand next to Phil. Techno glanced at the boy before looking back at Kayla.

"It probably has something to do with his past," She told him, "We all need our secrets sometimes. If he doesn't want to tell us, there's probably a reason."

Techno nodded in understanding, then looked back at Callahan, who was watching them carefully. "Lead the way, Callahan."

The man eagerly nodded and turned on his heels to walk down the hall. The group followed close behind through the winding hallways and up a different staircase than before. Kayla found herself in an area of the building she did not know well, and she found herself taking in their surroundings with a hungry eye.

And there was the exit.

A pair of pristine glass doors up ahead, and outside of them was a concrete pathway lined with trimmed green grass. Beyond it she saw high-rise buildings and skyscrapers, along with a beautiful blue sky with fluffy, white clouds.

It was like she was seeing the world through new eyes. Her hand quickly gripped Wilbur's and she squeezed it in excitement. She heard him laugh as his arm wrapped around her shoulder.

"Thank you, Callahan," Techno said gratefully, "We will forever be in your debt." The man smiled and shook his head, and Kayla assumed he meant that it was nothing.

"Will you come with us?" Sam asked. The happy expression on Callahan's face dropped for a moment. He glanced over at Ranboo before forming a short series of motions.

"He says that he isn't going to leave the Games Department, at least for now," Ranboo explained to the others, "He has a feeling that there will be troubles ahead for Manburgia and he wants to stay and keep an eye on everything. But, Kayla, he says that he wants to stay in touch with you."

Kayla blinked in surprise, looking over to find Callahan's brown eyes trailed on her. He tilted his head to the side. Asking if it was okay.

"Of course," Kayla responded, "You can write, can't you?" A bright smile spread across Callahan's face, and he nodded eagerly.

"Well. This is goodbye, then," Techno said, "Stay safe, Callahan." The pink haired male stepped forward and offered a hand to Callahan, who shook it with a nod.

"Yes, thank you," Kayla added, pulling away from Wilbur to give a grateful hug to the man. She pulled away and Wilbur wrapped his arms around her from behind in a comforting embrace.

They had gotten their victory. They were free from their oppressors, free to continue their lives. No longer were they trapped within the walls of their supposed graves. Victory should have tasted sweet—almost like honey, Kayla knew. Yet, as she stood there, her hand clasped tightly in Wilbur's, the lost lives taken by the arena flashed before her.

Their victory was ever so bitter, but it was a victory nonetheless.

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A/n - Wait! But there's more :0
See y'all at the end of the epilogue ;)