DELTAREI: A Deltarune AU. [16+] (NOW COMPLETED)

Chapter 16: Exploring with Bread

-SUNDAY, JANUARY 22ND, 2023.-

It was midnight, and I snuck out of my home in the cold 11 degree weather long after the rain stopped, and cautiously made my way through the dark, empty school halls. Armed with only a small flashlight, I carefully navigated the silence, my senses heightened. Suddenly, I heard a sound behind me. I spun around, the light from the flashlight shaking in my hand. But it was just Bread, standing calmly in the shadows.

Bread- "You promised we'd meet up, remember?"

Jack- "Right. Sorry about that."

Bread- "No worries, just don't forget again."

Then, I turned off my handheld flashlight, pocketing it and then going down into the DARK CLOSET with Bread, as we then once again found ourselves on the infamous Dark Cliffs, the familiar terrain stretching out before us, as we then later on made it to Castle Town and up to Ralsei's castle.

"Hey guys," he greeted us as we both approached him and saw him standing outside of the castle doors. "Sorry I wasn't around yesterday. I was feeling under the weather."

"Hey Ralsei," I said, waving at him. "Don't worry about it, I hope you're feeling better."

Bread stepped forward, his tall figure towering over me. He introduced himself to Ralsei with a respectful bow. "I'm Bread. It's nice to meet you." Ralsei then smiled warmly at Bread. "Nice to meet you too, Bread. So, you and Jack are just exploring today?" Bread nodded. "That's right," he confirmed. "We're just going to explore and keep each other safe." 

Ralsei glanced at me, making sure I was okay with it. I gave him a subtle nod, letting him know I trusted Bread.

Ralsei- "That's fine then," Ralsei said, his smile widening. "have fun and stay out of trouble."

We bid farewell to Ralsei, assuring him we'd be alright. As we moved along, we approached the "card wall statue" near Card Castle. Bread stopped, admiring the intricate design. "This is a beautiful piece," he remarked.

"Yeah, it is," I agreed. "But why are you stopping?"

Bread smiled. "You go on ahead," he said. "I think I'll stay here for a bit."

Bread sat down in front of the statue, his back resting against the cool stone. "I just find it peaceful here," he explained. "The structure and the way it's made, it just brings me some comfort." He looked up at me, his gaze meeting mine. "I'll catch up with you in a bit. Go on ahead and explore." 

As I nodded, I then walked away from Bread and I made my way through Card Castle, the town eerily quiet in the late night hours. Once I reached the roof and stepped through the portal, I found myself back in the empty school.

It was early morning, and the sun was just beginning to rise. As I exited the building, I saw a girl sitting outside, her long black hair framing her face. She pulled down her "cat ears" hoodie, catching me staring. "Can I help you?" she asked, confusion in her eyes as she was Japanese as well like Bread and had glasses, but they weren't circular, as I saw her face looking at me as she closed the open book in her lap, holding it with her two hands. I snapped out of my thoughts. "Sorry, I didn't mean to stare," I apologized. The girl smiled, amused by my behavior. "It's alright." She stood up, her book tucked under her arm. "I'm Akahiro," she said, introducing herself. I introduced myself as well. "I'm Jack." I said, shaking her hand. Checking the time on my phone, I saw that it was already 6:05 AM. Realizing I needed to get going, I put my phone away and said, "I should probably head home." I began to walk away, but paused and turned back to wave at Akahiro. "See you later!" I called out before hurrying away.