The Boy from the Bunker - Season 4

Episode One, Part 1:

Episode One, Part 1: 
R e a l   o r   N o t   R e a l

We know full well there's just time, so is it wrong to dance this line? 
If your heart was full of love, could you give it up? 

The door to the annex lifted open; inside, a few dozen faces nervous to look up to see if they had been discovered by the enemy. Sol waited up top, allowing the others to enter before she could, wanting to hold off for as long as she could before she revealed to Jonas what she had came here to do: announce Noah's death. 

Bas, on the other hand, was desperate to get down there, and he pushed his way to the front of the group, hurrying down the stairs to his brother who was the last person in the world that he truly had left; who was all his. 

He didn't want his own emotions to dominate him, or to scare Harlow, but despite the strength he had, he couldn't hold back all the tears in his eyes. 

Harlow pulled away from Bas' embrace, his small hand wiping his brother's cheek, hoping to rid him of all the pain he was feeling. Fabian was still there with him - but able to understand that something wasn't right, he left them alone, and followed everyone else as they left the annex. 

Apart from the two of them down there, it was only Jonas left waiting; waiting for someone who wouldn't come back. Sol made her way halfway down the stairs, and the young boy looked to her, seeming to feel already what was about to come when he realised that Noah wasn't there. He gulped away his fear, bravely climbing upwards and following the Nobel, not ready for his world to fall apart. 

Alone, Bas looked at his brother softly; for a moment, it was Hayzel standing in front of him, and it was so real that he thought for a fleeting second that she was there. And then he blinked, and she was gone again, and Harlow was the only one left. He searched his face, as if he was now looking for Lyra, finding every similarity they had, just not her. 

Bas sighed and looked down, crushed by the heaviness in his heart. 

"I have something important to tell you." He uttered, taking hold of his hands and pulling them to his lap. 

"Whatever it is, can it wait a little bit longer?" He stretched his words out. "I'm just happy that you're here." 

Bas sighed, trying to force a smile onto his face, but it wouldn't come. 

"You can tell me when Lyra gets back." Harlow continued before Bas could even begin to explain. It hit him then that Harlow couldn't imagine what had happened to their sister, or for the worries about the world to reach him fully. He only knew her being here, and her being gone; and the only thing that mattered was how long it would be until she returned again. 

Bas shook his head, biting on his lip. He didn't want to say it .

"No, bud. It can't." 

Harlow's attention was finally drawn - entirely focused on Bas, not understanding why he hadn't agreed with him. He waited to hear more. 

The words played out on Bas' tongue, a battle for which words would be the most delicate to his young heart; 'she won't come back,' or  'I'm sorry, but you won't see ever get to see her again.' 

"Lyra...isn't coming home." He looked down at his brother, eyes completely overflowing with tears, waiting to see if he would scream or cry or get angry. 

"She went back to the other people.." Harlow's bottom lip dropped, thinking that his sister had chosen someone else over them, again. 

"No." Bas murmured, quickly, not even allowing a second for Harlow to think her leaving ever had anything to do with him.