"Wake up, sleepyhead!"
Andrew shot up with a curse, scrambling and falling off the bed.
"Good morning! Hope you slept well." Knox laughed, walking into the room and leaning around the bed, "You didn't break your head open, did you?"
Andrew groaned as he sat up. "What time is it?"
"It is four in the morning." Knox tossed some clothes onto the bed, "Nat told me to give you these. Hurry up and get changed. We'll wait for you in the penthouse. We have donuts and coffee!"
"Yay?"
"Eden doesn't have coffee or donuts." Knox grabbed the door on his way out, "Better enjoy them while you still can!"
Andrew stood up as Knox shut the door, rubbing his face.
When he got to the penthouse, he seemed to be the last one there. Crynn, the doorwoman who had taken Knox's place, was sitting on the counter with a coffee, grumbling. A man stood with Zaizan, pausing minimally to wave at Andrew with a smile.
"Am I the last one?"
Nathaniel shook his head, "Lucina is finishing up the portal." He looked at Andrew, "You look tired."
Andrew shrugged, "It's early." He grabbed one of the donuts off the stove and Nathaniel handed him a cup of coffee.
Knox came out of the pantry with candy bars sticking out of the pockets of his jacket.
Nathaniel arched an eyebrow, "What are you doing?"
"Eden doesn't have chocolate. If I have to go to that hellscape, I'm bringing my own." Knox grabbed a donut.
"How much coffee have you had?"
Knox frowned, "Two cups? No, three. I had three. Or maybe four?" Knox shrugged, "I feel fantastic though, so does it really matter?"
"I'm not going to be the one who carries you when you finally crash."
Knox pouted, "I thought you were my friend."
Nathaniel tilted his head from side to side.
"Nat!"
Crynn kicked Knox in the thigh, "Shush. You're being too loud."
Knox wrinkled his nose, "Shush. You're being too loud."
Crynn scoffed, talking into her cup, "What are you? Five?"
"I'm four, actually. Screw you." Knox stuck his tongue out at her before stuffing the entire donut into his mouth and grabbing another.
The man with Zaizan grimaced, "I think you've had enough donuts, Knox."
Knox pointed at him, swallowing, "I will never have enough donuts, Jarek!"
Crynn threw her empty coffee cup at Knox, "Be quiet!"
"You be quiet, tiny!"
"You're just as small as me!"
"Nuh-uh, I'm a whole half inch taller!"
Nathaniel sighed, "Calm down children, there's enough fruit snacks for everyone."
Knox swiveled to face him, "Lies! There's only enough fruit snacks for one!"
"Knox."
"What?"
"You've had too much sugar and caffeine. Please calm down."
"And what will you do if I don't?"
"I'll take your chocolate stash, and eat it myself."
Knox glared at Nathaniel, who met his gaze calmly. After a short standoff Knox sighed and looked away. "Fine, Mom."
"If I have to be your mother to get you to act like an adult then so be it."
Before Knox could argue, a tall, fair-skinned woman, Lucina, walked into the room. "The portal is ready, let's go."
Knox groaned. "Do we have to go now?"
"Yes, Knox, we do. We have a job to do."
Nathaniel set his coffee down and walked towards the exit to the kitchen where Lucina stood. "You heard her. Let's go."
Crynn and Knox were the last to follow, bickering between themselves. Lucina led them to the living room of the penthouse, where a large arch of runes was drawn on the wall. Lucina was the first one to step through the archway, passing through the wall as if it wasn't even there.
Andrew blinked and Nathaniel nudged him,
"The sooner you walk through is the sooner you forget the weirdness of it all."
Andrew frowned, but he walked through after Ziazon and Jarek.
Inside the portal felt like he was underwater, but after a few steps he was on the other side. He was standing on a cliff overlooking the sea. A yellow sun was beginning to peek over the horizon. For the most part it looked just like Earth, but Eden had a large ring of light in the sky, cutting it in half.
"Scenic, isn't it?" Nathaniel came up beside him, "Just looking and you'd imagine it was a lovely place to live."
Andrew pointed up to the ring in the sky, "Is that there all the time?"
Nathaniel nodded, "All the time. The one constant in the world."
Lucina turned to look at the others, "Let's start walking."
Andrew paused, "Walking?"
"Do you see any people around here? No? That's because we're a three day walk from the nearest settlement. We only have three days worth of provisions. So we need to get moving."
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