The supreme commander crossed the bridge. The wooden structure creaked under his weight. He glanced beneath himself, seeing a crystal-clear river flowing. He admired it for a moment. Then, he marched forward. After a minute, he stepped onto the other side. Spinning around, he saw Missio already crossing it. After waiting for a minute, Missio's feet touched the other side. Dante patted his shoulder, stepping ahead.
"We're almost there."
"Finally." Missio sighed.
The two entered the thick forest. They evaded the trees, the smell of the leaves agitating their noses. Missio wiped his nose, side stepping. He pushed through the snow alongside Dante. Eventually, they exited the forest, arriving at Camp Rifugio Cereda. Dante heaved a sigh, passing into the camp. They followed the trail, nearing a cabin that the trail passed. The duo headed towards it, stepping onto the porch. They entered the building.
Inside, two rangers sat at a counter. Dante approached them. One of them raised their head, noticing him.
"Ah, good sir. What may I help you with?"
Dante rested his hand on the counter.
"We're heading upto the Val Belluna. Then, we're gonna camp at Rifugio Bruno Boz."
"This late?" The other ranger blurted. "That may not be possible, sir. Val Belluna takes at least seven hours to climb and it's another hour to Rifugio Bruno Boz."
"It's already one o'clock. I'd advise you to go to Rifugio Bruno Boz and come back here tomorrow." The first said.
Dante chuckled. He reached out his arm to the ranger, offering him a handshake.
"Dante deus Augustus – Supreme Commander of the REOC, nice to meet you."
Suddenly, the cabin fell into a chilling silence. The ranger's faces went pale, their eyes widening. The first ranger raised his trembling hand. Dante gripped it, shaking the latter with intensity.
"Where can we leave our gear?" Missio inquired.
The second ranger turned slightly, pointing behind himself.
"T-There's a ahem! A storage space adjacent to here…sir…"
"Thanks, is there anything else we have to do?" Dante took off his bag, handing it to Missio. "Take it."
Missio grabbed his brother's bag with an annoyed face. He spun around and exited the building while Dante finished his business with the rangers. He followed the trail and found a storage space nearby, adjacent to the cabin as the ranger has said. He approached it. Tossing Dante's heavy bag onto the wooden storage rack, he took off his as well. He threw it onto the rack, making it creak.
He paused for a moment. Then, he rotated towards the cabin. He sat on the porch, waiting for Dante. He held his chin, gazing at the snowy environment. His mind lingered off into his own world. From the depths of his conscious, he remembered Mary. He felt a pressure on his shoulders. He sighed, adjusting his headphones. He pressed his music box, turning on the music. The melody flowed into his ears, distracting him.
Yet, that uneasy feeling still lingered in his heart. His eyes lingered on the great mountains. Suddenly, A hand sat on his shoulder. He raised his brows, shifting slightly. Dante bent down.
"What are ya going out here in the cold?"
Missio stood up. "…Waiting for you."
Dante tucked his hands into his pockets, uncurling his back.
"Thanks. Now, let's get going."
Missio nodded quietly. The sibling duo exited the camp, moving towards Val Belluna. As they ambled their way through the snowy meadow, Dante peered at Missio. Noticing his brother was feeling uneasy, he neared him. Wrapping his arm around his brother's shoulder, the king opened his mouth.
"Still worried about Mary?"
Missio hesitated for a moment. He relaxed then, spoke.
"Yeah… I don't know what to do…"
"You haven't felt like this before that's why." Dante stated. "It's gonna feel weird but you have to move on, nothings gonna happen to her."
Missio's voice hitched. "I know. I know that but still… I can't get my mind off it… I try not to think about it but the feeling is still there. I'm worried about her safety. She's not used to the supernatural as we are…"
Dante looked at his little brother with glazed eyes. A somber smile made its way onto his face. He ruffled Missio's hair. Missio didn't push him away, accepting the comfort of his brother. Dante stepped away, halting. Missio stopped as well, spinning around.
"Wanna race?" Dante activated his attribute.
"Wha–?" Missio blurted.
Lightning danced around the supreme commander as Missio watched in confusion.
"Last one to the top is gay!" Dante sped off.
Missio raised his arms, crossing them. Blocking the snow, he looked towards his big brother. A fire ignited within – a fire that wanted him to beat his brother.
"Hey! That's not fair!" Missio shouted.
His azure eyes flickered with divine light. He pressed his feet against the ground, bent his legs. The next second, he burst off as well.
The two individuals zoomed across the ground, climbing a steep slope. Missio furrowed his brows, locking onto a blue blur. Lighting sparked around the supreme commander as he slid across the slope. He zipped past the trees, evading them with extreme precision. Missio followed his trail, not letting him out of his side.
They passed numerous hikers climbing the hill. The poor souls watched as the brothers flashed past them in an instant.
"What the shit?" One blurted.
Dante flipped onto a boulder. He flicked his head up, catching Missio in his eye. His little brother approached his position. As the transcendent passed him, the duo made eye contact. Dante grinned widely as Missio passed. He crouched – counting.
"One… two… three…" he counted.
After five seconds passed, the chaos incarnate burst off again. Not even a microsecond later, he had already caught up to his little brother. Missio's pupils dilated, his jaw dropping. Dante hovered above him with a smirk on his face.
"I was just giving you a head start."
Dante flashed away. Missio gritted his teeth, pushing his speed to the maximum. He broke the sound barrier, the boom echoing across the entire valley. After a few seconds, he arrived at the summit. He landed, squatting. He drew a sharp breath, snapping his head up. Dante stood before him with his hands tucked in his pockets. Missio's face dropped. His body slumped.
"Come on!" he swung his hands up.
The ascendant jolted up, pointing at Dante with a fiery face.
"That wasn't fair. You went first!."
Dante opened his palm. "I literally gave you five seconds to get ahead of me."
"That wasn't even a proper race! Call it off."
"Alright… whatever you say…" Dante smirked.
"Good." Missio puffed, standing beside him.
Dante turned around, patting Missio on the back. "Look at the view."
Missio rotated his head, looking ahead. His eyes widened, the scenery reflecting in his eyes.