Chef in the Apocalypse

Jayce walked over to the teleportation array and began placing the Mid-tier mana stones in place. Technically the array could function with only 6 mana stones, however he had made many more so that he would not have to replenish them anytime in the near future.

The placing of the stones had to be in a specific order which acted like a circuit for the array to draw power from. Luckily he had taken an interest in this sort of thing in his previous life, otherwise they would have had to use trial and error.

After he fixed 6 mid-tier mana stones in place, the array began to hum with activity. The mana circle glowed a warm blue, creating a hypnotic light which illuminated the surroundings. However Jayce merely ignored the activation, busily placing the remaining 15 or so mana stones in place.

Soon enough, Jayce took a few steps back and walked around the array, ensuring that everything was as it was supposed to be. Once he was satisfied with the setup, he turned to everyone who had been waiting patiently.

All of the girls had a look of relief on their faces, happy that they did not have to stay the night. However it was Heath which seemed to be the happiest out of the bunch, looking like he wanted to push in line with Macie and make his way through the gate first.

Lianna on the other hand looked a little worried. She had noticed that Jayce had not been himself since the earlier interaction for whatever reason. Things had become a little awkward between the two after the Beast Tide incident, especially when she had walked in on him in the bathroom.

She had to admit that she had been avoiding being alone with Jayce, worried that their relationship would deteriorate to the point where she would be kicked out of his party. Yet that did not mean she had lost her feelings for him, quite the opposite in fact.

Having to watch him from the sidelines made her heart yearn from him even more. She had talked with Jackie at length, trying to figure out ways to approach him and clear things up, however she could never go through with it. Poor Jackie had also gotten sick of giving her advice, only for her to never follow up.

Lianna clenched her small fists, determination creeping onto her beautiful face. She had resolved to confront Jayce when they arrived back in Bastion once and for all. Her worst fear besides getting kicked out of the party was to lose to another woman, these opposing fears finally clashed, provoking her into action.

Seeing that the teleportation array was now up and running, both Tai and Agni walked forward and addressed Jayce. "Thank you for all your help Jayce, I won’t forget this." Agni said, his eyes blazing with a newfound respect.

Tai was more reserved, bowing respectfully. "I’m in your debt."

Jayce waved his hand, seeming a little lost in thought. "Don’t sweat it, we’ll see each other soon enough." With that he walked towards the array and waited beside it before turning to his party and ushering them inside.

Heath quickly grabbed his wife’s hand and pushed his way to the front, "Careful, pregnant lady coming through!" he yelled, painting a comical sight. Macie’s face flushed with embarrassment, however her eyes showed warmness, appreciating being fussed over.

They stepped into the teleportation array, which looked as if they were stepping through an opaque body of water. The surface shimmered and rippled as if someone had thrown a pebble into a lake. The bystanders watched on in wonder as the two disappeared instantaneously.

"Alright let’s go everyone." Jayce called out a little impatiently, giving a move-along gesture. His mind was currently preoccupied with thoughts surrounding the changes between his two lives, therefore all he wanted to do was get back to Bastion where he could think in peace.

Colin walked past him with Jackie in tow. He pat Jayce’s back on the way past and leaned in, "Let’s have a chat later." he said in a hushed tone. Without waiting for a response, he walked through the barrier promptly.

Ben and Amber were next, waving at the respective classes they had just tutored. "Remember to work hard!" Ben shouted, before heading through the barrier and leaving Jayce and Lianna as the only two left.

Jayce had not registered that Lianna had not gone through, therefore he stepped forward just as she was about to walk past him. "Ah." Jayce’s shoulder collided with Lianna’s ample chest, forcing her to rebound backwards and lose her footing.

She began to fall down, her mind too shocked to react in time. Jayce quickly snapped out of his reverie, seeing Lianna slowly fall to the ground. He quickly moved forward, reaching out his hands to grab onto her.

Yet as he moved forward, his foot knocked one of the mid-tier mana stones that he had meticulously planted a few minutes earlier, causing the whole array to suddenly flicker. Jayce and Lianna’s momentum sent them flying through the barrier, holding onto each other.

Agni and Tai looked at each other, their gazes holding a strand of worry. "They’ll be fine right?" Agni said, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

"Uhhh. Yeah, they’ll be fine." Tai said eventually.

***

Back in Bastion, the party were happy to be home, smelling the clean air of the city they had soaked their blood sweat and tears into building and protecting. Unlike the squalor of the city they had just come from, the surroundings were immaculate and well maintained.

As Ben and Amber made their way through the barrier, they joined the others as they waited for Lianna and Jayce to come through the array. After all, it would be truly rude if they left without saying goodnight to their Leader.

The party waited for a few moments before the barrier flickered. "What the hell was that?" Colin asked, a hint of anxiety in his voice.

No one answered, they just continued to watch the barrier, waiting for the remaining two members of their party. Yet after another 20 seconds the array switched off, its luminance dying down.

"Where is Leader and Lianna?"