The next day at the bedrock mining facility, Steve couldn’t even focus. He was crying all through the day.
After a month of being at the bedrock mining facility, he still felt guilty for causing her death .
Steve then got a call from Rana.
Rana said “Hi Steve, how are you holding up?”
“Not too well. I still feel guilty for causing her death.”
Rana said “Well, she's coming to the bedrock mining facility soon and she’s looking forward to seeing you again.“
“You mean she was still alive all this time?”
“Yeah. She had to pretend she was dead for her own safety.”
About three hours later Alex arrived.
Steve saw her and ran up to her and kissed her cheek.
Alex said “Steve, so sorry it took me so long to get here. I just had to live with Null until he-”
Steve said “I don’t really care! I’m just so happy you’re okay!”
Alex said “Not exactly. Null made one of my arms come off. I’m stuck with an artificial” and rolled up her sleeve and took off her glove.
Steve said “Hey, at least we can spend the rest of our lives together. Welp I better get back. The head of my group today is really strict and well… I don’t want to be stuck in the one with all the fire and lava. I’m sorry, you will never be in my group because we arrived different months”
Alex said “Group?”
“I’ll explain to you tonight… if we are sleeping together.”
“Okay”
Then a really tough guy came out and said “Steven, you have broken the rules here for the last time! You have to mine bedrock in the fire room”
Alex said “Please sir, it wasn’t his fault it was mostly my fault. I didn’t tell him I was still around at all”
The person said “Oh. Then okay. Steve, just go back to your area. If she’s starting today, you won’t be seeing her at all. You do however get three texts a day with her.”
Steve got dragged in the opposite direction as her. They both reached out to try and touch the other one but it was no use.
Steve said “Start texting when they let you out for the day. I get a get out early every day pass so, yeah”
The person dragging Steve said “Get out early?! If anything, you’ll stay up later than everyone here!”
Steve said “I’ll text you when I get out okay? Just try and stay up until I text you okay?”
Alex said “Okay” before they were dragged out of each other’s sight.
Steve then struggled free of the person’s grasp and ran after Alex.
Whe Alex saw, she said “Steve! You know you’ll get in trouble for this! I promise I’ll do everything I can to support you!”
That night both of them had dinner at the same time. But, they couldn’t sit together.
When Alex saw Steve she waved at him and smiled.Steve weakly smiled and said “Hello Alex!”
Alex said “Be quiet the head of this place is about to make an announcement”
Steve stopped smiling and mumbled “This is never good”
The person said “Okay. Starting tomorrow, we will be keeping families together at all times. There may be the occasional separation for meals but, for the mining and sleeping it will be like that”
Steve then said “Yes!”
Then the leader said “Wait! These are for next year now because of Steve.” he then flipped a paper over and said “Now families will never be together. Not even for meals! This is due to the recent behavior of Steven Stonecutter”
Everyone glared at Steve and Steve said “I did nothing to any of you!” then everyone started throwing rotten tomatoes at Steve.
Steve tried to cover his head with his hands but it did pretty much nothing to protect him.
Someone Alex was sitting with gave Alex a bunch of rotten tomatoes and said “Comeon throw them at him!”
Alex said “No! I love him and he did nothing wrong! Because of this, he will be afraid of people forever!” and started to throw them at everyone except Steve. One of them hit the leader of the facility and yelled “Who did that?! You will be sent to the void bedrock mining facility!”
Alex started to cry and said “It was-”
Someone said “Steve” and laughed maniacally.
Steve said “I know where I’m going.” and slowly walked out with one of the leaders. The leader led him to the void bedrock mining facility”
Steve started to cry and said “I know, only my pickaxe is allowed in here” before emptying his pockets of everything but his phone”
The leader said “Phone please!”
Steve handed it over and said “When will I see her again?”
“Let’s see you get out in 11 months. I would say three months”
Steve said “Three months without having her talk to me at all?1 That’s crazy!”
Alex then came running after him yelling “He is not the one who did that. I did! I was also the one who stood up for him”
Steve said “Alex, please no! You aren’t tough enough to do this. I know I am”
The one who led Steve looked at Alex and said “Steve, Alex, neither of you get trapped in the void one.. But, both of you have to promise to not break any more rules here!”
Steve said “I promise upon the sword of power”
Alex said “What does that mean?”
“It means if I do, I’m giving approval for my title to be taken away.”
Alex said “Oh I promise upon the sword of whatever”
Steve shoved Alex and whispered, “That means you will break the promise.”
Alex said “I promise”
The person showed them back to the dining hall and they sat together and ate dinner.
That night. Steve cried himself to sleep because of what he caused.
