To everyone else, I must have looked as emotionless and indifferent as always. Just a blank stare, absorbing the words without giving anything away. But inside, it felt like a storm was tearing me apart. My mind was racing, my heart pounding in my chest as the truth unraveled before me.
Reading Dad's letter, it was as if a thousand pieces of a puzzle I didn't even know existed were suddenly falling into place. The realization that I was created, not born, for some grand experiment—it made my skin crawl.
Aurelia Oxide, a name that always carried weight and fear around the world itself, was now linked to me in ways I couldn't have imagined.
I wanted to scream, to cry, to do something—anything—that would release the pressure building inside me. But years of staying so stoic held me back. I couldn't show any weakness, not now. Not when so much was at stake. It might have just been hormones acting up.
I forced myself to breathe, to focus. I needed to process this, to understand what it meant for me, for my family. Dad's plan to fake his death, his mission to stop Aurelia—it was all so much to take in. But one thing was clear: I had to stay sharp, just like he said. I had to protect myself, and those I cared about.
"Do you have any idea where he is?" I asked Selena. I silently folded up the letter, my eyes not leaving hers.
She shook her head. "No, I don't. He never mentioned anything of the sort. He just asked me to give this to you when I felt you were old enough. Only we know what it all says. I showed it to your mom and sister when I got here."
"Okay, thank you." I said softly, then addressed all of them. "Do you know any more details about the competition?"
Zinnia was the first to say a sharp no. She is a commerce kid - never been into science much. Oxidane didn't know much about it either.
Selena was a little bit more helpful though. "Maybe check with your high school's science department."
"Well, there was a poster put up. I think this morning my classmate was showing me the poster. He is a real geek..." I said, shaking my head slightly.
"Let me guess. 'Oh my goodness, we get to meet THE Dr. Oxide!' - that's accurate, isn't it?" Oxidane asked with a small smile, almost perfectly mimicking his geeking-out tone.
"Yep... I might as well just make Archie do the contest."
"Carly's brother, Archie? Oh, he's cute." Zinnia nodded in approval as she inhibited herself from shipping them with her friend's mother around. "You could go for him, actually. Who knows, he might protect you if anything goes wrong."
"Oh, please!" I scoffed. "He won't do shit. He'll be there for me to throw at something."
"We'll see..." Zinnia nodded teasingly. "We shall see..."
ns 15.158.61.15da2
