The journey to the estate was filled with a mix of apprehension and anticipation. The car ride was quiet, each person lost in their own thoughts, the letters and photographs a tangible connection to the past that awaited them.
As they turned onto the gravel path that led to the estate, the grandeur of the old house came into view. It stood, a testament to a bygone era, its walls holding secrets of the Oxide family. The gardens were overgrown, but there was beauty in the wildness, and the air was heavy with the scent of earth and iron.
Aurelia stepped out of the car first, her eyes tracing the lines of the house. “This is it,” she whispered, more to herself than to the others.
Fluora placed a hand on her daughter’s shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Together,” she said softly.
One by one, the friends gathered their courage and approached the front door. The wood was old but well-cared-for, and as Aurelia raised her hand to knock, the door creaked open on its own, as if the house itself was inviting them in.
The interior of the estate was a reflection of its exterior—elegant but worn by time. Dust motes danced in the shafts of light that filtered through the stained-glass windows, and the air was cool and still.
“Welcome,” a voice echoed through the hall. They turned to see a figure emerging from the shadows. It was Ferris Oxide, older than the man in the photographs but with the same intelligent eyes.
“Ferris,” Fluora breathed, stepping forward.
The reunion was a moment suspended in time, a bridge between what was and what could be. Words were unnecessary as the family came together, the gaps of years closed by the shared understanding of loss and love.
As they settled into the drawing room, Ferris began to speak, his voice rich with emotion. “I’m glad you’re here, sis. There’s much to discuss, and even more to discover.”
“It’s been a while, huh, little bro? I really missed you.” she said, with a small smile.
“Me too! Wow, this is completely unexpected. Not only am I meeting my sister and niece for the first time in over two decades, I’m also reuniting with you, Alithea!” he exclaimed, his eyes filled with happiness.
“If Dr. A came along as well, you’d have reunited with all of us, huh? Too bad he has work.” she joked, before greeting him with a tight hug. It was a warm hug, one he had missed deeply for 25 years.
“You don’t look a day older than 20, Alithea.” he remarked. “How, though? I thought you were dead!”
“Because I am 20, I think… it’s a long story, but I wasn’t dead at all. I was frozen in a bubble for 25 years, which slowed down my metabolic rate, and kept me 20.”
Ferris listened intently as Alithea recounted her extraordinary experience—the frozen bubble, the passage of time, and the unexpected reunion with her friends. His eyes held a mix of wonder and concern, as if he were processing the impossible.
“Alithea,” he said finally, “you’ve always been a force of nature. But this… this surpasses anything I could have imagined.”
Fluora smiled, feeling the weight of years lift slightly. “I’ve missed you, Ferris. And I’ve missed this place—the estate, the memories.”
He gestured toward the window, where the overgrown garden stretched out. “It’s all still here, waiting for you. The garden, the old oak tree where we used to climb, the hidden pond where you’d sneak off to read.” He glanced at Aurelia. “You should’ve seen your mother interview people. When she realized she wanted to go into journalism, she interviewed all of us like there was no tomorrow.”
Aurelia leaned in, her curiosity piqued. “What about the elemental research? The experiments you and Alithea conducted?”
Ferris hesitated, glancing at Aurelia. “That’s a story for another time, which you can just ask your dad about,” he said cryptically. “But for now, let’s focus on the present. You’re all here, and that’s what matters.”
The group, led by Ferris, began to explore the estate, each step uncovering a piece of history. The walls echoed with the laughter and whispers of generations past. They wandered through the grand hallways, their footsteps muffled by the thick carpets, and admired the portraits of ancestors whose stern faces belied the elemental powers they once wielded.
As they entered the library, the scent of old leather and parchment filled the air. Shelves lined with books on alchemy, elemental theory, and family history towered over them. Aurelia ran her fingers over the spines, feeling the knowledge that awaited within their pages.
“This was our place of refuge,” Ferris explained, his hand resting on an ancient book. “Our family’s discoveries, our triumphs and failures—they’re all documented here.”
Alithea approached a large window that overlooked the garden, her gaze lost in the wild greenery. “It’s like time stood still here,” she murmured.
Ferris nodded. “In many ways, it has. But the garden… it’s special. It’s where our family’s connection to the elements is strongest.”
While Aurelia, Fluora and Alithea were at Ferris’ estate, the rest of the group was at the hospital, with Lead.
The hospital corridors echoed with hushed footsteps as the group gathered outside Lead’s room. Nickolas, Thalia, Selena, and Gallus—all connected by their elemental powers and the mysteries that had woven their lives together—stood in a tight circle.
Thalia shifted her weight from one foot to the other, her gaze fixed on Lead’s eyes. “Lead,” she began, her voice unsteady, “I need to confess something. Before I denied it long enough for it to fade away, I… I used to have feelings for you.”
Lead’s jaw clenched, but he remained silent. Thalia glanced at him, her eyes searching for any sign of his emotions. The love triangle had become a tangled web, and Thalia’s admission added another layer of complexity.
Thalia continued, her voice steady. “But now, it’s different. We’re friends, and I want what’s best for you. Whatever happens next, I’m here for you.”
“Okay, but… why tell me now? Why not at a movie theater, or the back of a car, like the others did? Maybe even a mall parking lot?”
“I wanted to keep it a secret, but I guess… it’s time I told you the truth, huh? We might never meet again so I just want to get it off my chest.” she explained. “Besides, you like Aurelia, and I want to focus on my studies, rather than on these needless things. No offense to you guys.”
“Agreed. Gallus, we’re breaking up!” Selena exclaimed jokingly, but after seeing the confusion in the absent-minded Gallus’s eyes, she couldn’t help but chuckle. “I’m kidding, calm down.”
Nickolas shifted uncomfortably, glancing at Lead. The hospital room felt smaller, the walls closing in on their tangled emotions. Thalia’s confession hung in the air, a fragile bridge between friendship and unspoken desires.
Lead finally spoke, his voice low. “Thalia, thank you for your honesty. But we’re all friends here, and I appreciate that.”
Thalia nodded, her gaze dropping to the linoleum floor. “Yeah, friends,” she echoed, her heart heavy. She had buried her feelings, but they resurfaced now, raw and exposed, and there was nothing she could do about it.
“Friends, like you and Aurelia, huh, Nicky?” Lead teased. “I know she told me not to mention her much around you because of the unfavorable results.”
“Shut up, even she doesn’t call me that much anymore… wait… friends?” he asked, eyebrow raised.
“Um… yeah, since I was the more compatible one?” Lead replied, in a matter-of-fact tone.
Nickolas’s eyes narrowed, a realization dawning on him. “Wait a minute, Lead. What do you mean by ‘more compatible’?”
Lead’s expression faltered, the humor fading from his eyes. “I… Aurelia told me that her algorithm showed we were more compatible,” he admitted.
The silence that followed was heavy, laden with betrayal. Nickolas turned away, his hands balled into fists. “But… she said her algorithm proved that we were more compatible!” he muttered, disbelief coloring his tone.
The air in the hospital room grew thick with tension, the beeping of the monitors the only sound breaking the silence. Nickolas and Lead exchanged a look of confusion and hurt, the realization that Aurelia had played them both sinking in.
“Are you saying she told you that you were more compatible with her?” Nickolas asked, his voice rising slightly.
Lead nodded, his face grim. “Yes, that’s what she told me. But now it seems she told you the same thing.”
Nickolas frowned. “This doesn’t sound like the Aurelia we know. She’s always been straightforward. Why would she do this?”
Selena, who had been trying to lighten the mood earlier, now stood with her arms crossed, her playful demeanor gone. “It sounds like she’s been using this algorithm as an excuse to keep you both at arm’s length,” she said. “But I know better. She has a valid-ish reason.”
Thalia, still processing her own admission, added, “She wanted to do a side-by-side analysis, till she picked the right person, and would break up silently with the other. Let’s wait for her.”
The group agreed, and they decided to wait for Aurelia’s return to address the situation. The trust the boys had in their girlfriend was shaken, but they hoped there was a reasonable explanation for the conflicting messages.
As they sat in silence, each lost in their thoughts, the weight of the situation settled upon them. The elemental powers that connected them seemed trivial in the face of the emotional storm they were now navigating.
【 Ouch. I feel bad for the boys now...】
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