"Aura, where are you? You're scaring everyone." - Archie's text.
I took a moment's pause, thinking about whether or not to answer. I decided to answer anyway. "Was feeling sick, so on my way home."
"What happened?"
"Fever. Zinnia suggested I go home."
"She's still here."
"To pack my things. It's the last day anyway, isn't it?"
Give me a break... I thought, but this hasn't been my week for having a break.
"Oh okay... feel better soon."
"Thanks."
Before he could say anything more, I texted first. "Just entering the house. Text you later. I need a nap." He just reacted with a heart... wait, that's odd, it turned into a thumbs-up. I'm hoping that was just a misclick.
I won't think too much of Archie right now. Especially when I've just realized that probably the only reason he has a crush on me is because I'm his favorite scientist but smaller and less psychotic.
That's a weird thought, not gonna lie. And honestly, it's not even the weirdest thought I've had today. Or this week. Or… ever.
My phone buzzed again, a new message from Mom. I braced myself, expecting more details about Dad's call, but it was something else entirely.
"Aura, I'm sending you an address. It's a safe house. Someone will be there to meet you. Get off the bus at the nearest stop, then there immediately. Don't stop for anything. And Aura… be careful. Please."
An address? A safe house? This was getting more and more like a spy movie. Who was running these safe houses? Dad? Some secret organization he was involved with? Or was it someone else entirely?
I copied the address into my phone's navigation app, the blue dot blinking on the map. It was a small house, tucked away in a quiet residential neighborhood on the outskirts of the city. Not too far from where I was now.
Should I stay on the bus, disappear into the city, try to figure things out on my own... or I could trust Mom, trust the address, trust… whoever was waiting for me.
My gut told me to trust Mom. She wouldn't send me somewhere dangerous. Not intentionally. And besides, I needed answers.
But then the fact is, my mom is too quick to trust people. For all I know, Aurelia's leading me into a trap. Nothing's true or false anymore.
I pressed the stop button, the bus hissing to a halt at the next intersection. I grabbed my suitcase and stepped off, the cool night air stinging my cheeks. The address was a few blocks away, an easy walk.
I reached the house, a small, unassuming bungalow with a neatly trimmed lawn. The lights were on, casting a warm glow through the windows. I hesitated, my hand hovering over the doorbell. Should I knock? Should I just walk away?
Before I could decide, the door opened. A woman stood there, her face etched with worry but her eyes filled with a certain warmth. "Aura?" she asked.
I nodded, but didn't know what else to say.
"Come with me," she said, holding the door open for me. "I'm guessing your dad told you everything."
"He told me about Aurelia's plan - to genetically engineer humans and give them enhanced powers. The powers are drawn from the natural genes of the radioactive, who are the most powerful." I explained. "And my dad, who went through a huge problem with the whole powers thing in 2027, kind of doesn't want to risk breaking the balance which he has escaped really bad punishment in order to set."
"It's all complicated," the woman echoed, shaking her head slightly. "But did he tell you anything about his years here? After he faked his… disappearance?"
I hesitated. Dad had never talked about his time away. He'd always been secretive, guarded. But now, with everything that was happening, I needed to know.
"No," I admitted, my voice barely a whisper. "He never said anything. Just… that he had to leave. That it was for our safety."
The woman nodded, her eyes filled with understanding. "He's right," she said. "It was dangerous. He was being watched. They wanted to… use him. Just like they want to use you."
"Who?" I asked, my voice trembling. "Who's watching us?"
"Aurelia," she said, her voice laced with a coldness that made me shiver. "And there's others. People who want to control the world. People who believe that powers are the key to… progress."
She gestured towards a worn armchair in the living room. "Come, sit. We have much to discuss."
I followed her into the room, my gaze sweeping over the simple furnishings. It was a small house, but it felt… lived in. Safe. Like a place where secrets could be kept.
"Wait, rewind... my dad was here?" I asked. "After he… disappeared?"
"Yes," she said. "He came here, looking for answers. Looking for a way to stop what Aurelia was planning. He knew she was dangerous, even back then. He knew she would try to bring powers back. He knew she would try to control them."
"But why?" I asked, my voice filled with confusion. "Why does she want to control powers? Why did she create me?"
"The first part mostly chalks down to ambition, but the second... I don't know. Like I said, complicated. But what I can tell you is what your father did for three whole years."
"First of all," came a third voice. A deeper one, coming from a man. "I missed your middle school graduation, a first day of high school, birthdays... I don't know anything else about your present because... I couldn't be there."
My eyes widened. "Dad?"
Wait, why am I still shocked?"
ns 15.158.61.4da2
