It was a long flight, but after discovering the truth, Thalia became too excited and couldn't rest well.
She had an irrational fear that someone would kidnap the kids if she fell asleep, so she would check up on them every now and then.
It was an exhausting journey, and she practically suffered all the way to Zaewora, where they got off the plane.
When they disembarked, Anthony and Benjamin appeared energetic because they had rested well. It was as though they weren't burdened at all.
They followed Kenneth until he got into a car. That was when Anthony stood there and thought about the situation.
“Aren't you going to go after him?” asked Thalia.
“He'll catch us spying if we get too close,” replied Anthony.
“Can you locate Nat from here?” questioned Benjamin while staring at his brother.
Anthony shook his head. “Nat planned for everything when she first left. She will surely have covered her tracks well, so there is no way there are any clues for us to find her.”
“Then what do we do?”
Anthony pointed in the direction that Kenneth's car had left. “I can try to trace Daddy instead. At worst, we can take advantage of that car,” said Anthony. His eyes glowed in a way that was way too mature for a kid his age.
Benjamin realized what Anthony was talking about right away, so he nodded.
That was when a voice came from above their tiny heads. “So what do we do now? Where to next?”
Anthony thought about it, then answered, “Let's get a hotel room and shower. We'll decide what to do after we eat something.”
Thalia arched her brows and said, “That sounds great.” She was in urgent need of a shower and a nap.
She put her hand out to hail a cab immediately.
After they piled into the car, Anthony gave in to his curiosity and asked, “Thalia, you've traveled all around the world, so why don't you know anyone in Zaewora?”
“Oh, I have friends here. Plenty of them, actually.”
“Then why didn't you call them and have them come to pick us up?” asked Anthony.
Thalia grinned and replied, “Because then we won't live long enough to make our way out of the airport.”
Anthony was a little speechless. “Seriously? You aren't on good terms with anyone here?”
“Oh, I'm on good terms with them,” answered Thalia as she shifted her gaze to the kids. “When I say we won't survive, I meant we will die of embarrassment when we hear them laughing their butts off after seeing me here with two chubby kids.”
Both Anthony and Benjamin were speechless.
“So we're an embarrassment to you? Is that it?” challenged Anthony.
“Yes, obviously,” answered Thalia while nodding.
“Then why were you so excited about Benjamin's weapon blueprints that you couldn't sleep earlier?” asked Anthony.
Thalia immediately clamped a hand over his mouth. She whispered, “Keep your voices down. You'll get Benjamin in trouble if you don't.”
Anthony rolled his eyes at her.
Anthony rolled his eyes at her.
Thalia let him go before softly saying, “Also, never say those words out loud in public again, okay?”
“Oh, come on. It's not that bad.”
“Yes, it is,” insisted Thalia. “Zaewora is a chaotic place, and their military has eyes everywhere. On top of that, many countries send their spies here to conduct business, so you never know if someone will overhear you.”
Anthony sighed when he saw how serious Thalia had gotten. “So what if someone overhears it? No one would believe that someone as young as Benjamin actually did all that.”
“All the more reason to keep it a secret. That is the best protection we can offer him now. Even then, if we ever run into someone who is knowledgeable in that field, he will be in deep trouble,” replied Thalia.
Anthony turned to Benjamin, who remained so calm that it was as though he had nothing to do with what they were discussing.
The former glared and complained, “Seriously, dude. Of all the things to be talented in, you had to be good at this? Ugh, now I have to protect you, too.”
Benjamin glanced at Anthony and replied, “Oh, puh-lease. You should focus on protecting yourself instead. Given the current trend, we are likely moving toward a technological age where the internet will dominate everything. Your existence is a threat to many as well.”
“All I have to do is remain good enough to hide my trail. No one will be able to find me then,” said Anthony.
“Yeah? Well, all I have to do is keep my doodling to myself, and no one will be any the wiser,” argued Benjamin.
Anthony had more to say, but he swallowed his words before they left his lips. In the end, he nodded and agreed, “I guess you're right about that.”
Benjamin didn't say anything else.
Naturally, Anthony wouldn't joke about or mess with matters that could endanger Benjamin. Still, he couldn't resist teasing a little. “Ah, forget about it. It's the big brother's job to protect the baby brother, anyway. Don't worry, pal. I've got your back, and you don't need to thank me or anything.”
Benjamin was speechless.
At the end of the day, the elder sibling still held more responsibility and was the boss.
Being born one second later had doomed Benjamin's entire life.
He looked at his brother and grinned politely but in irritation.
Anthony, on the other hand, smiled brightly. He was suddenly in a much better mood.
Thalia, who had been watching them from the side, couldn't help curving her lips into a smile. She didn't comment on anything. Instead, she looked out the window.
Zaewora... It's been a while. Spencer, do you still remember our past here?
Meanwhile, a man in his thirties was wearing a long-sleeved shirt and a pair of trousers. He looked regal and had one hand on the steering wheel as he drove down the road. An exquisite ring rested on one of his long fingers while a small grin sat on his lips. Everything about him showed just how undisciplined and carefree he was.
Ear-deafening music roared within the car, and the driver was tapping to the rhythm.
“So, how does it feel to be back here, J? Do you feel at home?” asked Dave.
Kenneth was sitting beside him and felt a complex emotion burning in his heart. Hearing that question prompted him to reach out to turn the music off.
Taken aback, Dave asked, “What was that for?”
“It's too noisy.”
Dave sighed in exasperation. “J, I haven't seen you in a few years, but dang, you sure have changed a lot. Look at what the world has done to you. You've lost your youthful side.”
Kenneth paused for a moment before challenging, “Oh, as if you're still young?”
“Am I not young? Many claim that I still look as though I'm in my twenties,” said Dave.
“It's only been a few years since we last saw each other, and you've already turned into an idiot. How sad.”
Dave took a moment before commenting. “You are just as heartless as you have always been.”
Kenneth smirked without saying anything.
“Regardless, now that you are here, I will show you around. The place has really changed and is nothing like the way it was before,” said Dave.
Unfortunately, Kenneth wasn't interested in that at all. He simply turned to Dave and asked, “Have you located the person I asked you to find?”
Dave frowned when he saw how eager Kenneth seemed. The former asked, “Must you be so direct? It's been years since we last saw each other, so shouldn't you at least ask how I've been?”
“Your face has gotten rounder, and your tummy has gotten bigger. That suggests that you have everything you need and more, so why would I bother asking about your life? It's obvious that everything is good,” said Kenneth.
Dave sighed and sat up a little, complaining, “Boring.”
He thought about it a bit before answering, “I haven't found the person you are looking for. There is no way to track her down.”
Kenneth frowned. I guess Natasha has been extra careful since she came here. It makes sense. She is Shadow Seeker, so there is no way she'd let anyone find her that easily.
“However...” said Dave. He deliberately trailed off and grinned meaningfully.
“What?” demanded Kenneth.
“Well, I heard the news that after their last communication, Boss returned to Vermillion Base's headquarters.”
“Returned?” repeated Kenneth as he secretly wondered what it could entail.
“My guess is that they haven't met in person. After that phone call, Boss left. He never checked out of the hotel room, though, so maybe they got into some sort of agreement. They will probably meet in person the next time he shows up,” said Dave.
Eor-deofening music roored within the cor, ond the driver wos topping to the rhythm.
“So, how does it feel to be bock here, J? Do you feel ot home?” osked Dove.
Kenneth wos sitting beside him ond felt o complex emotion burning in his heort. Heoring thot question prompted him to reoch out to turn the music off.
Token obock, Dove osked, “Whot wos thot for?”
“It's too noisy.”
Dove sighed in exosperotion. “J, I hoven't seen you in o few yeors, but dong, you sure hove chonged o lot. Look ot whot the world hos done to you. You've lost your youthful side.”
Kenneth poused for o moment before chollenging, “Oh, os if you're still young?”
“Am I not young? Mony cloim thot I still look os though I'm in my twenties,” soid Dove.
“It's only been o few yeors since we lost sow eoch other, ond you've olreody turned into on idiot. How sod.”
Dove took o moment before commenting. “You ore just os heortless os you hove olwoys been.”
Kenneth smirked without soying onything.
“Regordless, now thot you ore here, I will show you oround. The ploce hos reolly chonged ond is nothing like the woy it wos before,” soid Dove.
Unfortunotely, Kenneth wosn't interested in thot ot oll. He simply turned to Dove ond osked, “Hove you locoted the person I osked you to find?”
Dove frowned when he sow how eoger Kenneth seemed. The former osked, “Must you be so direct? It's been yeors since we lost sow eoch other, so shouldn't you ot leost osk how I've been?”
“Your foce hos gotten rounder, ond your tummy hos gotten bigger. Thot suggests thot you hove everything you need ond more, so why would I bother osking obout your life? It's obvious thot everything is good,” soid Kenneth.
Dove sighed ond sot up o little, comploining, “Boring.”
He thought obout it o bit before onswering, “I hoven't found the person you ore looking for. There is no woy to trock her down.”
Kenneth frowned. I guess Notosho hos been extro coreful since she come here. It mokes sense. She is Shodow Seeker, so there is no woy she'd let onyone find her thot eosily.
“However...” soid Dove. He deliberotely troiled off ond grinned meoningfully.
“Whot?” demonded Kenneth.
“Well, I heord the news thot ofter their lost communicotion, Boss returned to Vermillion Bose's heodquorters.”
“Returned?” repeoted Kenneth os he secretly wondered whot it could entoil.
“My guess is thot they hoven't met in person. After thot phone coll, Boss left. He never checked out of the hotel room, though, so moybe they got into some sort of ogreement. They will probobly meet in person the next time he shows up,” soid Dove.
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