Emir took his seat at the dining table, facing his mother, with Lily to his left and Lyra to his right.
Lily had a reaction similar to, or even more intense than his mother's upon his return.
Letting out a chuckle, he carefully set down his spoon, as a pang of nostalgia surged within him.
It had been a long ti since he had allowed himself the luxury of a complete al.
During his training and trial on that planet, he had forsaken even a single morsel of food or a sip of water. But now, the taste of his mother's cooking rekindled a deep longing within him. With a gentle smile, he gathered the used dishes and proceeded to the sink, his family maintaining a hushed silence, their anticipation palpable as they waited on his words.
After a few minutes, he returned to the table, his presence a soothing one amidst the expectant atmosphere.
In a voice as tranquil as the gentlest of waves, he delivered his news:
"Vincent is dead."
They sat in silence, their reactions subdued.
Lyra had been aware of Vincent's fate beforehand, and both Lily and Laura had grown accustod to Emir's ways and the harsh realities of their world, where death often held a strange allure, a luxury to so.
Yet, despite their apparent acceptance, doubts lingered in Laura's mind.
She voiced her concerns, her voice tinged with uncertainty:
"But won't that implicate you? Vincent died with only you by his side, and if the Moon Scribe family is involved, they would've already dispatched the UEF force to chase after you..."
Emir's laughter echoed in the room, a sardonic response to Laura's apprehension.
"...Of course, but I'm not stupid enough to hand them a loaded gun aid right at my head. But for you to fully understand my actions, there is sothing you must know..." "Did Lyra teach you about the CCA?"
As both of them nodded in acknowledgnt, he was about to delve deeper into the topic.
But, before he could continue, Lily interjected with her own insights, her voice tinged with a hint of frustration:
"I learned about the CCA at the academy too, but they hid many of the things Lyra shared with us... It's almost like propaganda."
Lyra and Emir exchanged glances and burst into laughter, their amusent resonating throughout the flat.
Seeing their reaction, Lily's pouting face turned into a full-blown protest as she scread: "Don't laugh at !"
Their laughter only intensified at her outburst, but just as suddenly as it began, they abruptly composed themselves, their deanor shifting to a seriousness that sent shivers down Laura and Lily's spines.
It was a stark reminder of the day when Emir revealed his fabricated reincarnation to them, but at this mont, they witnessed him show the sa uncanny transformation without any external influence.
The atmosphere grew tense, and an unspoken understanding settled among them.
But just as quickly as the somber atmosphere enveloped them, they collectively shook themselves out of it, realizing the significance of Emir's transformation.
They understood the imnse weight he had carried and the depths he had delved into to reach this point.
And at that mont, they felt a surge of relief wash over them.
They knew that this was the best-case scenario, they hadn't lost Emir; instead, he had erged with a changed perspective, a newfound understanding, and beca soone who was fit to challenge the Order.
eting their gazes with sincerity, Emir spoke:
"Sorry about that. Your words were spot on, I'm sure Lyra told you all about the Order's plan for at the academy, so, of course, they wouldn't be doing it for only."
"Now... The CCA, as you know, has a central AI, the Oracle, which is capable of many things, though the ones we are concerned about are the contracts..."
"See, if the Order's plan went smoothly, they would've made sign one, and that wouldn't have allowed to do anything that would go against them."
"Exhibit A would be saying anything to you, as the mont the AI's connection to my neural network discovers going against anything in the contract, it would kill , as it would use the nanobots to explode inside out."
"And before you ask, signing a fully binding contract requires both participants to have an implanted Aether core, so how would it work on ? I don't have one after all..."
"The answer is obvious, it would still work, after all, they would've had a direct connection to my nanobots and neural network through Lyra, not needing the Aether core to initiate that connection..."
"Keeping all that in mind, how do you think Vincent t his end?" Emir posed the question to his attentive family.
Eagerly, Lily raised her hand, acting as if she were in a classroom, prompting a rare mont of levity from Emir, causing his serious face to crumble.
He chuckled and gestured for her to speak:
"Go ahead, sis."
Grinning, she answered, "You must have said sothing that contradicted the Order's contract with Vincent, sothing he wasn't supposed to know."
Applauding her response, Lyra interjected with a touch of theatrical flair, as if they were in a
TV show:
"You are correct!"
The room filled with shared laughter, a brief mont of lightheartedness amidst the gravity of their conversation.
But soon, Emir resud his serious expression, his tone sobering.
"If they were to accuse of killing him, they would have to reveal the way Vincent died, and Magnus wouldn't want that, now would he?"
They all shared a look of confusion, tromping him to say:
"Who's Magnus Valerius, you ask? One of the leaders in the Order, he himself made his first
move."
Directing his attention to their mother, Emir continued:
"Mom, we have a court hearing in three months' ti... The Order wants to destroy the
foundation you built, but Lyra anticipated this."
"So we are... Hiding a few things from you... Again. After all, they will use a lie detector in court... Just know that I'm sorry for doing this again."
Laura remained silent, her smile conveying her understanding and support, and that alone reassured Emir.
He reclined in his chair, a sense of determination evident in his clenched teeth as he spoke:
"I've declared war against Magnus... I refuse to be put back to sleep... And my ssage to him today was clear, I won't relinquish control of my own life. He will... He will have to kill
instead."
Turning his gaze to his mother and sister, he continued, his voice carrying a tone of urgency: "Mom, sis, prepare yourselves. While Magnus may not directly attack or significantly interfere at this point, we still have to deal with their hound dogs, the Elite."
But just as they were about to offer their reassurances, a familiar ringtone cut through the air,
signaling an incoming call.
Fishing his terminal out of his pocket, Emir glanced at the caller ID.
This caused a devilish grin to slowly spread across his face as a single thought resonated in his
mind:
'It's been a while!'
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