Misi : Important (Ejen Ali)

Chapter 1: The line in between want and need

Cyberaya crept with the last rays of light as darkness took over. But this darkness was a little too dark. Ali was exhasted when he came staggering back from school. It's been 2 weeks since the Arena and he can barely live again in the same conditions he used to. Everywhere he looked, everything he did reminded him of his time during the arena. The International Ejen's, the switch in core's, his gain of the Satriya, his loss of I.R.I.S and espacially the brutal battle of taitory and revenge.

As he entered his house which was familiar yet unfamiliar to him know that he came back after so many days. He put his bag down at the rim of his door and Comot jumped out. As he flicked his shoes off he was greeted by a familiar sent harnessing his curiousity. As he looked around diviating his eyes from his shoes he noticed a big pair of polished black shoes neatly kept in the corner of the shoe cabinate.

Dad was home

It had to be.

As Ali walked to the kitchen as usual, to prepare his dinner he noticed Dr. Gahzili already making dinner for the both of them.

"Oh, your back!" said Gahzili with a cheerful-normal expression as he slid the food into a plate. Ali grabbed the serving plates and washed them in the sink just behind his father. He layed them on the table confussed, happy and joyful on his dad's early arrival. 

"Your work ended this early?" he said in moral confussion of the time as he glanced at his fathers tablet as it lit-up when ali kept a plate on his fathers side of the table, the tablet in big, bold-white letters read 17:00. 

"Of course I am, you already know there has been less pressure from higher ground according to managment and development of cyberaya. "By the way, no sitting on the table with out door clothes" Dr. Ghazili said as Ali was just about to rest his back on the comfy head of the chair. He smiled and slowly walked up towards his room still having the feeling that something was off either it's his dad, the house, (maybe comot) or it's just the arena playing tricks on him.

He quitely shut the door behind him and taggered towards the lounge room to take a bath

10 minutes later...

Ali shriveled his hair as he stepped some-what refreshed from the bath; he kicked into his usual clothing and began walking down stairs with a thud with each step he took all the time wondering about the weird scene that just took place

'Why were my clothes in my bed and not my usual wardrobe'

He wondered about this in his parcially conscious brain, making connections inside the box and not even bothering to look at his surroundings, he was indeed too tired. He walked the last step as he saw a glance of Dr. Ghazili setting the table in a partial happy-sad expression. What was going on? Nothing is supposed to be like this? generally Ali would cook for the both of them, why was Dr. Ghazili doing it? and why was the house feeling empty and disheartened?

He took a set at the table, thoughts swirling in his head as his dad served grilled chicken and a sandwich. "Sorry, it's slightly burned" Dr. Ghazili said as he sitted himself on his side of the table. These words broke Ali from his thoughts and he finally found it capable enough to open his mouth.
"Wow, dad you know how to cook?" Ali smiled and tried to forget his unanswered questions.

Dr. Ghazili: "Well... kind of, your mum used to make amazing food. Learned it from her" 

Ali's smile widdened at the sound of his mum's name. He took a bit off the chicken and decided to get his one question answered

Ali: "Dad, you still didn't tell me what happened"

"about what?" Dr. Ghazili uttered with force so that his chewing voice won't sound ridiculous.

Ali: "Did they reduce your work load since you're managing the poverty in the other side of Cyberaya?"

Dr. Ghazili: "What? no... did you forget why I returned home early today"