Hollonent: The Gathering

Chapter 3

Dad's judging eyes drill into me as I'm taking a sip from a glass of water, which I took immediately after arriving home. While gulping down the insides of this glass, my brain gets into gear to find a way to explain all this. How could I be so stupid not to tell him anything about tonight? Not even mentioning that I would be home later. What was I thinking?

"Well?" Dad's raised voice clashes with my thinking process. My eyes dwell on the distorted vision formed by the bottom of the glass, planted on my lips. When I find my tongue, I put the glass aside.

"I went to Gina's house." I start but dad immediately interrupts me.

"Why? You're together or something?" He asks flatly. Good that I'm not drinking at the moment, as the liquid would be all spit out. I cough at his question and give him an unbelievable look.

"You're right, that would be hard to believe." He understands his dumb mistake, "Then why?"

"Her parents invited us, well me, to talk about...you know." I say shyly. Dad's eyebrows raise questionably. "Firox." I finish, crossing my arms. He rolls his eyes and groans. Before he can give any complaint, I cut him off.

"No, look. They told me about that Geno-arm called Inferno, and that it got stolen right after we left. Now Uduxis has it in its possession." I declare to him with widened arms, but his face remains stoic.

"So, it gets stolen and we don't hear about it for almost seventeen years." He suggests skeptically. I've got to admit it. He has a point.

"Besides," He continues, "Let's presume that they would be informed only now. Why didn't we get any message?"

I nod somewhat dumbfounded at him. "So, you're saying that they made it up?"

"Of course, I'm saying that!" He yells and I jump back, "Look, Gina's parents were some sort of businesspeople back in Firox. I wouldn't be surprised if they made the whole thing up, just to go back and resume their profit-making businesses."

Gina's house with its sumptuous interior design makes me think. Being businesspeople would make sense as to why they live so luxuriously. But that's not important now. Outsmart and win over my dad. That's what needs to be done now.

"All right, what if they didn't make it up?" I counter, which is questioned by frowned eyebrows. My next words are carefully thought out. "I know this all seems absurd. But life is somewhat absurd. So many things happen in the absurdity of life, right."; I don't support this point as I believe in logic and patterns. However, dad might buy this.

Dad's eyes widen in surprise. "That is too philosophical, Ethan. Even for you."

"Doesn't matter, the thing is..." I start before dad finishes my sentence with a sigh.

"Yes, It's possible."

Dad's eyes drop, aimed at our old dusty carpet. Thinking and considering the many ways how this could evolve.  Considering to ignore this entire thing, yet also not. A deep sigh escapes his nostrils and he raises his head, meeting my expectant eyes.

"All right, to make sure we don't do anything stupid, we'll go back to Abel tomorrow and ask how he got that message. Only then, we will decide further."

A grin crawls in the corner of my lips, expressing my short relief. But my grin transforms into a forlorn smile. Hopelessness crawls through my nerves and veins. We're getting closer to what we are meant for. Our purpose. To fight in this desperate war and end it. I shake the thought off. This is what I wanted. A greater purpose.

This is what I wanted, right?

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