NOVEL NEXT [7] The Worry of a Parents
Richard Lawrence, a man who appeared to be in his early forties, sat in a chair, slumping forward with his face resting on the office desk. His silver hair shimmered in the light, and his piercing blue eyes held a hint of fatigue. At that moment, Richard let out a deep heavy sigh as if the weight of the world bore down upon him.
"This whole thing is a mess..." The world tension was growing higher and higher. Richard is having a hard time juggling the peace with only a few of his colleagues as his allies.
Not only did Richard have to discreetly monitor the organization he worked for, but he also found himself in a position where he needed to please as many disgruntled loyalists all across the world who had been alienated by the AGA so that they don't just start an all-out rebellion and start a war.
What is worst is that a new movement of Anti-Astral has been spreading lately. They have been pushing for total astral regulation for some time now. It's almost as though history is repeating itself. Didn't they learn what happened fifty years ago during the war? The same thing is happening again.
And the recent attack on Astral Tokyo Lab by a mysterious woman is the last straw for many factions. Many of their movement is not so discreet anymore, a war is coming, and he has to stop it.
Richard knew the woman behind the attack was not part of a terrorist group known as 'the Initiator.' Because he knew every single person in that terrorist group since he had been tracking them down for the last year. But he decided not to make any move on them since all they did so far was hurt the AGA, so he just let them be for the moment.
But it begs more question, who exactly is she? What is she trying to achieve? Where did she come from? Richard is pretty sure he has eyes everywhere, and his intel is solid. But this woman seems like she just came out of nowhere.
Richard's heart yearned for retirement, a peaceful existence where he could just be with his family. However, the fragile state of the world makes it hard for him to just turn a blind eye to it.
Once again, Richard heaves a heavy sigh.
"Is something wrong dear?" As the door to Richard office swung open, a gentle feminine voice could be heard.
Richard's gaze instinctively shifted towards the door, where he saw the face of his wife, Yui Lawrence. Her presence alone was enough to comfort him as she greeted him with a radiant smile. Yui Lawrence, with her captivating presence, possessed a cascade of long, lustrous black hair that gracefully reached down to her shoulders.
"Just tired, that's all. How I wish we could go back to fighting crime in the city instead of playing politics, promotions are great, they said. You don't have to work anymore, they said." Richard grumbles, sulking his head.
"What a handful person you are. Come on, let's eat. I'll handle the rest of the report for you later." Yui smiles as she enters the room and proceeds to clean up the mess his husband made; he really is a disorganized person.
After that, they settled into their familiar routine, sharing a midday meal together in the office as they had done countless times before. You can't precisely eat in the office, but hey, who's going to stop them?
The table became a tableau of cherished moments as they savored each bite and engaged in lighthearted conversations. But suddenly, Yui phone rang.
She reached for the phone and picked up the call, but as the words spilled into her ear, a sudden stillness gripped her. Time seemed to freeze, and in that fleeting moment, her once-flushed complexion drained of color, leaving her face ashen and ghostly pale.
Seeing the reaction of his wife, Richard couldn't help but start to worry. "Yui, what happened?"
"D-Dear, It's Eva... She is in the hospital! T-they said she is in a critical condition!"
A wave of panic surged through the parents as the news pierced their ears. Their hearts skipped beats, and a chilling realization gripped their souls. The room seemed to spin as they processed the news that their beloved daughter, Eva, lay in a hospital bed, her life hanging precariously in the balance.
Eva, the embodiment of fragility and tenacity, lay motionless upon the sterile sheets of the hospital bed. Her once vibrant presence was now subdued, overshadowed by the harsh reality of her condition. The room surrounding her seemed to hold its breath as if anticipating the subtlest sign of movement of life.
Her features, which were once vibrant and brimming with the enthusiasm of youth, now appeared tranquil, as if she had slipped into a realm of deep slumber.
Tubes and wires snaked across her body, connecting her to the intricate web of medical equipment that sought to sustain her fragile existence. The steady beep of monitors punctuated the room, a haunting reminder of the delicate balance she was in.
"Doctor, can you please tell me the condition of my daughter?" Richard approached the doctor who was keeping tabs on Eva condition.
Richard regret is immeasurable. The realization struck him deeply that his actions thus far had amounted to nothing. All he has done so far is wait and carefully observe the situation while maintaining the status quo of the world that's not even in a state of peace. His own inaction has put her own daughter indirectly at risk, or that was what Richard thought.
"I'll be straightforward with you. It's truly a miracle that your daughter survived the building collapse, considering she was directly hit by the impact. Perhaps luck was on her side, and debris arranged itself and shielded her. The exact reasons remain unknown to us." The doctor then continue. "While she will require a period of recovery at the hospital, aside from that, she will be alright. Her condition is much better and stable now."
As a result of the war, there has been a significant advancement in medical technology, intelligence capabilities, and instruments of war using the new elements of Astral. Due to this, the mortality rate of any injury or lasting wounds is significantly decreased.
"We don't know when she will wake up But rest assured, she will be fine." With a nod, the doctor bid his farewell, leaving both parents alone in the room.
"Honestly, I'm at a loss whether I should be angry or proud of her," Richard sighed after witnessing his daughter heroic act on the news. While his instinct as a parent wants to protect her from harm, he couldn't help but be moved by her selflessness and courage.
"She's growing up, and I can't help but notice how she's becoming more and more like you..." Yui heart filled with anguish as she looked at Eva's condition. Overwhelmed by a wave of emotions, she couldn't contain her tears.
Richard nodded and comforted his wife, a soft but bitter smile gracing his face as he recognized the profound truth in his wife words. Their daughter had inherited their strengths, values, and unwavering determination. But he was also anxious at the prospect of it. For all he knew, the next thing she'd ask was to become an Astral Agent.
Both Richard and Yui always wish for Eva to have a normal life, far away from any danger. But at this rate, it's becoming more and more likely that she will follow in her parent's footsteps. Confining and trying to shield her from danger forever is unhealthy. One day she will leave the nest and walk on her own path. She must be ready for it.
With that thought in their minds, Richard and Yui realized that the best course of action was to prepare themselves and offer unwavering support for whatever path Eva would choose to embark on in her life...
Eva's eyes fluttered open, and a wave of disorientation washed over her. As her vision adjusted, she surveyed her surroundings and realized she was alone in a hospital room. The sterile scent of antiseptic lingered in the air, and the gentle hum of medical equipment provided a steady rhythm.
"I'm still alive, huh..." Eva let out a groan as she feels sore across her body.
"Fuck, forgive my language, but I will never subject myself to that kind of stunt again!" Eva screamed in her mind. Although she braced herself for the risk and, as a result, managed to flawlessly execute her heroic act. But when she thinks about it again, that was a stupid idea when she still doesn't know the exact calculation of her power.
"I should have amplified my body four times stronger rather than three times." Eva doesn't know how much she should amplify her body strength to survive a building collapse with a few injuries and claim it as a 'miracle.'
After a quick calculation, Eva concluded that increasing her body strength by three to four times would be sufficient to endure the impact. With that in mind, she made a daring choice, opting to amplify her strength by a factor of three. In Eva's mind, she believed that aiming low was the optimal strategy. She thinks even if she missed the mark, she would only be knocked unconscious and suffer a few injuries at most in the worst-case scenario. Little did she anticipate that her actions would nearly cost her life and result in a lengthy hospital stay.
"I could speed up my recovery significantly... But that's a bad idea since I'm already at the hospital. Surely they already diagnosed all my injuries and predict my recovery." She can just heal her injuries, but that beats the whole point of acting and just blowing her cover away.
She sighed and accepted her fate. What's a few weeks anyway? On the plus side, she can skip the remaining day of going to school and also miss the graduation ceremony... Yay?
"Well, whatever. I should be all over the news by now..."
With this, she would probably be the center of the media for a while. Furthermore, her impressive demonstration of Astral Abilities would undoubtedly attract the interest of numerous Astral Academies, who would likely attempt to scout her to their school.Just then, Eva got another brilliant new idea for her entertainment. "I definitely should enroll in one of the Astral Academies! Although I can't get into the action, there's also fun in it on having two utterly separate identities and playing the good guy."
Ever since her second identity debut, there has been almost no boring day for her. Planning, acting, fighting, and even trying to deduce what's happening secretly around the world is fun for her.
But with this, there will be more boring days for Eva. "I can play the role of an aspiring hero during the day and be a ruthless vigilante during the night if I'm bored. How cool is that!"
As Eva finds herself lost in her vivid imagination, the door to her hospital room swings open, interrupting her reverie. A young boy, his brown hair neatly styled, steps into the room dressed in a formal suit. As his intense black eyes meet Eva's captivating blue gaze, his wet eyes widen in surprise.
"Ryuji?" Eva could see the tears he was holding at.
Instead of responding to Eva's call, Ryuji abruptly exits the room, leaving her puzzled. Without any explanation or even a greeting, he quietly shuts the door behind him. However, moments later, the door swings open once more, revealing both of Eva parents.
"Eva!" Her mother exclaims, rushing towards her bedside with tears glistening in her eyes. Her father follows closely behind, a mix of relief and worry etched on his face.
Startled by their sudden appearance, Eva's voice catches in her throat for a moment before she manages to speak. "Mom? Dad?"
She weakly reaches out her hand, and her mother clasps it gently, holding onto it as if trying to convey her love and support through that simple touch. "D-Do you know how scared I was?"
"I'm sorry..." Despite Eva's emotional detachment towards many things, there remains an inexplicable aversion within her toward seeing her mother in tears. She cannot fathom the reasons behind her feelings nor fully comprehend the depths of her emotions, but it unsettles her.
"No! Don't say sorry. It's me who should apologize to you!" Her eyes well up with tears as she takes a deep breath to steady herself. "I've been so caught up in my work that I haven't been there for you like I should have. I haven't been the supportive mother you deserve."
"No, I'm truly sorry, Mom. But it's not like I can or want to stop now." Eva apologized again in her mind. But she can't possibly pass on this much entertainment.
"Eva," Her father said softly as he approached Eva.
"Yes?" Eva responded, urging him to continue.
Richard took a deep breath, his gaze fixed on his daughter. "You are an idiot."
"How rude?!" Eva was baffled.
But then her father's expression softened into a gentle smile. "But I want you to know that I'm proud of you..."
Eva found herself reconnecting with her parents in the most profound way. As she lay in her hospital bed, both of her parents refused to leave her side. They were determined to stay with her, offering their unwavering support and love.
[Astral Agent: Masao Watanabe POV]
"Is this the photo of the girl you recommend to our school Masao Watanabe?" The Headmaster spoke in an eerie voice.
"Yes, Headmaster," I spoke with conviction, resonating with unwavering certainty. "I am confident that she will become a prominent figure in the future. She will be able to guide and inspire the upcoming generation of Astral Users, especially when we liberate ourselves from the AGA."
"I see... I trust your judgment. She is the daughter of Richard Lawrence, huh? I guess it runs in the family."