/20 years later /
"Have you found her yet, soldier?" A powerful voice resonated throughout the dark room. A tall individual stands on a platform, appearing fully blue as the holographic figure gazes at the boy mentioned, head hung low in respect.
"No...I-I haven't..your Highness but I promise to-"
"You promise?" The person echoes,"When are you finally going to act, boy?! The fate and future of Eris rests on your shoulders and you've made no progress whatsoever!" They shout, causing the hologram to ripple at the power of the tone.
The blond boy keeps his head bowed in shame as he gets his usual scoldings.
"Y-yes, your Highness. I understand, I will find the girl and fulfill my duty for you-"
"For Eris!" The voice booms and he flinches, cowering more.
"Y-yes that's right. For Eris...My Queen." He squeaks in agreement.
"Good. Now run along," The woman's voice softens drastically, "You don't want to be late for your first day back." She smiles brightly and the blond raises his head, returning the gesture with a soft smile as well as he opens his voice to speak.
"Th-thanks Mom." He thanks her, goofy grin on display, genuinely.
"Oh just go on you...stupid, stupid boy." She giggles, "Love you. Have a good day."
"Love you too, and to you as well." He replies before the connection of the call is cut and he shuts off everything in his lab before exiting briskly.
Stepping through the automatic metal doors and locking it quickly, he guides his way out of his room and down the long hallway, red carpet making a brushing noise as he strides forward, eventually reaching the beginning of the wide and lengthy staircase.
As he made it down and into the kitchen, he was greeted by the housekeeper/maid, Cindy.
"G'Morning." He says, sitting at the already well-made up kitchen table. Cindy laughs.
"It's almost noon dude." She says, back still turned to the boy as she cooks the eggs on the stove. "You're lucky to even get breakfast this late."
"Yeah well, I had to do something very important before I got down here." The male says in matter-of-fact tone while he taps his phone to live, scrolling through the many media on it. The maid scoffs.
"Tch! Please. The only thing you find 'important' is to sit in your room and play with your lil' toys-"
"-You mean gadgets and apparatus-"
"Potato. Po-tah-to. Big difference." She fulls up the plate with the finished eggs, switches off the fire and head to the table after stacking the utensil with a little more bacon. "Eat up!" She chirps.
"Thanks Cindy." She hums in response before unwrapping her white apron and sitting in front of the young man. "So~"
"So?" He chews, eyes still trained on his food. He's really hungry and Cindy's really good with her hands. "What?"
"Ugh! Don't act like I didn't totally know you talked with her this morning-" The boy suddenly chokes, coughing on his half eaten food. "Wh-WHAT are you-you t-talking about, Cindy?"
"The lady."
"What lady?!" He asks hysterically.
"The lady that you were talking to this morning! You know! The one with the golden hair." Cindy answers and the male stops his chewing to think, the only answer coming to his head is exactly who she's referring to.
He sighs.
"What do you know?"
"Really? I thought it would've been way harder to get it out of you." She chuckles. "I'm serious. What do you know or what have you seen, Cindy?"
"Not much, honestly. I've only recently stumbled upon you squirming under the great power of that woman. She seems humble, knows what she wants to be done like a good queen should. But um..who's that girl she keeps bringing up?" Cindy glances at her nails briefly, refocusing her sights almost immediately back onto that of the male's. He shrugs, brushing his fingers through his blond locks.
"She's the princess. I'm supposed to keep my eye on her and was supposed to raise her too, but I ended up getting adopted before her," The younger explains, fiddling with his fingers as he temporarily abandons his plate of food. "And I guess father didn't want a little baby like her to take care of, not like he even takes care of me now, anyway." He deadpans.
"Oh come on~ he does. He's just.... busy? I guess?" Cindy says softly but the boy knows deep down she thinks he's a shit of a father. She's only spewing these excuses like this because he pays her and offers her hospitality.
"Yeah...right.. Anyway, I should get going but promise me," The older gives him a look signifying for him to continue, "Promise me, you wouldn't say a word about what you heard...or saw. Not even to father." The male pleaded and the female nodded after replying with a simple "no problem."
"Okay. I gotta get going. Gonna be late for my first day."
"Alright." Cindy goes to hug him in a warm farewell hug, tiptoeing to place a gentle kiss to his temple, "Go make your place in the world, my big boy. Love you, bro." She pat his back and the younger shook his head at the sudden change between motherly and sibling behaviour.
That's his Cindy, playful and caring like an older sister at one moment then a responsible,loving motherly figure in the next. You just gotta love her.
He salutes before getting back upstairs for some of his things and a small set of his gadgets that he is sure he'd be urgently requiring whenever the time's right.
He now makes his way to the large garage of vehicles, refusing his assigned driver politely and informing him that he'd be driving himself around from now on until whenever he comes to visit. The male carefully chose his mode of transport for college eventually going along with the blue Ferrari.
"I'm gonna miss you babies." He sighs heartbroken at the thought of leaving....his cars.
Then he laughs, "What the heck! It's not like I'm far away. Heh. Just a few miles." He proceeds to talk with himself, jumping the car to ignition and speeding out of the opened garage.
While he hightails his way to the freeway, his phone rings. Without looking at the contact, he answers.
"Hello?"
"You miss me?" Cindy's voice echoes out of the phone and the boy chuckles.
"I just left, so no, Cindy." He replies still lightly laughing.
"Oh so because you going to college, you think you large now, huh? Alright. That's why I'm gonna snoop in your lab, ya twerp." She teases and the other shakes his head.
"Don't you dar-"
"Too late! And Christ, do you ever clean this place?! Jeez it's filthy in here!" She complains.
"That's why I suggest you get out." He says, rolling her eyes at her continuous complaints.
"Yeah yeah, whatever. Anyway got to go. Your father would be home soon, gotta get to cleaning. Talk later."
"Alright and tell him I said hi."
"Will do. Bye~"
"Bye." He hung up the phone, staring at the screen; his eyes flashing between the road and his father's contact number. After holding that staring contest for long, he finally throws the phone onto the passenger seat, pushing the thought of calling his father to the back of his mind as he continues driving down the highway.
He admits he's gonna miss staying home and is definitely gonna miss hanging around with Cindy but now it's time for him to get back out there. Start a new semester and continue the chapter. He's gonna have to try it all again but even better at Greenridge university. Even if it means he has to stop constantly worrying about the relationship he holds with his father.
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