"But one day, I mean, if there comes a day when you're not ready to step forward and face everything, even if it means I'm dying in front of you, you must not choose to save me!"
Fifteen years ago, on the night Robert arrived, Clark, who had revealed his abilities while saving someone, heard Jonathan's solemn instruction. Now, that instruction echoed in Clark's ears once again.
Yes, Jonathan repeated the same words, knowing Clark could hear him. Fifteen years had passed, his kindness unchanged, and his desire to protect his son remained the same.
Even though Clark had grown up, in Jonathan's heart, Clark was still the child under the starry sky, confused about his identity and purpose.
Even if it meant dying in this tornado, Jonathan did not want to see Clark or Robert reveal their abilities in front of so many people...
"Clark! Are you crazy?!" Robert struggled against Clark's iron grip, angrily communicating through telepathy, "The tornado is almost here, are you going to watch Dad die?!"
"Dad wouldn't want us to save him..." Clark, startled by the voice in his mind, said with some sadness, "He already told me not to intervene..."
"That was said to you! Not to me!" Robert didn't care about exposing their abilities, his energy surging, he shouted, "If you're not going to save him, at least don't stop me. Is exposing our abilities really that big of a deal? Is it more important than Dad's life?!!!"
"Clark, your birth parents sacrificed themselves, but Mom and Dad raised you, they are your parents. Watching Dad die like this and not letting me save him, you'll regret it for the rest of your life. Let me go, let me save him!"
"It's too late, even with your speed, you can't save Dad now..." Hearing Robert's words, Clark instinctively let go of Robert's hand, but his mind was racing, torn between his father's life and the teachings and warnings about revealing their abilities.
On one hand was his father's life, on the other, his father's teachings and the risks of exposing their abilities. Clark was at a loss...
"Damn it! Then you better do something! I've figured out a way to keep you from being discovered! Just do it! Hurry up! It's almost too late!" Robert, realizing he couldn't save Jonathan himself, thought of a tactic. His voice roared in Clark's mind, prompting Clark, who was indecisive, to act on Robert's words.
With a "whoosh," Clark dashed out, while Robert's energy exploded, transforming into light energy, illuminating everything around like blinding sunlight.
Solar Flare! The crowd, blinded by the intense light, closed their eyes. Even if they didn't, their vision turned to a white blur, unable to see anything.
Even Jonathan, on the edge of the tornado, was affected by the bright light, instinctively closing his eyes, then felt himself lifted off the ground, uncontrollably.
Jonathan thought he was caught by the tornado, resigned to death. At that moment, his heart filled with reluctance for Clark, Robert, and Martha...
"Goodbye, Clark, Robert, Martha, I'll be watching over you from heaven..." Jonathan sighed sadly, whispering to himself.
"Dad, what goodbye? Aren't we right here?" At that moment, Robert's voice came into Jonathan's mind, "Shh! Don't talk nonsense. You've evacuated with us, you weren't left in the tornado..."
"Huh? You guys..." Jonathan, hearing Robert's voice, snapped back to reality, opened his eyes, and found himself sitting next to Clark, among people grateful for surviving, watching the tornado move away.
"We survived, it was terrifying..."
"What was that bright light? Like a flashbang, I couldn't see anything..."
"It was the sun, I felt the warmth of the sun, look, isn't the sun out now?"
"Maybe it was too dark during the tornado, our eyes didn't adjust to the sudden sunlight, so it seemed blinding. But it looks like the sun is celebrating for us!"
"Yes, it's a miracle we survived! God bless!"
"Amen!"
The crowd discussed lively, celebrating their survival. Robert's eyes showed fatigue; for the Solar Flare to work as a cover, he had converted all his energy into light energy, not to mention the mental strain from directing so many people's attention, leaving Robert tired...
Indeed, the crowd's focus on the sun was guided by Robert's hypnotic suggestion, otherwise, the Solar Flare's bright light would've raised suspicions.
Robert wasn't worried about being directly suspected, but concerned that the bright light would be considered a miracle and attract unwanted attention.
"I'm sorry, Robert, you were right!" Clark, looking at Robert with a mix of apology and fear, said softly, "I'm already scared. If I hadn't saved Dad, watching him be swallowed by the tornado, I would've regretted it forever..."
"Did you really go unnoticed?" Jonathan, grateful yet worried, quietly asked Clark and Robert.
"If we were discovered, would they still be so calm?" Robert smiled, spreading his hands, "Didn't they say? The sudden sunlight blinded them..."
"We were so close to losing you!" Martha, recovering from her shock, hugged Jonathan, expressing her relief, "I can't imagine living without you..."
Jonathan, seeing this, stopped questioning his sons, instead soothing Martha's emotions.
"Thank you!" Clark solemnly thanked Robert.
"For what? They're not my parents, are they?" Robert playfully rolled his eyes in response.
Thanks to "Kind Dao Ancestor" for 1 monthly ticket, "Unlimited Vacation" for 2 monthly tickets, "Leaves Dancing in the Wind" for 1 monthly ticket, "Death Gun" for 1 monthly ticket, and all the readers for your support and recommendations, thank you very much~ Sorry for the cliffhanger, the chapter's word limit was reached.