Finally, it's here, isn't it?
The day Eric had anticipated finally arrived.
But instead of the excitement he had imagined, he felt unexpectedly calm.
"Jonathan, are you going to tell Eric now?"
Mother Martha's eyebrows knitted together slightly as she looked at her husband with a worried expression.
"It's time. Eric, come with me."
Jonathan stood up and headed downstairs, signaling for Eric to follow.
A few minutes later, the two of them stood outside the barn.
"Do you remember, Eric? You used to love drawing when you were little. You went through two sets of Crayola crayons in one summer."
Jonathan didn't open the barn door right away. Instead, he started reminiscing about Eric's childhood.
"At first, Martha and I thought you were just like any other kid, scribbling and drawing. But then we noticed the things you drew—spaceships, outer space, exploding planets..."
"Maybe there's something left in your memory, something etched into your very bones."
As Jonathan spoke, he pushed open the barn door.
The scent of soybeans and buckwheat, mixed with the musty smell, wafted out all at once.
"Really? I don't remember."
Eric followed Jonathan inside.
Actually, he had always remembered.
After all, carrying memories from infancy isn't something one could forget.
The reason he used Crayola crayons to draw the explosion of Clark's home planet was simply out of boredom and a touch of dark humor.
"Here, lend a hand."
Jonathan handed Eric the rope connected to the barn cellar's pulley system, signaling him to help pull the pulley and open the cellar door.
"Creak, creak!"
As Eric pulled the rope, the cellar door opened.
A cloud of dust, accompanied by an unpleasant odor, burst out from inside.
Jonathan went down into the cellar first.
"Whoosh!"
He yanked off the dusty canvas.
An ancient, glowing spaceship appeared before Eric.
"This is…!"
Eric skillfully played the role of a "drama king," his face showing an expression of "shock."
"Incredible, isn't it? A spaceship."
Jonathan shone his flashlight on the spaceship that brought Superman to Earth.
"We thought the government would come looking, but no one came for you and Clark."
He said this while retrieving a wooden box from a nearby workbench. He pulled out a long black stamp and handed it to Eric.
"This came with you and the spaceship when you arrived on Earth. I once took it to a metallurgist, and he said its components aren't even on the periodic table."
"In other words, Eric..."
Jonathan's tone grew solemn, "You aren't from Earth. You and Clark were sent to Earth by this spaceship. You are the answer to the ultimate question—'Are humans alone in the universe?'"
Touching the "Kryptonian artifact" in his hand and looking at the "S" symbol on the stamp, Eric had mixed feelings.
This should be the master key to open the Kryptonian ship that crashed in the polar region.
The entire legacy of the Kryptonians was inside that ship.
Despite easily obtaining the master key, Eric didn't feel much excitement.
He could sense Jonathan's desolation and sadness at this moment.
Lifting his head, Eric looked his father in the eye and said sincerely, "No matter what, Dad, I am your son."
Having grown up in an orphanage in his previous life, never having felt familial love, he had received much warmth in this small farm home.
No matter how cold, selfish, or hard-hearted he was, his inner softness was touched by his parents.
So seeing his father's desolation, Eric couldn't help but step forward to comfort him.
Jonathan ruffled Eric's hair, a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. "Of course, you and Clark will always be my sons. But I believe you are here for a reason. All the changes you've experienced are helping you grow."
Maybe seeing his younger son shed his previous coldness and let down his guard to show genuine emotion, Jonathan felt very comforted.
"Eric, do you know why I told you the truth alone and didn't tell Clark?"
Jonathan patted Eric's head for a while before asking.
"Because..."
Eric paused for a moment and then said, "You think Clark isn't ready yet."
"Yes, Clark isn't ready. He isn't ready to face the path he has to choose."
After a moment of silence, Jonathan said seriously to Eric, "Eric, even though you're the younger brother, I hope you can help Clark in the future. In some ways, you're more mature than he is. Sometimes Clark can be as stubborn as a bull, and only you can hold him back."
After a few seconds of silence, Eric nodded.
"I will, Dad."
The night grew deeper.
Clark stepped on the soft soil and entered the farm.
He had left in a huff, but now he felt much better.
Reaching the door, he hesitated for a moment as he touched the door handle.
Taking a deep breath, he released the handle and turned to walk towards the barn.
That was where his secret base was.
Climbing the creaky wooden ladder to the second floor of the barn, a wide view lay before him.
The pitch-black night sky, dotted with stars, the vast wilderness—everything looked so wonderful.
Sitting in his chair, he reminisced about his earlier conversation with his beloved.
Driven by anger, Clark had run to the public cemetery and coincidentally met Lana, who was there to pay her respects to her parents.
They had the longest conversation since they had known each other.
After reflecting on it, Clark fiddled with his telescope, adjusting it to aim at Lana's house in the distance.
Through the telescope, he saw Lana standing in her yard, making a phone call.
Watching her every move, Clark's heart began to beat faster.
"Clark!"
Just as he was using the telescope to spy on his goddess, a familiar voice suddenly startled him.
He looked up in a panic and saw Eric standing beside him.
Now he understood how his friends Chloe and Pete felt—having someone suddenly appear behind you and scare you was indeed unpleasant.
Before Clark could lose his temper, Eric walked to the edge of the barn and looked in the direction Clark had been watching.
"She's very pretty, isn't she?"
Eric muttered with a smile on his lips.
His greatest pleasure now was teasing this teenage "son of Krypton."
Clark's face immediately turned beet red.
He knew his brother's vision had evolved to the point where he could see objects miles away.
From this high vantage point, seeing Lana was a piece of cake.
The thought of his goddess being observed so casually by his brother made Clark uncomfortable.
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