Ethan pulled Rose into a tight hug, his voice thick with emotion. "I'm just glad you're safe now. We'll get through this together, okay?"
Rose nodded against his chest, letting the tears flow freely now. The weight of her past life, the knowledge of what was to come, and the love she felt for her brother in this moment all crashed over her at once. She clung to Ethan, grateful for this second chance to be with him.
Andrew, who had been quietly observing, spoke up. "We should start packing. We don't know how long we'll be gone, so we need to be selective."
Ethan nodded, grateful for the practical suggestion. "Right. Rose, go to your room and pack only the essentials. Clothes, toiletries, any medications you need. And maybe one or two personal items, but keep it light."
Wiping her eyes Rose nodded and headed to her room.
Andrew stood silently, watching his friend regain composure. Once he sensed Ethan had collected himself, he said, "I hope it was alright for me to suggest we tag along. In my opinion, it's the best course of action."
He was actually thinking along the same lines as Rose. Rather than leaping into the unknown, he preferred to face the devil they knew. Having been on the Kepler`s heels trying to reach Rose, they had experienced plenty of good and bad, even gaining their own abilities. It would be a good start—at least a safe one—as they had survived it once before.
"No, you're right," Ethan replied, rubbing his face. "It's best if we leave this area, and the more people, the safer we'll be—especially with Luke having this power." Had he not been so overwhelmed, he probably would have suggested the same thing.
It was just difficult to digest all the information. Though everything sounded unbelievable, he had no choice but to accept it as truth. He'd seen the portal himself, witnessed Luke's control over flame.
"Indeed," Andrew said thoughtfully, "it should give us a certain level of protection. But we can`t count on it forever." Andrew's eyes narrowed as he contemplated their situation. "We need to be prepared for anything. Luke's ability is a valuable asset, but it's also a potential target. We don't know who else might have gained powers, or what their intentions might be."
Ethan nodded grimly. "You're right. We'll need to be cautious about revealing Luke's ability to others, even at the farm. And we should start thinking about how to defend ourselves if necessary."
Except for being quite emotional when it came to his younger sister, Ethan was a very rational and decisive man, which is one of the reasons he and Andrew got along so well with each other.
Andrew`s eyes turned distant as he considered their situation. "I think we should use this time at the farm to train. Basic survival skills, self-defense, maybe even weapons training if we can manage it."
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Weapons training? Where should we get weapons?"
"I will take care of it." Andrew said. "We don't know what we might face out there. Better to be over-prepared than caught off guard."
Ethan's eyes widened slightly at Andrew's confident assertion. He knew his friend had always been resourceful, but procuring weapons seemed beyond even Andrew's capabilities. Still, he trusted him.
"Alright," Ethan nodded. "I'll leave that to you. In the meantime, I`ll start packing all necessary supplies we might need."
"Do that. I will also organize a few more things myself. You should also get a little rest, time is tight."
Both men exchanged a look of perfect understanding before Ethan hurried out to make preparations.
Left alone, Andrew swiftly opened his smartphone and typed a few instructions into the messenger app. Within minutes, he closed it again and walked to the window, gazing out into the night's darkness.
He had, in fact, already set several things in motion the moment he awoke to this new life. Recognizing the importance of supplies, he'd ordered a substantial amount of necessities to be delivered to their rural destination. Even without the Kepler's consent, he would have taken Ethan and Rose there. He knew the surrounding area and what would unfold there in the coming weeks.
Though he'd spent a considerable sum, it didn't concern him. Money would soon become nearly worthless, first replaced by commodity trading, then by a new currency issued by the government that would form.
It was crucial for them to have all necessary supplies, avoiding wasting time gathering food and other essentials. This would allow them to focus on the vital aspects—their training and exploring the portals.
Though dangerous, they had to get stronger, quickly.
Andrew had reached the same conclusion as Rose. In this changing world, only the strong would survive, so they needed to amass as much power as possible.
He was determined not to fall behind again.