As they drove towards the highway, Andrew watched the city pass by, deep in thought. With Ethan driving and Rose unusually quiet, he could concentrate on planning their next steps.
Andrew knew it would be foolish not to use his knowledge to get a head start in this life. Carefully, he recounted the events from before. Though it wasn't easy—as for him it felt like seven years ago—his excellent memory made the task manageable.
In their previous life, he and Ethan had started searching for Rose when they couldn't find her at home or nearby. With her phone left behind, they had no way to contact her. Only by asking around the neighborhood did they discover she had left with the Kepler family. Their next challenge was determining where the Keplers were headed. All they had was an approximate direction - north - and Ethan's vague recollection of the Keplers mentioning the aunt's farm near Lake Cris.
They slowly made their way there as the world descended into chaos. What should have been a two-day journey took more than two months due to various obstacles, including entering portals and being wounded.
This time, Andrew wanted to enter the same portal, where Ethan had gained his telekinesis ability. Knowing what creature guarded the realm, Andrew was confident they could avoid injury. Compared to their later monster encounters, this one was relatively manageable with the right knowledge.
Andrew recalled that the portal would appear near Hillston, a small town about a two-hour drive from the Kepler's farm, in five days. If their journey went smoothly, they'd have enough time to reach their destination and prepare for entering the realm.
Andrew's main reason for accompanying the Kepler family was to leave Rose in their care while he and Ethan explored the portals. Given Ethan's protective nature towards his sister, he would only leave her somewhere he deemed safe. Taking her along was out of the question—Ethan would find it too dangerous, and Andrew himself saw her as a potential hindrance.
Glancing in the rearview mirror, Andrew saw Rose gazing silently out the window. The thought he'd had in the park yesterday resurfaced—she had changed. The once rebellious, almost impudent girl had become quieter and more composed. Instead of having an emotional outburst under these stressful circumstances, she remained calm. Andrew wondered if her portal experience had caused this transformation. As far as he knew, in their previous life, she had never entered a portal. Facing death could indeed be life-changing. So far, Andrew welcomed these changes in Rose. Surviving the apocalypse would be challenging enough without an additional troublemaker.
Having avoided the time-consuming search for Rose, they set off two days earlier than in their previous life, thus sidestepping the problems they'd encountered before.
With fear and panic still simmering beneath the surface and most people staying home if they could afford it, the roads were clear.
If one didn't know better and didn't hear the news, one wouldn't really notice that much of a difference. Maybe only that the streets were somewhat more deserted, the people somewhat shaky, not willing to engage in idle talk.
Their party didn't dare linger in urban areas for long, stopping only briefly to relieve themselves, refuel their cars, and buy food. Following the news during their travel, they were aware of everything that was going on.
For now, the government still seemed to have everything under control.
Though afraid, the population was not in panic-mode and there were only a handful of ability-users which were immediately detained for research and to ensure public security.
Andrew`s app, though not entirely intended, played a crucial role, as the government could respond to portal sightings in a timely manner and restrict access to the area - of course provided they had sufficient manpower.
If nothing deviated from their previous life, the situation should be stable for at least a couple of more weeks. Enough time for them to properly train and equip themselves for the more difficult times ahead.
By changing the drivers between Ethan and Andrew and Mr. and Mrs. Kepler respectively they even drove through the night, reaching their destination in only a little over twenty-six hours. Though everyone was exhausted and their bodies ached from the prolonged sitting, they preferred it to potentially facing an appearing portal.
As they pulled up to the Kepler's aunt's farm, the group breathed a collective sigh of relief. The sprawling property, nestled against a backdrop of rolling hills and dense forest, seemed untouched by the chaos unfolding in the rest of the world.
As all stepped out of their cars, stretching their stiff limbs, Andrew took the time to scan the area, noting the sturdy farmhouse, the well-maintained barn, and the fields of crops swaying gently in the breeze. It was just as he remembered it. With no portals appearing in the immediate vicinity and no other trouble knocking on their doors for the coming weeks it was the ideal hideout.
They had just turned around to walk towards the farmhouse, when it's door swung open and a robust woman in her fifties stepped out. She held a shotgun in her hand and looked at them narrowing her eyes in suspicion. "Who `re ya and what do ya want here? This is private property, get out or I`ll blast you off!"