"Hunter, we need to talk," Aera said as soon as he sat down at the table. He'd seen her stewing in the cafeteria's corner. "Why weren't you answering your phone?"
Hunter almost told her the truth. He almost blurted it out. He cleared his throat to buy himself time to think of an excuse.
"I lost it," he said. "I know, it's dumb. I've been walking around campus all day looking for it, but unfortunately, no luck."
"Did you lose it before, or after your meeting with Jason Chan?" Aera asked. Hunter got a glimpse of the old Aera, the one he'd known from the beginning.
She'd been watching him?
"I know how it looks, but you need to believe me when I say that I had no idea who Jason was before that meeting. My friend Clark invited me. He said he had a few friends he wanted me to meet. They are a club called the Society for Future Leaders," Hunter said, and Aera snorted.
"I bet every single one of those Future Leaders were there at Jason's behest. I'll investigate them, but don't be surprised if I find they're all on Jason's payroll."
Hunter was going to disagree, but he remembered how the group had behaved around Jason. He attributed their deference to Jason's respected character and his seemingly influential connections.
"Even if they were, Jason talked to me. He told me about the drama between you two—"
"—Drama? Is that what he called it?" Aera asked, her tone genuinely curious, yet something about the way she'd said it felt like he needed to speak carefully. He didn't want her to make trouble again.
"I might have paraphrased a bit. But, Aera, he said that he doesn't want to fight with you, but that he will defend himself if he has to. He even told me he had no intention of dragging me into your fight — not that it stopped my apartment from being—"
Hunter shut himself up as soon as he realized what he was saying.
Aera had her full attention on him.
"Finish what you were just about to say," she said.
He opened his mouth to say something, but his brain was stalling. Nothing came out.
"Hunter, what happened?"
He'd fucked up. He was tired, his mind still felt like it was in chaos, and he had barely been paying attention to what he was saying. Aera wouldn't let it go and Hunter felt like maybe it was best to come clean after all. Maybe Aera would listen to reason.
"Before I do, you need to listen to me," Hunter said, and Aera slapped the table and pointed a finger at him.
"You need to listen to me. Jason isn't just dangerous, he's clever. Lying is as natural to him as walking and breathing is to us. You don't know what I know, Hunter. You haven't been dealing with what I have for the last few months."
"And whose fault is that?" he asked, unable to stop himself, "and don't say you're just trying to keep me safe. How has that worked out for me so far? My apartment was vandalized while I was at a meeting with Jason. A note was left on my bed."
He took the note out of his pocket and handed it to her. Aera read the note and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before reading the note again. She met Hunter's gaze, and she seemed concerned.
"I'm sorry, Hunter," she said, "you're right. But I have been trying to keep you safe, but only because you're not ready for the game that's being played here."
She held her hand up, and Hunter let the words on his tongue dissolve into his exhale.
"I know you have a lot to say, but I need to know more about what's going on. What else did Jason tell you? I need to know everything. I promise I won't act on what I hear without consulting you first, alright?"
Hunter felt the wind leave his sails.
This is what he'd wanted, right? To be let in on the process? To have a say in how their actions would affect him in the future?
"Okay," Hunter said, "then I'll start by saying that I called Jason after I saw what happened to my apartment."
Hunter told her about his talk with Jason Chan.
"So he pinned it on Pippen?" Aera mused, "so much for a lifelong friendship. I think I know what's going on, but there are a few pieces that aren't making sense to me. I need to make some calls, but first we need to sort out what's going on between you and me. You want to trust Jason, and you're skeptical about trusting me. I get that, but if I can prove to you that you shouldn't trust Jason, will you agree to cut off all contact with him?"
Hunter didn't have a problem with that, but he had one condition.
"Only if you agree to let me know everything else that's been going on. I feel like I'm in the dark here, Aera."
She sighed.
"Before today, I wouldn't have agreed. But I guess you deserve some clarity. Besides, I have a terrible feeling about all of this. Jason has been acting brazenly from the start, and he shouldn't be. I need to call dad, he might know something that we don't."
"Why would Trey care about what's going on here at Barnum?" Hunter asked, then he realized the answer was obvious. He'd been in the hospital before the first day of classes was over, so of course Trey would be concerned.
His investment was at risk.
Maybe Hunter wasn't being fair to the man, and maybe he was concerned for Hunter's safety. But if he was honest with himself, he didn't know Trey very well, did he?
Neither did he know Aera as much as he'd like to. Although their relationship may have warmed up over the last few months, a bit of honest self reflection revealed that there wasn't much she'd done to earn his unconditional trust.
"After the year started off the way it did, he kept a closer eye on things. But even if the attack hadn't happened, I would still need to keep him in the loop. He wanted me to keep you updated as well, but I assured him I could take care of things. And, any other year, I would have. Things are different this year, and I don't know why," she said. "It's like the Chans aren't afraid of retaliation, and they're not stupid."
It was almost like she was connecting the dots as she spoke them. Her eyes widened as the implications dawned on her. Hunter still felt lost.
"The Chan's. You're referring to Jason's family."
"Small time players, but I suspect they've been making a play to cozy up to the Visgolds given Jason's relationship to Pippen. Which makes his betrayal of Pippen somewhat unexpected, yet if I'm right about what's going on behind the scenes, then maybe it isn't so unexpected after all."
"You've lost me," Hunter said. "Why are you so sure that Jason betrayed Pippen, and how is that connected to the Visgolds and the Chan's? It sounds like you're grasping at straws, Aera. You see that, right?"
"I know, I understand how this must all sound to you," Aera said, pinching the bridge of her nose and leaning back. She stared at the ceiling for a second and then nodded to herself.
"Let's call dad now. I'm due to update him about what's been going on here, anyway. I need time to gather some evidence to prove to you that Jason is untrustworthy, but I'm sure that dad can provide you with more context. He might help me understand what's been going on as well."
Hunter checked his wristwatch. They had an hour left in their session. Then he'd have to go meet up with Clark. He considered what Jason had asked him about not revealing anything, and realized that he didn't regret telling Aera, even if it had been accidental.
The more he thought about it, the more he wondered if she was right. Why should he trust Jason more than anyone else?
He'd just met the guy. Why was he so tempted to want to trust him? He felt gross, like someone had wormed their way into his mind and shifted his perceptions without him knowing.
If Aera was right, then Jason was dangerous, more so than he let on. And if it turned out that she wasn't right, then maybe he could convince her to back off a bit. It all depended on what Trey knew.
"Alright. Let's call Trey," he said. It was time for some clarity.
---
Trey was in his office in the capital. Cool night air blew in from the open window. He breathed it in, enjoying the feeling of the cold air in his lungs.
The mountain of work needed to be done had been keeping him up late. It was starting to look like another all-nigher. A folder containing the latest updates regarding Exodus lay sprawled on top of his desk. The necessity for the project was growing more apparent by the day. The rest of the Council was distancing themselves from him. Not overtly, but in subtle ways that were escalating.
They were going to force him to take a stance against them. He wanted to be ready for that when the time came. They would have some accusation, he would deny it, they would double down, and so would he.
Then the gloves would come off. He worried about the kids. He had faith in his daughter's ability to handle things, but the timing might prove to be a bit more than she could handle. The more he discovered about the Chans, the less he liked. The Lockes were preparing to wash their hands of the Visgolds. That wouldn't be any of his business, but the Chan's ambition, and interference from their son at the academy, had made him wonder if his initial assessment had been accurate. He and his people had come to a few unsettling conclusions, one of which was driving the progress of Exodus like nothing else.
Self preservation. Not just of his family, but as much of the company as he could take with him.
Idra opened the door to his office, carrying his phone. It was odd seeing the small device. It almost felt wrong. He was used to the awkward, bulky design they'd been using for years.
But progress sometimes meant being uncomfortable for a while. He would adapt to the pace.
"It's Aera, and Hunter."
"This late? I hope everything's okay," he said, taking the phone and putting it on speaker. He gestured for Idra to leave.
"Hey, kids."
"Hey, dad," Aera said, "we've got some trouble."
"Straight to business, eh? Not going to ask me how my day's gone?"
She sighed, and Trey laughed.
"I'm just kidding. What's going on over there?"
Aera explained, and Hunter filled in where he could. Aera told him about her theory, about something big going on behind the scenes that is making the Chan's feel more bold about how they act towards the Oberons. Trey rubbed his face.
He needed a cigar, but he didn't have any on him. Instead, he pressed a button on the side of his desk, the one that would let Idra know he wanted a coffee. He always meant to have a little caffeine station in this office like he did at home, but alas, business distracted him far too much to let that be a priority.
"You there, dad?" Aera asked.
"Sure, yeah, hun. Just ordered some coffee," Trey said, "And yeah, I've got a thing or two to say about the situation. First off, Hunter, no one can blame you for how you reacted. You were looking out for Aera by not wanting her to overreact when we heard about your apartment. Now, before we go any further, how do you feel? Are you both safe? Do you want to come home?"
He expected Hunter to say yes.
There was a pause. The coffee arrived. He sipped it. Perfect. He nodded at Idra in thanks, and she left.
"I don't know," Hunter said. "I'd feel safer if I knew what was going on."
Trey raised an eyebrow.
Yeah, we'll see, he thought.
"So the Visgolds are out," Trey said, "the Locke family has been shutting off the Visgolds' access to their resources over the last year. Can you guess who most of those resources have been shunted off towards?"
"I'm guessing the Chan's," Aera said, her tone deadpan.
"Bingo. Interesting, eh?"
"That is interesting," Aera said, "but it wouldn't explain why Jason is acting the way he is. A family subordinate to a Council Seat might have more protection, but not enough to hide them from the resources we could move against them for going too far. And so far, it seems like Jason's been willing to go that extra mile."
"If he's acting the way you think he is," Hunter interjected.
Trey tsked. His naivety is understandable, but it would put him at a disadvantage. Barnum was supposed to be where he learned what it meant to be an Oberon, but nothing was going as Trey had planned.
"The Chans are acting like a well-oiled machine. They're all moving to the same beat, which appears to be set by their matriarch, Jason's mother," he said. "And that's not all. There's a lot I haven't been telling you about what's going on behind the scenes, but the news isn't good."
He questioned the temptation to tell them everything. Then he thought better of it. He would tell them enough to keep them glued together. He could not allow the Oberons to break apart under the Chan's influence. Trey needed them to watch each other's backs, now more than ever.
He would attempt to dissuade his colleagues one more time. If they didn't play ball, he would pull the kids out of the Academy, and they would begin the Exodus.
"I have good evidence to prove that the Chan's are making a play for a Council Seat. There are multiple other Seat's backing them. That's all I can tell you for now. I can let the severity of their actions speak to their confidence in their bid for ascendancy working out in their favour."
Aera swore.
"I taught you better than that," Trey said.
"Sorry, dad. But what you're saying would explain a lot — especially the influence that the Chan's seem to have over the campus. Half of the campus businesses belong to them. I'm sure they have most of the faculty in their pocket, if not all of them."
Trey chuckled. A certain bearded academic came to mind.
"Not all of them," Trey said. "How are you finding your history lessons, Hunter?"
"Oh, uh," Hunter fumbled, seeming to be surprised by the abrupt change of subject, "good. Professor Jackson is awesome."
"Did he tell you about his theory? About the Asutnahem?"
"That they knew about the edge of the world? Yeah."
"It gets more exciting, I assure you, but you'll have to wait so that I can show you what I mean in person. Listen, both of you. The moment things seem like they're about to escalate again, you call me, and I'll send a team to get you out of there," Trey said.
"It's that bad?" Aera said, and Trey's heart ached when he heard the worry in her voice.
"It's not good, Aera. But we've been through worse," he said, uncertain about the accuracy of his words.
"Right," she said. Aera had faith in him, and he wouldn't betray that faith. Part of him was screaming at himself, telling him to get them both out of that pit of vipers at that very moment.
But he had to play his cards right. This was a game of chicken. The moment he acted, the Council would pounce. He needed to appear to be cautiously optimistic about convincing them to reverse course, and he would make a genuine effort. Anything less than that, and they would see right through him.
Besides, he hoped to resolve all of this before anyone fired shots. If there didn't need to be any bloodshed, he would try his best to avoid it.
"You'll be needing a new phone, Hunter. Expect one tomorrow. Are you still planning to stay at your friend's place?"
"I don't know," Hunter said. "I'm not sure about that anymore."
"Aera, are you okay with Hunter sleeping on your couch for a bit?"
"Yep," she said, but her reply was way too quick to be genuine. He smiled.
"Thanks, Aera. And Aera, I would recommend ceasing your business with the Chan child. From this point on, we can't count on them to honour the rules."
"Of course," she said, her tone the same as before. He frowned.
"Aera—"
"—don't worry about me, dad. We'll be alright."
"Promise me."
She paused and then sighed.
"I promise to cut off my business with Jason."
"Good. Thank you. Is there anything else?"
"No," she said, "thanks for letting us know about what's going on in the world."
"Of course, sweetheart. Hunter, be careful, alright? I've already got a team stationed near the campus. You say the word, and you'll be out of there. But let that be a last resort. Solving your problems for yourself will make you a stronger man. You need to trust your own strength. Understand?"
"Yes, sir," Hunter said.
"Then I wish you both a good night."
They said their farewells, and he waited for them to hang up.
He sipped his coffee.
After that conversation, he knew he wouldn't be getting any sleep that night. He considered the plans for Exodus once more and then made a call.
The company, and the family, might need the full services of a certain professor if they were going to proceed with the project.
They would need all the guidance they could get if they were going to not only survive, but thrive in the world that was to come.