The Meeting With The Elders (Part 1)

The next morning, Alex woke to the sound of rustling in the living room outside his door. He stretched and yawned, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he sat up in the bed he had been occupying for the past few days. This room was originally the guest room. It had been given to him since it was decided that he was going to stay with the family, and moreover, it was the only one available.

Linda's suggestion that he share a room with Lydia was met with firm opposition from Jeb, who believed it was too soon. The suggestion also left Alex in a state of perpetual emotional turmoil, torn between the societal norms he was accustomed to and the growing connection he felt with Lydia. Despite the union yesterday, he couldn't shake the feeling that it was too soon to share a room with a girl he had only just met a few days ago.

Realising that the family was already awake and likely busy in the living room, Alex was determined to be of use and wanted to see if he could assist with anything. He swung his legs out of bed and stood, feeling the cool floor beneath his feet. He ran a hand through his hair, smoothing it down, his actions a clear reflection of his palpable nervousness. As he reached for the doorknob, he took a deep breath, ready to face the day and help around the house.

As he opened the door, he was taken aback to find Lydia standing just outside. Her hair was tousled, and she looked as if she had just woken up. For a moment, they stood there, their eyes locked in a silent battle of unspoken words, the tension between them almost palpable. Then, both averted their gazes, their cheeks flushing with a mutual embarrassment that hung a pink cloud in the air. Alex's heart skipped a beat at the sight of her so early in the morning. Her slightly dishevelled appearance was both endearing and awkward, adding to the complexity of the situation.

"O-oh, good morning, Lydia," Alex managed to say, summoning the courage to speak first despite his nervousness.

"H-Hmm. Good morning," Lydia replied, her eyes darting around, avoiding his. She fidgeted with her fingers, looking everywhere but at him.

"Did you just wake up, too?" Alex asked, trying to keep the conversation going despite the awkwardness.

"Y-Yeah," Lydia responded softly, her voice trailing off.

The silence between them grew heavy. Lydia, who had been so confident and forward yesterday, now seemed to have retreated into herself, her once vibrant personality now subdued and quiet.

"U-Um, is something wrong?" Alex asked, worry creeping into his voice. He feared she might regret yesterday's events or that he had done something wrong.

"A-Ah, it's nothing. Just a bit… Oh geez…" Lydia tried to explain, glancing at Alex but immediately turning crimson and covering her face with her hands.

"Ah, is it me? Is there something wrong with me?" Alex asked frantically, looking down at himself, trying to spot what might have caused her reaction.

"No, it's nothing! Really! I'm just…" Lydia shook her hands in denial, then clutched them to her chest, continuing in a soft, shy voice, "I…uh…just remembered what I did yesterday."

"A-Ah." Alex suddenly recalled the previous day's events in vivid detail. Her declaration and determination were essentially equivalent to a marriage proposal, and his face flushed red with the memory.

They stood there, both replaying the adrenaline-fueled scenes from yesterday in their minds, growing increasingly embarrassed with each passing second.

"My! It's a bit too early for flirting, don't you think, my dears?" Linda's teasing voice broke the silence, making both Alex and Lydia jump.

"O-Oh! G-Good m-morning, Linda," Alex greeted, his heart pounding from the surprise.

"W-We weren't flirting! I-I just wanted to wake Alex up to give him some new clothes and maybe prepare for the day together!" Lydia stammered, her face still flushed with embarrassment.

"My! Lydia, dear, changing clothes and preparing together, how bold~~!" Linda teased her daughter relentlessly.

"Argh, Mom! Don't make this weird!" Lydia retorted, her face a deep shade of red. She quickly pushed the clothes to Alex and declared, "I'm going to make breakfast!" before rushing off to the kitchen.

"Oho ho, my daughter is such a cute newlywed!" Linda laughed, clearly amused by the interaction.

"Hahaha… It must feel weird for her. After all, we quite literally met a few days ago. Do go easy on her, Linda," Alex said awkwardly, trying to downplay the teasing.

Suddenly, Linda gave Alex a light chop on his head. "Hey now, Alex dear, you shouldn't call your mother-in-law by name, you know?" she teased. Alex winced, realising his mistake. Linda continued, "It's Mom now, right?"

"A-Ah, true. Uh, once again, then. Good morning, M-Mom," Alex said, feeling odd calling Linda 'Mom,' not just because it was sudden but because she also looked so much like Lydia despite the noticeable differences.

"Oho! That felt good! Good morning too, Alex dear." Linda chuckled happily, clearly pleased. "Go on, dear, get changed, and we can have breakfast together. We have to visit the elders today, so look your best!"

"O-Oh. That's right. Where are we meeting the elders?" Alex asked nervously, imagining a scene where multiple important-looking elderly people sat in a courtroom, all looking down at him, ready to judge him.

"Oho. You'll see. It's a mysterious place." Linda laughed and walked off to the kitchen, probably to help Lydia with making breakfast.

"A mysterious place…or so she says. I guess I'll have to see it for myself." Alex thought to himself before following Linda to the kitchen.

Jeb woke up soon after, and the family gathered for breakfast. Soon, after finishing their morning meal, they were off on their adventure to see the elders.

As Alex followed the family across the section and finally went beyond the Empaths' residential areas, the scene began to change. The former modern-looking buildings were much sleeker, though they were overrun mainly by moss and decay. The streets were littered with random, unrecognisable machinery and various broken-down vehicles. To Alex, it felt like he was walking through the streets of a commercial lane that had been abandoned for years, and nature had reclaimed its place in the world.

"This place certainly has a mysterious feel to it," Alex said out loud, referring to Linda's words earlier. "I feel like I'm walking through a dream."

"Yeah! This area used to be part of a bustling city that the old world called a tourist attraction. I think they called it…a shopping district?" Lydia provided Alex with the sudden trivia, which piqued Alex's interest in the familiar term.

"I can see why people probably liked coming here. It all seems very…explorable. Each building seems to look like it has its own mazes." Alex continued the conversation, hoping to guide Lydia into speaking more about the area.

"Hmm, it does seem like it. I've heard from some of the scavengers that this area used to be a popular area to scavenge for old-world stuff some cycles ago, but most of them couldn't figure out how to use most of them. Now, it's where most of our most respected elders live." While not precisely what Alex wanted to hear, it was essential information. If scavengers found some stuff from the old world, it probably meant that Alex might recognise some of the stuff, and Alex could use that stuff to figure out how exactly long it had been since the time he blacked out in the classroom.

While it is his current main priority, Alex found it more interesting to learn about the new world and how people in this era survived without the conveniences of his time. How did people stop using modern equipment? Why did they stop? Was it because of the war? Was it that bad to the point that modern equipment became redundant to humans? These questions swirled in Alex's mind as they walked.

Finally, Alex's thoughts were cut off by Jeb's loud voice. "Elder Yan! Are you home? I have brought my family to visit, to report in, as well as for some consultations and advice!" Jeb yelled loudly into a double doorway that led down a path of darkness, where no light seemed to bounce in from the outside despite it being daytime. A moment of silence swept past the family, and Alex felt a cold wind blow past.

"Is the elder perhaps not home?" Alex asked curiously, with a sense of worry that today might turn out to be another delay in solving the mystery of his past and his current situation.

"HMMM. INTERESTING." An old, scratchy female voice came from behind Alex, startling him so much that he fell forward and stumbled onto the ground before quickly spinning around to see who was behind him.

An extremely old-looking woman stood in front of Alex with an eerie grin.

"Heh heh heh. Welcome, young stranger. I've been hearing lots about you."