Chapter XI: Home

Trik had woken up and decided to make everyone breakfast. They had a lot thrown at them yesterday, and today was likely another big day, so he figured they all should at least have a decent breakfast to kickstart it.

He made Belgian and blueberry waffles; they were Alissia's favorite, breakfast sausages, bacon, and different variations of omelets. He even prepared drinks for everyone – a hot coffee or a refreshing cold glass of orange juice.

While he was still preparing, Za'Fia was the first to come out. She came into the kitchen smiling. She wore a dark green off-the-shoulder top with a brown plush stole around her, blue jeans, and brown leather boots. Her hair was perfectly done, and her light grey eyes were just as stunning today as they were yesterday. She looked like a delicate beauty that most guys would want to protect. But Trik knew better. This wasn't a delicate daisy needing protection. This was a thorny rose capable of protecting itself.

Trik hated every moment he was alone with her. He feared angering her. What if he slips and says something that hints at her being a Primordial? Then what? Everyone he knows dies? Why torment him like this? For all she knows, he could've been programmed to be truthful to his assigned Watcher, and telling him to keep his mouth closed goes against that program...

"Ahh, he cooks," Za'Fia said while taking a bite out of breakfast sausage. "Pretty well too."

"Thanks," Trik responded.

"You know, you didn't have to make so much." She leaned in closer and whispered, "Us Primordials don't have to eat if we don't want to. Or breathe."

"O-Okay, that's good to know." He was trembling so bad the plate in his hand was shaking.

Za'Fia laughed. That one laugh was like a beautiful symphony that blessed his ears.

She leaned down to his level and grabbed the plate. Trik could smell the amber scent from her luscious hair, mixing with the jasmine perfume, creating a sensuous aroma around her.

Was he really nervous from fear or was he just infatuated? Everything about her was throwing him off.

"Calm down, I'm not going to hurt you or anybody else. Last night I was giving you the incentive to keep my secret. Our secret. So long as you don't go blabbing, nothing will happen."

"Right." Trik laughed nervously. "Well, feel free to start eating, Ms. Akrosa. I'll check on Alissia; she can be a heavy sleeper sometimes."

Trik walked towards the dining room.

"Remember our deal, Trik."

When Trik turned around, Za'Fia was looking him dead in the eye.

"Right," Trik replied. Deal? Do you mean my ultimatum?!

Trik heard Tymon come downstairs as he went to check on Alissia. When he entered the room, he saw that she wasn't in bed. She must've gone to the bathroom.

He moved to the bathroom door to let her know breakfast was ready but heard talking as he approached.

"...do you mean in due time? Tell me now."

Was she talking to herself? Perhaps she was on her c-chip.

"Um, Lisa? Everything okay in there," Trik inquired.

The door to the bathroom opened. Alissia looked like she'd just woken up.

"Yeah, everything's fine. I was just thinking out loud," she said.

"Well, we've got a big day ahead of us, so I made breakfast."

Alissia inhaled deeply.

"I can tell. It smells amazing. Wait, is that...."

"Belgian and blueberry waffles? Yup," Trik stated proudly. "Come eat before the food gets cold."

"Okay, give me five minutes so I can change clothes," Alissia said excitedly.

Trik went back into the kitchen to prepare a plate for Alissia.

After a few minutes, Alissia entered the kitchen, and Trik handed her a plate full of food.

"Trik, this looks amazing. You've really outdone yourself," Alissia complimented as she headed toward the dining room.

"Well, it's a momentous day for us. We're taking our first Primordials home with us, so–"

"You mean our first Primordial," Alissia corrected him.

"Yeah, what did I say," Trik asked.

"You said Primordials, as in plural," Tymon answered. He was already done eating the food from his plate except for the omelet. He managed to eat a lot for someone who didn't need to eat.

"Obviously, I meant Primordial, as in one. No need to get riled up about it," Trik said defensively.

"I just wanted to correct you. It's not that often I get to correct you and not the other way around," Alissia said smugly. She stuck her tongue out at him and turned back toward the dining room.

Za'Fia entered the dining room at the same time and froze when she looked at Alissia. Alissia wore a dark green V-neck t-shirt, her usual brown jacket, dark blue jeans, and her brown combat boots. Both Alissia and Za'Fia had the same color scheme today.

Alissia laughed.

"I guess we're both going green today," she said jokingly.

"I suppose so," Za'Fia said in her fake sweet tone.

After everyone had eaten, they discussed their plans to catch a train nearby to get to Arizona. They decided to catch the next train that left within an hour and a half, so they spent the following twenty minutes eating and then getting their things together for the trip.

Trik and Alissia had gotten their things stored away and had cleaned the room and bathroom they used. Alissia gave Tymon a spatial bag to bring anything he wanted with him. When everyone was ready to leave, they gathered in the front yard. Za'Fia was the only one who stayed at the door.

"You sure you don't want to come?" Tymon asked her. "You don't have to stay here by yourself."

"She can't come," Alissia cut in. "Watcher HQs aren't places normal civilians are allowed."

"I'm not interested in going. I'll stay here until you get back," Za'Fia conveyed to Tymon.

Trik, Alissia, and Tymon left Tymon's home. Tymon rode with Alissia on her compact board as they made their way to a train station fifteen miles away. Once they arrived, they saw that the train had already arrived and others were boarding it.

After buying tickets and boarding the train, the train begins to leave the station.

Before arriving at the station Trik had decided to enter his camouflage mode again to help him not stand out, but he had to admit, the floating didn't help much with that. He still received stares from others. Alissia came up with bad lies, like he was practicing to be a magician.

Throughout the train ride, Trik observed Alissia and Tymon bond together. Alissia would show him tricks with her spirit energy, and he'd see if he could do the same. His control over his energy was inept at best, however.

Watching the two of them bond, Trik couldn't help but think how Za'Fia would react. She clearly had a thing for Tymon, so what would she do if a competitor came into the picture? After all, she is the embodiment of fury, so she'd probably get angry and destroy everything in sight. Or focus her anger and methodically destroy everything important to them.

Trik figured he was being a bit extreme...probably.

But he did know that Za'Fia was very protective of Tymon. Of course, she confirmed that last night, but he also knew this because he'd been sensing Za'Fia's signature tailing them for the past hour and a half. Trik figured she was doing this to keep an eye on Tymon and ensure no one bothered him.

Trik stared out the window and watched as the landscapes blurred past them.

He couldn't figure out how none of them could sense her energy if she were moving fast enough to keep up with the train. Considering the train's traveling at approximately 356mph, she couldn't be in a car or anything. So, she must be flying, which from his understanding, requires the use of spirit energy...unless she's been running all this time, which makes more sense since running doesn't require the use of spirit energy.

After another four hours, they finally arrived at their stop in Phoenix, Arizona. They left the city and headed to a large forest east of the town. Eleven miles in, they came across a 40-foot tall, electrified steel wall with an entry gate before them.

Alissia punched her code on the security pad, and the gates began to open. Beyond the gates was a scenery Trik hadn't realized he had missed until then.

Multiple two-story buildings near the gate served as homes, factories were further back where techs like the c-chips, SAS, and other bots were built, entertainment facilities like movie theatres and restaurants were even further back near the center of the base, and furthest back but clearly visible stood a 100-story building. Its sleek, rectangular build shaded most of the Heart grounds. It was the Heart HQ, the home to many technological breakthroughs. It was the company behind his existence. It was Cerebral Tech itself.

It felt good to be home again.