Calm Wanderer
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(AKJ) Chapter 16 - Simple plans are always the best
🕑 Added 2023-10-24 09:46:30 +0000 UTCDamovotsk, Molkovia, Earth.
Demian's P.O.V.
As the red SUV drove closer and closer to their penthouse, the three fell silent, worsening the already tense atmosphere, especially when they noticed the progressively shrinking distance between the Gotoya and themselves. ‘It’s really not as easy as those authors described it.’ He thought wryly, recalling those numerous fantasy novels he read in his past life where the main characters met with danger constantly but were always able to effortlessly resolve them and even gain some benefits out of it. In the current situation, however, Demian felt incredibly nervous, realizing that he and his loved ones were in danger and that every single decision he and the two women made would influence the situation’s outcome. It was humbling for him who had gathered much more confidence in his fighting skills after two weeks of intense combat training, a month of intense physical training, and all that through the help of his Physiology Perk.
In a sense, it was the perfect illustration of theory versus practice and something he would have had to go through at one point anyway. Taking a deep breath, he commented inwardly. ‘I’ve died once already but I still took that bastard with me and that with neither the training, my Perk, or my current physical prowess... As long as I’m careful, I’m sure I can take on a few thugs by myself.’ Despite sounding like he was trying to convince himself, the truth was that his assets were the real deal. From what he remembered, each Athlete in his previous life had specialized fields they trained in which promoted the extreme growth of certain body Attributes, like Stamina or flexibility. Naturally, the rest would also improve, but to a lower degree. As for himself, however, every single Attribute had reached a high level, whether it be his explosive power, strength, reaction time, etc. That meant that as long as he leveraged his balanced prowess, he would be able to contend against those Peak Athletes when it came to a fight, let alone a few random thugs. At least, as long as he did not let his fear take over his mind.
‘If only I had one or two more months, I could have reached a much higher level of strength...’ Letting out a wistful sigh, he simply decided to let it go since wishing for something impossible was simply wasting his brain power. A much better use of his time and energy would be to focus on the things he could actually influence. His train of thought was suddenly broken when Adeliya remarked. “We’re almost there.” The anxiousness he was sure she was experiencing was completely absent from her voice and if it was not for her long and delicate fingers turning pale from clenching the steering wheel too strongly, she would have deceived him successfully. ‘Let’s focus.’ He declared inwardly before asking out loud. “Remember the plan? Once we get to the stop light, wait until it turns red and run it.”
Nodding her head, the mature woman then focused on the road in front. ‘Logically, they shouldn’t try too hard to catch us during the daytime and in the middle of the street... But it’s better to be safe than sorry. After all, not everyone thinks logically.’ He pondered while his gaze moved from the stop light standing at the end of the long street they were driving on to the Gotoya still following behind them. ‘We’re on a one-way street with two cars on each of the two lanes between them and our car... It’s even better than I expected.’ He analyzed briefly, noting that they were now only less than a hundred meters from the Stop Light, the latter having just turned orange. “Slow down a bit, Aunty...” He instructed uselessly as the older woman had already done so without needing his instruction. As a former brain surgeon, the woman clearly possessed high intelligence. Unfortunately, intelligence did not always equate to wisdom, and many so-called smart people had no idea how to use that ‘superior’ brain power of theirs. Fortunately, his Adeliya was in the group of high intelligence and high wisdom, which relieved the young man.
While a sliver of his mind was occupied with random thoughts, most of his attention was focused on the approaching stop light. Unlike their own car, however, the one on their left was too impatient to wait through an entire red light and accelerated quickly passing the stop light when it was still orange. “Fuck!” Demian muttered, noticing the Gotoya switching lanes to the left. ‘Only one car separating us from them.’ He exclaimed inwardly. Fortunately, that last car stopped in front of the white line with the light turning red almost at the same time. With a brief glance, he caught the sight of the woman sitting behind the wheel, who looked to be in her seventies or eighties. Unlike the old lady, Adeliya pushed the pedal to the floor as soon as the light turned red, propelling the car forward before any other vehicles could arrive from either their left or right side. With their car driving quickly toward the penthouse, he turned his body back to check their pursuers’ reaction. Noticing the car stuck behind, Demian let out a sigh of relief and declared. “We’ve lost them temporarily. Now, we just need to get to the garage quickly and we should be fine.”
Those words seemed to have magical powers as the tense atmosphere vanished almost entirely, leaving only Adeliya focused on the road. As for him, a bout of mental fatigue suddenly erupted, giving him a sort of empty feeling in his mind. Closing his eyes for a few brief seconds, he only reopened them when he heard Adeliya’s voice. “We’re finally there.” In front of his eyes was the garage door moving upward slowly. Due to their current situation, the door’s ‘leisurely’ movement brought back some anxiousness in Demian’s heart. “Why is it so slow...?” He mumbled nervously before feeling a small hand touch his shoulder. Turning his head back he noticed Seraphine’s head facing his direction, her inviting lips shaped into a warm smile. Despite having her eyelids closed, she seemed to know he was looking at her as she said softly. “We’ll be fine, Dem.”
Her thoughtful words made him freeze for a second before a feeling of shame surged in his heart. ‘She’s clearly as nervous as I am but she’s still trying to make me feel better.’ He realized instantly when he felt some slight tremor through his skin coming from her hand. ‘Because she’s blind, she wouldn’t even be able to defend herself and here I am losing my shit because the garage door is opening slowly... I really got to get a grip on my emotions.’ He contemplated while putting his hand over hers and declared firmly, his nervousness shoved in one side of his mind. “You’re right.” The group then fell silent for a brief second before the door finally opened completely, letting them through. A short while later, the car was parked at its usual spot and the three started walking rapidly toward the elevator, with Demian naturally taking Seraphine’s hand in his while matching Adeliya’s slower limping speed.
It did not take long before the three reached their personal elevator where the middle-aged woman entered their secret code. Instantly, the sliding doors opened, with the three swiftly moving inside. Tapping the top floor’s button, Demian then let out an audible sigh of relief, instantly mirrored by the two women by his side. The three then glanced at the other before a few light chuckles escaped their lips. “We did it, didn’t we?” Sera asked rhetorically, prompting the other two to reflexively nod. Realizing that she could not see them, Demian answered out loud. “We did. We’re safe now. They can’t get inside this elevator without our secret code. Same for the stairs. And that’s if they can even enter the building in the first place.”
As those words resounded in the cabin, the light indicator on the side of the door kept moving upward, smoothly bringing them through one floor after the other. After he finished his explanation, the youngest redhead commented. “It feels a bit surreal. As if we’re in a spy movie or something... I don’t know. Maybe I’m going crazy.” Shaking her head, Adeliya replied in a tired voice. “As long as you take this whole thing seriously...” Nodding firmly, the young woman reassured. “I am, Mom. Don’t worry.” “Mmmhh.” Her mother grunted noncommittally, her gaze lingering briefly on Sera’s hand still in Demian’s grip before her eyes wandered to the lit floor indicators. With his sharp senses, the young man easily noticed his Aunt’s reaction making him feel guilty. As his fingers started releasing their grip on her hand, he felt her delicate fingers tighten around his hand, surprising him. Turning his gaze toward her, he caught the furrow of her brow, displaying her stubbornness and discontent.
Looking at the scars struggling to hide the beauty underneath, he felt a sudden surge of emotions toward the petite woman. ‘She doesn’t care about what Aunty would say, uh...? Why am I acting like a coward then? Didn’t I make up my mind to bring the three of them along with me on my path to great power and long life? If I get embarrassed about holding hands with Sera, then I can just give up those thoughts...’ Letting out a sigh, he squeezed her hand gently, trying to transmit his resolve through his gentle touch. ‘With how brave you are, I can’t let you down, my dear cousin.’ He decided while the light frown they both previously harbored on their faces transformed into warm smiles.
‘One simple decision can make life so much simpler and sweeter.’ He pondered with amusement while feeling a weight lifting off his shoulders, noticing their imminent arrival on the tenth floor where their penthouse was located.
Adeliya's P.O.V.
After a short conversation, she briefly glanced at her nephew still holding her daughter’s hand before turning toward those lit floor indicators without making any comment. ‘Could it be...? But they never... I mean I did notice Sera’s strong attachment to Demian since the accident, but I didn’t think...’ She contemplated while looking absentmindedly at the closed doors in front of her eyes. It may have been a case of misunderstanding, but her intuition told her that it was the truth. ‘Should I say something...?’ Despite asking herself that question, she knew deep inside her that she would not try to separate the two. Yes, they were blood-related, but that would only become a real problem after a few generations. Plus, with her daughter’s disabilities, how was she supposed to find someone who treated her as sincerely as Demian? Not only that, but that would mean leaving the penthouse for the young woman to be with her prospective man. After all, Adeliya had pretty much raised her nephew since he was a baby, so she knew his character very well, but that would not be the case for other random men. She had seen a lot of terrible things during her life and knew to cherish the genuine people around her.
Breaking them up would make the two sad and for what? ‘Instead, I better not say anything. That way my darling daughter won’t leave me... It may be a bit selfish but then again they’re doing it themselves, I’m not forcing them... Damn it! I’m overthinking again! They’re just holding hands, for God’s sake! I’ll just let the two deal with their romance on their own.’ She decided while feeling a flurry of emotions. However, the only visible sign of her inner ‘struggle’ was the hazy look she sported. ‘Speaking of Demian... He’s really changed since a month ago. He almost feels like someone else. Or more specifically, it’s as if every aspect of his personality improved. I guess I can’t see him as a little kid now... He’s become a dependable man, uh?’ She pondered while a happy smile appeared on her face and a barely visible glint of some unknown emotions surfaced in her gaze.
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Lost in her own world, she was pulled out from her reverie when a 'Ding' sound resounded in the elevator and its doors opened, unveiling the empty corridor beyond.
