New Life, 6.

For Spencer, the memory felt strange, like something buried deep within him, something he had forgotten. It was as if Pierre's loud complaints about the terrible book (the author) were echoing in his mind... Blah, blah, blah. It sounded like an attack on his common sense, a violation of his freedom of expression.

Spencer picked up the book Pierre had thrown to the ground and, out of curiosity, began to read it. It was a crazy story. Pierre had been right.

The book followed a classic structure, with a predictable beginning and end, and the famous "happily ever after"! The protagonists lived a happy life, while the antagonists led a miserable existence. They were cruel, using anger, hatred, and pain to strengthen themselves. Their attitudes were utterly unworthy and insignificant.

The punishment—death—was predictable and accidental. The bodies of the villainous children vanished into the sea without a proper burial.

Over ten years had passed since Spencer had read the book. If his suspicions were confirmed, what would he do?

It was a tragedy that a man of the law, who had dedicated his life to his country, had ended up in this position—a terrible story filled with bloodlines, money, dark desires, and love.

Spencer remembered the names of Aster O'Connor and Damián Bowes-Lyon. The two were friends. Spencer silently prayed that Josh would turn out to be Damián. He couldn't bear to lose his brother.

Leaving the bathroom, Spencer walked straight to the other bed, noticing that the room was a high-end hospital suite. His heart pounded as he approached.

The young man lying there didn't resemble Josh at all. Damián had reddish-blond hair and a handsome face. His thin, straight nose with a vertical tip was considered beautiful. Pink freckles adorned his cheeks, giving him an exotic appearance.

Spencer surveyed the hospital suite, searching for any hidden cameras, before attempting to wake the person on the bed.

In an attempt to maintain their cover, Spencer had decided to learn Latin. It was an ancient language, rarely used in their world. He knew that Josh also had knowledge of the language, so he took a chance and spoke to Damián in Latin, hoping he wasn't Josh and wouldn't suspect anything.

"Frater expergiscimini, frater expergiscimini. Noli metuere, est mihi frater tuus, non sumus in nostro mundo. Alquid factum, cum planum ingruat, explicare non possum, hinc quam primum exire debemus."

("Brother, wake up, brother, wake up. It's me, your brother. We're not in our world. Don't be afraid. Something happened when the plane crashed. I can't explain it. We need to get out of here as soon as possible.")

Spencer repeated the words several times until Josh slowly opened his eyes. To Spencer's relief, Josh replied in Latin, "Sum frater hic!" ("I am your brother here!")

Spencer felt a wave of relief flood over him. Josh was with him!

Spencer noted Josh's wide almond-shaped eyes and pearl-like complexion as he glanced at him. The outermost part of his irises was an unusual combination of blue, brown, and amber.

When Josh turned to face Spencer, he couldn't help but tease, "Who is this handsome guy? Hahaha, hahaha." His laughter quickly turned into a desperate expression of fear, his voice trembling.

Spencer, already overwhelmed with emotions, felt a pang of concern as he noticed the change in Josh's demeanor. He furrowed his brow and gently placed his hand on Josh's shoulder, trying to reassure him.

Spencer quickly scanned the room again, confirming that there were no hidden cameras or surveillance devices.

The weight on Spencer's shoulders lifted. Josh was by his side.

With a sense of urgency, Spencer surveyed the room once more, ensuring their safety. Satisfied, he turned to Josh and said, "I think... we're cannon fodder. Our existence is a springboard for others' success."

Josh looked puzzled and asked, "What's your connection to all this? Is this... (Josh paused) an experiment?"

Spencer replied, "When we're safe, I'll explain everything."

Both got up, walked to the window, and realized they were on the tenth floor. They deduced that the lower floors housed staff, including uniforms, laundry, kitchen, and cleaning services.

Opening the door slightly, Josh led the way as they planned their escape route. The corridor was eerily empty, devoid of strangers, relatives, nurses, or doctors. Spencer couldn't help but think that the author of the book had taken poor care of Aster and Damián.

When they reached the third floor, they broke into a room and found some clothes. Unfortunately, they had no luck finding shoes and had to continue their escape wearing disposable hospital slippers.

With their meager belongings in hand, they left the hospital through the staff access door.

Josh asked, "These people don't seem concerned about us. Where should we go?"

Spencer took a moment to think and replied, "Going back to our apartment isn't safe. But I remember a woman named Emeline, a friend of ours. Emeline, an employee and friend of Damián and Aster. She might be able to help us."

Walking cautiously down the street, they identified surveillance cameras and searched for blind spots. Emeline lived in a quiet residential condominium a few kilometers from the city.

At 5:40 a.m., someone from security called Emeline's house, reporting that Aster and Damián were requesting entry. Emeline quickly authorized their entrance and hurried to meet them in the streets of the apartment complex.

As Emeline approached, she spotted her friends from afar and saw the distressed state they were in. Overwhelmed with emotion, she ran toward them and embraced them, tears streaming down her face.

Unable to speak from the overwhelming relief of finding possible safety, Spencer held Emeline tightly, knowing they were finally in the company of someone they could trust.

After they had a moment to collect themselves, Emeline led Josh and Spencer to her apartment, where they could talk and figure out their next steps. The sense of security and familiarity provided them with a much-needed respite from the chaos they had experienced so far.

Emeline offered them a seat and a cup of tea as they entered the apartment. They didn't know why or where to start unraveling the mysteries surrounding their circumstances and devising a plan to navigate this new world they had found themselves in.