Surprises

As the helicopter descended towards Covolo in Vicenza Province, Italy, the landscape unfolded beneath Sorin and Elara, painting a breathtaking scene.

The morning sun cast a golden hue on the rolling hills and lush green valleys as if the entire countryside was waking up to embrace the new day.

Nestled on top of a hill, Covolo appeared like a picturesque village straight out of a storybook. Its ancient stone buildings and terracotta roofs added a timeless charm to the setting.

The streets were narrow and winding, lined with colorful flowers and bustling with locals starting their day.

As they touched down on the landing field, the whirring of the helicopter's blades faded. The air was crisp and fresh, carrying the faint scent of blooming flowers and dew-kissed grass.

Elara led him to walk down the hill. She pointed toward the village down where they landed and walked with him toward a big old building.

"Our sponsor purchased this building last night for this meeting. I didn't know it was such an old one," Elara's passing comment made him stop in his track for a little bit.

He chased her with a longer stride after he recovered from the shock. Because of that, it seemed Elara realized the change in his pace and turned to him.

"Still a bit dizzy after the plane ride?" she casually asked.

"I'm dizzy because of something else," Sorin said.

They entered the building when suddenly, like a jumpscare, an old man emerged from behind the door. "Young Miss, you've finally arrived."

"Ah!" Sorin jolted back.

Elara nodded at the old man, ignoring Sorin's shock. "This is the new Young Master. And this is Anton, our family's head butler. Please don't surprise people around, Anton."

"Oh, nice to meet you, Young Master," Anton bowed at him.

But Sorin was still frozen there, feeling a bit out of place. "Hello... my name is—"

Elara suddenly leaped beside him and closed his mouth. And Sorin was also surprised to see the butler also immediately covering his ears with an earphone.

From the earphone, Sorin could faintly hear the sound of music blasting to cover outside sound.

"I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you that you shouldn't introduce yourself. Like never, please. Except when you're asked, okay?" Elara said urgently.

Sorin slowly nodded. Was it because they didn't want to leak any secret information, even to the butler?

Elara nodded back at him. "And don't call my name too, okay?"

Sorin immediately realized Elara had not mentioned her own name to anyone else on their way here. The situation now seemed even more secretive and clandestine.

Maybe it was too late to worry now, but is he going to be okay?

Years of growing up in a bad neighborhood and his life experience allowed him to discern people's intentions with just one glance. So far, he felt Elara was truly sincere.

"Okay, let's go on," Elara urged them.

The butler swiftly regained his professional composure, tucking away the earpiece around his neck. With a graceful gesture, he guided them to another room within the expansive building.

Eventually, they arrived in front of a closed double door, and Anton turned to say before he opened it, "All of the masters are here, waiting for the two of you. Please enjoy your meeting."

"Thank you, Anton," Elara smiled.

CREAK!

It was a bright dining hall.

The soft sunlight filtered through stained glass windows, casting colorful hues across the room. The air was filled with a sense of timelessness as whispers of history echoed within the old walls.

But what made Sorin instinctively sharpen his vision was the figures inside.

Sitting around the long dining table was young, unblemished, and refined faces... except one. Sorin widened his eyes at the figure sitting in one of the chairs.

"You're... Grandpa Henry?!" he exclaimed.

The random preacher... the man whose words still guided his path until today.

"You... could it be..." the old man stood up slowly, his eyes wavered as he recognized him. "Sorin Adler!"

SLAM!

The two flinched at the sudden door slamming. Elara slammed the door shut after making sure Anton had covered his ears with the blasting earphone.

"Please," she sighed, her eyes flaring at both Anton and the old man.

The air in the room thickened for a bit after Elara's warning, but then, the old man raised his hands. "Alright! It's my fault. I'm an old man, so give me a break."

"Grandpa... I never imagined you were..." Sorin's astonishment lingered. It appeared that the world was relentless in showering him with surprises at every turn.

And it seemed... now everything had become even more like a fever dream. A man from his past... appearing out of nowhere in the meeting that was supposed to grant him his normal life back.

Sorin calmly gathered himself back. Was it all planned? He didn't know why, but suddenly he felt threatened by this twist. His mind was immediately overloaded with wariness as he wondered why the tension in the room had increased.

That was until he felt a soft touch on his back.

He turned to find Elara gazing fixedly at the head of the table. She called, "Papa, please stop pressuring him."

Sorin turned to the man who sat at the end of the table, staring back at them.

Sorin had counted the people he encountered inside the building. And including Anton and him, there were nine people. Eight inside the dining hall.

At just a glance, each and every one of them had such distinct character. But it was nothing like that man sitting there with his long black hair and crimson-red eyes.

Exceptional was an understatement.

In all his life, Sorin had never encountered anything like him before. No. He was reminded of something he had felt long ago.

Dread.

Fear of death.

He thought he was familiar with that feeling, but the moment he laid eyes on him properly, Sorin felt like he had never felt it so crystal clear before.

But slowly, the feeling faded when the man displayed a friendly smile at him. "I am just humoring you. Apologize."

Suddenly, a huge weight disappeared from Sorin's shoulder.

"Grandpa Heinrich knows you. I am sure now that you're an outstanding individual," the man pointed a chair at the other end of the table for him, the chair Sorin was closest at.

Elara turned to him, nodded, and took a seat to his right.

Sorin could finally take a proper breath as he glanced toward Grandpa Henry, the preacher. He saw his eyes that demanded an explanation, mirroring Sorin's own feelings.

Ah...

So this was all a coincidence?

"Heavens had tied the thread of destiny so intricately. Well, young man, I am sure you thought that this was all planned, right? And then correcting your mind, thinking that it was a coincidence."

Sorin raised his face, turning back to the man sitting a long table away from him.

Did he just read his mind?