Chapter 8 - A Secret

'Who exactly are those who attacked Ryan…'

David's mind was swarming with questions as he walked towards Aric's ward. Though his face didn't show it, he was deeply worried about Aric.

Aric was just an ordinary human, without any extraordinary powers. Unlike Ryan, who possessed super strength. From the injuries Amanda reported, David concluded that they weren't caused by an enemy.

"Maybe when that foreign object hit Rumera Hill, the impact and explosion caused Aric's injuries," David speculated.

"Thankfully, we have a Healer Nova like Amanda. Otherwise, I don't think what I planned for Aric could be executed properly," David muttered to himself.

No one knew what plan David was referring to. It seemed like there were many secrets he was keeping. He was also devising several plans on how to neutralize the poison in Ryan's body.

However, his thoughts were slightly disrupted as he was frequently approached by those around him. Even after a thousand years, human nature remained the same. Swarming the public figures and idols!

Many greeted him, and quite a few asked for his permission to take pictures. As someone extremely popular not only in Valoria but across Earth, David was used to this.

"If I let this continue, it'll take longer to meet Aric," David thought to himself.

Tired of dealing with fans, David used a device to alter his face and voice. This was very easy for him. He had a tool for almost everything.

Finally, he felt relieved and made his way to Aric's ward more quickly. Before entering, he deactivated the device, returning to his original face and voice.

Upon arrival, he saw three Elite Novas standing guard outside of Aric's ward. Coupled with the security system he had developed, the security here was extremely tight for an ordinary human like Aric.

"Sir!" The three Novas saluted David.

David's status on Earth as a Nova was very high. He was ranked among the Supreme Novas, with fewer than ten thousand people on Earth achieving this rank. He was far from ordinary.

David responded with a smile before saying, "I want to see Aric."

The three Novas stepped aside, and a scanner swept over David's body before the door to Aric's ward opened. David stepped inside, and as soon as the door closed, he discreetly did something.

All the technology here was his creation, so he could easily manipulate the visuals shown to the security team. They only saw David standing by Aric, occasionally touching his forehead.

In reality, he had just transformed a robotic beetle into a high-tech lens attached to his left eye. He was examining Aric's body.

A smile formed on David's face, but simultaneously, he felt a deep concern about what would happen to Aric.

"What you predicted has arrived, Iker," David said.

Iker, his childhood friend, was blessed with the power to foresee the future. Using his ability, he could see what would happen.

The further into the future he tried to see, the vaguer the information.

Though it seemed like an ordinary power, David helped Iker master and use it for various purposes.

For example, David suggested that Iker use his power in battle, predicting two or three seconds ahead. With just a few seconds, he could see the future with high accuracy. Those few seconds were enough to give Iker a significant advantage in battle, making him a respected Supreme Nova.

Assisted by a training regime designed by David, Iker quickly enhanced his physical capabilities. Any other shortcomings were overcome with combat technology specially designed by David.

But who would have thought that the "price" Iker paid for every time he foresaw the future was his own life. Every second he looked into the future cost him a minute of his life.

David was slow to realize this. If he had known, he would have fought against this fate for his friend. He would have done anything just to find ways to overcome this shortcoming of Iker's power.

One or two seconds accumulated into minutes, then hours. On his fortieth birthday, ten years ago, his life was claimed by the Creator.

Iker's last request was for David to record anything he could see in his mind. His only purpose was to give David a final sneak peek for fifteen years into the future.

All this was to give his best friend the time to prepare for whatever might come. Whether good or bad, David had to judge and act for himself.

What was happening in Aric's body now was one of what Iker had foresaw. Though not very clear because Iker foresaw quite far ahead, it began to connect the dots for David.

Something huge was going to happen, and who would have thought Aric would play a crucial role this time. How, exactly, was still unclear. But his current task was to help Aric as best as he could.

Lost in his thoughts, David was interrupted by a voice, "D-d-dad?"

The voice was dry. Aric saw a blurry figure in front of him; his vision was still unclear, and his head hurt.

"Yes, Aric. I'm here," David replied. He quickly put away his device and switched the CCTV display back to the live footage. The transition was smooth, and no one noticed anything unusual.

He walked slowly towards Aric. He felt very guilty. There were secrets he hadn't shared about Iker's to Aric. But he had to swallow it all. He had to do this.

"Where am I?" Aric asked quietly.

He looked around before his gaze fell on his own body. He remembered what happened. He was badly injured.

Miraculously, there wasn't a single injury on his body now. He didn't know what had happened to him.

David decided to give Aric some time to calm down. He didn't want to burden Aric with unnecessary information, especially about Ryan.

"You're in the hospital. Ryan and his team found you unconscious at Rumera Hill. What were you doing there?" David asked, handing Aric a bottle of water to soothe his dry throat.

"I go there every evening, Dad," Aric replied after drinking nearly half the bottle. "But earlier, an unknown object hit the hill thus destroying everything," Aric continued.

"An unknown object?" David's understanding deepened. 'So, that's how it came here.'

Just as the reports indicated, there was an unknown object from space heading towards Rumera Hill. He hadn't anticipated that Aric would be there at the time.

Normally, that area was seldom visited by ordinary people because it was close to the Yellow Zone. Moreover, it was more of a flora and fauna conservation area.

Many wild animals roamed there. Though not as fierce as monsters, it was still impossible for ordinary humans to battle with wild animals.

"Oh. I forgot to mention earlier. Amanda said your injuries were quite severe. You were on the brink of death," David remarked casually.

He leaned back in his chair, looking like a tired father just home from work. For some reason, only with Aric did he not need to act like a significant world figure. He could just be David, Aric's father and friend.

"On the brink of death? I thought I was dead," Aric found it hard to believe. His injuries were critical, and if he didn't die, he would likely be dependent on machines to stay alive.

"Why? You really wanted to die?" David teased. He understood what Aric meant. He knew everything. How did he know? That would be told later.

"You should've seen my condition then, Dad. It's impossible I'm still alive now," Aric replied with a small laugh, interrupted by a severe cough.

"Are you okay?" David asked, slightly worried.

Aric raised his right hand to signal he was fine. David looked straight into his youngest son's eyes and took a deep breath.

'One day you'll know why it's not impossible for you, my son. I'm sorry.' He could only say it in his heart. It wasn't time for Aric to know yet.

"Amanda added that your body is extraordinary. She's just a Specialist Nova, and even her healing power couldn't heal you immediately," David explained.

"She said it was like some other power helped your healing process. You should be grateful. Maybe God still loves you and wants you to achieve something in life," David continued with a smile.

Aric gave a slight smile, "What can an ordinary person like me do?"

"A lot. Besides, I believe what happened today has changed your mindset and yourself, Aric. You'll no longer be the same," David reassured.

Aric sensed that David was hinting at something. What did his father mean? He didn't know, and he didn't want to burden himself with that thought just yet.

"Oh. Mom and Eliza are here already. Prepare to be hugged tightly," David teased with a small laugh.

True to his words, the door to Aric's ward opened. "Aric! Thank God," Elis cried out. She hugged her son tightly. Tears streamed down her face, wetting Aric's body. "Are you okay?"

"Mom, don't worry. I'm okay." Aric returned Elis's hug.

But he was a bit confused. If he hadn't suffered serious injuries and was just unconscious, his mother's reaction seemed excessive. Elis looked closely at Aric's face. She studied it for a long time.

"Your brother, Aric. Ryan..." 

Aric grew more confused by his mother's actions and words. "What about Ryan?" But he got no answer from her.

"Eliza, what about Ryan?!" Aric became a little anxious because his mother's crying intensified when he asked that question.

Eliza didn't know how to inform Aric about it. David hadn't told Aric when they were alone because Aric had just woken up. Before he could explain, his wife and daughter had arrived. There were still many things he wanted to ask Aric.

David took a deep breath, "When Ryan found you, you were nearly taken away by three mysterious masked figures with animal motifs. Their strength matched Ryan's."

"Matched Ryan? Impossible. He has super strength," Aric interrupted.

"Strength isn't everything in this world. Don't you remember?" David asked deliberately.

This was to remind Aric of the battle between David and Agustin. Eliza, who was listening, looked puzzled. Elis just let her husband talk.

"In battle, many factors contribute to victory… and to defeat. Ryan's mistake this time was that he had to watch over his team and you, Aric." David wasn't blaming Aric for what happened. He was just explaining things as they were.

"What exactly happened?" Aric felt a chill as he listened to his father.

"Ryan is in critical condition. He's seriously injured and poisoned by the enemy," Elis interjected.

"Doesn't the hospital have an antidote for the poison?"

Elis and Eliza shook their heads, answering Aric's question with their body language.

"Dad? Aren't you the smartest man on Earth? Surely you can do something," Aric pleaded. He was almost in tears.

"That poison isn't something from Earth. I need some time to find an antidote. Don't worry," David replied. He placed a hand on Aric's shoulder, offering a reassuring smile, confident he could do it.

"I want to see Ryan," Aric said.

He got up and headed towards Ryan's ward.

"Eliza, take me there." Eliza nodded slowly. The four of them walked out towards Ryan's ward. Unbeknownst to Aric, the responsibility of healing Ryan would soon fall on his shoulders.