6: Plans in Mind

Laurel opened her eyes as the sound of the alarm clock pierced through the silence of her bedroom.

She groaned and reached out to hit the snooze button, but unsurprisingly, it crumbled under her touch.

She turned her head to the now crushed alarm clock and frowned before lazily standing up from her bed, opening the drawer of her bedside table, and pulling out a new alarm clock while throwing the crushed one in the trash bin.

Laurel haven't count how many alarm clock she sacrifice since it became a routine for her to break them in the morning.

She hoped this new one would last longer than the others, but deep down she knew it was unlikely.

Laurel stared at her hands for a few seconds before clenching them and going to her bathroom to get ready for the day.

Although she still hasn't manifested her powers, Laurel has an abnormal strength that she theorized might be the effects of her body in her past lives being those of a hunter.

This progress might be a joyous event for everyone in her current time to be able to manifest the power to be a hunter, but for Laurel, she decided to keep to herself for now.

Although her servants are probably confused about why they keep seeing crushed alarm clocks in her trash bin by now, she was lucky that they are the kind of people that don't probe into their client's business without permission.

After drying her hair, she put on her more decent clothes, although she was not going anywhere, and looked at her reflection in the mirror and met her eyes' reflection.

Laurel stood in front of the mirror, her eyes fixed on the reflection that stared back with a haunting vacancy. Her face, devoid of any discernible emotion, seemed almost mask-like, as if it belonged to someone else entirely.

Her skin was pale, almost translucent under the harsh light, accentuating the hollowness in the eyes that bore no trace of life or spark. Lips were pressed into a straight, thin line—neither a frown nor a smile—just an expressionless slit.

Her cheeks were slack, showing no tension or softness, merely existing as part of a featureless visage. Even the eyebrows, usually so expressive in conveying a myriad of feelings, lay still and flat, unyielding in their apathy.

It was a face that told no stories, shared no secrets, and held no warmth—a perfect blank slate reflecting the emptiness within.

Seeing the emptiness in her face, Laurel tried to curl her lips up, but it was unpleasing to her eyes.

It was awkward and uncomfortable, like trying to force a smile on a mannequin.

Laurel realized that some emotions were better left unexpressed, as they only served to highlight the emptiness she felt inside.

After inspecting her appearance, which only reminded her of her shallow soul, she immediately went out of her room and went straight to the kitchen.

She expected it to be empty like usual, but she found a woman, who was wearing an apron, busy cooking in the kitchen.

Sensing her presence, the woman in an apron turned her head in her direction and smiled at her.

"Baby, good morning," her mother greeted her with a bright smile on her face.

Laurel stared at the woman's perfect appearance, with her blonde hair styled in loose waves, her flawless makeup, and her expensive dress worn underneath that apron.

The apron on her was out of place for her mother's overall appearance.

Laurel mustered up a smile and walked towards the counter. "Morning."

"Morning too," a voice rang just a few steps behind her.

Laurel looked back and saw another two people sitting on the dining table who were busy with their own things.

The person who was sitting on the seat of honor had black hair with some sideburns and was wearing a suit. He was reading something on the tab in his grasp, his brows twitching every few minutes.

"Morning, Dad," Laurel greeted the man.

His father lifted his eyes from his tab and smiled at her, his warm brown eyes turning into crescent moons. "Morning, sweetheart," he replied warmly.

"Morning," the same voice from before greets again, but this time the voice has a hint of annoyance.

Laurel shifted her eyes and laid them on the much younger man sitting right beside the seat of honor.

The man was placing his elbow on the table with his face resting in his hand, a scowl etched on his face as he stared at his phone. Laurel recognized him as her brother, who seemed to be in a bad mood as usual.

She decided to ignore his attitude and was about to turn to her mother at the kitchen counter when she heard a curse on the dining table.

She looked curiously and saw her brother, who had his eyebrows almost touching in frustration as he continued to glare at his phone screen.

Laurel couldn't help but wonder what could have upset him so much, but she knew better than to ask when he was in such a mood.

"Manners, Nick," their father said in a warning tone. "How would you lead your own guild with that temper of yours?"

Nick slammed his phone on the table and gripped his blonde hair out of frustration.

"How can I suppress my emotions when they keep spouting nonsense?!" he said in frustration while pointing at his phone as if he were pointing out the source of his anger.

Their father heaves a sigh at his outburst: "No matter what they say, accept it and prove them wrong, Nick. That's the right way to handle criticism and lead with integrity."

Nick nodded, taking a deep breath to calm himself before picking up his phone to respond in a more composed manner.

"What's this all about again?" their mother asked as she laid the main dish on the table.

Laurel left the counter and decided to help her mother lay the plates and utensils on the table.

"It's about establishing your guild, right?" their father asked in confirmation to Nick.

Nick heaves a sigh and gently places his phone on the table that Laurel saw had some cracks on it that weren't there just a moment ago.

"What else? The public has been criticizing the hunters that are not in line with the government and are trying to be independent," he said, raising his eyebrows in concern.

"Aren't they acting all the same? Even though the world has changed, someone will always criticize those in power," their father said meaningfully.

"B-but, Dad! Why are they trying to pick on me when I didn't even go under the government like those other hunters?! I didn't leave the government 'cause I didn't join them in the first place," he stammered, feeling frustrated by the unfair accusations.

"Sometimes people just look for someone to blame, regardless of the truth," his father replied calmly, offering a reassuring smile.

"Now, let's stop talking about criticism and guilds. We shall eat first to regain our strength and focus on what truly matters," their mother said as she laid the last dish she cooked, then they sat on their respective seats.

"Your food is delicious as always, honey," their father remarked with a loving smile towards his wife.

"I agree. I still can't believe you have time to cook this delicious food despite your busy schedule, mom," Nick added, taking a bite of the food and savoring the flavors. "You always manage to make everything taste amazing," he continued, making his mother blush with pride.

"Even though the world has changed, I still wanted to share a normal meal with you guys. Although I feel sad, Will can't make it. I even woke up early to cook since this is the only time of the day we are all at home, but I found out Will didn't go home last night," his mother explained, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

"It's okay, Mom. We can always save him some leftovers for when he does come home," Nick reassured her, trying to lighten the mood. "Although the food would be rotten by then, Will hasn't been coming home lately. He's probably rotten in his office."

"Right, everyone has been so busy that we barely see each other." Their mother paused and looked at Laurel.

Sensing that everyone's attention was on her, Laurel took one last bite before putting down her spoon.

"Baby, it's been a year since you left the hospital. Aren't you alone or bored in the house?"

Laurel smiled and shook her head. "I've actually been keeping myself busy with my hobbies and stuff."

Her mother's worried expression softened as she listened to Laurel's response, relieved to hear that she was doing well on her own.

"That's good to hear, but as the world changes, we also need to adapt," her mother said in a gentle voice.

"Victoria," her father said in protest.

"Ben," their mother said with a slight chuckle. "I'm just saying it might be time for Laurel to start thinking about what's next for her."

Laurel's parents exchanged a knowing look, silently communicating their concern for their daughter's future.

"Now, Laurel, sweetheart, what's on your mind?" hI er father asked this time.

It took a few seconds for Laurel before she opened her mouth and said, "I wanna go to college."