1

"Wake up you lazy brat, we are going to be late."

Inside a well-lit room, the playful voice of a woman sounded before she walked to the bed and patted the boy sleeping on it.

"Umm..." The boy protested weakly but in the end, opened his eyes and looked at his mother with an annoyed expression. "Tch... Why do I need to go and visit with her?" His voice was filled with complaint, but after looking at his mother's stern face, he shivered before jumping out of bed and rushing to the bathroom.

"This boy..." The woman shook her head with a helpless smile before walking out of the room.

Inside the bathroom, the boy wrinkled his nose in protest while continuing to mutter in displeasure, "Tch... Xen do this... Xen do that... Why am I the only one that needs to do everything?"

The more he spoke, the more discontent his voice grew, in the end, he shook his head and looked at himself at the empty wall in front of him that looked like a small curtain of flowing water. As soon as his gaze landed there, the waving curtain suddenly stopped before rearranging itself and soon, a mirror appeared before Xen.

On the mirror was the reflection of a young boy possibly fourteen wearing a loose set of clothes. His hair was dark with his skin the color of wheatish white. His face had the immaturity of a teen as his black eyes were filled with constant complaints.

Besides his reflection, there were a few additional rows of text there.

Hygiene Suggestions:

Wash your face to remove dirt.

Trim your nails; they are getting long.

Brush your teeth for fresh breath.

Xen ignored the messages, picked up a small bottle of liquid, poured it in his mouth and after a few seconds of swirling it inside, swallowed it. He then waved his hand and the screen changed, revealing a new row of text.

Physical Health Insights:

Heart rate slightly elevated—consider relaxation techniques.

Hydration level: 70%—drink water soon

"Umm..." With a nod, he stepped into the bathtub and after a few minutes walked out refreshed before heading back to his room. He then wore an exquisite black suit that was laced with golden lines before heading outside the room.

"You are here?" As soon as Xen walked outside, he was greeted with a crisp voice that annoyed him again. In front of him was a little girl barely nine years old jumping up and down in excitement. The smile on her face was enough to melt even the hearts of stones, but Xen just snorted in annoyance.

"Say, brother, are you excited?" The more she spoke, the more excited she got.

Ignoring her, Xen sat on a smooth white floating table. Within moments, another set of footsteps echoed and with that, a woman arrived there with a set of floating trays beside her. The trays stopped right in front of both Xen and the girl upon which a few pancakes were placed.

"Hurry up and finish your breakfast, otherwise we will be late for the tour." The woman urged them before heading to her room to change into a more suitable outfit.

"Xen... Xen... Do you want one more?" It was impossible for the girl to keep quiet, she kept on chattering non-stop, hoping to attract his attention. Xen just glanced at her before snorting in displeasure. He was in no mood to entertain her further.

It didn't take long before the two of them finished their breakfast the trays once again floated back into the kitchen. And just then, the figure of a woman in her late thirties arrived there with a gentle smile on her face. She was wearing an exquisite blue gown. On her ears were a few pieces of exquisite jewellery and on her hand was a small bag made from unknown metal. This woman was the mother of the two siblings.

"Xen, Lisa, are you two ready?" She asked with a smile before holding Lisa's hands, but when she reached out for Xen, he screamed in terror before taking a few steps back.

"NO... I am fine." Xen kept on shaking his head. There was no way in hell he was going to hold his mother's hand. It was such an embarrassing thing to do.

"Fine." His mother's face stiffened before she along with her two kids walked out of their room.

As soon as they walked out, Xen was greeted by the sight of clouds in the sky along with numerous buildings in the distance. The road in front of his house was completely empty and on both sides of the road were towering trees reaching as high as the sky.

"Let's go." His mother signalled him to follow him before stopping right in front of an exquisite floating vehicle that was already waiting for them there. Without any words, the three of them hopped in as it began to move.

"Okay, what's going on Xen?" After the three of them sat comfortably, the woman finally asked her son. His behaviour over the past few days has been erratic.

"Are you really asking me that?" Xen pointed to himself and asked in disbelief.

"Turn on the music for Lisa please." The woman didn't reply to him, but tapped on the car and soon a gentle soothing voice of the woman echoed.

[Playing Music For Lisa]

And with that, a low humming tune sounded in Lisa's ears, preventing her from listening to the argument in the car.

"Okay." After doing that, the woman turned around and narrowed her eyes. "Is it about the tour?"

"Hmph." Xen snorted in displeasure, she already knew it and was still asking about it. It was as if she was purposefully mocking him.

"Listen now." The woman took a deep breath, "I know all your friends were planning to visit Saturn, but now is not the time. Your sister wanted a family tour, so we thought this was a good time to spend together you know? Your father hasn't been home in months and because of Lisa's request, he has finally taken a day off. Don't you want to see your father too?"

Her voice grew soft as if urging him to understand the current situation.

"Really?" Xen snorted coldly. "And I have to follow why?"

"BECAUSE ITS YOUR SISTER'S BIRTHDAY." The woman finally spoke with a voice full of anger. "And if you can't even respect it, then you can stay at home by yourself."

"....." Xen just clenched his fists in anger but didn't say anything else.

Looking at her son sitting there in silence, the woman's heart pained as he raised her hand to gently brush his hair, neatly arranging it.

"Just this time, please."

Listening to her voice, it was impossible for Xen to stay mad. In the end, he just gave a helpless sigh and nodded in response. Even though he wanted to go on a tour with his friends, he could only give it up for now. Perhaps in the future, they might make another plan.

-----

It didn't take long before they finally reached their destination. In front of them was a large modern hall that was gleaming under the sunlight and was shaped like a lotus petal.

After the three of them got out of their vehicle, they made their way inside the hall through the glass doors.

Even though the hall was unbelievably large, the number of people was hardly more than a hundred. Though there were a lot of vending machines floating at the corners with white seats flying in a set direction.

The three of them looked around for a moment before Lisa suddenly pointed in a direction and screamed, "There's dad."

With that, she broke free from her mother's hand and rushed towards a middle-aged man wearing a blue set of dress with golden-rimmed glasses on his nose, before jumping in his arms.

"Hehe..." Dean had already discovered them when they entered, so when he saw his daughter rushing towards him, he bent on his knees before hugging her tightly and lifting her in the air.

After playing with her for a while, he then looked at his wife with a gentle smile before nodding to his son.

"Dad." Xen took a step forward, but before he could speak, he suddenly felt a warm embrace of his father. Stunned, he was embarrassed, his eyes constantly darting around hoping no one noticed it. After that, he struggled free and patted his clothes, rearranging them.

"Shall we go?" Dean asked with a smile before heading forward while holding the hand of his dearest daughter.

Xen stayed still for a moment before following them, but throughout that time, his heart was filled with an inexplicable sense of unease. His father suddenly popped out after months and the first thing he did was to hug him tightly. Before now, his father never hugged him, not to mention he was trembling while hugging him. He didn't think it was due to his love, he had noticed the flicker of worry in his father's eyes, a look that lingered even as he tried to smile.

For a fourteen-year-old, Xen was already mature beyond his age, so he could always catch some inexplicable things that might seem insignificant to others. He wanted to ask his father if everything was okay, but after thinking for a moment he decided to wait till they were done with this tour.

Without wasting another second, he chased after them and stood beside them.

"Okay, the tour is going to start, Lisa are you excited?" The woman looked at her daughter dotingly as a smile ran across her face. Feeling the presence of her son beside herself, she then turned and asked Xen, "Honey, are you excited too?"

"Mom... I have been to this tour three times already." Xen replied with a helpless expression. It might be the first time for his sister, but for him, it was his fourth time. By now, he could remember everything inside... word to word.

"That doesn't mean there is nothing new to learn." His mother smiled gently as they finally stood in front of a small lift.

[Welcome, Estrona family.]

At that moment, the gentle voice of a woman sounded in their ears.

[Your identity has been confirmed; please enjoy your tour.]

With that, the world around them suddenly turned dark before they felt a sensation of weightlessness.

"Aah!" Lisa laughed in excitement as she found that the world around them had returned to brightness, except the four of them were soaring through the air, gazing down at a vibrant world beneath them, bursting with lush vegetation. As they hovered, the voice continued.

[The earliest recorded history of Earth. This is the pre-historic era, where giant creatures dominated the world.]

Below them, the scene transformed into a dense forest filled with towering trees. Majestic dinosaurs roamed the landscape, some engaged in fierce battles while others grazed peacefully, their massive forms dwarfing the surrounding flora.

"Mom, look!" Lisa exclaimed, her eyes wide with wonder. She clapped her hands in delight, pointing at a colossal Brachiosaurus stretching its long neck to munch on the treetops.

[This era lasted for millions of years, until a giant meteor struck the Earth, and everything vanished.]

The scene shifted abruptly, a fiery meteor streaking across the sky, growing larger as it approached. A deafening crash resonated in the air as it collided with the Earth, sending a shockwave that rippled through the landscape, engulfing everything in flames.

[After that, the world plunged into an eerie silence for a long time. Only a few life forms survived, most of which were aquatic creatures.]

The view changed seamlessly, transitioning to the depths of a vast, dark ocean. Bioluminescent jellyfish floated gracefully, illuminating the underwater realm with their soft glow. Schools of fish darted through vibrant coral reefs, but the remnants of the once-thriving land above were now nothing more than shadows.

[As the planet recovered, new forms of life began to emerge from the depths, evolving over millions of years.]

The scene morphed again, showcasing the first amphibians crawling onto the land. Reptiles soon followed, and with them, the dawn of a new era began.

"Wow, look at them!" Lisa said, captivated by the sight of an early reptile basking on a sunlit rock. "They're so cute!"

[The journey through time continues, leading to the rise of mammals and, eventually, to humanity.]

As the voice faded, the family felt a gentle pull, propelling them forward through the vastness of time. The landscapes shifted rapidly, each scene brimming with life, capturing the essence of evolution.

[As millions of years passed, a significant event occurred: the emergence of early humans.]

The view transformed into a scene of a primitive campfire surrounded by early hominids. They were clad in furs, their faces marked with curiosity and resilience. The voice narrated,

[Homo sapiens, the ancestors of modern humans, began to evolve around 300,000 years ago. With tools in hand and fire at their disposal, they learned to adapt and thrive.]

Lisa watched, fascinated, as the early humans crafted weapons and gathered around the fire, sharing stories and food.

[Over time, the continents began to drift, and the world split into seven distinct landmasses.]

The scenery shifted, revealing a swirling globe that gradually divided into seven continents. The colours brightened as lush greenery and vast deserts formed, marking the rise of different ecosystems.

[As humans migrated across these continents, they began to form societies.]

The scene transformed into a bustling village, where people engaged in trade, agriculture, and the building of homes.

[These early societies were the foundation of human civilization, leading to the establishment of clans and tribes.]

Lisa pointed excitedly as the villagers worked together, planting crops and raising animals.

[As populations grew, the need for organization led to the rise of leadership. Kings were chosen, and kingdoms began to form.]

The view shifted again, showcasing grand castles and fortified walls. Noble families held power, ruling over vast lands.

[However, the quest for power led to conflict. Wars broke out between kingdoms, shaping the course of history.]

The family watched as knights clashed on battlefields, the sounds of clanging swords and galloping horses filling the air.

[Through trials and tribulations, societies evolved, and eventually, the modern era emerged.]

The scene rapidly advanced, showcasing the rise of cities, bustling with merchants and artisans.

[In this new age, people chose governments to bring order and structure to their lives.]

The view shifted to a crowded town square where citizens gathered, discussing ideas and debating policies.

[Nations formed, and with them, politics bloomed. Treaties were signed, alliances forged, and the world began to grow interconnected.]

The landscape transformed, revealing maps of the world with lines drawn to signify borders.

[As technology advanced, inventions like the printing press, steam engine, and electricity changed lives forever.]

The scene exploded with innovation: factories filled with machines, people riding trains, and cities illuminated by electric lights.

[Enter the modern era, the year from 2000 to 2100 is considered both a boon and a curse. This is the most pivotal century ever recorded in human history. It was the birth of many technological wonders and at the same time, humanity almost went extinct due to intense inner conflicts.]

As the scene from the years 2000 to 2100 played out in front of him, Xen suddenly noticed his father visibly trembling before returning back to normal. If Xen was still focused on the scenes in front of him, he might not have noticed it, but since he had already seen it many times before, he wasn't paying attention to it, this let him catch the slight trembling in his father. Before he could ask if everything was okay, the scene suddenly changed.

[Thankfully, we humans managed to overcome it and finally entered the glorious Interstellar Era]

The scene then changed to outer space with numerous spaceships entering and exiting from the Earth.

[After that, we inhabited Mars, then Jupiter, then Saturn and so on. In the end, with technological advancement, we were able to conquer this Milky Way and thrive even further.]

The scene then changed into that of colossal structures and min-boggling spaceships, some even bigger than Earth's moon.

During the entire time, Xen's mind was focused on his father whereas both Lisa and his mother were talking excitedly while pointing at things.

This tour lasted for another half hour before the family finally exited from the lift. As the four of them walked out, they each had a different expression. Whereas both Lisa and mother seemed to be lost in what they saw, Dean had a worried expression on his face whereas Xen was silently observing his father, wondering what was going on.

The family of four spent a few more hours at the building, looking at the excavated bones of the dinosaurs and the old technology before finally heading back home.

As they reached back, Lisa had almost fallen asleep due to overexerting herself whereas Xen's mom headed to the kitchen to prepare a meal for them. Though she didn't need to prepare it by herself, she still loved to feed her family.

In the main room, it was only Xen and his father. Looking at his father's worried expression, Xen finally couldn't hold back and finally asked.

"Dad, is everything okay?"