When Jay asked Qew to share what had happened over the past month, she shot him a brief glare, realizing he was trying to play matchmaker by making her talk to Rownak. After a pause, she turned to him.
"It's been a while, Rownak. I hope Aunt and Riya are doing well."
Rownak straightened slightly and smiled. "It has. Almost a year, right? And Mom's doing great. She often talks about you three and wishes to meet you, but something always comes up. Why don't you all come with me this time and surprise her? She'd love it."
Qew gave a small, nervous smile. Before she could reply, Kay spoke from the side. "But your sister…"
Rownak understood their hesitation and quickly clarified. "Riya's out of the city. She's training hard for her upcoming national archery competition and won't be home for a month. It won't be like last time. I'm sorry for what happened before. Please don't take it to heart. You know how stubborn she is. She never listens to me. She hasn't been the same since… that incident..."
His voice trailed off as bitter memories surfaced.
Jay could tell how much Uncle Aadrik's death still weighed on Rownak, even after five years. They all knew the risks that came with his father's job as chief of security. But unlike Rownak and his mother, Riya had placed the blame on their family.
The last time Jay and his siblings had visited, Riya hadn't been welcoming. In fact, she had been openly hostile, making their stay anything but pleasant.
Qew broke the silence before it grew heavier. "By the way, when's your new movie coming out?"
At the question, Rownak's face brightened. "First week of July. I can't wait for it to hit theaters. This is the biggest action flick I've ever done. And I might sound like I'm bragging, but mark my words, this one could even get nominated for international awards."
Qew glanced at him awkwardly. So did Kay and Jay.
They all knew that five months from now, Earth's assimilation would begin. Human society as a whole would collapse. Survival itself would become a luxury, and no one would care about movies.
But they didn't burst his excitement, just yet. Rownak misread their looks and let out a huff.
"Hmph. Fine, don't believe me. Wait until the end of the year. When I'm on stage at the Filmfare festival, I'll make sure to call you three out for doubting me."
Rownak was about to talk more about the stunts he had performed himself when his stomach growled loudly. He gave an awkward smile.
"Ahem. With Jay rushing me, I skipped lunch. And you all know I get motion sickness, so I didn't eat anything on the plane either."
Jay raised his hand slightly, signaling agreement. "Alright, we'll grab something at our usual spot. On the way, we can go over the story. Qew, give me the wheel and start talking."
Qew pouted. "I can do both… fine, take it."
She pressed a button beneath the wheel. The steering column folded into the dashboard, and a new wheel slid out in front of Jay, along with the pedals at his feet.
Rownak's eyes lit up. "Cool! Is this one of those S.E.E.D tech cars? I need to get one of these."
Jay only smiled and didn't mention any of the car's other advanced features. He started driving while Qew began narrating.
"It all started at the beginning of this year… midnight, to be exact, when the protagonist of our story received strange notifications."
Rownak leaned forward and listened. The story grew stranger and unreal as it went on. His expressions shifted with each part, moving from surprise to tension and then disbelief as the events unfolded.
From near-death encounters to brutal tournaments, to the looming threat humanity faced when the mysterious System began assimilating with Earth, the story pulled him in completely.
"… and just like that, twenty-nine days passed since the start of the protagonist's journey."
Rownak waited for her to continue, but Qew stayed quiet. Only the sounds of passing cars and slow-moving traffic filled the silence. They had been on the road for half an hour, with fifteen minutes left before they reached their destination.
"Come on, keep going. What happens next? Don't leave me in suspense."
Qew covered her mouth and giggled at his expectant look. "That's all for now."
Rownak groaned. "How is that a proper ending? What about the Final Tournament? The Bloodline Realm? Did the protagonist become Earth's Alpha Prime? And what devious plan did this Urzo guy set in motion?? Someone, tell me!"
Kay finally spoke. "That's as far as things have gone. We'll know more about the Final Tournament after tomorrow."
Rownak blinked. "Oh… so this is like an ongoing series or anime?"
They all shook their heads. The silence that followed, along with the looks they gave him, made Rownak pause. Slowly, he began to rethink the story.
As Rownak compared the story to reality, pieces started to fit together. The miraculous recovery of the protagonist's siblings, the revolutionary technology, the company's rise back to and beyond its former glory; none of it felt like coincidence anymore.
He gave them all a doubtful look. "Don't tell me this is what actually happened with you all. You're kidding… right? Right?"
Jay turned toward him, no longer planning to keep him in the dark.
'One of the abilities the protagonist has… is to communicate mentally.'
Before Rownak could respond, Jay's voice echoed in his mind, clear as day. He remembered the same thing happening at the airport but had brushed it off as jet lag. This time, there was no denying it.
The thought that the story might be real made his head spin. It felt unreal, yet hearing Jay in his mind made it impossible to ignore.
He opened his mouth to ask more, but the car suddenly jolted, shaking hard. Around them, horns blared as the other vehicles in the traffic jam shook as well. Streetlights wobbled, and a few signs clattered against poles. The tremor lasted for around five seconds before settling.
Kay gripped the door and said, "An earthquake?"
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Author Note:
Due to ongoing piracy concerns, the final 22 chapters of Volume 3 (Ch.351 to 372) are not posted publicly. They are exclusively available through:
📘 Amazon Kindle – Volume 3 eBook & PATRE0N
👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DRQNP1ZS
📅 Chapter Release Schedule
A total of 4 chapters every week, with 2 chapters / week for each book:
Earth's Alpha Prime – Volume 4
🗓️ Wednesday & Saturday
ALTER REALITY: Online – 1st Side Story of EARTH's ALPHA PRIME
🗓️ Monday & Friday
📖 Go check this new book out if you haven't already!
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Exclusive artwork for every free chapter is now available on my PATRE0N page! You can find the link in my Discord server.
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Discord Link for 'Earth's Alpha Prime' :
https://discord.gg/EmqX6fh9cV
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