Ron sat up straight.
"Hello, Ron?" Carter's voice came through the phone.
"I'm coming. Wait a bit," Ron replied.
He looked around and realized he had fallen asleep on the couch. His gaze drifted to the clock on the wall.
6:30 A.M.
Ron sighed, stood, and headed to his room. He changed into a blue shirt and black pants before returning to the living room.
Ava must still be asleep.
He went into the kitchen, prepared breakfast, and placed it neatly on the table.
"I don't even have her number," Ron muttered, letting out another sigh.
He picked up a pen and a scrap of paper and wrote:
Eat breakfast. I might not be back.
After leaving the note behind, Ron stepped outside and paused, staring up at the sky.
Then he teleported.
---
The moment he arrived at Bruce's base, a bolt of purple lightning shot straight toward him.
Ron tilted his head and dodged it by a hair's breadth.
What the—
He turned sharply.
Two men stood there, both dressed in pure white suits—sleek, unfamiliar, and clearly custom-made.
"Ron," one of them said, "your magnifying glass is causing trouble."
It was Bruce—also known as Jake Jacobs.
Bruce raised a finger and pointed to a purple dot floating in midair. Lightning crackled around it as it vibrated violently, blinking again and again.
"I was experimenting with the magnifying glass Thomas gave you," Bruce explained. "But it turned completely purple. Then this thing separated from it and started floating on its own."
"Why is it blinking?" Ron asked.
The other man in white—Carter—stepped forward.
"It looks like it's either sending or receiving something," Carter said. "A signal. Energy. Or… something worse."
Ron narrowed his eyes. "It's the magnifying glass Thomas gave me. Leave it to me."
He stepped toward the purple dot.
"Ron, don't!" Carter shouted.
Ron stopped just short of touching it.
"We don't know what that thing is," Bruce said from behind. "Touching it without proper intel could trigger a calamity."
Ron nodded slowly.
"For now, I'll seal this area and move all critical equipment to another room," Bruce said firmly. "You two should leave as well."
Ron and Carter exchanged a glance, then turned and headed outside.
Ron and Carter went upstairs in Bruce's house. Carter kept smiling the entire time.
"Is something wrong?" Ron asked.
"How's Ava?" Carter said, placing a hand on Ron's shoulder.
"She's fine… I think," Ron replied.
Carter looked at him closely.
"I knew you weren't that interested, but man—at least try to hide it," he said.
Ron looked down but kept walking.
"I'll try my best to take care of Ava," Ron said quietly.
"Listen, Ron," Carter continued. "How would you ever know something if you don't give it a try?"
"What do you mean?" Ron asked.
"Nothing," Carter said with a shrug. "Just talking to myself."
They walked out together, then parted ways.
On his way home, Ron kept thinking about Carter's words.
His thoughts drifted to Locki.
Where is Locki? Where are you, my friend? Ron thought.
He stopped and looked toward a distant mountain—one of the tallest and most remote in the world.
"That man might know something," Ron said to himself.
Ron rose into the air and flew toward the farthest peak of the massive mountain range.
He landed at the foot of the mountain. Snow covered everything—the ground, the rocks, and the surrounding trees.
"Hey… it's me. Ron," he said.
The snow-covered trees trembled. Their tops bent inward, merging with the mountain rocks and sealing the area into a private space. At the lowest part of the mountain, the rock split open like a doorway.
Ron stepped inside.
A vast white circle—painted pure white and large enough to fit fifty trucks—lay beneath his feet. It began to descend like a massive lift.
As it moved down, Ron saw rows of weapons: futuristic guns, advanced armor, and unfamiliar devices, all humming with quiet power.
The lift reached the lowest level.
Ron stepped into a long hallway. The sound of metal striking metal echoed through the air.
As he reached the end, he saw a shadow.
A man stood there like a blacksmith, forging a weapon.
Ron stepped closer. He saw a broad back and long blond hair tied behind the man's head.
The man noticed the footsteps. He turned and smiled.
"Ron! Long time no see. How are you, buddy?" he said, dropping his work and moving in for a hug.
Ron raised a hand.
"Stop. You'll dirty my clothes," Ron said.
But the man only laughed and hugged him anyway.
"Man, let me go." Ron said
The man let go and said with smile, "You came to your old house almost after a decade. When you got rich you forgot your bro?" The man said
"You were the one who wanted to stay here." Ron said
A female voice comes from behind, "Who are you talking to? Finian."
"Ellen, it's Ron. My bro is finally back." Finian said.
A woman comes from behind of Finian. She looks at Ron then, at Finian.
"Honey, who is this? How did he came to this place." She whispers in Finian's ear.
"It's Ron. The one I told you about." Finian says
"Oh, that guy who came out of that coffin." She said
Finian nodded
She looked at Ron. He felt ancient.