Is it finally happening?
The day Eric had anticipated finally arrived.
But there was no excitement as he had imagined; instead, his mood was surprisingly calm.
"Jonathan, should we tell Eric now?"
Martha, his mother, furrowed her brows slightly, looking at her husband with a worried expression.
"It's time, Eric, come with me."
Jonathan stood up and walked downstairs, motioning for Eric to follow him.
A few minutes later, the two stood outside the barn.
"Do you remember, Eric? When you were little, you often liked to draw, and you used up two sets of Crayola crayons in one summer."
Jonathan was not in a hurry to open the barn door; instead, he reminisced about Eric's childhood.
"At first, Martha and I thought you were just scribbling like any other child, but then we found that the things you drew—spaceships, vast cosmos, exploding planets—"
"Perhaps something still remains in your memory, something etched into your very bones."
Jonathan spoke as he pushed open the barn door.
The smell of soybeans and buckwheat, mixed with a decaying scent, rushed out.
"Is that so? I don't remember."
Eric followed Jonathan's footsteps.
Actually, he had always remembered.
After all, how could he forget something like carrying memories since infancy?
The reason he used Crayola crayons to depict the explosion of Clark's hometown was simply due to boredom and a mischievous streak.
"Here, lend a hand."
Jonathan handed the pulley rope connected to the barn cellar to Eric, motioning for him to help pull the pulley to open the cellar door.
"Creak! Creak!"
As Eric pulled the rope, the cellar door opened.
A cloud of dust accompanied by an unpleasant smell rushed out from inside.
Jonathan went down into the cellar first.
"Whoosh!"
The canvas, covered in much dust, was swept aside.
A space pod, emitting a faint, ancient glow, appeared before Eric.
"This is!"
Eric perfectly displayed his "acting" talent, a look of "shock" appearing on his face.
"It's incredible, isn't it? A spaceship."
Jonathan shone his flashlight on the space pod that brought Superman to Earth.
"We thought the government would come looking, but no one ever came for you or Clark."
As he spoke, he picked up a wooden box from a nearby workbench, pulled out a black, elongated seal from inside, and handed it to Eric.
"This thing came to Earth with you and the spaceship. I once had a metallurgist look at it, and he said its composition isn't even on the periodic table."
"In other words, Eric—"
Jonathan's tone became more solemn, "You are not from Earth. You and Clark were both sent to Earth by this ship. You are the answer to that ultimate question—'Is humanity the only life in the universe?'"
Caressing the "Kryptonian artifact" in his hand and looking at the "S" symbol on the seal, Eric's emotions were a mix of feelings.
This should be the master key to open the Kryptonianship that crashed in the Arctic.
All of the Kryptonian's remaining assets were in that ship.
Eric felt little excitement at obtaining the master key so easily.
He could feel Jonathan's dejection and sadness at that moment.
Raising his head and looking into his father's eyes, Ericsaid without any pretense: "No matter what, Father, I am your son."
Having grown up in an orphanage in his previous life, never having experienced family affection, he had found much warmth in this small farm home.
No matter how cold and selfish, how hard as stone, the softness in his heart was still touched by his parents.
So, seeing his father's dejection, Eric couldn't help but step forward to comfort him.
Jonathan stroked Eric's messy hair, a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth, "Of course, you and Clarkwill always be my sons. But, I believe, you came here for a reason. The various changes you've experienced, one day, you'll realize they were helping you grow."
Perhaps seeing his younger son shed his previous aloofness and let down his guard to show genuine emotion, Jonathan was very pleased.
"Eric, do you know why I told you the truth alone and not Clark?"
Jonathan stroked Eric's hair for a moment and asked him.
"Because—"
Eric paused for a moment, then said, "You think Clarkisn't ready."
"Yes, Clark isn't ready. He isn't ready to face the path he needs to choose."
Jonathan, who had paused for a moment, said to Ericwith a serious expression: "Eric, although you are the younger brother, I hope you can help Clark in the future. In some ways, you are more mature than him, and sometimes Clark can be as stubborn as an ox, only you can rein him in."
Eric, who had been silent for a few seconds, nodded.
"I will, Dad."
The night deepened.
Clark stepped on the soft soil, entering the farm.
He had been furious when he left, but now he was in a good mood.
Reaching the house door, he touched the doorknob, and just as he was about to open the door, he hesitated.
He took a deep breath, let go of the handle, turned, and walked towards the direction of the warehouse.
His secret base was there.
Stepping onto the creaking wooden ladder to enter the second floor of the warehouse, a wide view immediately presented itself before him.
The dark night sky, the twinkling stars, the vast wilderness—
Everything looked so wonderful.
He sat down in the chair and carefully replayed the conversation he had just had with the beautiful girl.
Driven by anger, Clark had run to the public cemetery and coincidentally met Lana, who was visiting her parents' graves.
The two had the longest conversation they had ever had since they met.
After reminiscing, Clark adjusted his telescope, and once the angle was set, he aimed it at Lana's house nearby.
Lana in the telescope was standing in her yard, talking on the phone.
Observing her every expression, Clark's heart rate involuntarily quickened.
"Clark!"
As he was using the telescope to peek at his goddess, a familiar voice suddenly came, startling him.
He looked up in a panic and saw Eric standing beside him.
He now somewhat understood how his best friends Chloe and Pete felt; it's certainly not a pleasant feeling when someone suddenly stands behind you and scares you.
Before Clark could erupt, Eric walked to the edge of the warehouse and looked in the direction Clark had just been staring.
"She's beautiful, isn't she?" Eric murmured with a smile.
His greatest hobby now was teasing this adolescent "Kryptonian's Son."
Clark's face immediately turned beet red.
He knew his brother's vision had evolved to the point where he could see objects miles away.
Standing at a high vantage point, seeing Lana was effortless.
The thought of his goddess being brazenly observed by his brother made Clark feel uncomfortable.