Arriving at the palace, the first thing Aldon did was take a cold shower to wash away the dirt and sweat on him. Dinner comes next, though it was barely warm as he's accompanied by only his wife, the royal queen.
Aldon and his wife, Shania, had a son together, a boy roughly Zachary's age. Sadly, Aldon's relationship with his son was strained in the boy's early years. Preoccupied with royal duties and state affairs, Aldon was often absent from his son's life. This neglect led to feelings of abandonment in young Aldous. Over time, Aldon realized his mistakes and is now making sincere efforts to reconcile, realizing that his absence may have contributed to the boy's emotional distance and resentment.
The boy's mother is his only shade, and even then, whenever their son did anything bad, Shania would discipline him a notch too harshly. The lack of care that their son received, especially guidance during his growth, had shaped Aldous into a cold-hearted young man.
Aldous knew his birth to this world was because of obligation and legitimacy, instead of affection and genuine family-building. Unfortunately, Aldon tried to mend things a bit too late, as his effort only passed as a fleeting wind to Aldous.
The dinner was supposed to have three people, but Aldous hadn't joined them at all for years, and two became the norm.
"Where's our son?" That was the regular question Aldon asked his wife every day. "At his friend's," was the regular answer he'd get from Shania.
Usually, Aldon would try to keep the conversation going, but today, his mind is too preoccupied with the current state of the world.
Ironic how the King couldn't even keep his family together for dinner.
Shania was aware of Aldon's efforts over the course of the last few years. Even though she also harbored resentment towards him, she's also willing to give him a second chance. Which is why she immediately noticed when Aldon kept his silence at the dinner table, and chose to take the initiative this time.
"What are you thinking about, husband?" She asked. But Aldon remained lost in his thoughts and didn't even register her words.
After a few moments, Shania opened her mouth again, "King Aldon." This time, with a higher tone that snapped Aldon awake.
"Hm? Did you say something, Shania?" He asked.
"What are you thinking about?" She asked.
"Sigh… Of course, it's a state affair, my wife. Things are spiraling out of control." Aldon heaved a troubled breath. Though he forced a smile toward her.
"…." Shania heard the answer but kept her mouth shut, as she continued eating.
Seeing her back to minding her business, Aldon wasn't displeased. Instead, he's feeling hopeful internally.
That's a first, he mused. That was the first time she took the initiative to ask him a question again after years.
"What do you think of the Kingdom's current state, my wife?" Aldon asked.
"…." Shania was about to take another bite when Aldon asked her that, and she stopped in her tracks.
"I'm sorry, husband, I don't know," Shania answered.
"However, I do think that the Kingdom had been staying passive for far too long." Hearing her opinion, Aldon was quite taken aback.
In the future, Aldon would realize just how much this simple conversation between a husband and his wife changes the course of civilization for the entire world.
~
The first thing Clara saw as soon as she exited her shower room after a calming after-work shower was a man lounging on the couch in the living room. In the comfort of her home, Clara had shed the entirety of her guard down, and what followed after her initial shock was a scream.
"KYAAA!" She screamed at the top of her lungs while covering more of her skin beyond the limit of her towel. Mainly her upper chest area.
"Ah. Great reaction!" Zachary chuckled.
"You-! What are you doing in my house?!" Clara shouted angrily.
"Guess."
"Huh? What do you mean, guess?! GET OUT!!" She shouted.
"You're single, right? I came to keep you company. Why the hostility, though?" Zachary said matter-of-factly. Even raising an eyebrow as if Clara is the one talking nonsense.
"DAMN CREEP! I'D RATHER-!"
Before Clara could finish her sentence, her knees buckled as she felt her entire being pressed down by a massive force.
Now that was a word that Zachary never really expected people would call him. Well, can he blame her for calling him a creep when he had unceremoniously invited himself into the home of a woman unannounced?
Zachary's expression darkened. His control over his power briefly faltered as a surge of oppressive force leaked out.
Her knees slammed against the floor of her house pretty hard. Things happened so fast that Clara only realized her grim situation when her face slammed down on the floor. The sting on her face not only snapped her out of her initial outburst, but also reminded her once again of the possibility.
The possibility that her work partner, Officer Andrew, had told her about this individual.
This realization also brought a wave of another emotion, encroaching and slowly gripping her chest. Fear.
Clara thought this would be the end of her life, though she feels a surging mix of other emotions. There is still so much he hasn't done. Falling in love, getting married, and having children were a few among many other things.
When Zachary came to his senses again, he slowly reined in his emotions. It was a new experience. Well, he had forgotten how emotions worked simply because it has been a very long time since he felt it so strongly.
With the clarity coming back, Zachary swiftly reins in his power.
Clara lay face down on the floor, unmoving even after Zachary had already controlled his power.
"Is she dead?" Zachary asked himself internally.
Slowly, he walked to her side, squatted down low, and put a finger beneath her nose.
"Well, ain't she something." Zachary laughed while shaking his head. She isn't dead, just unconscious.
Still, leaving her like this isn't appropriate, even though Zachary could just let her lie flat like this for calling him a creep earlier.
Zachary willed his Soul Energy to manifest outside of his body and use it like an extension of himself, lifting the unconscious Clara into the air. She glide through the air and was sent straight to her bed while Zachary make himself comfortable by going into her kitchen and look at the groceries available.
Unfortunately, there aren't many around, and he also remembered he's currently in another world, and the ingredients were pretty much different than what was available in Aggrae.
Thinking of Aggrae, Zachary wonders about the time difference between the two worlds. How much time would have passed there now that he had been away for over a week?
Zachary went over to Clara's room and sat beside her bed. He outstretched his hand and closed his eyes so that he could focus on reading her memories. It's easy to review the entirety of her memories, but Zachary doesn't wanna pry too much. Instead, he focuses on the smaller things, such as finding out about the ingredients he saw in her kitchen and what he can make out of them.
After getting what he wanted, Zachary went to the kitchen again and began whipping up some easy snacks to munch on.
Several minutes later, Zachary had made quite a large portion of food and had completely exhausted all the food ingredients in Clara's house. The audacity of this guy is through the roof.
Just who in their right mind would do such a thing?
For Zachary, however, this can be considered a revenge to Clara for calling him a creep. Petty as it was.
With the plate in his hand, Zachary walks around the house like he's on a tour. He even arrived back in her room and read her diary.
After everything, Zachary finally got bored because Clara didn't wake up, so he left, but the signs of his presence were left everywhere. He doesn't even wash the cooking utensils he used and simply flung them into the sink.
It is currently midnight. Zachary took his leave through the front door, just in time to see a person approaching across the street. His gaze lands on her, and hers on him.
The distance between them was less than a dozen steps, but after seeing him exiting through the door, the woman stopped in her tracks.
Mercy had just gotten off from work. She's a bit exhausted from the day's activity, as there are quite a lot of customers at the diner she works at. Nothing she could do about it since it's the weekend.
"Good night, pretty lady." Zachary greeted her as his eyes unceremoniously lingered from top to bottom, and Zachary liked what he was looking at.
He's aware that the thing he's feeling right now is nothing more than a man's basic instinct, but it's still his.
It has been a very long time since Zachary had done it, so maybe…
Mercy awkwardly replied to Zachary's greeting, "Um… H- Hello."
"Are you Clara's lover?" Mercy asked.
"Hm? No? Why do you think that?" Zachary answered.
"Because you just exited from this door? Anyway, what are you doing in our house?" Mercy asked, trying hard to mask her suspicion.
"Actually, we're acquaintances." Zachary clarified with a disarming smile.
"Oh," She paused for a few moments before adding, "Excuse me, but can you move aside? I'm going in."
"Sure. I'm Zachary, by the way." He said as he stepped aside.
"Mercy." She replied.
"Well, I hope we meet again, Mercy," Zachary said.
"…." Mercy was about to close the door when he said this, but she suddenly stopped.
"Um… I know we just met, but can I ask you something? It's important." Mercy said after a long pause. She looks hurt and weak, but Zachary saw no sign of injuries on her.
"Sure. Ask away." Zachary said.
"Can we talk inside? It's more comfortable." Mercy invited Zachary in. The latter doesn't think much of it and strode in like he owned the place.
Mercy closed the door and trailed after Zachary as they both went to the living room. Zachary plopped onto the soft couch as Mercy sat on another.
On the way to the living room, Mercy saw the mess in the kitchen and immediately felt irritated. However, with a few deep breaths, Mercy pushed the thought to the back of her mind as she looked at the man in her line of sight.
"So, what do you want to ask?" Zachary inquired.
"I broke up with my lover this evening…." Mercy stated.
"And…?" Zachary tilted his head to the side, not understanding why that had to do with anything.
"You were ogling me quite hard earlier." She added, and again, Zachary just doesn't see where that fits in anything.
"I did…. And?" He repeated.
"I…." and now Mercy's feeling awkward. Even Zachary's brutally honest confession of ogling at her wasn't properly heard, as it entered her right ear just to exit through her left.
'Why in the world did I invite him in?!' she scolded herself internally. She's having second thoughts and even thinks she's being too hasty now.
"Maybe you should rest first? I'll take my leave for now. You don't have to see me out." Zachary proposed as he stood. Without waiting for Mercy's reply, Zachary walked to the door and saw himself out.
The door was shut behind him with a click, and Mercy let out a sigh she's been unconsciously holding.
With the man gone, Mercy felt herself relaxing again, though the annoying face of a guy popped up in her mind. Much to her irritation.
Honestly, Mercy had wanted Zachary to be her drinking partner for the night. She wanted to vent about that scumbag, and she might have thought about letting Zachary enter her room after venting. Her heart was telling her to let loose, but her mind told her to stay rational, and downing liquor would be bad. Plus, she doesn't even know Zachary aside from his name.
She's glad that Zachary chose to excuse himself because she might have made a very stupid decision if he hadn't.
Rising from the couch, Mercy walks to her room. On her way, she'd have to pass through Clara's room to reach it, and that's when she saw Clara sleeping on the bed.
The door was slightly ajar, and while she knows that Clara wasn't a cheap-thrill type of woman, the probability of Zachary being more than just 'acquaintances' with Clara is there.
Mercy stopped in front of Clara's door for a few moments, lost in thought. After some time, Mercy closed the door to Clara's room and walked to her own room.
"I need a shower so bad…" Mercy said to herself. Mostly to wash away the naughty thoughts and the bad vibes from her head, rather than to clean herself.
Zachary didn't linger for long at Clara's place as he once again slipped in between the layers of space. This time, however, Zachary chose to return to Aggrae.
He wants to check on the time dilation, among many other things. But first, he needs to go back to the battlefield, the very same one where he first arrived in this world.
It's easier to travel back to Aggrae from there as the channel between reality was loosened by his travel. His initial objective in coming to this world had also been fulfilled as Zachary had confirmed a few things.
First, he had concluded that Aggrae and this world don't belong to the realm in his past life, the Prime Avaricious Megaverse.
It's located in an entirely different realm, as he noticed the difference in expressions of Existence Code between this world and Aggrae, in comparison to the Prime Avaricious Megaverse worlds.
Secondly, Zachary had established impactful Karma in this world. Impactfully negative, but it offers him an advantage as he could now travel back to this world later, and arrive barely moments after he left. Regardless of how long he stayed away. In other words, he can now put a lock marking in the spacetime continuum.