Another starry night cast itself over the Hermitage. A calm, cool breeze brushed along the expansive foliage as the full moon illuminated the flora. Aelita and Jeremy Belpois sat on Adirondack chairs as they drank tea. Their position on the back balcony gave them an expansive view of the forest tree line and a full view of the starry sky. Over the years, nights such as these had become a favorite activity for the two.
For Aelita, this serene life she gained is all she could ask for. Not since her life on top of the snowy mountains that she felt so carefree. But, on this particular night, Mrs. Belpois received a shocking piece of news from her husband.
"You opened the vault!?"
"Keep it down. We don't want the neighbors knowing about this. The vault is still closed. All I've done is gained full access to the program. I don't plan on doing anything else without going the whole thing over with you."
Aelita took a great breath. It had been so long that she never thought the day where Jeremy opened the Impossible Vault would come.
"How were you able to do it?"
"Well, I couldn't have done it without the help of our good friend Ulrich. With his assistance, I was able to construct a proper algorithm that solved the 'lock' within two weeks. I only told you now because I wasn't sure if the algorithm would work."
"I'm surprised that you were still working on it. I mean it has been over 20 years. There has not been any activity on Lyoko during all that time. What do you expect to find in the Digital Sea?"
Jeremy took a moment to breathe.
"I know the chances of him still being out there are slim. But our last encounter with Wagner was a loose ending. What we remember from that day left us with more questions than answers. Trust me, sweetheart, I want to believe that this is all over but without solid proof I just can't."
"What if we find him down there? What then? It's not like we can get everyone together every evening."
Jeremy started to hunch over. Hands locked together and pressed against his forehead, he proceeded to process his thoughts.
"On the day we open the vault. We get everyone we can over," explained Jeremy as he rubbed his thumbs against the opposite ends of his brows, "We launch an expedition into the Digital Sea and check on what is there. If Wagner is alive and continuing his operations, we'll have to figure things out with the others."
As the gale picked up in strength, Aelita began to worry. She had grown used to what she had. She had two loving daughters that were the joys of her life. What if Wagner was waiting for them in the Digital Sea, how would they be able to protect the two?
"Jeremy, … how do we know we're not going down the same path as my parents?"
"We've been able to protect an entire school for two years. I'm sure we can-"
"Jeremy, I want to be sure we can protect our kids. I don't want them to get dragged into this!"
"I'm just as scared for them as you are. But, we have access to more resources than before, and I've used them to make multiple precautions. Even if something were to happen to us, they'll have the tools they need to keep themselves safe. Do not worry. The same thing won't happen to them."
Silence fell between the two of them. No response was needed to show their understanding of their feelings. Jeremy recognized that Aelita would be hesitant about going back to Lyoko. Aelita knew full well that if Wagner was alive, ignoring him would be the worst decision to make. They both realized that the real conversation they were having was whether they were ready for another Lyoko adventure.
"I just hope we're getting all worried over nothing."
"Me too."
"I love you."
"I love you too."
As the two lovers checked out for the night, they prepared their minds for a long return to their past.