Chapter 47: Old Аge Еquals Unhappines

"Inside every older person is a younger person wondering what happened."


The funeral service was short and modest, there really wasn't much more that could've been done anyway. It had all happened out of nowhere. Out of bad luck. Bad timing? Whatever the story was, the ending to it was sad. Tragic.

The service was held in a small church near the place Herbert Olsen and his late wife had first met and then got married - in that same church he was now being bemoaned. He had had a full life; he had reached a dignifying age and created a loving family before his unfortunate end. Quite a few people had come to take their final goodbyes with him today and the gloomy atmosphere was expected for a funeral. Still and all, everything was...Unfair. Unfair to Herbert, unfair to his grandson, who was left completely shattered. Unfair in general; someone had just pushed an elderly man down the stairs and triggered his death over nothing. That someone was still out there, free and unbothered. The police didn't even have an idea how to start building the case.

Will sighed and took the big bouquet that her friends were handing her. It would be from the four of them; she and the other girls were sitting on the first bench from the row next to the windows on the left. Their families were behind them. The middle row was for Herbert's family and extended family, and all relatives that had come for the funeral on such short terms, while the third row of benches was for friends and acquaintances.

Her friends watched her make her way to the coffin with concern written on their faces. They knew that Will had a hard time processing what had happened, especially because of Matt, who was now next to his mother. Totally in shock. Not uttering a word. But it wasn't until he made his entrance that the pot was stirred again.

"No way."- Irma murmured under her nose as she saw him walk in. Marcus Snowden. Matt's father and their main suspect when it came to Herbert's accident. "Talk about having balls in the wrong moment."

"I wouldn't call that having balls, I would call it being excessively impudent."- Taranee shook her head as all of them turned back to look at the entrance of the church and the man that Irma had spotted.

"Oh, he's not the only ballsy man in Linda's life anymore."- Cornelia noted at the sight of Tony Vandom who entered the church almost simultaneously with Marcus.

The two men stopped and looked at each other. It was one heck of a look they shared before both heading to their assigned chairs around Linda.

"Does that seem awfully perverted to anyone else?"- Cornelia huffed. "They're suddenly a threesome? She's allegedly doing business or politics, or whatever she's supposed to be campaigning with both of them, and both of them have to be here today in the center of the church during her father's funeral service. Wow."

"People have different ways of coping with pain, but Linda is...she is...she is odd."- Taranee had to admit as she watched Matt recoil in his chair when his father sat down. "Call me terrible, but I feel like Matt's aunt grieves the loss of their father much more evidently."

Hay Lin sighed. Sean, Matt's cousin who they all knew, and his mother were also here, of course, and the woman was inconsolable. Sean was trying to keep a straight face, being the man of the house, but he also looked beaten. Not as much as Matt, maybe, but still. It was a tough loss. Linda? Yes, she had rolled a few tears, but... She was just odd, Taranee was probably right.

"I don't like her. All women I know have their crazy sides and psycho moments, but she is shit-blank scary. How do you live on, knowing that you're covering up for someone whose actions got your dad killed."- Irma snorted. "And Will's dad is the definition of toxic. Tell me again, how did their romance even start its journey?"

"He's doing it out of spite, because Susan doesn't want him back."- Cornelia shrugged and pushed her shades back. She was over this funeral already. If it wasn't for supporting their friends, she'd have skipped the entire thing.

"Yeah, well, it looks like he spites his daughter the most. Again."

"Will's mom is smart enough to know what's best for them."- Taranee shook her head. "And it's definitely not Tony. We may lack objectivity because of all his past actions hurting our friend, but there's nothing that justifies his "relationship" with Linda Olsen. Period."

Will, who had left the flowers near the coffin, was just about to go by her boyfriend's side, when she noticed her father coming from the entrance and frowned. They locked eyes and for a moment, she could swear that he had smiled. Smiled. That really enraged her for some reason. Maybe she was just looking for something to be the last straw, or maybe the last straw moment with her father had long passed:

"Will, how are you holding up, pumpkin?"- the man began with concern. "Everything will be-"

"Why are you here."- Will interrupted him. "Why are you here today? You didn't know Herbert Olsen, you didn't have to come here showing off how caring, supporting and endearing you are, because you're not."

A few people had already turned around to gawk at their feud, but she didn't care. There were a few things left for Will Vandom to care deeply about, and she was going to protect them zealously.

"I don't want to bother you, Will, I'm just doing what I think is right."

"No, your thinking is wrong. Very wrong, how dare you intrude yourself in my adult life like that, after everything that you're already responsible for, is beyond me!"

"Let's not do this here. It's not the right time nor place."- Tony came closer to her and tried to place a hand on her shoulder, but she pushed him away. His daughter pushed him away and glared up at him, making him recoil.

"When was the last time you knew when and what to do? What is left be on time."- Will hissed before walking away and sitting herself on the bench next to Matt.

For the rest of the service, she didn't acknowledge her father's presence; she didn't even look over at him, but she did feel someone else looking at her from his side of the bench. In the end, she couldn't take it anymore - she turned around and met Linda's eyes angrily. The older woman didn't look away. To Will's wrath and disquiet, she kept staring back at her completely and disturbingly unperturbed.


"She kept looking at me as if she even had the right to be there."- the redhead fumed ten minutes post the end of the funeral service when she and her friends waited at the parking lot. They were waiting for Irma, who had to go the to bathroom before leaving for their daily errands. Actually, they had one more stop before parting, but they needed to all go there together.

"Just forget her, Will."- Hay Lin advised her. "Matt's mom is not in a good place. I feel like she hasn't been in a good place for a long time."

"This bitch is an accessory to her own father's murder."- Cornelia protested, leaning against her car. "First degree or not, her ex-husband pushed Mr. Olsen down the stairs that night and she's not doing a thing about it. That is beyond insane on its own, but giving Will dirty looks, really? I will-"

"Cornelia, don't."- Taranee tried to stop her, but the blonde had already picked up speed.

"No, I will fight her, Matt's mom or not, she can't treat-"

"Cornelia, shut up, she's coming towards us!"

"Of course she is..."

The young women turned around to follow Taranee's gaze right when Mrs. Olsen was, what they assumed to be, close enough to hear them distinctly. She looked rough when she stopped right in front of the car, the truck of which Will had just closed:

"Will."- she began. "Can I tell you something?"

"You can try..."- the redhead retorted, crossing her arms on her chest. Her friends exchanged glances. Keeping her emotions in check was going to be even more difficult now:

"I didn't appreciate the little affray between you and your father back in the church."- Linda declared. "It really was insensitive to us, the guests and my father's memory."

Will felt her jaw hanging. Oh, no, she hadn't just gone overboard with her glibness like that... The guardian's red-brown eyes shone angrily as she snapped:

"Excuse me, Linda, but my problems with my father are none of your business. And if you think that I've been insensitive today, then you clearly-"

"They are now."- Linda argued. "Your problems with Tony. We are family now, Will, on more than one paragraphs-"

"Excuse me, what?!"

Linda nodded, ignoring Taranee and Hay Lin's faces of confusion and Will's growing anger. She would explode any minute now, Taranee could tell, that's why she felt the urge to step in:

"Mrs. Olsen, it's of no one's interest to drag this right now. We know that you and Will's dad have relations now, but the point of today was to mourn and celebrate your father's memory, not fight over anything. So, please, if you could kindly go on with your day and let us go without having to have this type of discussion, it would be great, especially because we have other important things to attend to. "

Linda smiled awry:

"Well, Taranee, that was quite precisely said, but I'm afraid that this is a family matter and you're not really a part of the Olsen fami-"

"Neither are you."- Cornelia didn't remain obliged, offhandedly interrupting her. "You're divorced, right?" - she added coldly.

"True, but you're overlooking one little detail, Cornelia."

"I'd rather you call me Ms. Hale."- the blonde undermined her again. "I'm friends with your son, not with you."

But despite that petty jab, Linda's smile didn't die down:

"...I might soon be a Vandom myself. Ms. Hale."- she added. "Sooner than you think."

And with that, Linda turned around and started walking away, leaving the girls in a state of shock and confusion, even greater than before:

"Did you hear her?"- Will could only wheeze. "Did you hear what she just implied? My father, he popped the question. They're getting married-"

"Will, we don't know that for sure."- Hay Lin tried to reassure her. "She may just be bluffing-"

"Who bluffs about something like that?!"

"A sad middle-aged woman like her, who's getting lost in her own crazed loneliness."- Cornelia snapped. "Will, don't let her or your father get to you, OK? Stay strong and focused, we have way bigger things to take care of!"

"Cornelia has a point."- Taranee nodded, placing a hand on Will's shoulder. The redhead was shaking. "In the end, people get what they deserve. People like Linda and Tony don't get to live happily ever after."

"No, you don't get it, my father is determined to screw us over all over again!"- Will shook her head, on the verge of going ballistic. "I can't allow this to happen! I can't have him put us through another "Serena", this time I have to think of Matt too, she's, ugh, she's his freaking mom. But it's my father's fault! Why, why does he always have to get together with insane women?!"

"As if he's a flower himself-"

"The man has a type. But wait till you here what else happened."

"Irma, what took you so long?"- Cornelia rolled her eyes at the woman who had just spoken, interrupting them.

Irma made a face and gestured at the car:

"Get in. I have to tell you what I just heard. It's a big thing."

"Don't keep us under pressure! Tell us!"

Irma waited for everyone to settle in their seats before she turned around and revealed:

"I heard Tony V. and Marcus Snowden talking behind the washrooms. They were talking about the night of Herbert's fall and quote on quote "the old man's wrong place-wrong moment fuck up"."

"What?"- the others exclaimed in unison.

"Wait, what is that supposed to- "

"Listen! They only said two important things before leaving the church, OK? This about the "old man's wrong-place-wrong-moment" and about "her" pushing him down the stairs."- Irma made a pause before going on: "Will, both your father and Matt's father were there that night, but the one who pushed Herbert down the stairs because he arrived in a bad time was a she. I think that Linda pushed her father down. She's the one responsible for his death. Ultimately."


"Alright, here we are. Orube's house."- Irma announced as if the rest didn't know where they were. They were a pretty odd picture just entering through the door of the seemingly empty house in their black elegant clothes, that was for sure. "But where are Orube and the Chads?"

"Stop calling them that, will you?" - Taranee protested. "Orube's supposed to be at work, I don't know about Elyon and- "

"Yeah, but we got a text to come here after the funeral from their home phone."- Cornelia pointed out, slamming the door behind herself. "Someone has sent that text. "

"Maybe they had to go out and couldn't wait for us."- Hay Lin suggested. "We should wait here- "

"I did."- Miriadel's voice announced somewhere above them. Then the closed blinds and curtains all opened simultaneously to shed light on the red-haired woman, who walked down the stairs.

The guardians estimated her, each with a look, before looking at each other:

"Oh, don't look so surprised, guardians, I just wanted to ask you an important question before you've started creating your next strategy. Will you let us in on the know this time or will you act on your own once again?"

"What are you talking about, Miriadel."- Taranee folded her arms on her chest, but it didn't come out confident at all.

"Don't deny it, I heard Orube and Queen Magana; everyone found out about your self-asserted action and betrayal to Meridian eventually. Only we haven't been told. My daughter doesn't know."- the Army captain smiled grimly as she started to make her way towards them. "I wonder why is that? Could it be you being so insulted by our legitimate decisions? Maybe that pushed you towards making this choice, which was never up to you alone. Predominantly, you decided Meridian's fate the night you allowed Phobos and Leonida to win and that's a serious act of betrayal- "

"If you're asking us whether or not we admit to doing what was necessary back then, then yes, the answer is yes, we did it, and we'd do it again if we had to, because that was the right thing to be done!"- Irma fired. "So, get off our case, because that wedding happened because you plotted behind our backs!"

"Queen Elyon's wedding date didn't concern you the way the kingdom's fate concerned us."- Miriadel pointed out icily. "But that's already decided for, right? By you. You gave up both Meridian and Coronia without a fight."

"The changing books wanted us to do that in order to stop the Dark Descendant cult once and for all, Miriadel, why are you turning a blind eye to the point?"- Taranee insisted, getting angry. None of them had wanted to do this. None of them were proud of acting behind the royal family's back, but what choice had they been left with? It was either that or giving Leonida's deed-holders green light in the long term.

"The point is that you didn't tell Elyon. Neither before that fight nor after it was over. And it has been weeks, if not a month already. This was very wrong on your part."

"But we didn't know that we'd have to go through with this plan right before Phobos was brought in that night."- Hay Lin tried to explain, but the woman turned another deaf ear to it. She hated them now and that changed a lot when it came to her objectivity.

"We shouldn't have to justify what we did in front of you."- Will shook her head. "We know why and what we did and, in the end, everyone will understand that had we not done it, Elyon's two kingdoms would have continued to suffer for years to come."

"I would've understood, Will."- Elyon's voice interfered as she walked in the room, followed by Andan. Apparently, they had all been in the house. Apparently, they had just wanted to create this scene of ambush and reproach post somehow discovering the truth behind the events from the night of the wedding and the palace's come-down. "I would've, but you thought that punishing me by shutting me out would be better. More appropriate. Anyhow, it's not the first time I've been shut out by your guardian posse..."

The girls exchanged glances. That high school-like drama really wasn't another they wanted to add to the list, but Miriadel was gravely insulted:

"And they will never stop with that, Elyon, because you're not like them."- she spat. "You're the Queen. Not one of the infamous guardians."

"Enough nonsense."- Cornelia came forward and stood directly in front of Elyon, soaring above her critically: "Elyon, whatever problems and rifts we have between each other, we have to leave behind and work together for the betterment of your two kingdoms and my family. Caleb and Meridian, especially, Elyon. We have to get them back."

Elyon's gray orbs met Cornelia's bluebottle in a long moment of truthfulness and she nodded.

"You're right, Cornelia. I agree. I just wanted to put that out there."

"Of course she's right, she wants us to help her retrieve her lost family."- Miriadel barked. "She doesn't really care about-"

"And what do you want, Miriadel."- Taranee interrupted her. "Us to tear apart in the dawn of a war? Neither can we fight on our own, nor can you, stop being petty."

Miriadel's eyes shone militantly. It was far too obvious that she wasn't about to relent, confident in her stance, but her daughter shut her down with a glance. A warning glance which Will found to be especially strange. Especially since the mature redhead then closed her mouth and dropped the subject just like that, as if Elyon had reminded her of something. Something that forced her into being pacific...

"Anyway, please, we did not call you here to fight."- Andan declared, contradicting Miriadel's initial approach. "What is done and is done, we now have to establish a reliable strategy. We need to discuss how exactly shall we annihilate the cult and then get all the power back before it's too late."

"We have thought of that already. It's really a stretch, but if we manage to find a certain woman and her child-"

"Hold on, a woman and a child?"- Alborn repeated, losing hope. Were they really going to depend on a woman and a child to save two kingdoms and that at once?

"Phobos's child."- Irma specified. "Phobos has had a child with another babe before Leona the Looney."

"What?!"

Elyon blinked in disbelief:

"How have I never heard of that? When..."

"Neither of us had, it's an urban legend. It was, until we got solid proof."- Cornelia said.

"It happened a long time ago, but we know for a fact that it did happen for real."- Taranee narrated. "He was very young. He was tricked into conceiving this child. But the child and the mother are still alive. They are out there. And they have been spotted recently."

"And if Phobos had a heir before his child with Leonida, then-"

"- then that heir to the throne has the power and birthright to take the crowns and powers back for us once it's all over."

"It's like our past strategy with Phobos taking Nerissa's seal all over again. With a little twist." - Hay Lin summarized. "Hopefully, this time, it won't be at our expense."

Miriadel looked at them for a short while before replying:

"A big stretch indeed."

Irma tossed her hair back, unfazed:

"In love and in war, sometimes a good stretch makes a good fucking difference, if you know what I mean."


Phobos Escanor was a man of many flaws, even if, for the most part, he presented himself as perfect. Perfect hair, skin, posture... Perfect ideals and aspirations, mostly misunderstood and unjustified by all the fools around him. It really had been a long time until he saw that same perfection in someone else, but ever since he had grown fond of Opal, his daughter... Everything had changed. She was perfect in his eyes and she was his new creature to love.

Love...

All his life, he had kept his distance from this feeling, mainly because of the many disappointments that had crushed him in childhood...Because of his dark, twisted and unfortunate past. Yes, Phobos had vowed to never feel this weakening feeling called love as it would most surely just slow him down and flop his reign and conquest aspirations, but, naturally, he hadn't managed to stand by that vow completely. With Opal, for the first time in his life, he wasn't resenting himself for developing feelings of affection.

Leonida stopped at the door of the Throne Room and stared at the image in front of herself. Phobos, rocking their infant daughter in his arms. She couldn't help feel some strange emotion in her chest. Was it... endearment of some sort? She was quick to chase that thought away. She hated Phobos and was just using him, him getting attached to both her and Opal was a good thing. A good thing for her overall plan. The problem now was that the Evil Prince was slowly catching up on some things. Yes, he was narcissistic but not stupid. When the Coronian Palace had surrendered in front of them almost completely without a fight, Phobos had become suspicious. Why had his sister given them both Palaces just like that? Why had she withdrawn all her people from the Aureate Edifice?

"The closer we get to achieving all our goals, the more conniving are the guardians becoming. They have advised Elyon to take all these steps. They have always been like that, but now they have more experience than ever before. Wilhelmina and her posse aren't going to just let us get away with everything."- the prince announced again, making Leonida roll her eyes. She had heard that a hundred times by now and was well aware of it. Phobos's stalling and grievance were just useless.

"Of course they won't, they're used to stopping just about anyone that they disagree with. The last decade has been nothing but that for them - victories. Or at least primarily." - the honey-haired woman scoffed, swirling the skirts of her long sparkling gown at every step. She was back home after a long time and she had to admit it was a bittersweet sensation. She constantly looked around, almost as if she expected someone to jump out, but it was just them. Just them and their servants...

"Our case will not be much different if we don't eliminate them at once." - Phobos demanded and stood up. Opal started to cry, but he soothed her rather quickly, even while approaching the woman in a decisive step. If one thing was for sure, it was that Opal was fascinated with her father. Whenever he was near her, she stopped crying and just looked at him.

"And eliminate them we shall, your Highness. The guardians are a hindrance for us and we don't tolerate hindrances coming in the way of our true Queen."

Phobos turned around to throw a snide look at the old man, who had entered the majestic Coronian Throne Room, uninvited. Highness? He was to be King, King! How dare he taunt him like that just because that wasn't a fact yet.

Visser and his son were Leonida's main helpers, but Phobos didn't necessarily like the way they patronized her and tried to do the same with him. That would never work and they would soon know; he wasn't planning on having them tag along for much longer, because he didn't think that he could trust them. After all, if Cedric had betrayed him twice, why not these two, who Leonida had such blind fate in?

"Visser will take care of it while me and you go around the planets that signed our little contracts and take what belongs to us, my King." - Leonida said and smiled at his thoughtful expression." You're adorable when you're sulky." - she added playfully and took Opal from his arms, to which the baby immediately protested with a groan. She was already feeling like daddy's girl.

"And how is Visser planning to take care of the guardians on his own?" - Phobos asked in a mocking voice as he turned around with his arms folded on his chest.

The old manciple just smiled as if the other man had asked him how'd he fetch water from a block of ice:

"Everything's different now, Prince Phobos. The guardians are aware of me and my son's true intentions. The glove is tossed; if we don't take them down first, they will come for us. You and princess Leonida are regents of all the power which that baby has, but you have access to only about a tenth of it. We ought to take measures, am I not right?"

Phobos just sulked even deeper and didn't retort.

"Until you can both be crowned as King and Queen of the United Dimensions, we need to hold the fronts." - Emery interjected, entering the Throne Room himself; he wasn't by himself though. He stopped to bow respectfully, before going back to pulling the big bag he had brought. A dirty old bag that suspiciously resembled the shape of a human body...

"Well the guardians have obviously begun to plot something months ago, why else would they not try to take Opal away from us, even after Kandrakar is shut off and we broke all promises first." - Phobos pointed out with a frown. "Nothing stops my sister anymore, the moment we took her powers and crown, she didn't have to mind the vow about my freedom any longer. She and I both made a compromise regarding the time Leonida and I spent in Gray Woods, but now we're on a clean start, why hasn't she taken action yet?"

"With what power can she do that?"- Visser exclaimed. "She has so little left, everything's Opal's as for now. Opal's and yours, Your Majesties."

"Moreover, she did imprison you right after Opal absorbed the mystic powers." - Emery reminded. "In the Meridian Palace, for over a month..."

"That was more of a preventive measure than the attack reply I expected of her and the guardians." - Phobos was losing patience. He knew that there was something more to the story, why were these fools trying to tell him the opposite? "In fact, Nerissa was the only one who acted out the way I expected her to, post the night Opal took Elyon's powers and rights! Wilhelmina has thought of another way to deal with us and only her demise will assure me that everything's under control." - he said darkly. "Not the way you dealt with Nerissa. Nerissa is, quite unfortunately, still alive. I want Wilhelmina dead for good, she is very dangerous to me and my daughter."

Leonida narrowed her eyes at that but said nothing.

Him and his daughter. To hell with me, huh, Phobos? You will die faster than anyone else you fear once I get all power to myself, you ungrateful son of a bitch.

"And she will die. As will the other four guardians. Very soon. Don't fret."- Visser assured him.

"How."- Phobos demanded, unimpressed. Everyone could utter big words. Many of his subjects had assured him they'd eliminate the guardians for years, but alas.

"With his help."- Emery announced, tearing the bag into two to reveal the body of a naked old man with but a cloth wrapped around his waist.

At that sight, Leonida laughed gloatingly and approached the captive:

"Spiritual Master? Tamed at last, I see. Even you, with your all-seeing powers couldn't jump over the trap?"- her creamy lips stretched in a big smile: "You had a big role in my tragic fate, but now you shall make up for it by serving me. Tirelessly."

Phobos looked down at the old guru in disgust and then at Leonida, who looked elated by the sight of his motionless body. He could remember him from the night the Meridian Palace had become their latest shutter. The geezer had managed to surprise him with his ancient magical power, but taking down the entire set of guardians with all their allies? He couldn't really picture it.

"Don't worry, your Highness." - Emery said, having detected his skepticism. "This man is more powerful than your Mage and her former guardians together. He is under our control now; he will execute our agenda."

"She's not the real Mage." - Phobos could only murmur in response before shifting his attention to Opal, who was suddenly in the mood to throw a tantrum.


Two days later...

In the very beginning, Orube didn't like playing chess. She didn't understand it at first. If she was to fight a battle, she'd rather fight a real battle! Valiantly and with all her heart. Putting her strategy on a board and having to decide for an entire army had proven to be difficult for the feline, who had never seen such a game in her life before coming to "Ye Olde Bookshop".

"Checkmate." - Cedric announced with a sly smile. Time spent together with Orube in the last weeks had been more than therapeutic to him. Even though deep down he knew what had happened to him, the warrior's companionship had helped him move on and somewhat make sense of his new life. A life away from everything he had been fighting for in the past... A life in Heatherfield all over again.

"Not yet, Cedric. Noy yet."- and with a surprising move, one of the black knights on Orube's side of the board eliminated the rook that threatened her king.

Cedric looked genuinely impressed.

"You're a fast learner, Rebecca. You are starting to challenge me."

"Fast learner, yes, however this game was one of the hardest things for me to get better at."

Cedric laughed. They had spent so much time together lately, reading, playing games, drinking and just talking. Talking with someone who understood what it was like to feel different. Alienated. Alone... Rebecca had been through so much that somehow resembled or added to his life adversities... He had even asked her to call him by his real name under the pretext that it's his father's... That wasn't necessarily a lie, his father had indeed been called Cedric, but he was an entirely different type of beast. The truth was that Cedric hated everything Miranda had done to bound him to her will and couldn't stand for Rebecca not knowing his name too. It was bad enough that he had to change up the majority of his life stories through an appropriate prism for the sake of his stupid new identity. This wasn't the first time he had to live under a fake identity, true, and that had somehow made him an expert in these fields. He didn't exactly know why, but he felt like Rebecca was very much doing the same. Perhaps she had secrets if her own which she wasn't ready to or couldn't share with him? Perhaps one day all would be revealed. As for now, the shapeshifter just wanted to spend the most time possible with Rebecca. Such a short time had passed since their acquaintance, but he was already feeling her closer that he had ever felt any other being. Perhaps except for the Prince...

"Your wife looks worried for you on the daily, Cedric." - Orube spoke carefully. This was a topic he wasn't eager to discuss, she knew, and amid all they did together and shared during the time Ms. Myra ironically spent away from the bookstore (sometimes even at night), mentioning her always made the man's face darken. "Don't you consider talking to her at least, what if you're not getting along, she seems genuinely concerned about you-"

"Your Ms. Myra is not a good woman, I'd already told you, Rebecca." - the man replied dryly. "She holds things above my head, she makes it impossible for me to leave her and I want nothing to do with that traitorous liar-"

"But you have a daughter with that woman, Cedric." - Orube insisted. She couldn't wrap her mind around what was happening in her newest friend's life. A friend. She rarely found friends and cherished him more than the average person. That is why she insisted on helping him sort his life the best way possible. Orube had spent enough time on Earth to know how tricky relationships could be. Before that, life had been much simpler, she had been introduced to feelings and emotions for real after coming to Heatherfield a decade ago.

Cedric returned to reality post a long moment of deep thinking, but so did Orube.

"It's too complex, Rebecca. Our daughter, she... I care about her, but Mir-, Myra has the entire control. I can't do anything to help it."

"Never say never. Maybe one day things will fall into place." - Orube encouraged him provoking a small smile on his lips.

"I hope, Rebecca. I hope that you're right."

Orube stood up to go and take something from the back of the store where her things were. It was almost 9PM, the store was closed and it was just the two of them and a bunch of candles, for both she and Cedric preferred the soft light of the flames to the sharp luminescent lamps.

"Let's do something different now. Starting from tonight."- Orube suggested and presented him an empty journal. "Let's look for ten unique books and take the time to extract all the most important lessons they contain. In the end we may have the biggest answer we seek."

"Which is?"- Cedric inquired with a smile. He loved the idea and it showed. They both really loved good books. Even some of the Earth authors.

"What is the true complex nature of happiness and how to make it work for us."


In another part of Heatherfield

"Will, I brought you food from Yan Lin. Here, I think it's good, if it's what I had a few days ago then you'll love it."

"Thanks, Cornelia."

Will smiled at her friend as she took the paper bags from the blonde, who tossed her hair back and rocked Killian in her arms. Will took a moment to coo at him.

"Don't mention it, I can only imagine what you're going through!"

"Please, I should be saying that to you. You're the iron lady." - Will sighed. "I have to deal with drama while your family is actually missing, I should be the one being there for you."

Cornelia waved her hand:

"I was a wreck, you know that, but after I had a moment of insight with Nerissa, everything's better. Don't get me wrong, I miss them, I miss Caleb every day and night, but I just stay focused on getting them back and look forward to it without letting it push me down."

"And the Sondra thing."- Matt's interjection made both women jump. He seemed to have appeared in his gray sweats and big undershirt out of nowhere. He made a face at their reaction:

"Girls, please, everyone's treating me like I'm a dying puppy or whatnot. I need some realness. I'm even working on some music tomorrow, so you don't have to be careful around me."

"Sondra will soon get her just desserts."- Cornelia replied with a little smile as she watched Will throw her arms around her boyfriend's neck. "Martin's helping me build a case against her."

"With the stolen laptop data? Is that credible though?"- Matt joked.

"Of course it won't look like that, plus I'll just use it to get her to leave."- Cornelia gave her son to Matt in order to be able to take the phone out of her purse. "I so don't need that hog dragging me in her sick games."

"Hopefully she'll be a closed case sooner than expected."- Will agreed and smiled. Cornelia had just snapped the cutest picture of Matt and Killian, and that seemed to genuinely make Matt happier. Babies always did, but that hit a sore spot. Will knew it wasn't the time, but their first child had been taken away from them before they even knew it. It was unfair. One of the worst things she could imagine. Yes, now they had lost Matt's grandpa and that would be another pain for them to deal with as a young family, but maybe if she got pregnant again, sun would shine above their street again, brighter and happier than ever...

A baby of our own... Will smiled at the thought. She could remember her and her mother fighting over this a year ago. She hadn't been ready to be a mom then, Matt wasn't even considering it. She had been unable to even think about her mother's wish, which had been out of the blue and honestly crazy. But so much had happened to and around them for a year, that now everything seemed changed. Will Vandom was sincerely feeling she could be a mother. She was ready to have a baby with the man she loved.

By the time our baby is born we might already be brother and sister...

Ew.

Will frowned, remembering that Linda and Tony were determined to screw their lives again.

"I'm gonna run, dad's taking me to dinner."- Cornelia tore her away from her thoughts. "Hey, you two can come if you want, it'll be just me, dad and Killian, anyway. My mom is out of town and who knows what Lillian and Chris are doing."

"That's very nice of you, Corny, but we're not dressed and ready for a fancy dinner out."- Will declined with a chuckle.

"Yeah."- Matt agreed, giving Killian back to his mother. "Another time."

"Fine, but eat your dinner while it's hot! I'll see you later!"

"Bye."

But when Cornelia opened the door of the apartment, someone was just leaving. When they realized that they're about to be seen more thoroughly, the figure made a run for it, dropping something on the doormat.

"Hey, what the- "

"Weird people."- Cornelia rolled her eyes and knelt down simultaneously with Will, to pick the envelope that the person had left.

"It's because they know we don't care about their promotions and stuff-"

"They usually leave all mail and flyers in the mailboxes in front of the building."- Will shook her head. "This is...something else."

"What even is it?" - Cornelia inquired. "Coupons?" - she added, somewhat repulsed.

"'Third Youth Senior Center' - welcome to the place of your senior dreamlife."- Will read out loud and pouted.

Matt chuckled behind her while Cornelia rolled her eyes:

"Wow, how lame."

"Well, it's a tad early for that, but you know."- the redhead shrugged. "Maybe we can send my dad and Linda there in a few years. I guess old age equals unhappiness, but they're doing a great job at making me unhappy even now."

"Why would the mail person run like that when we opened though?"- Matt scratched the back of his head. "That was odd."

Will was about to say something, but that was when she suddenly felt something in her chest. The Heart of Kandrakar. It was talking to her again, with its faint voice that made her have all these feelings and premotions which helped and burdened her all the time. The Heart wanted her to know something about this senior center...but what?

Unbeknownst to any of them, 50 kms out of Heatherfield, in the seemingly untended building of "Third Youth Senior Center", a nurse was pushing a cart through the old corridors. There was a storm outside. A hot and angry early summer storm that threatened to uproot the old building.

The nurse stopped in front of one of the rooms and pushed the cart in. There, two people were already present. One of them looked like a bigwig, he was here to collect some money and get the latest statistics from the site. Perhaps an owner of sorts, the second man in the room, an old man on a wheelchair, couldn't really tell. Everything was in fog in front of him, his brain was, very much, in fog.

"Anything new about this one?" - the standing man demanded.

The nurse shook her head:

"No, sir, not as of tonight. But he's not a lost elder, we had a donation today. I think..."

"A donation?"- the man raised his eyebrows and his eyes shone with excitement. God knew when was the last time that had occurred...

"Yes, Mr. Sanders... A message came with the donation. I think that the person who sent us the money would like for us to keep the man here, without informing anyone. Without any papers or information regarding his health insurance or public status, I know that's illegal, but-"

"How big." - Mr. Sanders interrupted her. "The donation, what are the numbers?"

"50 thousand dollars."

Mr. Sanders nodded, rubbing his chin. He was a man around 60, with deep wrinkles around his mouth and nose, and short gray hair. He thought about it for a few moments before uttering:

"We'll do it. Take care of this man like you do with the rest of our residents. He is a part of the family now. We will keep him here until new orders. I'll be going now. I will see you tomorrow."

The nurse nodded with relief and then shifted her attention to the man in the wheelchair. She was now going to transfer him to a room of his own:

"We don't know your name though. No worries. We will take good care of you here."- she said in his ear before guiding his wheelchair down the corridor. A lighting illuminated the sky and the electricity in the senior center started functioning again.

The nurse looked around herself and smiled:

"You seem to bring us good fortunate. Why don't I call you Mr. Faust*? Come, Mr. Faust."- she beamed. "I'll show you to your new room."

Mr. Faust felt his stomach tighten. Yes, he wasn't feeling too grand, but he knew his name and he was starting to remember things. He realized that his fate wasn't connected to good fortune whatsoever.

"My name is Herbert. My name is Herbert Olsen!" - the old man tried to say, but he couldn't. He couldn't even open his mouth after the ICU... He could only stare at his reflection in the old mirror dismally, as the nurse left him in the middle of the living space to get his new room ready.

Sad, disabled, alone and away from everyone who loved him and thought him to be dead. He knew it for a fact now - inside every old person there's a younger person wondering what happened...


Faust* - good fortune