OLD-WORLD EXTRA

Chapter 138: Another Family Meeting

Chapter 138: Another Family Meeting

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Emir took his seat at the dining table, facing his mother, with Lily to his left and Lyra to his right.

Lily had a reaction similar to, or even more intense than his mother's upon his return.

Letting out a chuckle, he carefully set down his spoon, as a pang of nostalgia surged within him.

It had been a long time since he had allowed himself the luxury of a complete meal.

During his training and trial on that planet, he had forsaken even a single morsel of food or a sip of water. But now, the taste of his mother's cooking rekindled a deep longing within him. With a gentle smile, he gathered the used dishes and proceeded to the sink, his family maintaining a hushed silence, their anticipation palpable as they waited on his words.

After a few minutes, he returned to the table, his presence a soothing one amidst the expectant atmosphere.

In a voice as tranquil as the gentlest of waves, he delivered his news:

"Vincent is dead."

They sat in silence, their reactions subdued.

Lyra had been aware of Vincent's fate beforehand, and both Lily and Laura had grown accustomed to Emir's ways and the harsh realities of their world, where death often held a strange allure, a luxury to some.

Yet, despite their apparent acceptance, doubts lingered in Laura's mind.

She voiced her concerns, her voice tinged with uncertainty:

"But won't that implicate you? Vincent died with only you by his side, and if the Moon Scribe family is involved, they would've already dispatched the UEF force to chase after you..."

Emir's laughter echoed in the room, a sardonic response to Laura's apprehension.

"...Of course, but I'm not stupid enough to hand them a loaded gun aimed right at my head. But for you to fully understand my actions, there is something you must know..." "Did Lyra teach you about the CCA?"

As both of them nodded in acknowledgment, he was about to delve deeper into the topic.

But, before he could continue, Lily interjected with her own insights, her voice tinged with a hint of frustration:

"I learned about the CCA at the academy too, but they hid many of the things Lyra shared with us... It's almost like propaganda."

Lyra and Emir exchanged glances and burst into laughter, their amusement resonating throughout the flat.

Seeing their reaction, Lily's pouting face turned into a full-blown protest as she screamed: "Don't laugh at me!"

Their laughter only intensified at her outburst, but just as suddenly as it began, they abruptly composed themselves, their demeanor shifting to a seriousness that sent shivers down Laura and Lily's spines.

It was a stark reminder of the day when Emir revealed his fabricated reincarnation to them, but at this moment, they witnessed him show the same uncanny transformation without any external influence.

The atmosphere grew tense, and an unspoken understanding settled among them.

But just as quickly as the somber atmosphere enveloped them, they collectively shook themselves out of it, realizing the significance of Emir's transformation.

They understood the immense weight he had carried and the depths he had delved into to reach this point.

And at that moment, they felt a surge of relief wash over them.

They knew that this was the best-case scenario, they hadn't lost Emir; instead, he had emerged with a changed perspective, a newfound understanding, and became someone who was fit to challenge the Order.

Meeting their gazes with sincerity, Emir spoke:

"Sorry about that. Your words were spot on, I'm sure Lyra told you all about the Order's plan for me at the academy, so, of course, they wouldn't be doing it for me only."

"Now... The CCA, as you know, has a central AI, the Oracle, which is capable of many things, though the ones we are concerned about are the contracts..."

"See, if the Order's plan went smoothly, they would've made me sign one, and that wouldn't have allowed me to do anything that would go against them."

"Exhibit A would be me saying anything to you, as the moment the AI's connection to my neural network discovers me going against anything in the contract, it would kill me, as it would use the nanobots to explode me inside out."

"And before you ask, signing a fully binding contract requires both participants to have an implanted Aether core, so how would it work on me? I don't have one after all..."

"The answer is obvious, it would still work, after all, they would've had a direct connection to my nanobots and neural network through Lyra, not needing the Aether core to initiate that connection..."

"Keeping all that in mind, how do you think Vincent met his end?" Emir posed the question to his attentive family.

Eagerly, Lily raised her hand, acting as if she were in a classroom, prompting a rare moment of levity from Emir, causing his serious face to crumble.

He chuckled and gestured for her to speak:

"Go ahead, sis."

Grinning, she answered, "You must have said something that contradicted the Order's contract with Vincent, something he wasn't supposed to know."

Applauding her response, Lyra interjected with a touch of theatrical flair, as if they were in a

TV show:

"You are correct!"

The room filled with shared laughter, a brief moment of lightheartedness amidst the gravity of their conversation.

But soon, Emir resumed his serious expression, his tone sobering.

"If they were to accuse me of killing him, they would have to reveal the way Vincent died, and Magnus wouldn't want that, now would he?"

They all shared a look of confusion, tromping him to say:

"Who's Magnus Valerius, you ask? One of the leaders in the Order, he himself made his first

move."

Directing his attention to their mother, Emir continued:

"Mom, we have a court hearing in three months' time... The Order wants to destroy the

foundation you built, but Lyra anticipated this."

"So we are... Hiding a few things from you... Again. After all, they will use a lie detector in court... Just know that I'm sorry for doing this again."

Laura remained silent, her smile conveying her understanding and support, and that alone reassured Emir.

He reclined in his chair, a sense of determination evident in his clenched teeth as he spoke:

"I've declared war against Magnus... I refuse to be put back to sleep... And my message to him today was clear, I won't relinquish control of my own life. He will... He will have to kill me

instead."

Turning his gaze to his mother and sister, he continued, his voice carrying a tone of urgency: "Mom, sis, prepare yourselves. While Magnus may not directly attack or significantly interfere at this point, we still have to deal with their hound dogs, the Elite."

But just as they were about to offer their reassurances, a familiar ringtone cut through the air,

signaling an incoming call.

Fishing his terminal out of his pocket, Emir glanced at the caller ID.

This caused a devilish grin to slowly spread across his face as a single thought resonated in his

mind:

'It's been a while!'