The Earth After Rebirth

Chapter 418 A Haunting Past

They made conversation with each other, trying their best to keep their nerves away from thinking about what they were heading to.

The train was fast but the slave mine was a little bit far. Much farther than Eden academy, so it would take them a couple of hours to reach it.

Within two hours of travelling the sun was peeking out of the horizon and leaking into the windows. Wilfred had left to prepare some breakfast in the kitchen.

He returned within minutes, having made a lot of eggs and bacon, there was also bread, a lot of frui, juice and coffee.

"I never really did like train food, it's like they don't even try to make it taste decent." Jesús complained before taking a bite because he was so hungry his stomach made strange sounds.

He imagined this was how poor people dealt with everything. They took what they could and never really complained as long as their stomach were full, he shuddered at the thought of living like that.

Nobody really deserved to live like that, which was why he was so set on destroying the world the sanctum had built. At least, of what became of the sanctum and the path they had forced Sanctauri to be on.

"A man doesn't complain, he eats what's in front of him and finishes it no matter how bad it tastes." Sekani said, taking a mouthful.

"You've clearly never tasted my wife's cooking." He attempted to laugh but something got stuck in his throat, he quickly down his juice. "Dammit, can't even say anything negatively honest about that woman without suffering."

Grey let out a strange laugh, "serves you right, you just don't do that to your wife."

Sekani shook his head chuckling, "fortunately I was blessed with the best cook in Sanctauri. Nothing comes close."

Everyone in the train, even those who were not married stared daggers at him. Nobody in there believed that he thought his wife's cooking about the best thing he'd ever tasted. There were some great restaurants in the upper district, there was also Angelina.

He looked at each and everyone of them, "my wife is the best." He finished defiantly.

Freya was a great cook but she wasn't the best Sanctauri had to offer. Sekani obviously knew this but this was a secret to a long, good and happy marriage.

"Don't listen to these old farts," Sekani said to Nikolai and James. "A happy woman means a happy marriage. If you have to say she's the most beautiful woman in Sanctauri, or even this entire universe, say it."

The two didn't argue with that, as he was right. It was just different expectation from these different women, who were raised in different environments. Upper district women couldn't careless about their cooking skills.

"Well Sekani, I can't really argue with that. That is the absolute truth."

Breakfast was done but the conversation went on. They were feeling the heat the closer they got, but nobody in their midst wanted to think about it, lest their nerves get the better of them.

They instead focused on each other, they've went over the strategies countless of times in the Waynworths estate, so they already knew what they would do once they got there.

In any case, it wasn't safe talking in the train about it. Even though Wilfred had sweeped the place and found nothing, paranoia was a good thing to have when so much was at stake.

Nikolai was lost in his head, thinking of many ways he could hurt his father. He had already checked the Black estate before coming there and Arnold wasn't in the estate, he only wished he was in the slave mine. It was time, time for him to pass judgment on his father.

He didn't understand why he was feeling strange about it, the only thing he expected to feel was glee but that wasn't the case.

His chest constricted, the closer they got. Nikolai was unsure why he felt the way he did, his stomach was doing somersaults making him feel a little bit sick.

'Don't tell me I'm growing scared now. I can't be, there's just no way.' His eyes were opened wide, he unintentionally clenched his chest hoping he would make it stop.

He felt a hand grip him hard on the shoulder. Nikolai hadn't noticed but his leg was shaking, bouncing on the train floor.

"It's okay if you're nervous." Sekani said barely a whisper.

"I-I won't be a burden, I promise." Nikolai pleaded, this was an awkward position. He has never had performance issues before.

He prided himself on getting the job done, quick and well. Now, his mind was all over the place. He didn't understand that trauma that wasn't dealt with could strike at any time.

Now that he was sure he was going to confront the root of all his problems, his mind was falling apart and he didn't know how to make it right and put it together again.

"It's okay if you are Nikolai, I'll have your back. I'll carry you on my shoulders if I have to." He reassured him.

The boy smiled but it wasn't sincere. This worried Sekani, he didn't regret allowing him to come because he would've been self-destructive if left to his own devices but now he was panicking, possibly experiencing a panic attack and he just didn't know how to soothe him.

"I recently told Kiro about my childhood you know, it wasn't a good one. I never wanted to talk about it or even remember it. I pretended it didn't happen." He started and that seemed to have piqued his interest because for the first time he looked up and their eyes locked.

"My father was more than strict, what he did to me was borderline abuse. For the longest time I hated him, he disappeared and died while our relationship had never been mended. I think that's one thing I regret."

"A-are you saying I should forgive him?" Nikolai frowned.

"Not at all, just don't let the hatred you have for him consume the man you've become, the man your mother would be proud of."

Nikolai nodded, "at least your father was a good man, he gave us the information about everything they do bad while my father is the cause of that bad."

"Then let's stop him together?" Sekani offered him a hand, Nikolai shook it.