The hike had started off beautifully. Blue skies, crisp mountain air, and the scent of pine that clung to everything like an overenthusiastic souvenir. The Reyes family had chosen one of the more scenic trails in the national park, a winding path that promised riverside views and just enough incline to make Rudy complain every twenty steps.
Jaime had never seen Nana wear hiking boots before. He wasn't convinced she wasn't just levitating out of sheer spite.
"Milagro, no earbuds!" Rocio snapped, for the fifth time.
"They're not even on!" Milagro huffed, but stuffed them into her jacket pocket. Jaime smirked and offered her a silent fist bump, which she returned with a smirk of her own.
"You sure you're up for this, Rudy?" Alberto called back, pausing to let everyone catch up.
"Up for it?" Rudy panted, hands on his knees. "I was born ready. This trail just wasn't ready for me."
"Claro," Nana muttered, unimpressed.
The trail narrowed as they ascended, the trees thickening overhead. Jaime walked near the front, occasionally glancing up at the sun-dappled canopy, letting the breeze cool his cheeks. He wasn't used to this kind of peace. His old world had been nothing but noise—gunfire, shouted orders, the steady churn of war.
This? This was almost too quiet.
Milagro eventually caught up to him, walking just ahead of the adults. "So, tech genius," she said. "How does it feel to be the breadwinner now?"
Jaime groaned. "Don't start."
She grinned. "Too late."
They shared a laugh, and for a brief moment, he really did feel like a teenager again.
Then his foot caught on something.
It happened too fast for him to react. One second he was laughing, the next his world tilted. The slope beneath him gave way, dirt and leaves sliding like a rug pulled out from under him. He tumbled down the ridge, branches whipping his arms and face. His shoulder slammed into a root with a sickening jolt before he finally came to a stop in a shallow ditch, coughing and dazed.
"JAIME!" voices screamed from above.
"Estoy bien!" he shouted back, voice hoarse. (I'm okay!)
But as he tried to push himself upright, he felt it.
A low hum, like electricity vibrating through the air. Jaime turned his head, blinking grit from his eyes—and saw it.
Half-buried in the exposed roots of a dead tree was a chunk of metal, unlike anything nature would allow. Its surface was a deep, iridescent blue, marked with glowing lines and strange carvings that twitched, as if reacting to his gaze.
He didn't need a second to know what it was.
The Scarab.
Holy. Shit.
A rush of memories—not personal, but remembered knowledge—flashed through him. The Reach. Khaji Da. Symbiosis. Armor. War. Heroes. Death.
He staggered to his feet, breath caught in his throat. "Why here Why couldn't it have crashed down in a place that was very not about to get me caught?" he muttered, staring at the Scarab like it might come alive and latch onto his spine right there.
It didn't. It just pulsed again. Soft. Faint. But there.
Jaime looked up the ridge. He could hear his family trying to find a safe way down.
Panicked, Jaime grabbed a nearby stick and carefully unearthed the Scarab, wrapping it in his jacket. It was warm—too warm.
"I'll deal with you later." He shoved it into his backpack just as Rudy's voice rang out, "There! I see him!"
Jaime turned, forcing a smile.
No way in hell was he explaining this yet.
Back at camp that evening, Jaime sat by the fire, staring at the flickering flames. Laughter echoed around him—Milagro teasing Rudy about getting stuck in a bush, Nana recounting a story about chasing a bear with a chancla. It was cozy. Comforting.
But Jaime couldn't stop thinking about what was now zipped in the bottom of his bag.
'I knew it was bound to find me eventually because of my deal with Jack, but seriously? In the middle of my family's first vacation in decades?' He complained, sure that Jack was listening. 'And I KNOW you made me trip and fall on purpose!'
"Hermano, you okay? You look like you swallowed a frog and it started fighting back." Of course Milagro piped in.
Jaime forced a smile. "Just still feeling a little dizzy from the fall. Estoy bien."
In an instant, Rocio was at his side, frantically checking him over for the fifth time. Jaime sighed heavily, but let her do as she wished.
Afterall, it felt nice to have someone worry about you.