Fenn staggered out from the vortex of dreams—a shadowed corridor that had dragged him through old memories. When his eyes opened, the light of the real world stabbed at him, and consciousness slammed back into him like a cold wave.
His body was stiff, his muscles taut as if bound by invisible chains. His head felt heavy, each pulse a slow but punishing throb.
Nathan, who had been waiting by the roadside, still couldn't shake the moment when Fenn had suddenly collapsed without warning. He leaned forward, his voice edged with concern.
"Why did you faint just now?"
Fenn's memories were a mess—fragments of his life on Earth scattered and tangled with the alien reality now holding him captive. With trembling lips and a voice barely above a whisper, he replied,
"It's nothing… just… feeling a bit unwell."
He tried to stand, but from the main road he spotted Aurora carrying something. Curiosity got the better of him, and he asked Nathan,
"Where's she been?" He nodded toward Aurora as she walked toward them.
Nathan glanced back, spotting several paper bags in her hands.
Two hours earlier, he hadn't known where Aurora was headed. She had simply said she was going somewhere, asking Nathan to watch over both her father and the unconscious Fenn.
Nathan tried to think positively—maybe Aurora had gone to get something to wake the two of them. But just as that thought crossed his mind, Lennon Haswelt suddenly stirred and began to rise, straining against his own limits.
Gripping the edge of the chair for support, Lennon tried to stand. Nathan quickly stepped closer, urging him not to push himself, but the old man ignored him and kept moving.
Holding his temples tightly, Lennon turned toward Nathan and asked,
"Where are we? And where did Aurora go?"
Nathan froze for a moment, his mind churning.
"Don't tell me… you've lost your memory?"
Despite his protests, Lennon kept forcing himself up. When he finally shifted from sitting to standing, his body swayed sideways. Nathan caught him just in time, bracing himself with all his strength.
Ugh… this old man is heavy. Nathan held him up with his thighs, but his strength gave out, and they both fell—with Nathan pinned beneath him.
Slowly, Lennon rose again, but this time his stance was steady, unlike before. It was as if the attempt to stand earlier had failed, but now he was suddenly back to normal.
Nathan opened his eyes and stared in bewilderment.
"How can he stand? Just a moment ago he was slumping in his chair, and now he's perfectly upright!"
And not just upright—Lennon now carried himself like a man decades younger, as though he had reverted to his seventeen-year-old self.
Still uneasy, Nathan asked, "Mr. Haswelt, are you feeling all right?"
Lennon's vision had been blurry, but it suddenly cleared, leaving him momentarily speechless. Ever since trying to rise, he had felt something pressing down on his body and soul, numbing all his senses.
At the time, he hadn't understood what was happening—maybe it was just his age catching up to him. But he didn't dwell on his years; instead, his thoughts turned to the summoning of the black hole.
Nathan found it odd that Mr. Haswelt wasn't answering, frozen in place with his jaw clenched.
After a short breath, Lennon finally turned to reply.
"Yes… I'm fine," he said, and as he moved to sit in the chair beside him, his seat made contact with something.
From a distance, Nathan's eyes widened, and he lunged forward with one hand outstretched to stop him.
"No…!"
Fenn let out a strained gasp—Lennon had sat on him.
Realizing his mistake, Lennon lowered his head slightly in apology.
Nathan, wearing a mildly annoyed expression, forgave him with a heavy heart and a curt tone.
Without another word, Lennon walked away without saying where he was going. Nathan didn't bother to ask.
---
Moving calmly, unfazed by the people around her, Aurora walked toward them with several paper bags in hand, her gaze lowered toward her chest.
Her expression was composed, her face cold as she looked at the two of them. Feeling uneasy under her stare, Fenn broke the silence.
"Where have you been?"
Setting her bags on the chair beside her, she answered plainly,
"Just picking up a few plates."
She reached into one of the bags and pulled out two plates. They were strikingly unique—that was Fenn's first thought upon seeing them.
Nathan came over and sat beside Fenn while Aurora continued unpacking the rest. There were four bags in total—one held plates, the other three's contents still unknown.
Curious, Fenn asked about the remaining bags just as Aurora's hand closed around something inside one of them.
Without keeping him waiting, she took it out.
"It's just a bottle of plain water… want some?"
Hah… river water? Or just raw tap water? That was his immediate thought.
Realizing it was nothing special, Fenn simply shook his head.
Next, Aurora took out two more items from the bag—pieces of bread cut into small portions to make them seem plentiful.
She carried the bag of food to the chair where her father and Fenn had been sitting. Her plan had been to feed both of them once Fenn woke. But when she reached the chair, her father was gone—though she had already passed him on her way here.
Choosing instead to focus on Fenn, still lying on the chair, she unpacked the bread and offered it to him. She had bought two loaves earlier and cut them into bite-sized pieces for easier eating.
She handed two small bags of bread to Nathan as well. Both men smiled and thanked her.
"Aurora, thank you," Nathan said. Aurora smiled back, relieved to see Fenn eating again and slowly recovering.