Cael trailed the elderly woman toward the silver car parked across the street, clutching the tape-wrapped blue sphere in one hand and the cardboard box in the other.
As they got closer, Cael noticed the car wasn't just any vehicle. It was a luxury model, with sleek lines, glossy paint, and tires that looked freshly polished.
His eyebrows twitched upward.
He hadn't expected a woman so unassuming to own a ride like this.
Before Cael could open the door for her, it swung open from the inside.
A young woman stepped out from the back seat, her long silver hair cascading in perfect waves over her shoulders.
Her bright but icy blue eyes scanned Cael from head to toe.
She was petite, with an elegant posture, dressed in a pristine white blouse and a black skirt that looked tailor-made.
Her brow furrowed slightly, as if Cael's presence annoyed her.
"Grandma, who's this?" she asked, her tone polite but edged with impatience. Her voice was clear, almost melodic, but it had a sharpness that made Cael tense up.
The woman smiled, unfazed by her granddaughter's attitude.
"Oh, relax, Aria. He's just another young dreamer like you."
She turned to Cael, gesturing for him to step closer.
"Come on, kid. This is my granddaughter, Aria. Aria, this is…"
"Cael," he said quickly, a knot forming in his throat. "Cael Blackwood."
He forced a smile, but his hands trembled as he gripped the sphere and the box.
Aria was… intimidating.
Not just because of her looks, which were so flawless Cael wondered if she was a model or something, but because of the way she stared at him, like she was sizing up every detail.
Aria tilted her head slightly, as if acknowledging the introduction.
"A pleasure," she said, though her tone suggested she wasn't exactly thrilled.
She glanced at her grandmother, who was already opening the front passenger door.
"What are you doing, Grandma?"
The woman let out a chuckle and gave Aria a gentle pat on the arm.
"This boy's coming with us, dear. Scoot over—he needs some space too."
Aria blinked, clearly caught off guard.
"What? He's coming with us?"
Her gaze landed on Cael, lingering on the cardboard box and the tape-wrapped sphere.
Her frown deepened.
"Grandma, are you sure?"
"Relax, Aria," the woman said, her tone leaving no room for argument. "He's a good kid, and he's got an important meeting in the capital. We're helping him out, aren't we?"
She turned to the driver, a middle-aged man in a crisp black suit who looked like he could've been a butler.
"Mr. Torres, open the trunk, please. The boy needs to store that box."
The driver nodded silently and stepped out of the car. He popped the trunk with a smooth motion, and Cael, still a bit dazed by the situation, shuffled over to place the box inside.
"Thanks," he mumbled, setting it carefully among other bags and suitcases. But he didn't let go of the sphere. He kept it pressed to his chest.
The woman, now climbing into the front passenger seat, leaned out the window and grinned at Cael.
"Come on, kid, hop in the back with Aria. She doesn't bite, I promise!" she said, laughing.
Cael felt his cheeks flush.
"Uh? Oh, yeah, sure," he stammered, nervous.
He walked to the back door, which Aria held open, and slid into the seat carefully.
The car's interior smelled of fresh leather and was roomier than he'd expected.
Aria sat beside him, crossing her arms and staring out the window, like she was trying to pretend he wasn't there.
"Why didn't you put that in the trunk?" Aria asked suddenly, nodding toward the tape-wrapped sphere Cael clutched with both hands.
Her tone was more curious than hostile, but there was still a hint of suspicion.
Cael swallowed hard.
"It's… important," he said, choosing his words carefully. "I don't want it to get damaged."
Aria raised an eyebrow but didn't press further. Instead, she turned to her grandmother, who was buckling her seatbelt in the front seat while telling the driver they needed to floor it.
"Grandma, why are we in such a rush?" Aria asked, sighing with annoyance. "You said we were just picking up some stuff in the capital, not racing."
The woman turned to her, a mischievous smile on her face.
"Because the kid in the back has an important meeting, dear. And we're gonna make sure he gets there on time. Right, Mr. Torres?"
The driver, now behind the wheel, nodded.
"Of course, Mrs. Elena," he said in a deep, professional voice. "Everyone, please buckle up."
He started the engine, and the car purred to life, gliding out of the neighborhood and onto the highway toward the capital.
Cael fastened his seatbelt, still holding the sphere with one hand. He stared out the window, watching the familiar streets of his neighborhood give way to wider avenues.
The car was fast—way faster than he'd expected—and Mr. Torres drove with a precision that made him seem like a racecar driver disguised as a chauffeur.
Aria, next to him, kept her eyes on the window, but every now and then, she snuck a quick glance at the sphere in Cael's hands.
Finally, she couldn't hold back.
"What is that, exactly?" she asked, jutting her chin toward the sphere. "It doesn't look like something you'd bring to a regular meeting."
Cael's stomach knotted.
Yuna's warning echoed in his head:
Don't tell anyone what you're carrying.
But before he could come up with a response, the car lurched to a sudden stop.
SCREECH!
Cael and Aria jolted in their seats, and the sphere nearly slipped from his hands.
He caught it just in time, his heart pounding.
"What happened?" he blurted, looking toward the front.
Mr. Torres rolled down the windows, and Cael saw two uniformed police officers approaching the car.
One of them, a man with a mustache and a stern expression, leaned toward the driver's window.
"Good morning," he said, his tone authoritative. "We're conducting a routine inspection. There was a blackout in this area last night, and we're investigating."
Mrs. Elena, in the front passenger seat, frowned.
"A blackout?" she asked, turning to Aria. "Is that true, dear? Did you notice anything last night?"
Aria shrugged, looking bored.
"I guess so. The lights flickered a bit, but I didn't care. I was playing on my console, and the battery lasted all night, so… whatever."
Mrs. Elena let out an exaggerated sigh.
"Honestly, Aria, you're hopeless," she said, shaking her head. Then she turned to the officer. "Sorry, officer, how long will this take? We're in a bit of a hurry."
The officer nodded, adjusting his belt.
"Not long, ma'am. We just need to check the vehicle. Could we take a look in the trunk?"
Cael felt the world crash down around him.
'I'm screwed!' he thought, his heart racing out of control.