Temporal Pearls

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The game cabin opened and he found his mother standing beside it.

"Welcome back, my child." She said with a longing and happiness on her face.

"Did something happen?" Seth asked.

"Nope. I was just here looking at your face!" She said, "Come, have something to eat!"

"Yep, I'm hungry." He felt an incredible hunger just now, and so, he wolfed down everything given to him till he felt bloated.

Finishing that he asked, "Where is Sister?"

His mother's eyes were glued to all his movements before she sighed and said, "She went out. But, I think by now…"

She trailed as they heard a car being parked.

"Aha, the gamer is out!" Anna peered her head to the room Seth was in and commented before she went ahead.

Seth leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes, hoping for a real sleep but he couldn't.

What happened to the game kept replaying in his mind.

So, he wisely wore casual clothes before he asked if he could go out for fresh air. His mother didn't stop him but one can see worry on his face.

Entering the car, Anna badge in too. Seth didn't mind it as they drove away.

"Mom said, you look worried?" Anna said.

Seth can predict what has happened. His mother has forced Anna to be his company because he looked dejected.

"I tried hard not to show it." He defended himself with a low voice.

"Well, you did a bad job at it!" Anna said before she leaned back trying to catch some sleep.

She must have been very tired.

Hours later she woke up and found the car parked at a large field view filled with trees and a small water pond.

Seth was sitting on the front car bonnet, the wind blowing him. She can see he has to orient himself from time to time due to the wind pushing him around.

'Something did happen?' Anna thought before she came out of the car and sat beside him.

"You know it's funny that after every wind blows you appear like a kite that needs to adjust his posture!"

She joked.

Seth chuckled. The battle with wind actually took his mind away from the game.

So, he wasn't actually disturbed or frustrated but enjoying the constant struggle.

"I never ask this but I have this question in my mind forever. You are a grown-up now, I can ask it, right?" Anna said skeptically.

She doesn't want to hurt his feelings even though she knows he is as resilient as her when it comes to emotional strength.

"Shoot away!" He said as he stared at her; there was this uncomfortable smile on his face.

"Wait, what are you thinking?" She asked. It's like she can read his mind.

"Nothing!" He forced out.

"Haha," she laughed and looked away and then asked the question.

"What does it feel to be super weak?" She asked and quickly looked at him.

The way his face showed made her laugh.

"Your brain is damaged!" She joked.

"Nope nope. Haha!" He couldn't deny her accusations. True, he had expected she would ask about the viability of his manliness, but it turned out to be something mundane.

"Seriously, how does it feel!" She asked.

"Well, how can I describe it? Doesn't everyone feel weakness?" He asked.

"Yes, but your bones are fragile, your skin and muscles aren't any good. A simple trip and fall will cause injuries. Heck, a punch from a year-old boy might injure you!"

Seth can understand what she meant and he thought about it for some time.

"That is my normal." He said truthfully, "I don't know if I can explain it, but it is frustrating sometimes if I see others jumping around. But now, I don't feel that anymore!"

"Do you like to worry a lot that you will fall or get injured by walking alone!"

"If I'm tired, yes or if there are obstacles. But it's mostly about knowing the amount of fuel I have and then planning before performing any activities!"

What she said next made him look at her, "I'm glad you are my brother!"

"What with the sentimental statement?" Seth growled out.

He hates sentimental things as well as showing pity. They annoyed him more than the weakness he had.

"Technically, you are supposed to be dead, but your apparent willpower was what kept you going. I have visited a lot of hospitals and saw conditions similar to yours but each I met with no exception died."

There was deep pain in her tone, and she was worried as she continued.
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"Even the doctors now know the cause was the patient just gave up on life. A single moment of giving up was what just made the body snap and deactivate."

She sighed as she looked at Seth with a smile, "But I know you and your body didn't even know what giving up meant or else you would have died during those multiple accidents with the game machine!"

Seth chuckled, "I never felt I was holding a straw of life the way you described it"

"That's understandable because your sheer willpower is just too robust for you to care about its integrity"

Anna said with slight appreciation in her tone.

"So how is your job!"

"Bad!" She said and looked at him, "Did something bad happen in the game!?"

"Yeah. Pretty bad!" He said but then added, "But it was just a change of event that now I have to adjust to. But I still felt bad, very bad!"

"That is life!" Anna said casually.

"You know, I have met people shouting they will fight their destiny, and they do all sorts of things. Those that succeeded in achieving what they seek will proclaim winning against destiny; those that didn't will either make peace with what they have or wallow in denial that their destiny was the enemy."

She sighed and said, "But I have a different idea on destiny…"

She stared at Seth in the eyes and said, "People do not have power to fight destiny or even fate for that matter, what we do have is the ability to change our destiny on limited bases."

"We have tools and chances in life open for us and we must act on them cautiously to reach our goals. Even with all that, sometimes the path to change destiny was never there, even with all the tools!"

"When did you become philosophical?" Seth asked.

"I have always been one ever since I failed to keep my shield!" She said. The word shield came with a bitter tone.

"I sought to change my destiny too. I seek the possibility of acquiring something I would have never had. I got the destiny but at a heavy cost."

"I lost something valuable that I didn't know if I could get back and also faced betrayal from those I didn't expect. I didn't even analyse the situation before I logged out to escape this reality!"

"Greed is the root of downfall!" She said.

"I guess. Now that I was in my right mind I remember there were a lot of subtle warnings from my intuition and people around him. Even recently, a man told me that what I pursue might not be what I need, but if it was destiny, I can't stop it."

Seth sighed, "The hints were so bright and apparent but I was blinded by the allure of what I want that I refuse to acknowledge them!"

"Haha. That will serve as a lesson. And I will dare say it was also destiny. Perhaps, even if you acknowledge the warnings, one way or the other something will push you to make the same decision!"

Seth sighed deeply before he looked up into the sky and observed the blue sky.

"I'm hungry again!" He said.

"Let go, I know a place!"

They drove to a good restaurant. It has a general area and also a private room.

Using his charisma, he got them a private room, and they were served delicious delicacies, which eventually calmed his nerves.

"Hmm. Maybe we should buy this place!" Seth casually said as he leaned on a floor cushion. Anna, on the other hand, was sitting respectfully as if before a high-class individual.

She wasn't at ease when Seth went ahead and demanded a private location. The confidence and the air he exuded at that moment made her feel as if he were someone else.

Heck, even the owner came to welcome them when they took the highest room available.

Anna, lacking his air, has to masquerade as his attendant.

"I don't think that will be easy. This restaurant is renowned and has a decade-old history. They will not sell it at all!"

Anna liked the food here. That's why she brought Seth, and she had performed some background checks on it when she was searching for things she could buy or sponsor.

"There are ways for us to be good patrons. Seth casually said. "I can just make one painting that will attract people. That will be enough!"

Saying that Seth sat properly, "We shall just do that."

Anna sighed and walked out of the room and came back with the manager.

With arrogance befitting his statue, Seth casually said, "I like your food, so I decided to make you a painting that you can decorate the restaurant with!"

His gaze scanned the room with a slight sneer, and he said, "The decorations in here are not bad, but it is a poor attempt to look classic."

The manager still had a business face, and he said, "Thank you very much, sir!"