InvaSUn

23

The neighborhood we were in looked absolutely trashed. The Criebeasts must've come through the area. Aiden's face changed completely as soon as we entered his subdivision. When we pulled into the driveway of his home, Aiden hopped out of the car and bolted towards the front door.

"Aiden! Wait!" I chased after him.

"Dad! Dad, open the door! It's me! It's Aiden!" He ignored my call and pounded his fists on the door. He squatted down and removed the floor mat, revealing a key. He snatched it off the ground and unlocked the front door before rushing inside.

I stopped at the door, wondering whether I should follow him or not. It wasn't my house, and I was afraid that I'd be barging in, like some robber. Before I could do anything else, James zipped past me and went inside.

Okay then. I guess we were all going to go inside.

I stepped into the home and studied the room. The entrance led into a kitchen and living room merged into one, and it looked messy like someone was here earlier.

"He's not here!" Aiden shouted and ran from one room into the next. James followed him with a worried expression on his face. "He's not here!" Aiden cried. "My father is gone!" Aiden hopped up and down frantically with tears streaming down his face.

"Hey, kid, calm down for a moment." James held onto his shoulders to stop him from jumping.

"No! He's gone! He's not here!" Aiden whined and dropped to his knees. "He's dead." The whole scene made my heart ache for him. James sat next to him and wrapped an arm around Aiden's smaller frame, giving him a slight hug for reassurance.

"Aiden, just because he's not here, doesn't mean he's dead." James sighed. It shocked me that he was comforting him. I'd never thought I'd see this side of him, ever. Not with his conceited and self-centered attitude. I was expecting James to tell Aiden to suck it up and move on.

"Liar." Aiden sniffled into his arm.

"I'm not lying." James pulled Aiden closer. "If your father were dead, we would've seen a body or something by now. There were none when we pulled into the subdivision."

I hadn't even noticed that. James was right. There weren't any bodies even when coming across the state line to Arizona. Of course, the area looked wasted, but no bodies were around.

"He's right Aiden.. just take a few deep breaths." I walked over and brushed my hand over his head. "It's okay.."

"What if we can't find him? What if he's dead and we can't find a body—"

"He's alive." Su entered the home and stepped forward. Aiden raised his head to look at her, studying her expression to see if she was being honest. "He is. I feel it. Your father is looking for you, but he's not here. He went back to the east coast of this land."

"How do you know?" James clenched his teeth.

"I am able to tell where your families are based on a genetic scan I did on you when I watched your memories. As of right now, all of your family members are alive." Su smiled at us.

"Even my parents?" James tilted his head and narrowed his eyes at her. "You'd better not be lying, or else I'll end you, right here, right now."

"Yes, both of your parents are alive." Su nodded,  reassuring us all. "But if you want to meet them, we should hurry. The Criebeasts are headed towards the Pacific Coast right now. I'm not sure why."

"How long until they arrive?"

"2 days," Su answered.

"Shite." James pushed himself off the floor. "We have to go, now. Get up Aiden, you're coming with us until we find your father." He commanded, and Aiden nodded without hesitation before following behind him.