Running Through Time

[Ch. 3]

"Such a dramatic story. Can you tell me about the looks the organization gave her? She was too young to know the events... but she was there with you, right?"

"Yes," Alex said. "Yes, she was," he said after a few moments of hesitation. 

 The reporter gave him a quizzical look, and he returned it with a slight smile.

"She and I did so many things together. So many things... and I don't think that I can remember them all."

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"So this will be your home," Alex said proudly. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

 Her bright blue eyes were wide with amazement. This was better than her old home. Here, they had a real garden, not a hologram one. They had real flowers, and they smelled better than fake ones. The building itself was big. Enormous. And it was made with glass. And around the land, there were animals - real, not robots.

 Alex glanced at Nikki. 

"There are other strange things inside the building. Want to see?"

 Alex led her into the building, holding her small hand tight. 

"This is where we make the strategies. We usually have a meeting here."

 He opened a door which was in the back of the meeting room. 

"This is my office," he said.

 He pushed a bookshelf aside, and it revealed another door with lots of locks. With a quick motion, he opened the secret door, and revealed a room behind it.

"My own room," he said. "And for you, we've got a spare room here..."

 He pulled down a loft ladder which led to the attic. Unlike other attics in normal homes, this one was clean and cozy. And also, the attic was the safest place in the building.

"Thank you," Nikki said, smiling at the man.

"You're free to explore," Alex said.

 Taking that as a cue, Nikki ran upstairs, her eyes shimmering with happiness.

"Oh, wait," Alex muttered to himself. "I thought I left my belongings up there."

 He followed her all the way up to the attic. 

"Hey, wait!" Alex shouted. The girl turned around, question marked right up on her head.

"I had to take these," he said, pointing at some bags. "Important things," he added.

 The young man then walked downstairs, leaving Nikki behind. The blue eyes switched into swirling pools of gold for a second and then turned back to their normal color as he looked into the bags for the old plans he had made years ago. It was probably the right time to start the years-old plan... 

"Alex?" The same, sweet girl's voice asked, right behind him. He slowly turned around, taking his gaze off the documents and on her bright, blue eyes.

"Why?" Alex asked, reaching out his hand to tuck the girl's hair behind her ears. 

"I'm hungry," she said. Alex made her lean against him, and Nikki smiled.

"C'mon," he said to her. "You'd better eat something."