Welfare and Warfare

Chapter 26

Day: 3203

Days Left: 2277

Lives Saved: 17

Once again, precautions and measures were in place. It wasn't quick and easy to return to his old life, even with all of his memories back. The visit to see his family again was on a strict time schedule, and Suzy was there to monitor the interaction. It seemed that Dex still couldn't avoid having his life watched by others, years of it in The Eternal Abyss, recorded for the cautionary broadcasts and the noble's amusement, and now out of fear that he would act out.

As they drove to the destination, Dex could vividly remember the route, seeing the bicycle lane he used every day; it was still there but had new coats of paint on the signs, and refurbished houses alongside it, new plants and old plants having been replaced. The same straight path, the same journey, but different surroundings. Much to his relief, his brother had kept their house all this time, apparently having finally bought it instead of renting, something that Dex didn't believe possible in their generation. It wasn't the grandest house, more of an apartment as they owned the bottom floor of one whole house, the rest owned by another family, but it was still impressive to own it.

Suzy parked outside by the road, and Dex hesitated to leave the car. There it was: the house he had lived in since he was nineteen, sharing it with his brother once they were both old enough to move out of their parents. They had stayed there that long since neither of them liked to change much, nor the notion and difficulty of moving house, stubbornly staying and even joking about buying it themselves in the future. Then, when things were getting serious with his wife, having a baby, Dex and his brother had an argument over who got to keep the house and who had to move out. They made up eventually, but there was simply no space for Dex, his wife, his brother and his son to all live together in the apartment.

The house was exactly the same. Odd how it seemed to be the only building on the street that had not changed. All of the others had new renovations, new curtains in the windows, new cars parked outside, but his house was the same.

Suzy held the door open for Dex and peered at him, smiling sweetly. "If you like, we can postpone and come another day?"

Dex shook his head. "I've waited long enough." He finally managed to get himself out of the car and followed behind Suzy to the front door. She rang the bell and Dex could hear footsteps approach, a click of a key and the door opened.

His brother Theo was on the other side. He had gotten older. He was now in his forties, grey hair in his beard yet Dex had remained the same in the decade he was gone. Theo must look like the older brother now, perhaps even the uncle or another older relative, instead of a year apart like they should do.

Theo's eyes barely glanced at Suzy before they settled on Dex, frozen, unreadable, perhaps in disbelief.

Suzy moved to the side, letting the moment pass between them, expecting a reunion hug, tears, sobs, anything. But the two brothers just stood there a moment. With Dex's returned memories, it felt like he had seen Theo only a couple of days ago, when he visited him before his imprisonment. But for Theo, it had been a decade.

"How..." Theo's throat seized up, his voice croaking. "How do you look the same?"

Suzy glanced nervously between them. Dex would be imprisoned again if he dared tell anyone about the truth that no one could die nor age in The Eternal Abyss, otherwise it would not work so effectively as a disincentive for crime.

"Just aged better than you did, clearly," Dex joked, shrugging. "I mean, look at those greys! And your hairline finally receded all the way!" His voice finally broke, his eyes welling up despite his best efforts.