Tridonia Nexus: Alex's Journey

7 Edzil and Eva

In the golden glow of the eternal daylight in Daystar Reach, the household of Edzil and Eva had a palpable tension. The constant light had always been a source of energy and life in the kingdom of Aurorium, but recently, something was off. For the past few days, mysterious blackouts had plagued their home. These outages weren’t just inconvenient; they were unprecedented. The kingdom, blessed by the eternal sun, had never experienced darkness. The sudden disruptions rattled the nerves of the once-peaceful city, and the household of Edzil and Eva was no exception.

Edzil, a pragmatic man with a background in technology and engineering, couldn’t shake his concern. His job in the solar infrastructure sector meant he understood just how delicate the balance of power in Aurorium was. Blackouts, in his line of work, signaled potential disasters far greater than simple power failure. Sitting at the dining table, his brows furrowed in deep thought.

“These blackouts, Eva, they aren’t normal,” Edzil muttered as he rubbed his temples.

“Aurorium is powered by the sun itself. There should be no reason for this—unless there’s something wrong with the sun... or someone’s tampering with the grid.”

Eva, his wife, who had always been the more optimistic of the two, leaned against the kitchen counter while preparing dinner.

“You’re worrying too much,” she replied, though her tone betrayed a hint of anxiety.

“The kingdom has faced problems before, and we’ve always come through. Maybe it’s just a glitch. The engineers are probably working on it as we speak.”

Edzil sighed. “A glitch that’s lasted this long? You know it’s more than that.”

Eva turned away from the stove, her eyes softening as she saw the deep lines of worry on her husband's face.

“I know, but what can we do? We just have to trust that the council will handle it. We have bigger things to focus on.”

She glanced at the clock and bit her lip.

“Like making sure dinner is ready on time for Alex.”

But the blackouts had slowed everything down. What should have been a simple birthday dinner in memory of Edzil’s twin brother, Inno, had turned into a series of frustrating stops and starts. The electricity kept flickering on and off, and Eva had to adjust her cooking methods repeatedly.

As she stirred the pot on the stove, she sighed softly, her thoughts drifting to the past. Inno’s kidnapping had been the darkest shadow over their family. Edzil and Inno had been born moments apart, but right after the birth, Inno had vanished. The search had been exhaustive, but there had never been any trace of him. Years had passed, and though the grief had dulled, it had never fully gone away. Every year, on their shared birthday, the family gathered to remember Inno, hoping against hope that he was alive somewhere.

Edzil got up from the table and walked over to the stove, gently placing a hand on Eva’s shoulder.

“I still think about him, you know,” he said quietly. “Every day.”

Eva nodded.

“Me too. I wish Alex could have met him. Maybe things would have been different if Inno were still here.”

They exchanged a somber look. Despite the joy of raising Alex, the absence of Inno had always left an unspoken void in their lives.

The smell of the food soon filled the small kitchen, rich and warm, though the dinner was simple. The flickering lights had made it difficult for Eva to prepare an elaborate meal, but she had done her best. On the table were dishes passed down from generations, recipes their parents had taught them. The effort was more about the memories than the meal itself.