Atlantis: The Rebirth of the Empire (I)©

Chapter 9: Problems in Sight

Mina

 I finished my shift at 3:25 in the morning, it was a good run of orders and messing around thanks to the holiday season coming up. I get home exhausted and my parents are already asleep, I don't see why I shouldn't do the same, I go up to my room to find Klein on the stairs.

  —What are you doing here? —The puppy wags his tail as I carry him upstairs to take him with me. He tries to let out little barks of excitement, but still waking up from sleep, I laugh lightly. When I open the door, I stretch blankets across my bed as I'll have him there for a while and he's still a puppy, he might get into mischief. I turn off the light and leave the lamp on my dresser on—. By the way, thanks for helping me put my mommy to sleep, little guy.

 Klein wags his tail and licks my face, I laugh at this gesture, but our moment doesn't last long, the parchment materialises on my bed as if he knows that's where I'll read it. I place Klein on his favourite pillow and sit beside him, taking the parchment in my hands and unrolling it.

  >>Well, the first gem is in the depths of the Atlantic, so I'll have to swim there, it'll be a long trip and difficult to cover up, don't you think? —The Doberman sees me and puts his paw on the parchment, trying to get my attention, I try to get him off me, I don't want him to tear it up—  What will I tell my parents? I can't keep this from them, it's out of my hands.

 I sigh, resigned, I read the whole scroll over and over again as every time I finish it, the information disappears, making room for new content. Klein has already fallen asleep on my lap, I don't realise how easily time passes without one noticing until I hear my mother shout.

  —Mina, breakfast! —I startle and look at the time, it's 5:30 in the morning. I blink my eyes, which make a sticky sound due to the lack of moisture, sleepyness creeps into my system. Klein hears my mother and gets up from where he is and curls up on another part of my bed, I feed him as I'm about to leave for class.

  —Wish me luck —I say to Klein and his snores are what answer me. I leave my room and close the door. I calmly walk downstairs as I think about how I will tell my parents what really happened yesterday, but a sudden whisper from a male voice comes to my mind, "Don't do it, if you do, they'll be in grave danger too."

 I arrive in the dining room and there are three plates for everyone in the house: a bowl of fruit, next to it a slice of wholemeal bread with Nutella and banana, and finally the main course, which is egg whites with ham. I sit down and my mother places a fruit juice and a cup of coffee in front of me.

  —Thank you —I say, taking my bowl first.

  —You must be exhausted from your shift yesterday. Clark tells me you made up for lost time from five o'clock this afternoon. —I owe my boss one.

***

 I leave my house in renewed spirits, as I've already thought of a perfect plan to go get the gem without my friends or parents suspecting me. Then I'll tell my parents that Rose has invited me to her house in Greece and I'll be able to carry out my plan to go in search of the gems, but, in the meantime, I'll try to continue with my life as normal as I can. I check my phone while the guys come over; when I open the messages, Nick appears at the top of my list of messages to reply to, last night after we saw each other he wrote to me, I roll my eyes as I read it. I open our friends group and Jordan has left the group. Dismayed, I read the messages that follow.

YOSHI🎮

—He needs time. Besides, he told me he had already formalised his relationship with Lena.