The Cheat Seed

Chapter 30

"Him, Aaron! My diamond, your son's one and only childhood bestie... MARCUS G ORNO!"

A heavy silence fell on the other end of the Magic Earpiece. Then came a sudden crash followed by an ear-splitting scream that made Albert cringe and pull the device away from his ear.

"HUHH??"

Aaron's voice erupted through the earpiece with such force that Albert feared it might have woken his entire household. Still, he couldn't help but chuckle at his friend's reaction.

"Yes, man, he's finally back and..." Albert lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "You won't believe the way he has glowed up."

"What do you mean?" Aaron's voice trembled with excitement and disbelief. "I... I need more details."

Albert settled back against his pillows, savoring the moment. "It was around 3 PM or so, I guess, and we were just talking casually. That's when we heard the bell ring and a knock on the door."

He paused, remembering the moment with perfect clarity. "Reirin opened the door first, and this masked dude suddenly hugged her, shouting 'Mom!' I did what guardians usually do—I pushed him away from her and shouted at him." Albert shook his head, smiling ruefully. "I still get the creeps when I think how I shouted at him..."

"But did you ask him where he'd vanished to for two whole years?" Aaron cut in, impatience clear in his voice.

Albert hesitated, weighing his words carefully. Marcus had made it clear that certain details should remain private, at least for now. The Cheat Seed, the Guardian trials, the dungeons—these were secrets best kept within the family.

"Um... he wasn't comfortable with that topic, so we dropped it while we caught up," Albert replied, sidestepping the question.

"Ahah. Go on... Tell me more."

"Where was I? Yeah... after that, he just removed his weird mask and stood before us with his arms opened wide." Albert chuckled at the memory. "It took a bit for us to recognize him... because, trust me when I say this..."

He deliberately faded his voice for dramatic effect before whispering into the earpiece: "Girls will go mad for him."

"Like hell they will," Aaron laughed from the other end.

"Oh... Let's see, man... Let's see," Albert replied with a knowing smirk.

Beside him, Reirin stirred from her disturbed sleep. "Can you guys stop with the comparisons?" she mumbled drowsily. "It's Marcus's birthday tomorrow."

"YES! AARON, I MEANT TO CALL YOU FOR THIS ACTUALLY!" Albert shouted with sudden realization, causing his wife to wince.

"Huh? What?"

"We have to celebrate the return of my son tomorrow. Plus, it's his birthday."

Aaron's response was immediate and enthusiastic. "Of course we do! Leave it to me, man. We'll celebrate at my villa. Come over at 7:30 PM tomorrow after you guys have some family time. Everything will be ready by then."

Though Albert couldn't see it, he could almost picture Aaron winking as he spoke, feeling proud of doing a favor for his childhood friend.

"Done. Good night, Aaron. See you tomorrow."

"Good night, Albert. Dave's gonna explode once he hears this news."

"HAHA, it would be awesome if he doesn't know about this until the party."

A moment of silence hung between them as the same idea dawned on both men simultaneously.

"Then why don't we just do that?" Aaron suggested.

"I was about to say so," Albert replied, grinning.

"Then it's fixed. I'll see you tomorrow. Good night."

"Let's make it the best birthday he's ever had. Good night."

The call ended with a soft ping as the magic earpiece vanished. Albert turned to find Reirin smiling softly at him.

"Sleep now," she said, patting his back gently. "We have to plan for tomorrow soon."

"Hmm," Albert murmured, settling back into bed with a satisfied smile.

…

The next morning, Marcus awoke with a massive yawn, stretching his arms wide enough to nearly touch both walls of his childhood bedroom. He'd just experienced the most relaxing sleep of his life, or lives, considering the millennia he'd spent in the dungeons.

He rubbed his eyes before remembering he shouldn't, then ran his fingers through his bed-tousled hair. It had grown considerably during his absence, but he wasn't planning to cut it—at least not yet.

It was October 24th, though Marcus hadn't realized the significance of the date. Tracking days had been meaningless during his time in the dungeons, and birthdays were a luxury forgotten in the constant struggle for survival.

With another jaw-cracking yawn, he crossed to the window and threw open the curtains. Bright sunlight flooded the room, hitting his smooth face and making it seem to glow. He cringed backward, eyes squinting against the sudden brightness.

The warm sensation on his skin made him smile. His pupils adjusted almost instantly to the light—a benefit of his Almighty Sense. Everything came into perfect focus within seconds.

The System considered wishing him a happy birthday but decided against it. No sense ruining the surprise his family had planned. It had intercepted the electric signals from Albert's conversation with Aaron and knew exactly what was in store.

Marcus's deep sleep had been fortunate—it had allowed the System to keep these details to itself, preserving the fun that was supposed to unfold today.

Shaking his head to clear the last vestiges of sleep, Marcus paced slowly toward his bathroom. He'd always been quick about freshening up, disliking long showers or extended toilet breaks.

True to form, he emerged from the bathroom a minute later, having used his powers to bathe almost instantaneously. His teeth gleamed when he smiled at his reflection in the wardrobe mirror.

"Perfect."

"Marcus!" His mother's voice called from the kitchen.

"Yes, Mom?" He tried to keep his voice soft, but it came out deep and resonant—almost startlingly masculine. Hearing himself speak like the protagonists from action films sent goosebumps racing along his spine.

In the past, he'd often grown irritated when his mother called for him, especially when she already knew he was awake and getting dressed. But his years of isolation in the dungeons had changed him. The only company he'd had was the System's computerized voice. Now, hearing his mother's call filled him with warmth.

"Breakfast's ready! Have it before it cools down!"

"Ah, yes. In a minute, Mom."

Marcus turned his attention to his hair, contemplating various styles. His gaze landed on a Devi comic lying on his desk, its cover showing the main character with hair similar to his own.

Smiling, he reached for a rubber band from his shelf. Standing before the mirror, he held the band between his lips while gathering his hair at the nape of his neck. With some effort, he managed to secure it in a short ponytail, the unbound portions of his red hair spiking out in all directions.

"To be honest," he said to his reflection, admiring the result, "I'm looking a bit hot. I guess girls are gonna go mad over me during the Alumni meet. KEK KEKEK KEKEKEKEKKEKEK."

[Finally.....ZAP!]

"AARGH!"

…

Marcus descended the stairs two at a time, landing softly on the ground floor. He made his way to the kitchen and pulled out a chair at the table, sitting down to wait for his mother to serve breakfast.

As he idly played with his fingers, an unsettling realization dawned on him. The house was eerily quiet. He could hear insects chirping outside, but inside—nothing. No footsteps, no voices, no sounds of cooking.

It was as if he was the only one inside his home. He WAS the only one inside.

Marcus bolted upright, sending his chair crashing against the wall.

"Mom? Dad?"

He strode to the cooking area but found it empty.

Frowning, he checked the dining room, then turned right and entered his sisters' room. No one there either.

"Wait." Marcus slapped his forehead, suddenly feeling foolish. "Man, I was so tense that I forgot I had powers."

"Almighty Sense," he called out, expecting to detect his family's presence instantly.

[...]

Nothing happened.

"Hm? Almighty Sense," he repeated, growing concerned when his skill failed to activate. The System remained silent as well.

"WHAT'S GOING ON??????"

Marcus's shout shook the very foundation of the house, the ground trembling beneath his feet as if an earthquake had struck.

His mother had called him just five minutes ago, and now she—along with his father and sisters—had vanished without a trace.

Questions raced through his mind:

'Is it the King's men?'

'Or was it somebody else?'

'Did they have something urgent that they couldn't tell me?'

'No, they would have told me earlier if they were busy.'

'This is something else.'

'And why isn't the System responding?'

'And why can't I even feel it?'

The questions kept coming, each more urgent than the last.

His eyes widened and his ears perked up as the clock in the hallway began to chime.

SOMETHING WAS SERIOUSLY WRONG.