10 Years
Leaving the room, Christian walks through the illuminated metal corridors and exits his bunker, then enters the garage and approaches a wooden box hidden in a corner.
Opening the box, Christian pulls out a small, dark-colored rectangle and opens it, then brings his nose up and takes a deep sniff.
"What's that?" leaning closer curiously, Emily asks.
"Marijuana" Smiling slightly, Christian reached into the box and pulled out a few slips of paper, then took a pre-assembled filter and stood up "Let's go see the ocean."
Raising her eyebrows in surprise, Emily looked at the package in Christian's hands and shrugged, then followed him silently.
Arriving at the balcony, Christian silently observed the moonlit sea and smiled slightly, then walked to the seats and lay back contentedly.
Taking the packet of marijuana, Christian takes out a small bud and begins to grind it on the paper, then assembles the filter and begins to roll it with quite experienced movements.
Gently tapping the outside of the assembled cigarette, Christian closes the top end and nods, then pulls out a lighter and turns his gaze to Emily "Have you ever smoked?"
"Never" Sitting down next to Christian, Emily shook her head.
"Want to try it?"
"It would be fun" Nodding with a smile, Emily tilted her head slightly and asked "Have you ever smoked before?"
"It's the first time I've smoked this in this life."
"Then how do you know how to put the cigarette together? It looks complicated."
"Let's just say I have some experience" Remembering his time working with multiple singers, Christian chuckled and took the cigarette in his mouth, then lit it and inhaled deeply.
Closing his eyes as the distinct sting so distinctive of marijuana flows down his throat, Christian holds the smoke and hands the cigarette to Emily.
"..." Looking curiously at the cigarette, Emily turns her gaze to Christian and watches him silently, then takes the cigarette to her mouth and sucks in the smoke "*cough* *cough* *cough* *cough*"
Quickly pulling it from her lips, Emily lowers her head and begins to cough loudly, causing Christian to vote the smoke away as he laughs.
"T-this is hard" Looking down at the cigarette in his hand, Emily smiled sheepishly and muttered.
"It's normal, you didn't know this feeling. Try it again and you'll get used to it."
"Mn."
Looking silently with a small smile on his face at Emily, Christian narrowed his eyes in satisfaction as he felt his mind cloud over quickly while a feeling of bliss and relaxation surrounded his body.
"*cough* *cough*" Bearing the smoke a little longer, Emily coughed softly and handed the cigarette to Christian.
Taking it in his fingers, Christian took a deep puff and looked at the cigarette, noticing that it was already half consumed "This will do for now."
Throwing the other half into the ocean, Christian leaned back in the comfortable chair and smiled involuntarily, while his brain, which is always working non-stop, stopped thanks to the THC.
"Wow..." Looking up at the moon with a peaceful smile on her face, Emily murmured "This feels good..."
"Your eyes are already red, you're a mess" Turning his gaze to Emily, Christian chuckled and commented.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah..."
"..."
"..."
For several minutes the words were overused. Time flowed by and the two old friends just watched the moon in silence, enjoying this precious moment to the fullest.
"Do you know what day it is today?" Without taking his eyes off the moon while the sound of the sea enveloped them, Christian asked.
"Mmmm... August 26th?"
"Yes..." Nodding, Christian closed his eyes and smiled painfully "Today marks 10 years since Ashley's death..."
"..." Opening her eyelids a little wider, Emily turned her gaze to Christian and watched him silently, unable to process a word thanks to her drugged brain.
"Since she died I never went to the cemetery to see her..." Squinting his eyes into nothingness, Christian continued muttering "Even though it's been 10 years since her death... I still live every day the same feeling I felt when I found out she was no longer in this world... I just don't have the strength to stand in front of her grave again..."
"I feel so guilty..." Biting his lips softly, Christian closed his eyes and laughed contemptuously "I couldn't be with her at her worst and now I'm even running away from her grave... I'm pathetic..."
"So that's why you took the initiative to smoke this..." Turning her gaze back to the moon, Emily murmured "But I don't find you pathetic..."
Turning her gaze to Christian, Emily continued muttering "I don't know what it feels like to lose a family member... but I know that if I lost you, I would go crazy and most likely I wouldn't have the strength to do anything anymore... instead you managed to go on with your life and just look at you, you're 19 years old and you already have a big part of the world in your hands... you did it all by yourself."
"..." Letting out a small laugh, Christian shook his head and replied "Achieving everything alone? It was never like that."
"From the beginning I received support from others. In business my mother and aunt Sara helped me. My skills and contacts are thanks to my father. The money I have today is all thanks to the joint work of my mother and many people. My personal army is maintained smoothly thanks to the help of Envy and the rest of my team. Many of the cyber advantages we have are thanks to you. Everything I have in this life was accomplished because of the help of others."
"And although I know I could have done it all alone, I have no doubt that I wouldn't have half of what I have today even if given 5 more years" Turning his gaze towards the waves of the sea, Christian continued "That's the only truth... I may be a genius and I may have great abilities today, but I would never have what I have today without the help of those around me..."
"I'm just a man who can't let go of the past and needs others to survive... nothing more, nothing less."
"..." Pursing her lips, Emily turned her gaze to Christian and stared at him for a few minutes, then laughed herself silly "But isn't that also your accomplishment? The fact that you've gathered so many capable people is because you yourself are capable. Do you think anyone would be so supportive if they didn't trust you and your qualities? Even our friendship was based on the great help you gave me as a child and that is something I will always treasure in my heart."
"Besides..." Turning her gaze skyward again, Emily murmured "I don't know what would become of me without you... but what I do know, is that my life would have been very dull and sad... I'm sure for the people around you it must not be much different... you bring excitement and joy to this life... you enlighten us."
"As for you can't let go of the past... who can? Everyone must have their own burdens and their own internal battles... the important thing is that you are still standing despite everything, that's something I admire about you."
"..." Raising his eyebrows as Emily's words run through his brain, Christian remains silent for a few minutes, then smiles and looks at Emily with a soft smile "Since when did my little girl become so wise?"
Blushing slightly, Emily mumbled "It's because of what we smoked, my brain feels weird."
"Hahaha~" Chuckling softly, Christian squinted up at the moon with a peaceful smile "But thank you... moments like these help me calm down in a unique way"
"Mn."
"I'm so high" After staring at the moon for a few more minutes, Christian murmured.
"Christian..."
"Yes?"
"If we dig a hole to the other end of the world, it fills up China, right?"
"I don't know... but that's what the saying goes."
"Where would we get to if we dug from China?"
"Mmmm... To the United States?"
"But I also read that in Canada they also say the same thing, it wouldn't be a surprise that in several other countries they think the same thing."
"Hehe, it's like the old saying but different 'All the holes lead you to China'"
"Hahaha, what a shitty phrase" Laughing foolishly, Emily replied with a peaceful smile.
"Emily!"
"Yeah?"
"Have you ever thought about fucking any aliens?"
"It sounds very bizarre and disturbing."
"But in a way it's possible... I'm sure this world isn't the only one with humans..."
"But if they are humans they are not aliens..."
"Of course they are. As long as they are not from this planet, they are considered aliens" Laughing to himself, Christian thought 'In a way I am an alien. Maybe not in body, but in soul.'
Chuckling, Emily replied "It must be..."
"..."
"..."
"Must be?" Turning his gaze to Emily, Christian asked noticing she didn't finish her sentence.
"What?"
"I don't know, what were you going to say?"
"I don't know, I forgot" Laughing herself silly, Emily replied, causing Christian to laugh along with her at the absurdity of the situation.
Time passed and the duo spent time relaxing under the moonlight and the sound of the sea.
"Christian..."
"Yes?"
"I'm hungry."
"Me too..."
"Let's eat something..."
"What a laziness..."
"Let's order food..."
"Is there a store that serves at this time of day?"
"I don't know..."
"Damn..."
"Shall we go see a movie?"
"But I'm hungry..."
"*Sigh* Go turn on the TV and I'll cook some noodles with sauce, it'll do the trick to pass the hunger."
"Hehe, perfect."
***
"H-have you got a name?" Walking down some large, all metal hallways, a woman in her 60's with Asian features and gray hair, asked nervously.
Walking with her hands behind her back and with a neutral face, Envy didn't bother to turn her gaze and commented, "You can call me Envy."
"M-Mrs. Envy, m-may I know what you need me for?" glancing around at the numerous armed guards roaming the place, the woman asked nervously.
"Your English is quite good" Ignoring the question, Envy kept walking and asked, not even giving a glance to the woman who seemed to be having the worst time of her life.
"I-studied at Stanford."
Nodding silently, Envy stopped in front of a large metal door guarded by 4 armed women and began to insert a numerical key, then put her footprint and bring her eye close.
"Let's go" Entering through the door, Envy reaches another narrower and somewhat darker corridor, but still his steps did not stop and continued leading the way.
"*Gulp*" Swallowing saliva with a pale face, the woman stares at the dimly lit hallway, only to turn her gaze and see the armed security staring at her, causing the woman to grit her teeth and quickly advance towards Envy.
Aiko Kiriko, the scientist who caught Christian's attention thanks to her theory of infinite energy.
The woman is not a renowned scientist, nor is she respected.
Unlike her fellow scientists, Aiko did not go for an already advanced scientific branch and became obsessed with infinite energy, dedicating more than 30 years to her research.
But although her research bore enough fruit to build a good theory, fate played a dirty trick on her and she was rejected and even ridiculed by everyone.
They even rejected her request to add her theory to the scientific community, causing her life's work to be discarded like a piece of manure.
Thanks to this failure, Aiko collapsed completely. Because of her obsession, she failed to raise a family and her financial state is a disaster, full of debts everywhere, even having debts in the underworld.
Everything she gambled for, ended in nothing.
But as if all this disaster was not enough, one day suddenly a group grabbed her in the street and kidnapped her. Before she knew it she was already in an unknown place and following an unknown woman through what seems to be a bunker full of dangerous people.
Edited By: YASH_MATHUR and EgO_Unknown
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