Chapter 183: Fun

Three days had passed since Jet Saint-Clair and his companions departed Zenith City.

Their journey had been considerably longer than any of them anticipated. Between the numerous security checkpoints, occasional traffic congestion, and stops for food and rest, they had spent most of those three days inside their vehicle.

By late morning on the thirty-first day since the Second Red Moon, the four travelers had stopped beside a beautiful lake surrounded by lush woodland.

The roadside rest area was relatively quiet, with several wooden benches scattered beneath the trees and a narrow footpath leading toward the water. Sunlight shimmered across the lake’s surface, while a gentle breeze carried the refreshing scent of damp earth and vegetation.

Jet sat beneath a large tree, enjoying the shade while stretching his legs. His white hair stirred occasionally in the breeze, and his unusual white eyes followed the movements of two familiar figures near the shoreline.

Mikhail and Inez were playing together, searching for flat stones and attempting to skip them across the water.

"Uncle Mikhail, look! I found a really good one!" Inez exclaimed excitedly, holding up a smooth stone between her fingers.

Mikhail crouched beside her and examined it carefully. "That’s an excellent choice, little miss. Now remember what I showed you. Keep your arm low and throw it sideways instead of straight ahead."

Inez nodded enthusiastically before attempting another throw. Unfortunately, the stone struck the water with a loud splash and disappeared immediately.

"Aw, it didn’t work!" Inez complained, puffing out her cheeks in disappointment.

Mikhail chuckled and gently patted her head. "Don’t worry, little miss. Even experts need practice. Here, watch me demonstrate it again."

A short distance away, Frey occupied a wooden bench, stretching his arms with an expression of exaggerated suffering.

"Seriously, Jet, remind me why we didn’t take a plane?" Frey complained, rotating his stiff shoulders. "We’ve been traveling for three days. Three whole days! Do you have any idea what sitting inside a vehicle for that long does to someone’s body?"

Jet glanced toward him with an amused expression. "You make it sound like we’ve been imprisoned. We’ve stopped plenty of times along the way."

"Stopping for fifteen minutes to buy snacks doesn’t count as proper rest," Frey retorted, leaning backward dramatically. "We could’ve arrived ages ago if we’d simply booked a flight."

Jet shrugged. "We hadn’t even properly discussed where we were going when we first started planning the trip."

Frey immediately turned toward him.

"And whose fault was that?" Frey demanded, pointing an accusing finger at his friend. "Every time I asked where you wanted to go, you kept saying we’d discuss it later. You practically dragged us onto the road without explaining anything!"

"Dragged you?" Jet repeated incredulously, raising an eyebrow. "I distinctly remember you volunteering to come along."

"That’s because someone had to make sure you didn’t get yourself into trouble!" Frey declared, placing a hand against his chest. "Honestly, you should be grateful to have such a responsible friend."

Jet stared at him for several seconds before bursting into laughter.

"Responsible?" Jet repeated, shaking his head. "You spent half of yesterday complaining because we couldn’t find your favorite snacks."

Frey looked offended. "Those snacks are important! You can’t expect someone to endure a miserable journey without proper provisions."

"Of course," Jet replied dryly. "How inconsiderate of me."

Frey narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "You’re mocking me, aren’t you?"

"Would I ever do something like that?" Jet asked innocently, spreading his hands.

Frey snorted and turned away, although the corners of his mouth betrayed his amusement.

Despite his constant complaints, the journey hadn’t been particularly unpleasant. They had shared meals, exchanged stories, and occasionally stopped to admire the scenery. Inez, especially, had enjoyed seeing places she had never visited before.

For Jet, watching his sister experience those small moments of happiness made every inconvenience worthwhile.

A comfortable silence settled between the two friends.

Frey watched Mikhail demonstrate another stone-skipping technique before turning toward Jet again.

"So, you’ve really made up your mind?" Frey asked, his tone becoming noticeably more serious. "You’re absolutely certain about where we’re going?"

Jet nodded without hesitation. "I’ve thought about it carefully. I’m certain."

Frey studied his expression for a moment.

"Well, I hope you know what you’re doing," Frey replied, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Starting over somewhere unfamiliar isn’t exactly going to be easy. We don’t have anyone waiting for us, and we’ll have to figure practically everything out ourselves."

"I know," Jet answered calmly. "But staying somewhere familiar forever isn’t going to help us accomplish what we want."

Frey leaned forward, resting his elbows against his knees.

"You always make everything sound so simple," Frey remarked with a helpless smile. "Sometimes I wonder whether you’ve secretly planned out the next ten years of your life."

Jet chuckled softly. "Would that really surprise you?"

"Coming from you? Not particularly," Frey admitted, shaking his head. "Although knowing your personality, you’d probably forget to mention half the plan until we’re already involved."

Jet didn’t respond immediately.

There was some truth in Frey’s observation.

He had already made several important decisions concerning their future, although explaining his reasons would inevitably raise questions he wasn’t prepared to answer.

For now, keeping those matters to himself was the wisest choice.

"Anyway, there’s something much more important we need to discuss," Frey suddenly announced, straightening his posture.

Jet raised an eyebrow. "And what’s that?"

"Where exactly are we supposed to sleep when we arrive?" Frey asked, spreading his hands. "Because unless you’ve secretly arranged something, we’re going to end up standing on the roadside with our luggage like four lost tourists."

Jet slowly turned toward him. Then a mischievous smile appeared on his face.

Frey immediately narrowed his eyes.

"No," Frey declared firmly, pointing at him. "Absolutely not. Whatever you’re thinking, forget it."

Jet blinked innocently. "I haven’t even said anything."

"You don’t need to!" Frey exclaimed, shaking his head. "I know that expression. That’s the same smile you make whenever you’re about to suggest something ridiculous."

Jet struggled to suppress his laughter.

"Listen carefully, my dear friend," Frey continued dramatically. "I’m not some walking bank account. My family’s money doesn’t magically belong to me, and I’m certainly not spending everything I have because you suddenly decided we should start a new life somewhere else."

Jet finally burst into laughter.

"Are you finished?" Jet asked, wiping an imaginary tear from his eye.

Frey folded his arms. "That depends entirely on what you’re about to ask."

"Relax. I’m not asking you to buy us a house," Jet replied, rolling his eyes. "Just arrange a decent hotel where we can stay for a few days. That’s all."

Frey stared at him suspiciously.

"A hotel?" Frey repeated, clearly unconvinced. "That’s seriously all you want?"

"Yes, Frey. A hotel," Jet confirmed patiently. "Somewhere comfortable where Inez can rest properly while we sort everything else out."

Frey rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Why can’t you arrange it yourself?" Frey asked, examining his friend’s expression.

"Because I’ve got a few things to take care of once we arrive," Jet explained casually. "Besides, you’re much better at choosing comfortable places than I am. Consider it an opportunity to demonstrate your extraordinary taste."

Frey’s expression immediately brightened.

"Well, naturally," Frey replied proudly, brushing his hair backward. "When it comes to comfort and elegance, I do possess rather exceptional standards."

Jet nodded solemnly. "Precisely why I’m entrusting this important responsibility to you."

Frey looked pleased for approximately three seconds before suddenly narrowing his eyes again.

"Wait a minute," Frey muttered suspiciously. "Did you just flatter me into agreeing to something?"

Jet looked away, pretending to admire the lake.

"Jet!" Frey exclaimed indignantly, earning another burst of laughter from his friend.

Nevertheless, he eventually sighed and waved his hand dismissively.

"Fine, I’ll handle it," Frey agreed reluctantly. "But don’t complain about my choice afterward. And you definitely owe me for this."

"Of course," Jet replied cheerfully, offering him an exaggerated nod of gratitude.

Before Frey could continue complaining, Inez’s excited voice suddenly reached them.

"Brother! Brother! Come quickly!" Inez called, waving both hands enthusiastically. "You have to see what I can do!"

Jet immediately rose from beneath the tree and walked toward the shoreline, with Frey following close behind.

Mikhail greeted them with a broad smile.

"Your sister’s becoming quite the expert," Mikhail announced proudly, gesturing toward Inez. "At this rate, she’ll be better than both of you before lunchtime."

Frey immediately scoffed.

"Better than me?" Frey repeated, placing a hand against his chest. "Mikhail, please don’t underestimate my extraordinary talents."

Mikhail chuckled. "Then perhaps you’d like to demonstrate those extraordinary talents after the little miss finishes?"

Frey hesitated briefly before clearing his throat.

"Naturally," Frey replied confidently. "Although I should warn you that witnessing my technique might discourage everyone else from participating."

Jet rolled his eyes. "Just let Inez show us what she’s learned."

Inez giggled before proudly displaying a flat stone resting in her palm.

"Watch carefully, Brother!" Inez declared, positioning herself beside the water. "Uncle Mikhail showed me how to make it bounce!"

She bent her knees slightly, swung her arm sideways, and released the stone.

It struck the water once, bounced twice, and skipped a third time before finally disappearing beneath the surface.

For a brief moment, Inez stood completely still.

Then her face lit up.

"Three times! Brother, did you see that?" Inez exclaimed, jumping excitedly. "It bounced three whole times!"

Jet applauded enthusiastically.

"That was amazing, Inez!" Jet praised her, smiling warmly. "You’re getting better already."

Mikhail nodded proudly. "See? I told you that you’d improve with a little practice."

Frey crossed his arms and examined the water with exaggerated seriousness.

"Impressive," Frey declared solemnly. "Very impressive. I’m afraid your brother has officially been surpassed."

Jet turned toward him with an offended expression.

"Excuse me?" Jet protested, raising an eyebrow. "Since when did skipping stones determine someone’s talent?"

"Since your little sister became better at it than you," Frey replied smugly.

Mikhail burst into laughter while Inez giggled at their exchange.

Jet shook his head helplessly, although he couldn’t stop smiling.

For the next several minutes, the four continued playing beside the lake, their laughter occasionally interrupting the peaceful sounds of the surrounding woodland.

Whatever awaited them at the end of their journey could wait a little longer.

For now, Jet was perfectly content enjoying this rare moment of peace with the people who mattered most to him.