Chapter 252: The talk

"W-what do you think?"

Anthony sat with his chin resting in his hand, his gaze fixed on Asher as he considered what the younger man had just told him. His expression was unusually serious, and the longer he remained silent, the more uncomfortable Asher became.

Finally, Anthony let out a quiet sigh.

"Are you sure about what you saw, Asher?"

"I mean..." He lowered his head, nervously biting his lower lip. "I hope it was just my eyes playing tricks on me, but I’m sure I saw Uncle holding something in his hand. He was trying to feed it to that woman."

Anthony’s eyebrows drew together.

Something about the situation bothered him, but he couldn’t quite determine what it was. Asher wasn’t the type to make up stories, especially when it concerned someone he trusted so deeply.

Anthony rose from his seat with a slight groan, removing his glasses to rub the bridge of his nose.

"Did you approach the subject with him? Let’s not jump to conclusions."

Asher pressed his lips together.

"I did, but..." He paused, looking rather uncomfortable. "I wasn’t able to ask him the way I wanted to."

Anthony glanced at him.

"What do you mean?"

***

"Asher."

They both stood near the entrance of the living room, inside the house Sylvan had rented for the occasion.

The man smiled warmly as he loosened his tie and slipped it off.

"Why did you follow me earlier?" Sylvan asked casually. "Was there something you wished to tell me with urgency?"

Asher stiffened.

He had known this conversation would eventually come, yet now that Sylvan had brought it up himself, he found that the courage he’d gathered earlier was rapidly disappearing.

How was he supposed to question his uncle?

The man had always treated him with kindness. No matter when, he had remained someone he could rely on, someone who had taken care of him when he needed it most.

The thought of doubting him felt almost unbearable.

"U-Uncle..."

Sylvan tilted his head slightly.

"Hm?"

Asher lowered his gaze, fidgeting with his fingers.

"Earlier, I didn’t mean to follow you..."

It was a terrible start.

Sylvan approached him, his footsteps unhurried. Once he was close enough, he gently placed a hand on Asher’s shoulder.

"Don’t be so tense. Tell me what’s wrong."

The reassuring gesture helped Asher relax a little. He exhaled softly, feeling some of the tension leave his shoulders.

"I just wanted to see where you were going," he admitted. "I was a bit uneasy being all alone, so I couldn’t help it."

For a moment, Sylvan simply looked at him. Then he laughed.

"Sometimes, you behave just like you did when you were a child, Asher."

He patted Asher’s shoulder affectionately, his tone light and familiar.

Asher managed a smile.

"Ahaha... I suppose I do."

Cold sweat trickled down the side of his face.

"Uncle, I wanted to ask you something."

"Go ahead."

"Earlier, when you were with that woman..." His voice faltered for a moment. "What was that thing you had in your hand?"

For the briefest instant, Sylvan’s eyes flickered.

It was such a small movement that Asher might have missed it if he hadn’t been watching him so carefully.

Then Sylvan’s expression returned to normal.

"Did I have something in my hand?" he asked, sounding genuinely puzzled. "Are you sure?"

"Ah, it’s just that..."

Asher’s words trailed off.

He couldn’t explain it properly. The distance, the darkness, and the brief glimpse he’d caught of the scene made it difficult to describe exactly what he’d seen.

But he remembered the way Sylvan had held the object.

And the way he’d approached the woman.

Before Asher could gather his thoughts, Sylvan reached into his pocket and took out a cigarette.

"Earlier, I stepped out to smoke a cigarette," he explained, holding it between his fingers. "This must be what you saw. I didn’t want to do it on the balcony, in front of the other guests, that’s why I walked so far away."

Asher stared at the cigarette.

For a moment, he couldn’t say anything.

Then he swallowed.

"...Yes. I see."

"Is that all you wanted to ask?"

Asher nodded.

"Yes."

Sylvan gave his shoulder another gentle pat before turning away.

Asher remained where he was, watching his uncle’s back as the man walked farther into the room.

He should have felt relieved.

After all, his uncle had given him a perfectly reasonable explanation. Cigarettes were hardly unusual, and the darkness could easily have distorted what Asher had seen.

***

Anthony rubbed his forehead.

"You can’t just take his word for it. You have better eyesight than a regular human now."

Asher sighed, leaning back against the sofa.

"I know."

"Then you should understand why I’m concerned."

"It’s just that it was so dark..." Asher lowered his gaze. "I could’ve been wrong, but... something was undoubtedly wrong."

Anthony put his glasses back on, adjusting them before looking at Asher again.

Honestly, the more time passed, the harder it became for him to understand any of this.

At first, he’d thought that everything could be explained through careful investigation. They would gather evidence, uncover the truth, and eventually understand what had happened.

But every answer seemed to lead to another question.

And now, even Sylvan, someone him and Asher had always trusted, had become a source of uncertainty.

"Honestly, the more time passes, the more difficulty I have understanding all of this."

"Don’t say that, Anthony. I—"

"It’s not just about what you saw tonight, Asher."

Anthony interrupted him, his expression growing heavier.

"It’s also about you."

Asher fell silent.

Anthony looked down at his hands, briefly collecting his thoughts before continuing.

"I can’t help but also think about the fact that he was so careless and got you involved in that accident..." He paused. "Was it truly accidental?"

Asher’s eyes widened.

For several seconds, he simply stared at Anthony, seemingly unable to process what he’d just heard.

Then his expression shifted into disbelief.

"That wasn’t Uncle’s fault."

His response came almost immediately.

"If I hadn’t touched all those things inside the lab, I wouldn’t have ended up with these abilities in the first place. I was the one who made that mistake."

Anthony didn’t respond.

"And besides..." Asher’s voice grew quieter. "It was so painful."

He lowered his head, his fingers tightening against the fabric of his trousers.

"Would Uncle really put me through that?"

Anthony’s expression softened.

He hadn’t meant to suggest that Sylvan had deliberately caused Asher’s suffering. He knew how much he cared about his uncle, and he wasn’t trying to take that relationship away from him.

Still, there were questions he couldn’t ignore.

"I didn’t mean it like that," Anthony said quietly. "I’m not saying he deliberately caused the accident."

He paused, glancing at Asher.

"But sometimes, I can’t help wondering whether it was a mistake for you to become a symbol of justice."

Asher looked up.

Anthony’s hands were clasped together, his thumbs moving restlessly against one another.

"You’ve taken on so much responsibility. You keep putting yourself in dangerous situations because you believe it’s the right thing to do, and I know you won’t simply turn your back on people who need help."

His voice softened further.

Anthony looked away, letting out a long breath.

"It feels like you’ve reached a point where you can’t back out anymore, even if you want to. And I’m scared that, one day, you’ll be the one who pays the price for it."

For a moment, the room fell silent.

Asher watched Anthony, his expression gradually changing from surprise to understanding.

"Anthony..."

He reached out and gently patted his shoulder. Then he smiled.

"I don’t regret the moment when I decided to do this."

Anthony turned toward him.

Asher’s smile wasn’t particularly bright, nor was it an attempt to pretend that everything was fine.

But there was determination, too.

"I know there are things I don’t understand yet. And I know that there might be things waiting for me that I won’t like." He paused, his fingers resting on Anthony’s shoulder. "But if I keep worrying about everything that could go wrong, how am I supposed to help anyone?"

Anthony stared at him for a few seconds before sighing.

Then, despite himself, he smiled.

"And you shouldn’t regret it," he said. "You’re saving innocent people. I’m proud of you for that."

Asher’s expression brightened slightly.

"But..." Anthony’s smile faded as he adjusted his glasses. "There’s something we’re not being told. I can feel it."

Asher nodded.

He couldn’t deny that.

But he didn’t want to let those uncertainties dictate his every decision.

"Every doubt we have, we’ll be able to clear up with time," Asher said. "We just need to keep looking for the answers."

Anthony studied him before giving a small nod.

"I hope you’re right."

For a moment, the tension in the room eased.

Then Asher’s expression turned thoughtful.

"Besides, Blake gave us some useful advice that day. What he said gave me the courage to follow uncle that evening."

Anthony remained silent. Then, he huffed slightly.

"Yeah, I think that was something that we needed to hear."

As he looked at Asher, he couldn’t shake the feeling that their next discovery might change everything they thought they knew.

"I will always be beside you if anything were to happen, Asher."