For the past four years, Hunter Zol kept to his schedule: taking on impossible missions in his region and sector.
He had not forgotten about Alex during that time, as he always had some of his people randomly explore the known locations of their universe.
After sending the kids off on their first mission, he quickly departed to the planet designated for holding their special visitor.
On the storage and research planet known as Evaran in the Retora star system, Hunter Zol arrived at the facility and headed straight to the section where the ice visitor slept.
He was out in charge of studying the visitor to see if they could learn anything from her.
"Any new changes?" Zol stared at the screen that monitored the chamber the visitor was kept in.
"Negative." The lead researcher, Dr. Van Slayer, a dark sclera human with dark hair and dark skin, said.
His attention was on the display before him as he inputted a few commands and then looked at Zol.
The facility had white walls everywhere and the control room they stood in had other personnel carrying out various monitoring procedures.
In the back were some Class B hunters serving as guards of the facility.
"The ice around her body still refuses to budge. We've tried everything we could think of, yet the ice shows no signs of giving in.
"The energy it's made of itself is dangerous to us as you are well aware."
Zol nodded in understanding. It had been this way since they brought her here. Find exclusive stories on My Virtual Library Empire
After what happened to Alex, Zol saw the visitor as one of the possible paths they could utilize in searching for Alex.
Yes, he was more on the side of Alex dying, but the hope and refusal he sees in the kids' eyes made it difficult for him to accept his own thoughts.
A prompt from his system snapped him out of his thoughts as he glanced at the device.
"Hm?"
Zol narrowed his eyes to be sure what he saw was right. And as the realization set in, Zol's eyes widened in shock.
'He's really alive!'
"Excuse me," he actually said and swiftly headed to his private chamber where he played the recording.
"He really is alive… This is something."
He had no words to express his shock. And knowing the storm this news was bound to bring, he let the facility know he was leaving and quickly left the star system.
...….
As Zol expected, there was already a crowd waiting for his arrival.
Alex's father and sister, James, Ross, Julia and of course, Henry.
"Uncle, we have to get to Alex as soon as possible!"
Zol didn't even get a chance to take a breather when Julia pounced on him with her request.
The expressions on everyone else's face were of pleading as they wanted the same thing as his niece.
"I know, Julia. But first, you need to calm down." Zol placed a calming hand on her shoulder and guided her to take a seat with the others before moving to stand before the group.
"I understand how you must be feeling at the moment, but this is not something we can just get up and undertake."
Julia, Ross and James understood that, but not William and Olivia. They looked at the others with puzzled looks on their faces.
It made them understand that there was something they were missing, so they turned back to the hunter and waited for him to finish.
"The message came from The Nether Regions and as you all know, it's an extremely dangerous place even Class S hunters avoid."
William and Olivia felt their heart sink when they heard that. They may not be hunters themselves, but they knew what the Nether Regions meant.
Zol rushed to add before the family fell into despair again.
"You don't have to worry too much. It's clear that what is dangerous for us is not something Alex is worried about. He has survived in a veiled space for that long."
William and Olivia' sighed in relief when they recalled a part of Alex's message said something like that.
Of course, the hunter did not add the fact that void creatures could pose a problem for him if he encountered high-tiered ones.
"What I'll be doing is to put a team together and venture into the location his signal came from.
"Of course, I'll bring you along, but you'll have to behave yourselves."
He raised a hand to stop the protest Julia and Ross were about to raise if they were left out.
Turning to the parent and sister, Hunter Zol said, "I'll do whatever it takes to bring back Alex."
His assurance brought a smile to their faces and the two got up and thanked him profusely.
Sometime later, William and Olivia returned to Earth.
Ross decided to stay there and had no intention of leaving. He was going to see this through to the end.
He called his brother to inform him of his plans.
[I know you'll have Hunter Zol with you guys, but be careful.]
The concern in his brother's tone touched his heart.
"Absolutely. I'll see you when this is all over."
The call ended and Ross returned to the group.
On the other hand, Julia was restless. Her emotions went from excitement in one moment and then to anxiety in another.
"Uncle, how long would it take for us to depart?"
Julia was ready to begin the search as every second they spent here was a second Alex wasn't in her arms.
The sight tore Henry's heart to pieces. Seeing the girl he came to love react that strongly to his rival hurt him deeply.
'But he was here before I came, so what right do I have to stand in their way…'
The boy clenched his fist in defeat. But he still wouldn't give up. Nothing was set in stone.
"Depends. Do you want just anyone to go on the search or do you want capable people on the mission?"
Zol silenced her eagerness to act and then gestured for James to follow him.
It was time to make some calls and get the search underway.