Sarah had been pacing back and forth for a few minutes now, anxiety and fear gnawing at her mind, refusing to give her any respite.
"Mom, you need to calm down." Her eldest, Olivia, said in an attempt to ease her anxiety.
Sitting in one of the many couches in the living room with Axel in her arms, Olivia watched as her mother moved around restlessly.
"How am I supposed to calm down when your brother disappeared the way he did?" Sarah cried out. "And his presence in my mind feels faint!"
Sarah didn't know much about her son's abilities, but she knew he was the strongest person there was.
Several minutes prior, her son had been keeping her company while she prepared the evening meal.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, her son disappeared without so much as an explanation. While that was not the first time Alex disappeared, he always made her aware.
The woman began to panic only after failing to reach her son, prompting her daughter to descend and keep her company.
Her husband and her other child were out working to keep busy. Sarah had reached out to them and everyone she was connected with in hopes of learning Alex's whereabouts.
Sadly for her and those who knew her son, no one had seen or sensed his presence. They could only assure her to relax, as they could not imagine any harm befalling him.
But despite the many reassurances, Sarah could not calm down. And after many minutes of no response from her son, her anxiety shot through the roof.
"You seem to have forgotten something, Mom." Sarah turned to her daughter, waiting for her to finish her sentence. "You've been using his powers all this time. How would that be possible if… if something had befallen him?
"I'm sure something urgent is keeping him busy, and once that is over, he will return. Have more faith in my little brother, Mom. He will be fine."
Sarah knew her daughter was right, but she couldn't help herself. She let out a soft sigh and turned to look out the tall, glass windows.
The sun was almost setting, marking the end of the day. Her husband and son-in-law should be returning soon.
Moving to sit beside her daughter, Sarah smiled as she took her grandson into her arms. The baby boy had been trying to catch her attention all this time.
"Oh, my sweet grandson. I'm so sorry for ignoring you, okay?" Sarah cooed at the baby while eliciting soft giggles from him.
The bundle of joy in her arms made her forget her worries, even if just a little. Beside her, Olivia beamed while watching the duo.
A soft click from the front door drew the attention of the duo, prompting them to get to their feet.
"Ah, William…" Sarah heaved a sigh and met her husband halfway to the spacious living room. "Have you heard anything from him?"
William didn't immediately reply, smiling sweetly at his grandson's jumping antics in Sarah's arms.
Noticing the baby boy's actions, Sarah passed him to her husband while she waited for a response.
"My son is the strongest being in the universe, Sarah." William said as he took the baby in his arms. "There is nothing out there that can harm him."
Sarah nodded appreciatively and took hold of William's right hand. In actuality, she simply wanted her most trusted person to tell her everything was going to be okay.
Suddenly, everyone's expression darkened as they felt something within them change. Startled by the change, Sarah looked at her husband and daughter, noticing their expressions too.
"D-Did you all feel that…?" Sarah asked, her voice tense with fear.
The others nodded, their expressions solemn, curiosity and fear in their eyes. Sarah wasn't even sure if what she felt was real.
As fast as the feeling came, it disappeared, leaving her no way of describing the strange sensation.
Baby Axel was already crying and reaching out for his mother. Olivia took her son and gently rocked him to soothe his fears.
"What was that?" Olivia muttered to no one in particular.
'Sorry for the trouble, everyone.'
Sarah's face brightened, and her fears dissolved almost instantly.
'Alex!'
Her son had finally reached out after several minutes of silence.
'You had us worried, you know? What's going on? Why are you replying now? Are you alright?...'
Sarah didn't even give her son the chance to speak, bombarding him with a series of questions.
'I'm alright, Mom.'
Sarah felt a wave of extreme calm wash over her, erasing the last vestiges of her worries.
'Something that needed my urgent attention came up. I'll explain everything once I return.'
'What's happening, son?' William voiced his concerns next. 'You sound too calm for something that urgent.'
'Hehe, nothing escapes you, Dad. But as I said, everything is fine. I'm just arguing ownership over some land with a few powers.'
'If you say so, son.' William inwardly nodded, glad his son was fine. Glancing at his wife, he raised his brows as if to say, "I told you."
"Kuku!"
Baby Axel also had something to say, finally snapping out of his crying fit. Like everyone, he too heard his uncle's reassuring voice and presence.
Seeing her son's excited expression brought a smile to Olivia's face. Sometimes she wondered if her son knew who his parents were.
Of course, the baby was smart enough to know his parents, grandparents and uncles.
'I'll be back in a few minutes.' They heard Alex add before the connection went silent once more.
"See? You were worried for nothing." Olivia looked at her mother with a smile. "My brother is one of a kind."
Sarah returned the smile, then sighed. She had to admit she might have overreacted.
Her son was the most powerful being in their universe. Perhaps she didn't truly grasp what that meant.
"Come on, let's sit down." William led her and his daughter back to their seats.
"Now that Mom's panic has been resolved, I wonder who is foolish enough to clash with Alex?" Olivia voiced her curiosity. "Xex?"
[I'm afraid I have no idea who those beings are, Olivia.] Alexander's AI, now turned into a Universal system, replied.
"You don't know?" The reply left the family confused. "I thought—"
Before she could say anything else, Xex answered, [Alex is currently not in the universe.]
"..."
For a moment, silence settled in the living room. Olivia furrowed her brows and looked at her parents.
Of course, they were as clueless as she was. How were they supposed to know where their son went?
Fortunately for them, Xex continued, [The beings he's dealing with are probably from another universe.]
"I see…" Olivia muttered thoughtfully, her brows furrowing in the process.
"Did you realise something, dear?" Sarah leaned forward, noticing her daughter's expression.
"Alex mentioned something about land ownership, and if he is outside the universe…"
Following Olivia's line of thought, Sarah more or less understood what she meant.
Then again, most things having to do with the universe flew over her head. She never bothered with such matters, as they were too complex for her.
"Someone wants to claim our universe as theirs?" Sarah wasn't too sure if she was right, but when she considered the universe as another planet, it sort of made sense to her.
"Yeah, it should be something like that." Olivia nodded, pondering deeper. "But why would anyone want our universe? Don't they have their own?"
William watched his wife and daughter and couldn't help but flash a helpless smile, shaking his head softly. "You do realise Alex said he will explain everything to us once he returns, right?"
"Yeah, well, I'm bored." Olivia sighed as she leaned back in her seat, her son resting his head on her chest, curiously staring at his grandparents.
"Alex and Aaron get to explore the wider universe while I'm stuck here doing nothing."
"Don't say that." Sarah rebuked. "You have Axel with you."
Saying that, she leaned past her husband to retrieve the baby boy, who tacitly leaned forward to be taken from his mother's arms. "Isn't that right, my sweet grandson?"
In response, the baby boy cooed, putting a smile on her face. Axel flared his tiny arms around, expressing his joy and happiness.
"As for exploring the universe, you can always inform Alex to make arrangements for you." Sarah glanced at her daughter and added. "But if you ask me, you just want something to keep you busy."
"..."
Olivia did not answer, knowing her mother was right. Ever since giving birth, she had been home doing nothing.
And while caring for her son brought her ample joy and fulfilment, she yearned to do something else.
Another soft click from the door turned their heads to the entryway. A second later, the person they had all been waiting for walked inside.
"Alex!"
Sarah was the first to rise to her feet, rushing to meet her son with her grandson in her arms. William and Olivia remained in their place, knowing Alex would be joining them regardless.
"Hey, Mom."
Alexander hugged his mother before taking his nephew from her. The baby was just as excited to see his favourite uncle return.
"Once again, sorry for the trouble I caused, Mom." Alexander expressed warmly.
Sarah proudly looked at her son and shook her head. "It's alright, son. As long as you're fine, then it's all good."
Once in the living room, Olivia and William welcomed him home with smiles, curiosity burning in the depths of their eyes.
However, more than curiosity, Olivia felt that something had changed with her little brother. She couldn't put a finger on it, but she could tell.
"Hmm, there's something different about you." She muttered with narrowed eyes.
"I expect nothing less from you, sis." Alexander chuckled. "And yes, I have changed."
Gesturing for them to take a seat, Alex held on to his nephew while he narrated his exploits. Of course, he omitted many details.
Meanwhile, another version of Alexander was back at the Universal Accord Commission with his friends and forces.
There was no time to rest, not when there was an entire reality drowning in agony.