Chapter 1971

When I opened the door, sure enough, Mom and Dad were standing downstairs in the living room. The moment Dad saw Cyrus and me walking out together, he frowned slightly. And for a split second, my mind flashed back to the dream. The version of him in a military uniform, radiating a deadly, suffocating presence. But the man in front of me now, though still well-maintained, had fine lines at the corners of his eyes. At his temples, a few strands of white had begun to show. Mom was the same as well. No wonder people always say that time spares no one. "What kind of trouble did you two stir up last night? Sheldon called me first thing this morning." "Uncle Sheldon? How did he even know where we—" I snapped my mouth shut. He must have realized the vial was missing and tracked us down. But still—couldn't he have just woken us up himself? Did he really have to call Mom and Dad into this? "We were just exhausted, so we came back to sleep." I rubbed my eyes and yawned, trying to act non