My plans proceeded on schedule, the funds were rolling in and construction on my compound had kicked off. I connected with Aurora’s friends Angel and Elizabeth, throwing in a healthy donation to multiple charities to get the real estate side of things in order.

  Angel, standing a bit shorter than Aurora, was a force to be reckoned with. She’d always been a health nut and lived the lifestyle to match. Her hair was cut short and tight, which usually led people to underestimate her real estate skills; a mistake she always used to her advantage. She was the person who could get you connected to the right individuals and grease the wheels when needed.

  Next to her stood the tall, curvy, and joyful Elizabeth. If a room ever needed brightening up, she would be the spark. It was like her very being was made to be a ray of sunshine in people’s days. She had a gift for seeing hope where others couldn’t.

  After talking it over with Aurora, we decided to bring them and their families into our circle. I hadn’t really thought about how much it would weigh on me to change so many lives from the path they were on. Starting with my immediate family made sense before branching out.

  I told my family that key investments had paid off big time. I told my parents to quit their jobs, promising they’d never have to work another day in their lives. It hurt knowing I was giving them money they’d only have three years to spend.

  We made up a story about Aurora and me renewing our vows as an excuse to get everyone in one place. We paid for every immediate family member’s flight on a specific date, making this the only condition for the help we’d provided. Everyone agreed without asking questions.

  As our family landed on the private jet, I greeted them on the tarmac. I could feel the anxiety building and almost reached for my calming skill.

  “Spider’s...” I thought to myself before Aurora grabbed my arm.

  “No, you feel this,” she said while placing her hands on my chest. “You don’t run from family. Come on.”

  She took my hand and led me over to our parents. It meant a lot to me for two reasons. First, it made me respect her even more than I already did. Second, and more worrying, was how she knew I was about to use my skill without me saying anything.

  Hugs and smiles filled the air. I tried to enjoy this peaceful moment, knowing these people had no idea what had happened to them in the other timeline. I don’t know what happened to my family after The Fall, especially when all the communications went down. You had to focus on staying alive, which is why we were so strict about preserving memories afterward.

  Once everyone was checked in, my father Jacob came up to me, slapping me hard on the shoulder. “What’s the big news, boy?” he asked.

  Dad was tall and solid, a man who had worked hard every day of his life and his hands showed it. He’d been my moral compass growing up. With his military background, his punishments often involved learning about tactics. He always made sure I understood how war affected both civilians and soldiers. If he only knew how those lessons shaped what I did to survive.

  “Patience, pop,” I said with a smile. “I know all this seems crazy. Big changes are coming but there’s no one else I’d rather talk to first.”

  We walked together into our home, his hand on my shoulder in a way that would have seemed normal just days ago; now it felt like a gift I’d lost long ago. I couldn’t help but smile the entire time.

  Aurora’s father, Daniel, clearly didn’t trust what was happening. He’d spent his life pouring concrete and doing construction work, and he never believed in good fortune without a catch. Aurora always said his suspicious nature caused problems in the family. The funny thing now was that he was right. Just thinking about trying to explain magic to this practical man gave me a headache.

  Her mother, Sarah, was much more laid-back. Her straight blonde hair, nothing like Aurora’s curls, was long and well-kept. You rarely saw her without a steaming cup of coffee. I always liked her and constantly teased Aurora about meeting her before. The joke made Sarah giggle, much to Daniel’s irritation, which I considered a win.

  We all sat around the table and in the nearby chairs. My mom, Mary, had been strangely quiet since I came into money. Like Daniel, she was naturally suspicious of anything unexpected. She’d worked for the FBI until she retired, and it showed. I rubbed my temples, already anticipating her questions after I finished my explanation.

  I was definitely going to need a drink tonight.

  I started the story the same way I had told the kids. I didn’t know what my parents had been through, so I couldn’t restore their memories, but I could show them my abilities. The room fell completely silent as I called up my Threads.

  Daniel jumped back in fear and grabbed Sarah. “What evil is this?”

  Sarah looked at the purple thread floating through the air with a peaceful expression. She reached out to touch it before Daniel pulled her hand back.

  Dad’s eyes widened, but he stayed where he was. He looked over at Mom, who had tears running down her face. It almost broke me.

  “How long did you have to do this alone, Alex?” she asked, her voice shaking.

  I lowered my head. “Longer than I wanted to, Mom. I had to keep them alive, and I didn’t do so well.”

  She pulled me into a tight hug and said, “You did everything you could.”

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  Dad put his hand on my shoulder. “That’s right, son. You saved the whole damn world boy.”

  “No, Sarah, let go of me. This isn’t right. It’s witchcraft,” Daniel said. “Aurora, honey, don’t fall for this. The money, the strange powers, whatever that was. I knew something didn’t sound right.”

  He started toward me. “You can’t be taking this seriously, Jacob. Your son has gotten our family mixed up in something dangerous. You must see that.” I could see the battle between his beliefs and confusion within his eyes.

  “Dad, that’s enough!” Everyone turned to Aurora as her eyes glowed with golden light. She walked up to her father.

  “This isn’t some demon possession, no one’s controlling me. He’s telling you the truth,” she said firmly as her eyes dimmed. “I had to live through it, and so did the kids. We barely got this second chance.” She turned to me. “I need you to show him my memories. Show them both.”

  “Are you sure, babe?” I asked, worried.

  “You have to,” she said while staring at her father. “He won’t believe you otherwise. I know you’re trying to avoid problems.”

  Her words stung. It might have seemed like a casual remark, but this wasn’t the Aurora from before. She’d seen me deal with “problems.”

  “I understand,” I said with a sigh.

  I created a Memory Pocket with selected information. “This will show you what your daughter went through. I need to know if you’re brave enough to see it, or if you’d rather walk away now.”

  Sarah stepped around Daniel and came right up to me. “Show me, Alexander. I’m ready.”

  “Wait! Sarah, we don’t have to do this. We can leave right now,” Daniel protested.

  “You can wait if you want, but I’m standing by my family no matter what; and you will too! Get your stubborn behind over here and stand with me,” she said in a tone that left no room for argument.

  Everyone looked at Sarah in shock except Aurora, who started crying with her hands over her mouth.

  “Thank you, Mom,” she said.

  “Fine, but no tricks,” Daniel said, still suspicious.

  I used my Memory Pocket skill loaded with Aurora’s memories and placed my hands on their heads. They closed their eyes and swayed backward, where Xavier and Nadia caught them.

  When it was done, they fell to the floor. Sarah rocked back and forth, sobbing intensely. She kept repeating, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry” as Aurora comforted her.

  “It’s okay, Momma. We’re gonna stop it all,” she said, her Southern accent coming out strong like it always did when she was emotional.

  Daniel opened his red eyes, unable to hold back his tears. Sarah ran to me and hugged me. Daniel walked over and gave me the strongest hug I’d ever felt from him, then shook my hand. “You did good son,” he said.

  “Our turn now,” my dad said aloud.

  “But show us yours, Alex,” Mom said, looking me in the eye.

  I’d expected this and prepared a version of my memories for my parents. I touched my globe of memories to their heads while Nadia and Margo steadied them.

  I watched as the information transferred, their faces contorting in synchronous pain as they witnessed what I'd endured. Dad's jaw clenched, a muscle twitching in his cheek; his military response to extreme duress. Mom's tears flowed freely even with her eyes closed, her hands trembling in Margo's grasp.

  When Dad opened his eyes, they held a hardness I'd only seen once before, when he'd returned from his final tour overseas. He stood straighter, shoulders back; the posture of a man preparing for war.

  "My God, Alex," he whispered, his voice rough with emotion. "Those decisions you had to make... the weight you carried." He gripped my shoulder with unexpected force. "You held the line boy, even when everything fell apart. You found a way when there was none."

  He paused, taking a deep breath to steady himself. A look passed between us; the understanding of men who had witnessed things others couldn't comprehend.

  My dad asked simply, “What do we need to do? Knowing you, you’ve already got a plan in motion.”

  I nodded and waited for Mom. Her eyes stayed closed longer than expected, making me worried. I moved over to check on her.

  “Mom?” I asked, fear rising in my voice. “Mom, are you okay?”

  She opened her eyes and looked at me without expression. Her head tilted slightly, then she walked over and hugged me.

  “I raised you, so I know you’ve hidden the worst parts,” she said softly in my ear. “You’ve made an impossible choice Alex. Just tell us how to help. Give us jobs to do, and we’ll help carry the weight. Baby, you’re not alone anymore,” she said, placing her hand on my heart. “You can relax now; just let go.”

  Her words hit me like a truck, and I stumbled backward. I couldn’t understand what was happening. Had I run out of mana without noticing? My chest hurt so much after those words. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. Had someone used a skill? I could see my family rushing over with worried looks.

  Dad picked me up and laid me on the couch while saying, “It’s okay, son. You’re just in shock. After dropping your guard for the first time in a long while, it’s all hitting you at once. Just breathe in… and out…in…and out. There you go son.”

  “Rest baby, you’re with family now,” Mom said.

  “You protected my daughter. Get some rest, dear,” Sarah said.

  “You did good boy, and you earned it. We can argue more later,” Daniel said with a small smile.

  “Rest up, Dad,” Xavier said.

  “Love you, Dad,” Nadia said.

  “Go to bed, old man,” Margo said through tears.

  Maeve just smiled, saying everything without words.

  “I’ll take him from here,” Aurora said, lifting me like I weighed nothing. She’d always been surprisingly strong.

  I did what Dad suggested and closed my eyes. For once, I didn’t worry about being attacked by scavengers, my ongoing experiments, or anyone else’s problems. I just worried about myself. I hadn’t expected this outcome, but I decided to enjoy it. As adults, we rarely get our parents to comfort us and remind us we need to rest.

  I half expected midnight visitors or crazy dreams, but I just slept, surrounded by my family, in complete peace.

  While Alexander slept, the family gathered in the kitchen, talking quietly.

  “I’ve never seen him like this,” Aurora whispered, looking toward the bedroom door. “In all our years together, even at his worst...”

  “He’s been carrying too much for too long,” Mary said, her background showing in how she assessed the situation. “No one can handle that much pressure and responsibility without support.”

  Jacob nodded. “In the military, we learned that even the best plan fails without enough resources. Alexander has been working with almost nothing; just himself, while trying to save everyone.”

  “What I saw in those memories...” Daniel shook his head, his earlier doubts completely gone. “No one should have to make those choices alone.”

  “He won’t have to anymore,” Xavier said firmly. “We’re all here now.”

  Margo looked around at everyone, these people who had been lost and found again. “Dad always had a plan for everything in the other timeline. Always thinking ahead, even when it seemed impossible.”

  “But he never planned for taking care of himself,” Maeve continued quietly. “He gave everything to everyone else.”

  Sarah put her coffee mug down with a thud. “Not this time. This time, we protect him too.”

  They all nodded as Aurora’s eyes flashed gold for a moment. “He’s building something bigger than just survival this time. A foundation to protect us all. And he needs more than just himself to make it work.”

  In his sleep, Alexander felt connected to each person in that kitchen; bonds stronger than any Threads he could create with mana. As plans continued to form in his mind, something new entered his calculations: the strength of the people who would stand with him when the world ended again.

  This time, the Advisor would not stand alone.