CHAPTER 8 - 8- KNOWING JACK

Chapter 8- Knowing Jack 

The sound of Jack's footsteps echoed softly down the stairs as he left his room, the air around him heavy with tension. He headed straight to the kitchen, where his parents sat silently at the dinner table. Neither of them spoke. Neither looked up. The only thing that greeted him was the cold, brittle air of unspoken words and old arguments.

This sort of atmosphere didn't faze Jack anymore. It was all too familiar—almost routine. Awkward silences, passive stares, and that invisible weight pressing on everyone's shoulders. He had long grown used to this feeling. Tonight wasn't anything new. He'd had countless arguments with one or both of his parents before, and each time, he had to eventually return to this table, as if nothing had happened.

But this time, he wasn't walking into the kitchen alone.

Floating quietly behind him was Lune, her expression unusually serious. Even without speaking, she could feel the pressure in the room, as if she had stepped into a minefield that could detonate at any moment. Yet despite the tension, she remained calm, observing carefully.

Jack took his seat without so much as a glance at his parents. He picked up his spoon and began to eat. Across from him, his mother and father followed suit, the clinking of utensils against ceramic plates filling the silence like a quiet, rhythmic metronome.

Minutes slipped by, each one more suffocating than the last. No one spoke.

Finally, Felicia—his mother—decided to try.

"School starts again tomorrow, doesn't it?" she asked, her voice light but forced, eyes searching her son's face.

"Yes," Jack replied plainly, not lifting his gaze.

"Are you excited?" she tried again, watching him with an uncertain calm.

"Not really. It's just a day like any other."

"You'll have another break next week... when the skip happens," she added, grasping for anything that might keep the conversation alive.

"Yes."

The silence returned, dragging on like an anchor. Felicia clearly wanted to talk, to connect, but her attempts only scraped the surface. Her son was a fortress, and she had no map to its gates.

Lune leaned forward, her chin resting on her interlocked fingers as she quietly studied Felicia. 'Compared to his dad... his mother seems less detached, she thought. At least she's trying.'

There was genuine concern in Felicia's eyes, and it didn't take long for Lune to recognize it. She could tell the woman wanted to reach Jack, even if she didn't know how. Alexander, on the other hand, remained stoic and distant, his gaze fixed on his plate like this dinner was just another chore. The contrast between the two was striking.

Eventually, Jack set his spoon down and wiped his mouth with a napkin.

"Thank you for the meal," he said, standing up to leave.

But just as he turned, his father spoke—his voice calm but firm.

"I'll be calling him tomorrow. I will tell you the exact date of the meeting later."

Jack paused in place, back turned to the table. A moment of stillness hung in the air, thick and uncertain.

Without responding, he walked away.

Lune hovered a few seconds longer, casting a glance back at the two parents. She could feel the undercurrent that ran through this family. From the outside, they looked intact—but inside, they were fractured. Misunderstood. Distant.

None of them truly saw each other anymore.

***

Upstairs, Jack made his way to the second floor, his footsteps slow and heavy. Lune followed, quietly floating behind him. She didn't speak, sensing the storm swirling inside him. Though she wanted to say something comforting, she didn't know how to pierce through the invisible wall he always kept up.

When they reached his room, Jack went straight to his closet. He grabbed a fresh set of clothes and a couple of towels.

"What are you doing, Jack?" Lune asked curiously.

"Hm? Taking a shower," he replied.

"Oh... right," she said. 'For a second, I thought he was packing.'

Jack walked out again, making his way to the bathroom. Lune followed out of habit, but just as they reached the door, Jack came to a sudden stop.

"And where do you think you're going?" he asked without turning around.

"Huh? With you?" Lune blinked innocently.

"..."

"Is there a problem?"

"Several." Jack's tone was flat. "Stay outside."

"What? Why?"

"Because I need some privacy while taking a shower. It's common decency here on Earth."

"I'm aware," she said. "But I'm your wife. We've had so many showers together..."

There was a rosy tint on her cheeks, her lips curled into a fond smile.

'This woman...' Jack sighed internally, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "We are not married. You're married to some future version of me. So, no—you're staying outside."

"Boo! This is totally unfair!"

Jack shook his head and stepped into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

'What's seriously wrong with this woman? Can't she tell I'm a complete stranger to her? I'm not the same man she remembers.'

He exhaled and started undressing. The shirt came off first, revealing a lean, well-toned physique. He was athletic—surprisingly so for someone his age. But that wasn't surprising to him. His parents had pushed him into rigorous training since he was a child. Martial arts, endurance, strength... he'd learned to fight, to endure, to survive.

It wasn't about looks. It never was. It was about discipline. Control. Jack had never cared much about appearances anyway.

He turned toward the mirror, catching a glimpse of his own reflection. His eyes were as unreadable as ever.

Then suddenly—his muscles tensed.

"...Huh?" He looked around, eyes scanning the empty bathroom. "What was that?"

He felt it again—an eerie sensation crawling over his skin, the unmistakable feeling of being watched.

His instincts were sharp when it came to this. Over the years, he'd developed a sort of sixth sense—whenever someone was watching him, he knew. And right now, that feeling was screaming in his gut.

But the bathroom was empty.

"...Wait a minute." His eyes narrowed.

He walked over to the door, cracked it open, and peered out. And there she was—Lune—standing in front of the door, her eyes wide, fixed on the wooden surface as if she were seeing through it.

Her mouth hung open, her expression dazed.

"...What are you doing?"

"Eh—Jack!" she flinched, snapping out of her trance.

"..." He narrowed his eyes. "Can you see through walls?"

"..."

She said nothing. The silence answered for her.

Jack let out a long, exhausted sigh.

"Don't look inside."

"But—"

"No buts. This is non-negotiable."

"Ugh... fine! I won't look, I promise!" Her tone quickly softened as she leaned forward, giving him a playful smile. "But I do want to say... you have a really nice body, darling~"

Jack stared at her blankly, too stunned to respond.

Then, without a word, he closed the door again.

Lune stood there for a moment, suppressing a mischievous giggle.

Hehe, I think I managed to fluster him a little.

With Jack busy in the shower, she turned away, deciding to explore the house. She floated gently down the stairs, curiosity lighting up her expression.

"Hmm... The designs here on Earth are peculiar," she murmured. "Simple. Sleek. Functional."

Everything was different here. The air, the color schemes, even the way light touched the furniture. Compared to the graceful extravagance of Aevum, Earth was plain. But it had its charm.

Room by room, she drifted, poking her head into empty guest rooms and storage spaces. Most were quiet and unremarkable.

Until she came upon a large bedroom—spacious and well-furnished.

"This must be... his parents' room."