Battle Of Planets

Chapter 15: Plotting against the youth!
Tyson had just finished the call with Nancy when a faint murmur of voices caught his attention As he peered through corner of hall he saw Alex and Seraphina standing near the window.Alex stood with his back slightly arched, one hand touching his elbow, while face winched in pain.

Seraphina, brows furrowed with concern and worry.

Instinctively, Tyson stepped back, hiding in the corner, Something tugged at him, compelling him to stay.

Seraphina broke the silence. ”Alex, what happened? You’ve been pushing yourself too hard again, haven’t you?”

Alex remained silent, his posture stiff, as if he were avoiding the question.

”It’s from the race, isn’t it?” she asked gently, ”Why did you have to go that far... just to beat your brother?”

Tyson’s breath caught in his throat. The race. He remembered it vividly—the one where Alex had beaten him by mere seconds. The one where Tyson had pushed himself beyond his limits, only to falter in the final stretch. He hadn’t known that Alex had been injured.

Alex’s voice was nonchalant, almost dismissive. ”I did it for myself,” he replied, but his words didn’t match his body’s tension. ”And don’t worry about it. It’s just a scratch.”

”It’s not just a scratch, Alex,” Seraphina insisted, her hand reaching out to him. He winced, his face flickering with pain. ”If I hadn’t noticed you swimming away earlier, no one would’ve known.”

Alex shifted uncomfortably, and for a brief moment, Tyson saw something in him. he had never noticed before—vulnerability. Alex, the untouchable brother, wasn’t invincible. The realization hit Tyson like a wave.

”Just leave it, Sera,” Alex muttered, his voice edged with frustration.

Seraphina stepped closer, her eyes searching him with knowing accuracy. ”Come on, Alex. Stop being so harsh on yourself. It hurts me seeing you like this.”

Alex paused as Seraphina’s words lingered in the air, and she seemed to regret them as soon as she spoke. ”I mean... we all feel hurt, don’t we?”

Alex nodded, but the tension between them hung heavy in the room.

Seraphina’s gaze flickered toward the corner while she tried to tear her gaze away from Alex, just then she saw Tyson trying to hide clumsily.

”Tyson,” she called gently, ”you should come in. It’s not a secret anymore.”

Tyson stepped forward, his presence revealed at last. He didn’t immediately look at Alex, his eyes fixed on the floor as knowing he might have hurt his brother.

He finally looked up, he saw his brother standing there—attempting to stand tall but exhausted.

”Why didn’t you tell me?” Tyson’s voice was quieter than usual but filled with guilt. ”If I had known you were going that far, I—”

”You what?” Alex’s voice rose sharply. ”I don’t need your pity, Tyson. I did what I had to do, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. In this world, strength is all that matters, and I’ll do whatever it takes to get there.”

Tyson’s heart ached. ”So that’s why you always hated me?” he asked, his words heavy with pain. ”Because I never took things seriously, like you do?”

Alex’s eyes hardened. ”Yes. You never took being a Ranger seriously. You only cared about having a family.”

Tyson’s chest tightened.

”But you know what, I won’t ever acknowledge you as my family,” Alex said.

Seraphina gasped. ”Alex, don’t say that—”

”Let him speak, Sera,” Tyson interrupted, his tone surprisingly calm, ”This is the first time I’ve ever heard him say anything. I want to hear everything he has to say.”

Alex laughed bitterly, his sound reverberated through the room as he stepped closer to Tyson, Glaring ”Before you came, my father never really cared about me. He didn’t smile when I got my meta-bot—like nothing I did mattered. But then you joined the family, and suddenly, he was our father. A real father who loved his children. Why?”

Tyson was speechless. Seraphina remained silent too.

Alex moved even closer, his voice low and venomous. ”He only started showing affection because of you. Not because I’m his son, but because now he has you—his favorite.”

Tyson’s throat tightened. ”You’re wrong, Alex...”

Alex scoffed, shaking his head as if trying to dispel the emotions rising within him. ”I’m not wrong. I still remember his face when he saw me with the Meta-bot—disappointed. Like nothing I did would ever be good enough. So I decided, every chance I get, I’ll crush you. I’ll show him who his real son is.”

Tyson felt his heart drop. ”I’m... sorry,” he murmured, his voice breaking.

”I don’t want your apologies,” Alex said firmly, his voice filled with a cold determination. ”I want you to get stronger, Tyson. Strong enough so I can crush you over and over again. Remember that.”

With that, Alex turned and stormed out of the hallway, his footsteps heavy with anger even thou he was in pain.

Seraphina hesitated for a moment before following him, calling out, ”Alex, wait! Come back here!”

Tyson stood there, motionless, trying to process the storm of emotions swirling inside him. He struggled to make sense of the words that had been thrown at him.

Outside, unbeknownst to them, Edward stood just beyond the window, his head lowered in silence as he listened to everything.

----

On the futuristic golf course, the virtual arterial landscapes recreated while the feel of authentic golf clubs and balls in hand grounded the experience in tradition as Tyson stood poised, gripping the club tightly as he squared off against the President.

The tension was palpable, but the atmosphere remained light, filled with quiet conversation behind them.

Alex lounged on a plush couch, his arms resting lazily on the back, with Seraphina seated beside him. Lioara is on the other chair reading something from a book.

Meanwhile Edward stood apart, leaning against a wall, lost in thoughts...

Tyson exhaled deeply and swung his club. The a crack of the ball connecting echoed in the room. It soared toward the massive digital screen at the course’s edge. As it hit the screen, the advanced system calculated every detail—trajectory, force, spin. On the display, the virtual ball arced traveling far, but not quite reaching the goal.

”Damn,” Tyson muttered under his breath.

”That was a good shot, lad,” Edmund said, his voice encouraging. ”But don’t try to reach your goal in one fell swoop. Take a few consistent steps, and then surprise your opponents.”

Tyson glanced at him, mulling over the advice as the President prepared for his turn. The elder man swung his club with precision, sending the ball sailing through the virtual spectrum. It landed impressively far, earning a satisfied chuckle from him.

”Is that how your politics work?” Tyson asked as he eyed the remaining distance to his own goal.

The President smiled, ”This is how everything works. I know you’ve been upset since I forced the narrative about that incident, but some things have to happen to fulfill greater goals.”

Tyson tightened his grip on the club, his jaw clenching. He swung harder this time, the ball arcing with a fierce intensity. It sailed far but overshot the goal entirely. A sigh of frustration escaped him as he lowered the club.

”See?” The President said with a knowing smirk. ”I told you—sometimes a gentle push is more than enough”

He took his next swing, calm and measured. The virtual ball rolled smoothly and stopped just shy of the goal, a near-perfect shot.

Tyson frowned, glancing at his brother Alex, who seemed uninterested, lounging in the background with Seraphina and Lioara. And Edward seemed to watch the exchange more intently than anyone else.

The quiet wisdom in the President’s words made impact on Tyson but he could not point it directly. He wondered if there was a lesson in all of this—or just another reminder of how different their worlds were.

”Anyway, Sera, I’ve been thinking about something,” the President said, raising his voice slightly to gather everyone’s attention.

Seraphina looked up from her phone, ”What’s that, Dad?”

”You see,” Edmund began, stepping away from the game, ”elections are right around the corner.”

Taking advantage of the break, Tyson swung his club again. The ball veered wildly off course, missing the goal by a significant margin. His groan of frustration echoed in the background.

Lioara closed her book and leaned into the conversation, while Edward, who had been leaning silently against the wall decided to join the group, sitting down beside Edmund.

”I’m thinking of making you our next candidate,” the President declared, ”I doubt the opposition has anyone with your caliber.”

Seraphina froze, her eyes darting to Alex for reassurance. He gave her an encouraging smile, but it did little to ease her hesitation.

”That’s... sudden,” she said, her voice faltering. ”I mean, I don’t think I’m ready for something like this.”

Edmund smiled warmly, leaning back as Lioara rubbed his shoulder. ”I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to retire. And I want my daughter to lead the future.”

Seraphina took a deep breath, her resolve wavering before she finally nodded. ”Okay. If this is what you want, I’ll do it. Just tell me what I need to do.”

”You already have my support, so naturally, the party will follow you,” Edmund said. Then, his gaze shifted to Alex, lingering for a moment. ”But we need more than that. We need someone to stand beside you, someone young and influential in the public’s eye.”

Tyson, still swinging his club in the background and misses another shot. A chuckle escaped him as he muttered, ”Shit... this is useless,” before dragging his chair closer to the group.

Seraphina hesitated, her eyes narrowing slightly. ”So...?”

”So, I want you to marry Richard’s grandson,” Edmund said without hesitation.

Seraphina’s breath hitched as she shot to her feet. ”What? You want me to marry someone I haven’t even met?”

”Yes, honey,” Lioara chimed in as she agreed to her husband, ”We need someone to back you up, and he’s a capable young man. What’s wrong with him?”

Alex visibly tensed on the couch, his hand clenching against his knee. Seraphina, her expression one of betrayal, turned back to her parents.

”No, Dad, please,” she pleaded, her voice rising. ”I don’t want to marry him.”

”You have to,” Lioara said, her tone leaving no room for argument. ”We’re not asking for your permission.”

Tyson nearly fell out of his chair, ”You guys are serious? Dad, how can you just sit there and stay quiet about this?”

Edward sighed, his gaze fixed on the group. ”It’s their family matter, Tyson. We have no place to meddle in this.”

Seraphina sank back into the couch beside Alex, her voice shaky. ”I... I have no words.”

Alex, unable to stay silent any longer, finally spoke up, his tone sharp. ”You can’t force her to marry.” His eyes locked with the President’s. ”She’s your damn daughter, not some pawn you can sell for political gain.”

Seraphina’s head hung low, her shoulders trembling slightly. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes.

”You’re a parent, but that doesn’t mean you can do whatever you please,” Alex shot back, his voice filled with protective anger.

Seraphina let out a shaky breath, her voice barely above a whisper. ”It’s fine, Alex,” she murmured, though there was a hesitation in her tone. ”I’ll... I’ll do it.”

”No, you won’t,” Alex replied firmly, his eyes locking onto hers. ”You won’t marry anyone but me.”

The room fell dead silent, the weight of his words hanging in the air.