Chapter 13 - Xavier and Reo

After confirming Xavier's whereabouts with our own two eyes, I found myself sitting alone with him, a swirl of emotions consumed me. The question lingered in my mind: What had he been doing in here for over two hours? Their plates were empty, so there was no reason to stay unless they were waiting for someone.

I couldn't help but observe Xavier's family. His son, a bright, lively child with the same fiery red hair as his father, smiled constantly. Xavier's wife, around my age but appearing older, had long black hair and blue eyes, dressed in a white coat similar to Xavier's. Their older son wore a distinctive uniform, and Xavier's brooding presence hinted at hidden sadness beneath the surface.

After finishing my meal, I questioned Ace about our next move. "What now? We know he's here, but why is he still here?" I asked.

Ace was engrossed in his phone, confirming that the bug had been transferred from Xavier to the waitress who took our order earlier. "He's waiting for his trackers," Ace speculated. "Which means he noticed us, and we're probably in his trap."

I didn't feel particularly concerned, knowing from experience that nothing was set in stone as long as I maintained a sharp mind and composure. Ace proposed a gamble, suggesting that I pay a visit to Xavier and his family. I was puzzled by the idea, but Ace was insistent.

"If Xavier already noticed us, there's no point in keeping hidden," Ace explained. "Besides, I caught him glancing at you while you were eating. You might as well go over there."

I sighed, accepting Ace's reasoning, and stood up, determined to face Xavier. "It's been a while since we've chatted, anyway."

I made my way to Xavier's table, chair in hand, attempting to maintain a friendly and open demeanor. As I approached, the eldest son was the first to notice me and inquired, "Can I help you, Mr.?"

The others turned to look at me as I arrived, and as soon as Xavier and his wife laid eyes on me, their expressions revealed shock.

"Is that...?" Erina began, unable to conceal her astonishment.

"Reo Souken?" Xavier called out my name in disbelief. I nodded in affirmation, maintaining a warm smile.

"Long time no see," I greeted them. "Can I join you?"

Their worry was evident, but they scooted over to make room for me. The youngest son excitedly inquired, "Are you Dad's friend?"

I replied, "I wouldn't say that. We're old colleagues."As Xavier scooted over to make room for me, his question hung heavily in the air, shrouded in the weight of two decades of memories and unspoken emotions. "How long has it been?" he inquired, his face now a mask of neutrality, concealing the turmoil I had witnessed moments earlier.

"Slightly over two decades, I think," I replied, a touch of nostalgia coloring my words. The passage of time had transformed us both, although it was not always evident in our faces or voices.

Introducing herself, Xavier's wife broke the silence, a name now attached to a familiar face. "I remember you; do you remember me? I'm Erina Cruz."

Recognition ignited between us as I acknowledged her. "Ah, Erina! I knew you were familiar. So, you went ahead and married this guy!?" I teased, noting the blush on her cheeks.

Erina smiled, nodding in agreement. "Yes, we have a wonderful family. Our daughter is on a camp with her friend. I wish you could have seen her."

Eager to connect, I asked, "Really, do you have a picture?"

Xavier hesitated, as if wary of revealing more than necessary. "Hey now, there's no need for that," he interjected, his protective instinct apparent. However, Erina was quick to reach into her pocket, retrieving her phone. She proudly showed me a picture of their daughter, a middle schooler with short black hair and a scar on her right cheek. The image captured her seemingly in tears, a bruised knee as evidence of her youthful exuberance.

"She loves to run, you see. She tends to trip a lot," Erina explained with an affectionate grin.

Smiling, I remarked, "Wow, she looks lovely."

Erina's curiosity shifted towards my life. "What about you, Mr. Souken? How has life been treating you?"

Her question caught me off guard, considering what Xavier had done to my family. I offered a partial truth, acknowledging my role as an only parent while reaching for my phone. Displaying a photo of Maki, my beloved adopted child, I couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt for enjoying this conversation.

"She's cute," Erina complimented, her eyes sparkling with genuine warmth. "Where is she now?"

I chuckled, a mix of emotions swirling within me. "Well, she's either at home or at school right now. She's my pride and joy."

Erina's empathy shone through as she held the hands of both her sons. "I know what you mean."

Their departure from the restaurant left me pondering the mysterious absence of Ace. He had been my constant companion, my confidant, and now he was nowhere to be seen. The uneasy feeling of being alone in a situation teetering on the edge of my mission clawed at me, making the weight of the unresolved past and uncertain future feel heavier than ever. Then, Xavier broke the silence, calling my name. His voice was genuine, free of pretense, and it sent a shiver down my spine. I couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking at that very moment.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his words direct, seeking the truth in a world built on deception.

I decided to play the role I had meticulously crafted. "I am on vacation. What about you?" I replied, masking my true intent behind a façade of casual small talk.

"Same," he confessed, fatigue seeping into his words. "Erina kept complaining about how I never spend time with the boys, so I'm stuck with them. Believe it or not, but we were supposed to head to Canada today, but thankfully I canceled the flight. I'm so tired."

The weariness in Xavier's voice sounded genuine. He was a family man, weighed down by responsibilities, much like I had been once.

Then, he shifted the conversation towards Maki, my adopted daughter, a subject that lay like a dormant volcano, laden with suppressed emotions.

"That kid of yours, she adopted?" Xavier's curiosity was palpable.

I nodded in response. "I see," he acknowledged, the unspoken understanding hanging heavily in the air.

Seeking answers, I addressed the elephant in the room, the horrific act that had irrevocably tied our fates together.

"Why did you do it, Xavier?" I inquired, my voice revealing my burning desire for closure.

For the first time, Xavier opened up, sharing a side of himself I had never known. His regret was undeniable as he spoke of the family he had eliminated and the emotions he had never comprehended at that time.

"You know, back when I killed your wife and children, I never understood the feelings of having a family, the duties of a father or anything of that sort," he admitted. "Now that I am in the same position as you those many years ago, I can confidently imagine the pain you must have felt when I eliminated them all. Like, I can't imagine a world without my two sons and daughter. A world like that should never exist."

His words struck a chord deep within me, resonating with the buried grief and anger. I felt his genuine remorse, and for a moment, my own anger wavered.

"I killed your family back then because I was paid to do it, nothing more and nothing less," Xavier confessed. "However, I will say this, if I was in tune with my emotions as I am now, I never would have accepted the mission."

The vulnerability in his tone was unmistakable, and his apology hung in the air between us.

"Sucks that they won't come back by you saying that," I sighed, acknowledging the inescapable tragedy of our past actions.

Xavier expressed his remorse for the choices he had made, the transformation that had left him detached from a world that continued to change around him while he remained ageless.

"I'm jealous, you've gotten so old, just like Erina," he muttered with a hint of envy, referring to my aging appearance.

Surprised, I questioned his perspective. "What? Don't you love your non-aging body?"

"I did at first, but come on, who wants to see everyone around them changing while you get to stay the same?" Xavier admitted. "It's maddening and frustrating. I regret going through the procedure. You were smart for rejecting it."

In that moment, we shared a common sentiment – the burden of witnessing the world evolve while we remained trapped in time.

Xavier redirected the conversation towards the heart of the matter, the transmitter that had brought us face to face, his acknowledgment of the bug, and his curiosity regarding my role in this unexpected reunion.

With a well-timed response, I feigned ignorance, seeking to throw him off my trail. "Bug? Are you being targeted?" I asked, pretending to scan the room for potential threats.

Xavier breathed a sigh of relief, a weight lifted from his shoulders. "I see, so I take it that you weren't the one then."

We shared a rare moment of camaraderie as he finally let out a slight smile. "You might be old, but you're still the only man I considered to be my equal."

With a tense agreement, I admitted the inevitable. "I'm honored."

Though our conversation was filled with regret, longing, and the clash of old adversaries, it brought me no closer to the resolution I sought. My frustration and anger were simmering beneath the surface, but I couldn't let them show. The prospect of a peaceful resolution, a death that would absolve our sins, had become a distant dream.

Xavier stood, signaling his departure to the life he had built. He had grown and changed, but he couldn't undo the past. As he rose from his seat, I seized a moment of opportunity. Swiftly and discreetly, I planted another transmitter in his hair. The speed of my action was such that Xavier couldn't possibly have noticed during the natural motion of standing up.

With a wave and a casual "See ya later," I allowed him to exit the restaurant, his departure veiling the complexity of our encounter.

Before he left, Xavier suggested that we should keep in touch, an offer that hung like an eerie shadow in the air. We exchanged phone numbers, connecting two lives that had long been at odds.

Xavier's footsteps faded into the distance, leaving me alone in the restaurant, surrounded by the lingering traces of our encounter. The weight of the unresolved past still pressed heavily on my shoulders, and I couldn't shake the feeling that our unfinished business was far from over.

Just as I contemplated our uncertain future, Ace's message broke through my reverie, a stark reminder of the mission's pressing urgency.

"It's now or never. I'm ready." He stated.