"It's cute, isn't it?"
Star-Lord proudly displayed Rocket Raccoon to John, his voice carrying a hint of smugness.
Looking at the reluctant raccoon in Star-Lord's hands, John shook his head. "I think you'd be better off not keeping pets."
"Why not?"
"Because they only live for a few years."
John spoke with experience. "What father won't tell you is that when it dies, you'll be overwhelmed with grief. That's the reality of death and separation."
"When that time comes, you'll find yourself trapped in the silence of death—shocked, sorrowful, helpless. All kinds of negative emotions will come flooding in."
Hearing John talk about death and separation, Star-Lord fell into deep thought.
His greatest fear was exactly that—death and separation. He hadn't expected John to put it so bluntly.
Taking a deep breath, he asked, "You seem to know a lot about death, John."
"Of course. I've accompanied my father to many funerals."
John crossed his arms. "And my father has told me plenty of funeral anecdotes. For example, at Sicilian funerals, unmarried women sometimes snatch the shroud of the deceased and place it under their pillow, believing it will bring them luck in love."
"In Irish funerals, they tie the toes of the dead together because ancient Celts believed this would prevent the ghost from wandering around."
Finally, John concluded, "No one understands death better than I do."
"No, that's just funerals. Funerals and death are not the same thing."
Star-Lord set Rocket Raccoon down. "I've experienced more death than you."
Being challenged so directly, John felt his pride wounded. "You're just a child, Star-Lord—barely four years old! How could you possibly have seen real death?"
"You'd be surprised, John. Maybe I've seen more than you have."
Star-Lord shrugged and continued, "Age doesn't determine experience. Some people may be older than me, but that doesn't mean they've lived through as much."
"And what exactly have you experienced?"
John looked at him skeptically. This kid was young, yet he spoke with such confidence.
Star-Lord answered in a serious tone, "Traveling the galaxy."
"You've traveled the entire galaxy?"
John scoffed, amused. "Shut up, Star-Lord. You've been stuck on a farm all this time—you've never been anywhere."
"Have you ever dreamed?"
Star-Lord suddenly asked.
"What?"
John was taken aback.
"In dreams, you see worlds different from this one, as if you've lived another life. In my dreams, I've witnessed countless deaths… and I've seen the beauty of the galaxy."
Star-Lord gazed into the vast blue sky. "One day, I'll travel the galaxy for real—with my father. Maybe we'll even form a team. Let me think..."
He coughed and struck a thoughtful pose. "How about… the Guardians of the Galaxy? It'll be me, my dad, and Rocket Raccoon."
Hearing himself left out, John's expression darkened.
"You'll never succeed, Star-Lord."
John declared with certainty. "Because I won't let my father leave with you."
"Oh yeah?"
Star-Lord's stubborn streak flared up. "We'll see about that. Let's see who wins in the end."
With that, he picked up Rocket Raccoon and walked away.
"Hmph!"
Watching Star-Lord's retreating figure, John puffed up his cheeks in frustration, took a deep breath, and exhaled.
Not only had Clark betrayed him, but now Star-Lord was proving to be just as troublesome.
Dealing with these two ambitious individuals… it seemed he would have to be extra cautious in the future.
Meanwhile, after parting ways with Peter, Clark made his way to Lana's house.
Even though he was still troubled by his betrayal of the Godfather, his concern for Lana's recent strange behavior took priority.
At the Neill Ranch, Clark knocked on the door and was greeted by Lana.
"Lana?"
"What? Surprised to see me, Clark?"
Dressed in an elegant black dress, Lana welcomed Clark inside. "Aunt Nell is busy with Talon Club matters, so she's not at the ranch."
"Would you like something to drink, Clark? Coffee, juice, or perhaps… whiskey?"
Clark shifted uncomfortably and shook his head. "I'm not of legal age yet, Lana. We shouldn't be drinking alcohol."
"You're such a rule-follower, Clark."
Lana smiled, placing two glasses on the table. She picked up a bottle of whiskey and poured drinks for both of them.
"This is Scottish whiskey. When it lingers in your stomach, it's like a gym sock soaked in apple cider vinegar and scorpion venom."
As she spoke, she lifted her glass with a seductive tone, bringing it to Clark.
"It'll make you feel… different. You should give it a try, Clark."
She took a sip herself before sliding the other glass toward him.
Watching Lana down an entire glass of whiskey in one go, Clark was completely stunned.
Was this really the same Lana he knew?!
"No, no—Lana, you shouldn't be drinking!"
As he spoke, he reached for the glass in the other person's hand, trying to snatch it away.
However, Lana swiftly sidestepped, dodging Clark's attempt."You can't touch me, Clark."
Lana smiled at him, stood up, and poured herself another drink.
"You… you're not Lana, are you?"
Clark took a deep breath and asked this unfamiliar version of Lana.
"Yes, you're very clever, Clark,"
Lana admitted without hesitation.
"Then… who are you?"
Lana smiled and said, "Madeleine Evans, now in a new body."
Clark instinctively took a step back, his guard up. "Where's Lana?"
"Somewhere inside this body."
Clark's expression hardened. "Then can you let her out?"
Lana let out a laugh as if she had just heard the funniest joke. "Why would I do that?"
Seeing her complete lack of concern, Clark realized that she had no intention of giving up control.
He didn't know why she had taken over Lana's body, but right now, the most important thing was getting Lana back.
"Because if you don't, I won't let you go."
Hearing Clark's threat, Lana's expression changed.
The smile vanished from her face as she suddenly swung her hand toward Clark.
In the next moment, an invisible force sent Clark flying.
With a loud crash, he slammed into the furniture in the living room, shattering it into pieces as splinters scattered everywhere.
Despite the impact, Clark quickly rolled to his feet, ignoring the pain.
Lana, surprised to see him unharmed, raised an eyebrow.
"Clark, you're not only fast, but you don't get hurt either."
Then, a grin spread across her face. "Good. This just makes things more interesting."
She began chanting an incantation, causing knives and other metal objects in the room to fly toward Clark.
Clark immediately activated his heat vision.
The intense beams struck the incoming blades, melting them into molten metal that dripped onto the floor with a sizzling sound.
"Wow!"
Lana was stunned by his ability. "What kind of sorcery is this?"
"Sorcery? No, this isn't sorcery. Hey, listen, I don't want to hurt you—"
Before Clark could finish, Lana cut him off. "It's my turn now."
With another chant, Clark's body was suddenly lifted into the air, completely out of his control.
Lana extended her hand, manipulating him effortlessly.
"I have traveled across centuries, even transcended death itself to be here. My goal is to obtain the Philosopher's Stone, and I won't let some farm boy's little tricks stop me."
"Boom!"
Clark was slammed against the wall, and thick, menacing chains of purple energy wrapped tightly around his wrists, pinning him in place.
Despite being restrained, Clark looked at Lana and said, "Lana… you need help. I know what it's like to have your true self suppressed. You know where you are."
Hearing his words, Lana's face suddenly showed a flicker of struggle.
She clutched her head and staggered closer, her eyes filled with confusion. "Clark?"
Seeing Lana regain a moment of clarity, Clark let out a breath of relief. "It's me, Lana."
Just as he thought she had returned to normal, Lana suddenly burst into laughter.
"Sorry, Clark, I was just messing with you. But you should've seen your face just now—going from joy to sheer panic in an instant. It was hilarious! Hahaha!"
Clark: "…"
He was starting to think that whatever had possessed Lana had a serious problem.
Lana crouched down and placed her fingers against Clark's body.
"Strange… your body holds the same kind of energy as the Philosopher's Stone."
She looked at him with curiosity. "I can sense it, Clark. You know where the Philosopher's Stone is, don't you?"
"No."
Clark, still weakened, shook his head. "I've never seen anything like that before."
"You do know where it is, Clark. Just tell me, and I'll let you go. Besides…"
She took another step closer. "You like this girl, don't you?"
"I…"
Clark was so taken aback by her bold words that he was momentarily speechless.
Seeing his reaction, Lana laughed even harder. "Oh, right! Let me tell you a little secret—since I'm in this body now, I can clearly sense her feelings. And guess what? Compared to you, she seems to have a much deeper impression of your godfather!"
Clark froze.
For a long moment, he replayed his past interactions with Lana.
Then, a sense of disappointment settled over him.
It really did seem like Lana was more interested in his godfather.
...
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