Edgar, now a young adult wearing a suit for the dinner he had planned with Fay, sat in a restaurant. She had not arrived yet, and he looked around for a moment. The interior is adorned with rich mahogany woodwork, intricate moldings, and plush velvet upholstery. The walls are decorated with oil paintings of various landscapes and portraits of notable figures from New Albion’s history. Crystal chandeliers hang from the ceiling, casting a warm and gentle glow over the dining area.

The atmosphere is refined, with discreet, attentive waitstaff gliding through the room. The air is filled with the tantalizing aroma of fine cuisine prepared by skilled chefs in the open kitchen. Soft murmurs of conversation and the occasional clinking of silverware against china create a pleasant hum, adding to the overall ambiance. Fay walked in through the ornate double doors, she was wearing a lovely dress. She quickly noticed where Edgar was and sat down on the chair across from him, “Sorry that I am late.”

Edgar smiled, “No worries, I already ordered your favorite, I hope that’s alright.”

Fay frowned her eyebrows, “You did?”

“Yes, Cod and Miso, or something like that?”

“Yes, that is correct, look Edgar, this is, hard to say.”

Edgar smiled at her, “Yes, my dear, what is it that you want to say? Something about the wedding? I will spare no expense, I have enough money.”

“No, it’s not about that.”

Edgar poured in some wine for the both of them, “Look, I have been looking at jobs, maybe I will start at the alchemist guild. What is it that you wanted to say?”

“Exactly, that. Your drive, Edgar, it drives me crazy. It is not that hard, follow your mom or your dad’s footsteps, and please listen to me. You are never interested in the things I do.”

Edgar looked a bit confused, “What do you mean?”

“You are so obsessed with finding something to do, you barely pay attention to me. We have been dating for a while, we are engaged, but you barely pay attention to me. I need you to validate me, to give me compliments, a man I saw today did give me compliments, your last compliment was two weeks ago.”

Edgar scratched the back of his head, “Your dress looks nice, it matches your beautiful eyes.”

Fay sighed, “That could not have been more forced, I am not sure if I can keep doing this.”

Edgar sat upright, suddenly alarmed, “What do you mean, you are not sure if you can keep doing this, do you mean, us? If it is because we grew up so close together, that is not a problem.”

Fay grunted, “Look at you, do you hear yourself? That is not the problem, I don’t care if we were raised by the same people, we are not related by blood. You are making this about something it’s not.”

“Then tell me what is this about? I am rich, I’ve got all the money you could need, probably more than you can spend in two lifetimes.”

Fay softly hit her fist on the table, “I don’t give a rats ass about your fucking money. I want a man who loves me, for me. A man who knows what he wants with to do in his life. Even if you were a man who would scrape the poop out of the stables, I would be happy. But you are always, whining, moping, and complaining.”

“Fay, I love you, please, I am trying.”

She stood up, “You’ve had enough time to try,” she pulled the engagement ring off with force and let it clatter on the table. “I do love you, I really do, and I tried, for so long. But there is someone else I want to go on a date with.”

Edgar shot up, “Have you done something behind my back?”

“The fact that you actually have to ask me that says enough. It says, you spent all your life with me, but you have been so obsessed with what to do, you never had the chance to learn who I really am.” She stormed off.

Edgar looked at her storming away as dinner was served, he sat down, “One day you will learn Fay, one day your heart will burn like my heart burns for you.”

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The waiter looked at him, “Do you need something, sir?”

“I would have had the lime pie, but I am not in the mood, I feel like I am dying inside.” He put down money for the meals they didn’t eat, “Thank you for the effort, I need to follow her.” He left the restaurant and looked at the nightlife of New Albion. Fay had already vanished into the crowd.

Edgar leaned against the outer wall of the restaurant and pretended not to cry. He grabbed a paper out of his pocket, he wrote something down and went to a nearby alleyway. As he walked into the alleyway, he pulled a brick aside and put the note he had made in it. After that, he skulked back to his home, the home where they both grew up.

The exterior of the building boasts a quaint Victorian design, with ivy climbing the brick walls and a charming garden at the front. A wrought-iron gate leads to a winding path bordered by colorful flowers. Edgar barely paid attention and opened the door as he went inside his family home.

Upon entering, the living room with plush sofas, a fireplace, and a large bay window that allows natural light to fill the space. The walls are adorned with family photographs and artwork, creating a cozy and personal atmosphere. Edgar stared at photos of Fay and him.

While most of the lab equipment has been replaced, some scrolls and old machines still find a place in corners of the home. These remnants serve as conversation pieces, a nod to the lab’s history and the pioneering spirit of the now broken family. Edgar walked over to the scrolls his dad loved. “A man with no drive? Should I have just, done work that makes me unhappy?”

He opened a cooling unit and grabbed a bottle of booze out of it, “She has been spending time with another man? If I ever find out who, he is going to pay, somehow. If I want to get Fay back, I need to find my drive, yes, I need to invent something, something really big. It has to be an invention that no one in New Albion can ignore.”

He got up and looked at the garden, Fay’s garden in the backyard that had been converted into a lush garden, featuring various plants and flowers. A stone path meanders through the greenery, leading to a small seating area where the family used to relax and enjoy the outdoors. There was a workbench where Fay made potions. The garden is a testament to his mom’s love for botany that she shared with Fay. Carefully curated flora is arranged in beautiful patterns.

Edgar picked up a scroll and looked at an invention, “No, this is not it, where can I find the inspiration to make something big?” He took a big swig from his bottle.

“My mom, or my dad should have had a place where they stored notes about inventions.” He went to his mom’s office.

A dedicated office space occupies a corner of the home, providing a quiet retreat for focused work or creative endeavors. The old lab tables have been repurposed into sturdy desks, and shelves are filled with neatly organized books, journals, and reference materials. A large, antique wooden desk, positioned by the window, serves as the focal point of the room.

The walls of the office are adorned with framed certificates, awards, and diplomas, celebrating the family’s achievements over the years. As Edgar looked at them, he saw an award that Annabel had gotten. The last one before she died, the invention of batteries that can conduct a lot of electricity, Fay’s mother coincidentally died from this invention. A comfortable leather chair sits behind the desk, offering a seat for deep contemplation or scholarly pursuits. He sat down in it and looked around, “Something big, something to get Fay back.”

“These are all the inventions that my mom made after she was with my dad, but I heard rumors about her being a hermit before I was conceived, doing the most crazy experiments. These are nowhere to be found in her office.” He looked at the wooden cart his dad used to own. He shed a single tear, “Dad was never the same after the incident, even if I disliked him a bit, after mom died, he was no longer the same caring man.”

Edgar got up, “Wait a minute, maybe her old inventions are stored in the attic. There has to be something that I can use there.” He made his way up to the attic and coughed as dust was everywhere, broken machines and equipment sit everywhere. Cobwebs were in every corner. Old scrolls and books were everywhere. “Come on Edgar, something has to be in this damned attic.”

“Oh dear, do you see it audience? Behind that machine that Annabel used to destroy Jasper, the trunk in the attic where she is keeping her research. What if Edgar finds out, what will he do? You are looking at me like that again, fine, let me show you what happens.”

I made myself visible in the attic, “Edgar?”

He turned around, “What, where the fuck did you come from? How did you get into my house?”

I grinned, “Look, you are sad now, I get it, but perhaps it is better if you let this go. There is nothing here in the attic. If you really want to invent something, you can think up your own invention instead of using your mother’s inventions.”

Edgar walked closer to me, “What is with the top hat?” He looked at his bottle, “Man, this stuff is strong, I am hallucinating complete people.”

I sighed deeply, “I am not a hallucination, I am warning you Edgar, if you follow this path, countless bad things are going to happen. Go down to your room, sleep it off, get a decent job, tell Fay you are sorry and beg for her forgiveness.”

“No, that is never going to work, even if you are real, which I highly doubt, you are wrong. I need something big, that is the only way. I am going to scour every inch of this attic, you cannot convince me to do otherwise.”

“Fine Edgar, when everything goes to hell, you will only have yourself to blame.” I made myself disappear, “But I will be keeping a close eye on him for you, we will see where this narrative takes us.”

Edgar looked at his bottle again, “Wow, there must be something fishy in this booze,” he sat down on the broken chair and it cracked. He fell to the ground and grunted, “Damn old chair. Make my own invention? No way, my mom’s notes should be around here.”