Several minutes after the old man had gone, Nova and Maxwell remained silent, neither willing to break it, until the crunch of Maxwell biting into a cookie finally did.
Nova turned to him, then fixed her gaze on the cookies and tea before following his example and starting to eat and drink. They ate slowly, using the quiet moment to think about their surreal encounter.
Soon, the only sounds in the room were the crunch of cookies and the occasional gulp of tea.
After several minutes, they were both done. Maxwell lay slumped in his chair, stomach bloated, catching his breath, unable to eat another bite. He looked at the plate and cups on the table and shuddered. "Nova, how many minutes do you think we ate for?"
Nova looked at them too, her hands shaking. "I'm not sure, but it was certainly more than thirty minutes."
Maxwell shuddered again, the satisfied look on his face slowly giving way to horror. "If we ate for more than thirty minutes, then why are there still the same number of cookies, and why is the tea still steaming hot, as if untouched?"
"I don't know. I don't know," Nova muttered, rubbing her hands together. "Nothing makes sense when it comes to that man. It's all too bizarre."
"I feel the same way," Maxwell agreed with a nod, closing his eyes to recall everything he had seen the man do. "First, he easily appeared in every room." He began trying to recount it all. "Secondly, to casually invite us... no, no." Maxwell shook his head with a small smile. "To casually make us sit on chairs that were never there, or rather, that weren't there when we first entered."
"Yeah. The way he placed his hands on your shoulder, even I can't explain," Nova added. "The way he casually made those bunnies and party hats appear on us was crazy."
"And let's not forget the tea and cookies he made appear on the table that we still haven't finished," Maxwell continued.
They fell silent after that, each lost in their own thoughts.
"Do you think what he said was true?" Nova suddenly asked, snapping Maxwell back to reality.
"Which part? He said a lot of things," Maxwell responded, tilting his head.
"The part about him being a Neovano creature, and that there are many kinds of Neovano creatures," Nova said, casually peppering him with questions about the whole thing.
"I'm not quite sure. Technically, he should be right, considering we're in this place and there shouldn't be anybody here other than you, me, and the dead people who should have been at the settlement if not for the fact that they are... you know, dead." He paused, gesturing with his hands. "And let's be real here. How common is it to see people whose abilities are so freaky that it's nearly impossible to gauge their actual power level or path?"
"You're right. Counting all the strong people I know, that man could stand among the top anytime," Nova admitted.
"What..." Maxwell hesitated for a moment before finally asking the question that had been at the back of his mind. "It's just a what-if scenario, but let's say he was actually telling the truth. Why do you think the authorities don't want the public to know?"
"Tch." Nova kissed her teeth in frustration, equally perplexed by the whole thing. "I have no idea. Honestly, I don't see any gain in hiding it." She groaned. "Wouldn't it be better if the whole public knew and were more aware? And if possible, couldn't we try communicating with the sane ones?" She kicked the leg of the table in irritation. "Clearly the idea is feasible, seeing that we just had a conversation with someone who claimed to be Neovano."
Maxwell slumped tiredly in his chair. "Somehow, we just learned a profound enigma, but we're suddenly left with even bigger questions."
"I feel the same way, and it frustrates me to no end," Nova admitted. "But what bothers me most right now is the last thing he said."
"You mean—?"
"Yes. 'Beware, for it's still out there,'" Nova finished. "What do you think he meant by that? And he also admitted he wasn't the one who committed the massacre in the settlement, and that he was only here to help."
"Technically, to traumatize people into unlocking their dormant abilities, but still help," Maxwell corrected.
"I'm being serious," Nova said, glaring at him, her voice flat.
"So am I." Maxwell chuckled. "But if what he said was true, and it wasn't him who committed the massacre, doesn't that mean we're not safe here?"
"You're right," Nova hummed. "That's what I was getting at. I think it's time we leave this place." She stood up. "Let's finish our task of burying the dead, collect some fruits, water and fresh clothes, then be on our way."
"And let's not forget to charge my phone," Maxwell added, quickly picking up the charger from the table. That was when he noticed something.
"When did the book disappear? If I remember correctly, the old man didn't take it with him when he left the room."
"How should I know? I've been with you the whole time," Nova said, waving a hand dismissively. "Let's focus on the task ahead. Collect the charger and let's go get Snowy. Let's just hope the poor bird isn't as bloated as you and me," she added with a smile.
"Already done," Maxwell said with a nod. Then he suddenly blurted out, "Oh, and what should we do about those?" He pointed at the steaming tea and the plate of cookies, his eyes gleaming with horror and greed at the prospect of keeping them.
"I don't know. You decide."
Maxwell's eyes widened. This was the first time Nova had let him make a decision for both of them since they met! Without wasting a second, he swooped down on the cups and plate, and that was when he noticed all three had covers beneath them. Did he anticipate that we'd try to take them? Maxwell thought in awe.
He covered all three and managed to lift them, carrying the two cups of tea in one hand and the cookie plate, with the charger on top, in the other.
With that, they left the room. They had a lot to do, and time waited for no man. The entity that had committed the massacre wouldn't wait either. Maybe not for everyone, but certainly not for them.
The word count is within a few words of the original, and the pacing is unchanged. I trimmed the repeated "silence" in the opening, the doubled "kissed her teeth"-style frustration beats, and the repeated "cookies" and "tea" lines. I added no new beats, since Nova's table kick, Maxwell's gesture and the swooping grab already carry the movement.