It had been a long time since Ashton had come all this way. The town was still as peaceful as ever, with birds chirping and a small breeze blowing in. It was a wonderful autumn day, despite being hotter than the usual temperature the town got this time of year. The chance to wear but a small autumn coat, however, was appreciated. He'd slowly been making his way from the train station, eventually approaching the ever-familiar family house. Despite being old, it felt like the house never looked worn out or about to fall over itself. His guess was that his father was actively keeping it in good shape. After all, that's as good a project as any when you have so much time on your hands.
And speaking of so much time on someone's hands, it had been a few years — or maybe more like almost a decade or so — since Ashton had taken over his parents' research into his own hands. While his father was probably busy watching TV shows on television or refurbishing the house, Ashton, himself, was busy researching the most intriguing and mysterious strains ever found in a human body. If only he could share his discoveries with his parents; sadly, neither of them held any interest in said project anymore. Still, he remembered his promise to his mother.
His father, Archibald, had been suffering from a somewhat unknown illness for years. It affected his lungs and often created dangerous attacks similar to asthma attacks; Archibald had had no choice but to start using an oxygen bottle in order to keep oxygen pumping into his lungs when an attack like that happened. As they continued to talk over the years, his mother, Ethelred, had assured Ashton that Archibald's state was stable. That didn't stop Ashton from researching it and trying to uphold his word that he would try to find a cure for it. He was far from having a cure, but in due time, he was certain that he would be able to find one.
All that aside, there came the house, the door standing tall in front of him. There was a little hesitation, but quickly enough, Ashton found himself knocking on the door.