To Endure A Little More

SIXTEEN

"How do you remember?" Aelia questioned, curiosity itching at the back of her head as well as fear. Her heart beat paced faster by the second and she felt as if there was a rock stuck in her throat which she can't swallow neither can she cough out.

"Betrayal." He said, eyes glued to the picture of his sister. Aelia looked confused.

"What?" She spoke in a whisper.

"Betrayal." He repeated. "That's what I felt."

Aelia went silent. She realized where this conversation was headed and she feared it. She had nothing to serve him as a reply because deep down, she'd feel exactly the same if she were in his shoes.

"Years of skepticism, uncertainty about what is happening, intended, or required. It was as if a hell was broken loose inside me. I had no clue of why I was where I was, with no one to clear the blur and fog out." Luan started. Aelia chewed on her lower lip, trying to not let the tears of regret break out. "You... Terran... you both left me lost on a infinity crossroad without leaving me directions to head towards. For 3 years, I'd spent my life with a shadow upon it, blank, till I had to fry my brain to get hold of all the missing pieces. And after breaking myself apart just to find all the pieces that could make me whole again, both of your betrayal was what broke me.

"Is this what we swore of? Was this the oath we took? Always and forever? Guess always isn't forever afterall." Luan said, leaving nothing for Aelia to say because their actions justified his feelings. She was overfilled with regret.

She stood there, blank, unable to process after Luan walked out of the door. They should've known this would happen, they should've thought of this situation beforehand. But they were just 19 year olds when they had decided to move on with life with so much load to carry, they didn't realise what they'd dropped on the way. Forgetting indeed isn't easy and they should've been aware of that. They should've known that Luan would remember some day because even if his brain lost track, his scars served as a reminder. His heart was after all wounded by the deep cut, even if he was numb to the pain.

Aelia stood near the doorway of her room as Jeremy sat on the bed, smiling at her presence. Her expression however was laced with worry although she forced a smile at him. She was afraid if she could share her deepest secrets with him but she knew she could trust him which is why she was trusting him in the first place.

"Jeremy..." she started but the man immediately pulled her in his embrace. The two stayed in the position for a solid minute and for the first time in so long, she felt safe. Like it would be okay to fall on her knees and stop pretending strong now. That she could finally stop running. But deep down, she knew the race had just started.

"Talk to me only if you want to." He said and she smiled.

"You sure you wanna listen?"

"I don't think I can back down now, can I?" Jeremy spoke, making a chuckle leave the tensed woman in front of him.

"We go long back, the three of us, Terran, Luan and I. But our "we" cracked when we

lost our family to sea and fire. Luan's sister passed away. Followingly his parents but that wasn't all. I lost my father just like Terranlost his mother."

"I'm sorry Aelia... I didn't know you guys went through all that..." Jeremy's eyes grew soft but Aelia remained expressionless. "How did it all happen though, I'm sure it's not a coincidence." Aelia stiffened at Jeremy's words. "I'm sorry, would you like to share it with me?"

"Luan owns a resort with a personal beach. We went to spend summer there and we were out swimming. The wind was strong but that didn't catch our concern.  Not until the waves started growing stronger and higher when his little sister was still in the water. She refused to come out yet, although the waves were threatening. And before we could take action, she was caught in a huge tide. It swallowed her whole, leaving no sign of her when the wave calmed and the next one was getting ready. Their father immediately jumped into the water, although he lacked swimming skills, to save his daughter. Both didn't make it out till one strong tide brought them ashore. Both unconscious. By the time the three of us called an ambulance from the nearest hospital which is was so far away, Luan's mother panicked to a point she got a heart attack. She died on spot and his sister was too late to reach the hospital and passed away in the same evening. His father however had chances to survive and was caught in a coma for an entire month with doctors trying to save him with their every breathe. He was the president of the country afterall. But exactly after month of losing his sister and mother, on the same date, Luan lost his father too.

That's also why I was so scared when you were caught in a coma..."

Jeremy had nothing to reply with. He couldn't imagine being in his friend's shoes. He was no more surprised by Luan's odd personality. The persona that his pain created, Luan was nothing like this before. He was just like the moon. He lacked light but Aelia was who brought him gleam. She brought the luminosity in him, just like the Sun was for the Moon, and he would selflessly share the light with all around him, just like moon lights up the earth's nights. He would never let anyone stand in shadow when he was lit. That's the Luan this story began with for real. But stood between him and his light was a darkness that overshadowed them. A sour and compelling pain which was so numbing sharp but fleeting that it was strong enough to c***k in even the deepest bond.

"That was just the beginning of it all..." Aelia whispered and Jeremy's eyes widen. "We've known each other from the first breathe. All because our parents were best of friends starting high school. Including Terran. The pain was unbearable for our parents at the loss of Luan's. Maybe that's why the fates decided to end their misery by ending the years of some of their lives, adding more to the ones who survived..." Aelia sighed before she continued. "At the funeral, after everyone left, my mother and Terran's father volunteered to drive us three kids home. The rest of our parents were still at the funeral hall to clean up. But they rather got caught by hell fire on earth. It's unfigured how the hall caught the fire but all we know is my father and Terran's mother did not survive..."

"Aelia..."

"How a small incident can take down something so massive..." Aelia said as a burning tear strained down her cheek. A painlaced chuckle escaped her and Jeremy felt his heart clench. This reminded him the loss of his own mother. But he was glad he could share the feelings of at least some pain Aelia carried because both know how it feels to lose their mother... to fire.

"Indeed...just a small incident is needed to take down something so massive..." Jeremy spoke in tears as she sobbed.

"Guess always isn't forever afterall."