To Endure A Little More

FIFTEEN

"Luan Aldrin?!" Aelia let out a gasp, never expecting she would have happened to meet the addressed like this; at her own house, about which she was very much sure that he had no memory of until now. Neither did she expect to see him at a time like this. A casual smirk stayed still on the Devil's face.

Jeremy, on the other hand, was staggered. Unsure of what was happening, he looks around and his eyes fall on the wall that was holding frames that held pictures of thousands of memories. He lets himself take a clear glance at the wall only to find Luan being right. There indeed was a picture of him. Two frames to speak about. The first holding a picture of Terran, Luan and Aelia in their almost teen year, arms over each other's shoulders with large smiles of happiness glowing on their faces. They looked happy and it was, a point in fact, the time in their lives they were actually happy and free of pain.

Jeremy's eyes flickered a few times to try focusing his cornea into helping him to see clearer, his mind in surprisal and in a state of shock to discover that the three were acquainted from before they joined the academy which prolonged under wraps until now. What caught him taken aback more was the question: why would their picture be on the wall of past and memories when they were still a part of each others' present. Maybe it was a just a moment to be really remembered then, Jeremy thought to give grounds to his curiosity. However, in spite of that, another question itched in his mind. Why did they keep their relationship a secret? Could it be because they knew about Aelia's lie about her lifestyle and background? Or... was there more to it?

Many questions of curiosity laced with uncertainty glint themselves in Jeremy's mind as his eyes scanned the picture but it all were let go of as his eyes meet the next frame. In the picture were Luan, Aelia and a little girl. That picture was older than the first one and his friends looked much more younger but the question was, who was she?

"Who is she?" Luan and Aelia turn to Jeremy as he queried. Their faces stiffen and jaws clench which caused Jeremy to feel further more muddled and fuddled by the many secrets they seemed to held together. He didn't think of a simple girl like Aelia to be filled with such mysteries. 

As it's said, the word uncomplicated does without regards consist of the word complicated. But it only erect further spirits of inquiry in him.

"My little sister. Late little sister." Jeremy's heart skipped a beat at collecting this new information that he just learnt from Luan with which he was unfamiliar.

"You had a sister?" Luan only smiled at the younger, eyes tearing up as he fondled his fingers over his sister's picture.

"Jeremy, you still need to rest. I know it all is a lot to take in but I'll explain everything to you, later, I promise you." Aelia said, taking him in her embrace and kissing his forehead, seeming to show more concern for him than a mother for a child which made Luan let out a shrug of cringe. His heart tossed at the scene, feeling anguished by the sudden affection she started showing to Jeremy.

"I need to speak with Luan by myself first." Jeremy nods to her words and walked out of the room, still processing, leaving the two in silence.

"You, how did you get in?" Aelia addressed to Luan with stern eyes, asking for an explanation.

"Your maids, particularly the one in charge...uh-what was her name again? Oh right, Miss Marie, they all remember me too well." Luan said, intentionally structuring his sentence with specific words which caught Aelia off gaurd. She throws him a questioning look.

"How do you know them?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Luan chuckled, his expression displeased. "Ah right, I was supposed to pretend I don't remember anything. My apologies, let's start again."

Aelia couldn't believe what her ears were collecting for her to hear. Luan's sarcasm was smothered with truth and her heart raced at thinking what she feared was true. Did his memories return?

Exactly 4 years back from today, it was the third year anniversary of the official relationship of Luan and Aelia. The two and Terran had known each other ever since they could remember. The parents of the theirs were best of friends since before their weddings and the three had practically grown up with each other's company since day one. Luan and Aelia seemed to bond with Terran more because the latter seemed to love the two as his own siblings, more than just bestfriends that they were. He had a older brother but he never had shown to care for him the way Aelia and Luan would, which brought them together more. Terran would never let himself fail to look out for them as a protective and caring brother should in return. But Luan and Aelia looked at each other more than just best friends and other than siblings. They knew they had feelings for each other. Terran happily supported the two and was excited for them and he was who brought them to confess their feelings to each other at his own party after the three turned 16. After 10 years of being in pure angel blessed love, the two had finally decided to take the next step on that day, which was obvious to their parents as well who were more than happy to find out they could turn to in-laws.

It was 2 years later, at the age of 18, after their second anniversary, when slowly the harsher truth of reality in this world started revealing itself to them. Life wasn't merry and jolly and all sunshines and rainbows anymore. They were approaching a hurricane in life and the calm before the storm had started to grown harsher when Luan's sister passed away. Followingly his parents and Aelia's father as well as Terran's mother. With so many deaths and loss of loved ones, the storm had flooded their lives with all the worse in the world they could imagine to exist, all the cruelty their parents kept them locked out of.

Yet still, the three had stuck together and fought through it. Their names represented The sun, the moon, the earth. Each day one can go through in life are brought to them by the sun and moon on earth. Aelia was Roman for the Sun. Terran was Latin for the earth. Luan was Moon in Portuguese. They were given the specific names from birth to represent the three astrological aspects and they decided to live by it as they grew older and mature.

The thoughts they had in mind when settling for these names and letting it work as their strength were far more complicated to be explained in words. But their words were: Just like the Sun lights the Moon and together light up and complete an entire day on Earth together, Luan and Aelia together lit up Terran's life. Or something like that which however was meant to say that The Three hold much more power together than as individuals. Therefore, they promised to stick together forever.

But on their third anniversary when the three were finally about to recover and get over the past, fate thought of making Luan get over the past in a harsher way. He got caught in a accident and lost his memories of his entire life.

At the age of 19, as young adults and unsure of what would be the right step, Terran and Aelia decide for Luan to start over would be the best option. They believed it was rather a blessing for Luan to forget the pain after losing his family. They contacted Luan's distant uncle to take him in who agrees with Aelia and Terran and decides to help Luan live a new life as his best friend and his lover shut themselves out of his life for his own good.

But after 3 years, they meet again; at the academy. Although, Terran and Aelia feared if entering his life again would only result them walking into another hurricane but a year had passed by and life was good. It was messed up but better than they expected. But only for their lies that covered the truth to be affected by a c***k and now they were slowly losing and the truth was coming out. The truth they worked so hard to shut out, the truth untold.