Titan Academy Chapter 81

Chapter 81: Signs (2)

I noticed the smile on his lips. “For a lot of times, I also thought of entering that place to get you. Sometimes, I’ll wake up in the night ang unconsciously look outside, thinking how I can save you.”

He was momentarily dazed as if watching the dark sky. “But when I saw you on the stage with your group, when I saw the worry on their face when we were at the elevator and they were waiting for you to enter. Even if I was feeling extreme confusion and fear that time, I still can’t help to think that you deserve to be with them. I don’t know why but I felt that you belong with them. They looked like they came from respectable families. And you seem to fit with them.

“Lucas, you know that—”

“I felt strange. We were together in my whole life. We were always partners at everything. We grew up togather and we similarly experienced everything. But even then I have always thought what would happen if you suddenly remember everything? What if you suddenly returned to your life before you met us? What if we were not the same? I’m in the bottom end of the society, the poorest of the poor. What if you were at the top? What—”

“Nothing would change.” I said. “May it be on the top or at the bottom, you are still my companion. I still grew up in the town. This will never ever change.” I sat properly and hugged my knees. “Blood doesn’t signify belonging. Some people travel the world to find where they belong.”

“Shia.”

“Hmm?”

“You already found where you belong.”

I slightly nodded. “I know.”

He became silent before speaking again. “It’s not a place you’ll return because it is needed. It’s a place that you’ll go because you want to be there and you are happy there. A place where no one forced you to be there.”

I turned my head to look at him.

“I know that you want to return to them, Shia. I’m your home, but I’m not where you belong.”

“Lucas, we already talked about this.”

I will never leave him. How many times have I already told him this? No matter what he do, I will never ever leave him in this place. And I don’t care if he drive me away. I will stay here by his side.

Lucas was silent. I also didn’t speak again and just decided to only feel the dark surrounding. The little sounds inside the forest. The rustling of leaves as wind pass them by.

“I saw you when you were with him.”

Confused, I turned my head to him again. “What?”

“I was late by few minutes. When I arrived, he was already there.” Lucas took a deep breath. “I saw his face, the intense worry when he saw that you were about to let go on the deceiver. His fear of your death. And I saw how you embraced him. I saw how you cried when you saw him.”

“Lucas, you didn’t say that you were there—”

“He is not only the Team Captain, isn’t he, Shia?” Lucas turned to me. “I only saw that kind of reaction from you now(?). You became strong and weak, destroyed and created at the same time when you saw him.”

I completely wasn’t able to speak.

“Shia, your Team Captain… you love him, right?”

Hearing that, I couldn’t help myself but blink. “Lucas—”

 “When I saw that, instead of returning to you, instead of choosing to be with you again, I thought of a single thing. You will be okay even if I’m not there. There will be others who will save you.”

“I don’t need someone to save me. I need someone to fight this battle with me.” I answered.

He faintly laughed. “I know, Shia.” He said. But I noticed that behind his laugh, there was something wrong. I knew that there was something different. As the time we spent together became longer, I noticed it. There’s something wrong on the way Lucas moves and speak.

“Let’s sleep.” I said.

Because I didn’t want to prolong the conversation. I don’t want to talk about the thing that I need to leave him again. I don’t want to leave him.

I felt the slight pulsation on my wrist. The countdown. There was almost no two days. I know that there was still a possibility that the name on the top will change. I just want to make sure that Hesperia will win at the end.

Before I completely fell asleep, I heard Lucas’ voice.

“Sorry, Shia. I can’t go on any further.”

——

I somnambulated when I felt that there was no one beside me. I patted the place beside me but there was really no one there. I suddenly stod up. Panic swiftly circulated in my system. I left the cave-like roots and groaned when when the light from the sun hit my eyes. It’s already morning. But where is Lucas?

“LUCAS!” I shouted.

No. He won’t leave me alone again, right? I shouldn’t have slept. I should have ascertained it that he won’t disappear from my side.

“LUCAS!”

I hurriedly wandered the place near the tree where I spent the night. I couln’t help but collide with with the nearby plants and trees because I currently wasn’t able to control my senses.

“LUCAS! WHERE ARE YOU?!” Please. Please don’t leave me.

“Shia, what happened—”

I immediately turned to the direction of the voice. I felt his presence and I ran toward there. When I touched him, I suddenly trapped him in my embrace. My breath was deep while my heartbeat was racing.

“Damn it, Lucas!”  I preached(asik?) him. “Where have you been?” My voice were almost trembling. “I thought you already left me.”

I felt his faint deep breath and his hand which was caressing my hair. “I’m always here, Shia.”

I let out sigh of relief. “Where did you go—”

I wasn’t able to complete wht I was about to say when I felt that thing again. He groaned. He slowly separated me from his forearm. When I was separated, I felt the change of his breathing. As if, suffering.

“Lucas, are you okay?” I asked while standing in front of him.

I can’t see him. Only the parts of his body which are moving ae the ones I can feel. When he remains steady, I also can’t feel him at all.

His breathing relaxes. “Of course.” He slightly touched my head to mess up my hair like what he usually do. But I felt that he had difficulty even by doing that simple gesture.

“I will give you something.”

I only watched him. He was holding something on his left hand. A small box or container.

“What’s that?” I asked.

He smiled. “Medicine. For your eyes.”

I was stunned by what he said. “Medicine? You used your points? But it’s—”

“I still have twenty points left.” He said. “So don’t worry.”

Twenty? But when I asked him yesterday, he almost had one hundred fifty points.

“The points I hold don’t have any use anymore. So I just exchanged them for this.” He showed the small container on his hand in front of me. “This is not the medicine that can fully cure your sight. But it will help you discern the surrounding.” He said.

“Didn’t you want to see the name Hesperia on the top?” he said. “I want you to see it.”

I want to scold him because of what he did. He always do this. This was also the same during my birthday. Everytime he buys bread even though he doesn’t have money just to make me happy.

“This is not the most effective one. My points are not enough for the best one. You still need to wait for several hourse before it acts—”

“Lucas, thank you.”

I don’t know when I have last told him these words.  Even though I was always grateful that he was by my side, I rarely say this to him.  Sometimes, instead of saying thank you, I only joke with or scold him.

“Thank you.” I repeated. “For everything.”

“What’s more since I became your best friend?”

I watched him, how he stod in front of me.

If I only noticed during those times. If only I gave attention to the signs. Maybe, everything wouldn’t have been too late.

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