Chapter 19

AESOP

"Cheers for the very first winning BlackJack team! You did a great job, Aesop!"

Emily had huddled every of the BlackJack participants from the earlier round in the lounge with a large number of snacks on the tables. And from the corner of my eyes, I noticed her hands hiding something in her back.

Jeez. What's with everyone being super social here? Do all these people never get tired of people-ing?

I decided to have my head resting on the table when I saw Eli from the other side. He looked like he had just ran a marathon from the way his lips opened and closed, not to mention that he kept on nudging Naib with his gaze focused on me before walking away.

Well to be honest, both the seer and I have not been talking to each other and not bothering to have any direct eye contact ever since the day I broke loose on him. If he's just gonna stare at me with his you should approach and apologize to me look, it's his problem, not mine. There's no way I'm doing that.

"The winning champ's a star eh? And all this feast... damn! I could use a massive headstart after all those moments of running and avoiding hunters!" William said, letting his rugby drop to the floor, creating a faint thud in the process.

I sighed.

Too much talk, William.

I had my head resting on my hands, my whole attention on the white tiled floor as if they were glued there. It is almost nighttime, the moonlight starting to show its rays through the windows.

I let my own head take me a trip down the memory lane. So much has happened today, but the one that made my heart leap to its joy was BlackJack. I don't know why, but it is special to me despite all the chaos between Hastur and Wu Chang earlier.

No. I am well aware of the reason behind it.

Come to think of it, what exactly could he be doing now?

Is he off to somewhere full of scenery where he can take pictures at will?

He's a good photographer, is he?

What made him so good at it?

I traced the BlackJack badge I was given earlier. He, along with me, had received the same badge. We fistbumped real hard that I can still feel the warmth of his hands.

For the first time in my life, I actually have this feeling of missing someone.

Social interactions have always been one of those things I hate the most, but it all changed the moment I met him.

He's all I want.

"Carl, hey!" Naib's squeaky voice said, making me jump out of my seat in surprise.

"Chill out, dude! What's wrong? You're acting weird!"

My head snapped up the moment he talked to me. Everything then starts hitting into me. Naib, William, Vera, Helena, plus Emily had been here along with me for this so-called victory celebration, yet I had gotten into my own trance with the five of them being here to witness it.

"Huh? What do you mean?" I asked, the harsh taste of lies having its presence in the back of my tongue.

"Dude.. do you really have no idea? You had your head resting on the table the whole time, and you didn't even respond us talking to you! Are you alright? Is your headache back to you or something? Should I tell Emily to call this off?"

Naib was still talking when I noticed Michiko dashing around in the back of the curtain separating the two sides. Yes. This curtain separates everything in this manor aside from the rooms.

I squinted my eyes to get a better look and to see whether it is indeed her or my mind playing tricks on me. To my surprise, it is her. Her hands were forming random gestures towards.... me?

"Aesop, hey! Where are you going?"

"I'm sorry Emily, but I need to go. I.. I'm not feeling well again...." I lied, the feeling of nervousy and anxiety taking over me.

I know that this is not something ti be proud of, but this is the only understandable reason I can come up with for them to let me have time to myself. If I were to be honest, this weak physical health condition is the biggest source of my anxiety.

Please don't let her know that I'm not even feeling under the weather now. The geisha's gestures on the other side is very strange to me since she barely says anything to me - not that I care- but I managed to catch the look in her eyes. It was the look of concern.

Don't tell me....

"Hey, you're not supposed to run! Aesop Carl, hey--!" Emily panicked the moment I deliberately kicked the door open.

I didn't listen to her. I had bolted with all my might to where Michiko is, ignoring her and the rest's yells.

***

"I'm sorry for the awkwardness...." The geisha said the moment I made it to the garden.

"But I need your help, Embalmer."

Wasn't she in the opposite side of the lounge the moment she made all those gestures?

As expected of her dash speed.

I gave her a slight nod before much to my utter shock, she carried me in her arms and dashed to the hunters' side. I'm lucky there was nothing I had eaten earlier or that would have led to accidents.

"Here we are...." Michiko said as she stopped, her Prajna form reverting back to her usual self.

Damn, that was scary. I've encountered that during matches, but on post-match moments, the scare is on a whole new level.

My palms started sweating as she led me into her side of the manor. It was exactly the same as mine, with the rectangular dining table and the chandeliers, but the one that makes it different is the two armchairs next to it,   and that the survivors' matching lobby is see-through, in which as what Joseph had told me, gives all the hunters the advantage of seeing who their opponents will be.

We stayed in silence as we went through turns, stairs, and a few sharp U-turns before finally arriving in the corridor where all the rooms are located.

That places more question in my head.

Just how big is the hunters' side? And if it is that big, how did Joseph find his way so quick to that of my side the other day?

"Um--" I said, only to be interrupted by the geisha.

"Do you hear it, dear Embalmer?"

I scratched the back of my head. What's her big deal? Why is she asking me to come to this side knowing how dangerous it can be once Jack finds out?

That was when I heard it.

Sobs. His sobs.

"Joseph needs your help..." Michiko said, reading my mind.

"I'll take you to him. Don't worry. His room is not in this side..."

I breathed a sign of relief. The corridor where we were in is totally messy, with the writings THE CLOWN'S REALM being sprayed on one of the room doors.

Joseph hates messy. I know him.

The sobbing became more audible as the Geisha walked me to the door where the name "Joseph" was written on it, probably with a fountain pen.

Michiko knocked on the door before it finally opened, revealing him looking miserable than ever. They were talking before the geisha mentioned my name.

I don't need anyone telling me what to do.

I reached my hand out, and he intercepted it.

JOSEPH

"So you saw me crying? Tch. I'm nothing but someone pathetic, eh?"

I had allowed the embalmer to go inside my room the moment Michiko told me he was here to see me. He was standing all the time that I had to sit him down.

"Why would I call someone who cries all his feelings out as pathetic? I'm not that harsh, Joseph. Anyway, sorry I had to sit here..." He said, taking the armchair.

I smiled, wiping the streaks of tears streaming down my face. His presence just makes everything so much better.

"Nice room you have here. Love all the blue theme. It suits your coat, now that I realize it!"

I nodded.

"I'm a blue-lover. You can see it in my eyes."

He then shot me his glare, and before I knew it, I was laughing.

He was studying my whole room when his eyes landed on the photo frame I've tried hard to hide from every of the hunters here.

The photo of me and Claude, embracing each other for the last time before his passing.

By now every bit of laughter I had was gone, and the urge to cry is back.

I had started sobbing when I felt Aesop's hands into my shoulders.

He didn't say anything, but the look on his face shows full empathy.

***

"It might be hard to believe, but yes I had a twin brother..... his name is Claude.. Claude Desaulniers."

Aesop was now sitting right next to me, his hands on the photograph he had noticed earlier.

"We were inseparable. We did stuff together. Any passerby wouldn't be able to tell us apart because of how identical we look. But....but....."

Hard sobs escaped my lips that I had to take deep breaths in between.

"Despite us being twins, my life is that much of a major setback than that of his. Claude was loved. He got everything he deserves... as for me....."

"Joseph, you don't have to talk it out if you can't..."

"No, Aesop. I have to..." I said, taking another huge breath.

"I wasn't loved. I received all the beatings. There was this one time that I got beat up so bad that I was unable to move.... but Claude.....

He was there for me the whole time.... and exactly just like what you're doing right now, he took me out to the balcony for us to enjoy the view....."

I wanted to talk, but my heart couldn't take it no more.

I broke into big tears, my heart aching as everything came out of me.

It was when I noticed Aesop reaching for something inside his pockets.

"Here. Have this. An ice cream a day keeps the sadness away. And you know what, Joseph....."

I had my eyes at him as he placed the ice cream in my hands.

"You're a good hunter. No one can change my mind about that."