Unveiling

Run.

He remembered coaxing himself to keep running, his muscles already protesting with the effort.

Each stride was already a strain and if he continued, he was looking forward to suffering the extreme pain for it the next day.

But he was not in the position to take a rest.

If he would, the police would be able to catch up to him. He can't take that risk.

The sirens wailed loudly in the distance.

Clutching the necklace in his hands, Yvann pushed himself further.

Fighting fire with fire, he knew he was burning his muscles with the nonstop running.

"Just a little more," he convinced himself.

On the other end of where he was, he could see the silhouette of his car.

Reaching the safety of his vehicle, he locked himself inside and revved the engine to life.

When he was far enough, he hit the brakes and collapsed on the steering wheel.

After regaining his breathing, he leaned against the driver's seat and held the necklace which he picked up on the way of him trying to escape.

Someone must have dropped it.

Either way, it somehow called out to him.

It looked antique, with its chain resembling that of a faded gold-like color. The pendant was more interesting, though. It was shaped like a creature with the entire structure of a werewolf.

Its body was armored, and it held a sword with a gold emblem on one of its claws, crossing its chest together with the other one.

It looked like a sleeping tiger, but with its eyes open, revealing the irises' colors. They were that of the ocean.

Against the shining moon outside, the eyes of the werewolf twinkled like it was alive.

Yvann found it strange.

Nevertheless, he kept the necklace. It was a reminder for that strange night.

It was strange that he couldn't quite put the words in his mouth to describe what he witnessed and how he even got there.

Reminiscing this part of his past, Yvann let his feet dangle in the cold water of the pool outside. A beer bottle accompanied him and he was enjoying his own company.

"So this is where you run off to."

Instantly noticing Szeina's voice, he looked up.

A black shawl was wrapped around her upper body. The bandage on her head catching his attention.

"You shouldn't be out here. Your body is still in need to recover."

Shaking her head, Szeina sat beside him, letting out a tiny yelp upon dipping her feet into the icy waters.

"Your father was trying to reach out to you, Yvann. His approach needed to be refined, though. But, I hope you see that he's trying."

Yvann scoffed.

"Did you come here to reprimand me about that?"

Szeina shook her head once more.

"I came here as a friend. You'll deny it, but I assure you, right now, all you want is someone to be there for you." Szeina paused. She turned to him and then went on.

"I can be that someone."

Catching Szeina's gaze, Yvann found himself staring at her longer than necessary.

She was supposed to be the broken girl, and he was supposed to be the one telling her to cheer up or assuring her.

He didn't expect this sudden turn of events and the reversal of their roles.

"I should be the one telling you that." He stated, voicing out what he had in mind.

Szeina chuckled.

"You've done more than enough. I'm forever indebted to you now. There's no way I can ever repay you for everything you've done and continuously doing."

"You don't have to repay me, Szeina. If I was in your shoes, wouldn't you do the same?"

Seeing his point and not wanting to argue, Szeina let the argument die in her lips.

"Can I ask you something?"

Yvann took a sip from the beer bottle, the after taste leaving him craving for more.

"Go ahead. We have the whole night ahead of us."

"What happened to your mother?"

Yvann took another swig from the beer bottle. He couldn't look at Szeina in the eye. Or else he might have ended up crying in front of her.

He had quite spilled his guts to her already. With her seeing him cry, Yvann just can't get his head around it.

His ego would be wounded.

"Things. She ended up dead, and I became motherless."

"I'm sorry about you losing her. I can understand how painful that must have been."

Slowly making waves with her feet, Szeina smiled to herself.

"I often wondered what it would be like if my biological parents showed up. Would I greet them warmly? Or would I be cold? Can I manage to forgive them for abandoning me? Or will I harbor hate towards them for good? Is it possible for me to live with them under the same roof? Or will I find it to be suffocating being around them at a close proximity?"

Yvann let his gaze linger on Szeina. She has a faraway look on her face.

It seemed that with her sharing with him about these things; she was losing herself in relishing the thoughts that run in her head.

"It must be weird for you to hear me have these questions." She glanced at Yvann. The latter managed to smile her way.

"I have met far worse people other than the weird ones."

"I am one of a kind. So, my weirdness is also one of a kind."

"I don't care about that. You're my friend. That's more important."

"And I'm lucky to be your friend, Yvann. Anyway, going back to what I'm pointing at, you are also lucky to have this family. Why don't you give Nizah a chance? She's not trying to replace your mother. Even if she did, your mother is irreplaceable. She can never be that same woman. But she can still be a mother to you, in her own way. You can relish in that thought or throw it away. The choice is up to you."

"Why do you sound so mature right now?" Yvann tried to joke. When Szeina didn't laugh, he let out a sigh.

"I'll think about what you said. There's no harm in trying, right?"