Found the Missing Piece, But She Drifted Further Away

Mia, Mia, please! Get control of yourself! I'm okay! Don't go insane!

The words felt like they were clawing at Alex's throat as he watched the rage in Mia's eyes burn hotter, making the air grow thick, suffocating him. His heart hammered in his chest, fear creeping in like cold tendrils. The night, once familiar and calming, had transformed into something suffocating and oppressive. Every second that passed felt like eternity as Alex struggled against his restraints, his mind reeling. The fear, the desperation—it was consuming him. Please, Mia, stop!

But Mia didn't hear him. Her eyes were wild, lost in the frenzy of anger, her hands gripping the sharp blade as she lunged at the man lying helpless on the ground. She slashed at him with a ferocity Alex had never seen before. Her movements were erratic, driven by a fury that seemed to have no end. The man, clutching his side, scrambled to his feet, his cries for help useless in the face of Mia's madness. The others around her cowered, terrified of what she might do next, but when Mia looked at them, her gaze was so cold, so commanding, that they scattered like frightened animals.

Alex, tied to a tree, was screaming her name. His voice cracked, raw with desperation, but she didn't turn. She didn't care. Where was she? Who was she now?

A flash of light pierced his mind, and suddenly, the world around him disappeared.

Flashback

Inside the church, the atmosphere was thick with sorrow. The scent of lilies hung in the air, mingling with the sorrowful whispers of mourners. Alex, only a boy at the time, stood frozen at the edge of the coffin, his eyes empty, his heart dead. His mother lay there, still, lifeless, her body now nothing but a shell.

His father, a man whose absence had been constant in the years leading up to this moment, stormed through the doors. His voice, sharp and demanding, echoed through the church. "No! She's my wife! I want to see her now!" The two men blocking his way didn't flinch. They were doing their job—keeping him out, just like the rest of the world had kept him away from his family.

Alex's father, his face twisted in a mixture of rage and desperation, struggled against them. He was late, too late to fix anything. Too late to be there when his wife had needed him most. Too late to save her.

Albert, standing quietly by his side, didn't speak. The tension in the air thickened as Alex, still just a boy, turned away from his father and walked slowly to the other side of the room. His small feet, moving so deliberately, echoed in the silence. His little sister, Nawe, wept quietly, but Alex showed no emotion. He didn't look at her, didn't comfort her. He didn't know how to.

His father, losing the battle to enter the church, stood frozen. His hands trembled as he reached toward his son. "Alex, please… I'm sorry. I didn't know she was sick. I never meant for this to happen."

But Alex didn't respond. His voice, when it came, was cold, almost cruel. "You didn't know? You didn't know?! You weren't there. You weren't here when we needed you. You didn't pick up the phone when she called. You didn't come when she was dying, and now you want to pretend like you cared?"

His father's face crumpled in regret. "I'm sorry, son. If I'd known—"

"If you'd known," Alex interrupted, his voice rising, "maybe she'd still be alive. Maybe… Maybe you could've saved her, but you didn't. You chose him, didn't you? You chose your friend over your own family."

Tears stung his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. His hands clenched into fists at his sides as he turned his back on the man who had once been his hero.

"Do you even know how I've been sleeping these past weeks, Dad? Do you know what it's like to stay up all night, taking care of her? Of her! And you weren't even here!"

Nawe, still crying, fell to her knees, her heart breaking at the words her brother was throwing at their father. But Alex didn't care anymore. His heart had already broken long ago.

"You should've come back. You should've been there," Alex said, his voice low but steady. "But you weren't. And now… now you're just another stranger to me."

With a final glance at his father, Alex turned away, his back straight, his resolve unwavering.

"Take your leave. I've had enough."

Albert, silent, stepped in to take his father's arm, leading him away. But before they left, Alex had one last thing to say.

"Albert, make sure he leaves with you. Don't let him come back. He doesn't belong here anymore."

The door of the church slammed shut behind them, and Alex was left alone, standing in the quiet, surrounded by a sea of mourners who whispered their pity, but offered no comfort. His mother's coffin, once a symbol of love and care, was now just a reminder of all that had been lost.

As the days passed, the strict military school his relatives had sent him to felt more like a prison. He didn't show emotion. He didn't care. His mind was numb. There was nothing left to feel.

The heavy, suffocating air pressed down on Young Alex as he passed the rows of soldiers, their eyes trained on him, their expressions cold and impassive. He felt nothing. He didn't react, didn't show the slightest sign of fear or anger. The military academy loomed ahead, an unforgiving place that felt more like a prison than a school. His face was a mask—blank, empty, like he was already dead inside.

Nawe's voice broke through the haze of his thoughts. He turned, catching a glimpse of her through the car window, her small face pressed against the glass, tears streaking down her cheeks. Her voice cracked as she called out to him, "Big brother! Big brother, please!"

He stopped for a moment, just long enough to glance back at her, but his heart felt like it had turned to stone. She was right to cry. She deserved so much better than this—better than him. He couldn't protect her. He couldn't save her. You'll be better off without me, he thought bitterly, his voice quiet and hollow in his mind. I'm already dead.

He turned his gaze to the sky, a deep, lifeless sigh escaping his lips as he whispered, "I'm dead already…"

Adult Alex, invisible to his younger self, stood silently behind him, an emotional distance between them that was impossible to bridge. He couldn't speak, couldn't intervene. He had no control over the past.

The sound of footsteps interrupted the heavy silence, a voice calling from the distance. "Hey, boy! Over here!"

Young Alex halted. His shoulders tensed for a moment, then relaxed as he turned toward the sound. Without hesitation, he began walking, his steps deliberate, his mind as vacant as ever. He knocked on the door to the office and entered.

"Come in," a voice from inside responded flatly.

A man stood, nodding curtly as he greeted him. "Thanks for bringing him. He's here."

A woman looked up from behind a desk, raising an eyebrow. "Who?"

"Alex Washer. The one they told you about."

The woman nodded. "Alright, I'll take it from here. Go back to your work."

As the man left, Young Alex's gaze drifted, his focus narrowing on the open window that led out into the garden. He saw her. The girl woman standing alone in the distance. Her back was to him, but even from here, he could feel something unsettling about her.

He stepped outside, his footsteps slow, like he was wading through deep water. His movements felt mechanical, disconnected from any real emotion. But then, as he neared her, a voice shattered the silence—a voice trembling with fear and desperation.

"I have to save Mama... I have to save Mama…"

Both Young Alex and Adult Alex froze at the sound. The woman turned, and for a split second, both versions of Alex—past and present—caught sight of her face. Her eyes were wide, terrified, and covered in blood. Her clothes were soaked in it, and her hair hung limply in front of her face, a wild, frantic mess.

The girl's eyes locked onto Alex, and for a moment, time itself seemed to stop. "You hurt my Mama," she hissed, her voice filled with raw, uncontrolled rage. "I'll kill you."

The air turned thick with tension as she took a few steps toward him, her body shaking with fury. In a blur of motion, she suddenly lunged at him, but Alex reacted faster, his hand snapping out to deliver a sharp slap to her face.

The sound of skin meeting skin echoed through the garden, sharp and cruel. The girl blinked, stunned, her body jerking back in shock. Her eyes filled with confusion, and she raised a hand to her cheek, where the slap had landed.

Alex's face was unreadable as he stared at her, the cold expression on his face unshifting. "Are you back to your senses now?" he asked, his voice strangely calm, as if nothing had happened, as if he hadn't just struck her.

She shook her head, tears brimming in her eyes. She refused to answer.

"Why are you slapping me?!" she screamed, her voice desperate, filled with confusion and hurt. She rushed to the bloodied woman's side, throwing her arms around her as if to protect her from the very person who had just hit her.

"You .." Mia's voice trembled with a mix of anger and disbelief, her eyes wide as she stared at Alex. Thank you.

Alex, still standing tall and unmoving, turned to face her. His lips curled into a small, sad smile, as if he knew the weight of the situation better than she did. "You're welcome," he said softly, his voice almost empty, yet filled with a strange warmth. His eyes softened as he took a step toward her, and for a moment, the tension between them seemed to dissolve, replaced by something more vulnerable. "But please," she added quietly, the smile flickering for just a moment, "slap me again if I ever do something like that again."

There was a sadness in her words, an ache in her chest he couldn't hide. She gesture was almost childish, as though she was trying to make light of the gravity of what had just happened, but there was no hiding the pain in her eyes. She was desperate for him to understand, desperate to show that she had never meant to hurt anyone—yet knowing all too well that his actions spoke louder than any words ever could.

Back to present.

Alex's heart skipped a beat as he recognized her. His body went stiff. His breath caught in his throat.

This is Mia.

The little girl he had met years ago. The one who had made him want to live again. The girl whose presence had pulled him out of the darkest corners of his mind.

"Mia…" he whispered, the weight of the realization crashing over him like a wave.

Alex stood in front of Mia now, his mind racing with the memories of his past, his heart aching for the little girl who had once pulled him back from the edge. The girl who had been a light in his dark world. The girl who had made him want to live again.

"Mia," he whispered, stepping forward.

But Mia, lost in her rage, didn't seem to recognize him. She was on a destructive path, her fury blinding her to everything else.

"Please stop, Mia!" Alex shouted, his voice shaking. He reached out to her, stepping between her and the man she had been attacking. In that moment, the wind seemed to freeze, and the world held its breath.

He slapped her—hard. The sound echoed in the night.

Mia's eyes flashed with surprise, confusion, but also something deeper. Hurt? Shame? Alex didn't know. He didn't care. He needed her to stop. For her own sake.

Jake, Nicky, and James arrived, but all they saw was Alex's violent actions, not the pain or the turmoil behind them.

"Mia… are you okay?" Alex whispered, his hands shaking as he reached out to her.

Mia only sat there, her eyes vacant, her mind somewhere far away. The others stood, unsure, caught in the silence that had fallen.

Alex's heart was breaking. He had found her again, but it wasn't the reunion he had hoped for.

"Mia…" he whispered again, more desperately this time. "Please… talk to me."

But Mia didn't answer. Her eyes flickered, but her lips remained silent, her mind still lost in the whirlwind of her anger.

"Alex!" Jake shouted, his voice cracking with anger. Without hesitation, he kicked Alex hard in the side. The force of the blow was enough to make anyone flinch, but Alex didn't move. His body was stiff, his focus unwavering as his eyes locked on Mia, who was still sitting on the ground, her face a mask of confusion and pain.

"Mia… are you okay?" Alex's voice was strained, his heart pounding in his chest. He couldn't look away from her, his concern for her overshadowing everything else.

Jake yanked Alex to his feet, his hands gripping him with an almost violent force. "Why did you hurt her?" he demanded, his voice rough and filled with fury. His anger was like a storm, swirling around them, and he raised his fist, ready to strike again.

But Alex didn't flinch. He stood motionless, eyes still fixed on Mia, as if nothing else in the world mattered. His body was tense, like a coiled spring, but his expression was full of something far deeper than rage—desperation, concern, guilt.

Mia, her head hung low, slowly raised her hand to her cheek where the slap had landed, her fingers brushing against her skin. She didn't say a word. The night around them seemed to grow heavier, the silence swallowing the space between them. Everyone else stood there, frozen, unsure of what to do. They watched the scene unfold, trying to make sense of the tension in the air, but none of them knew what had led to this moment.

Alex's heart raced as the silence stretched on, thick and suffocating. Every second felt like an eternity.

Finally, Mia spoke, her voice barely more than a whisper. "How did you know, Alex?"

Her words cut through the stillness, and Alex's chest tightened. He felt the weight of the question like a punch to the gut. His gaze softened, a wave of emotion crashing over him. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words were caught in his throat. How could he explain? How could he tell her that, despite everything, he had never forgotten her?

Instead, he simply whispered, I never forgot you, Mia, "I never wanted to leave you back the, Mia." I done no choice!!

His voice was filled with pain as he stood there, his body trembling, tears streaming down his face.

But Mia, her expression hardening, stepped back further, her grip on Jake tightening. "You should have never come back," she whispered, her voice barely audible, yet laced with pain. "You can't fix anything past is past."

I didn't forget, Mia. I never did."

Alex's voice broke through the air, a raw whisper that trembled with pain, but the words were heavy with something more—a promise, a memory, a weight he could no longer carry in silence. His body was sprawled on the cold ground, his arms trembling as if the weight of the past had dragged him down. He didn't move, not even when Mia glanced back for the briefest moment, her figure shrinking in the distance. He had never forgotten her, but in this moment, it felt as if everything had slipped from his grasp.

Mia, holding Jake's hand, didn't stop. She didn't look back. Every step she took seemed to echo in Alex's chest, pulling at the fragments of memories they once shared. His heart was hammering in his ribs, his eyes burning from unshed tears, but he could do nothing. He had no strength to follow her, no strength to scream out her name.

Nick and James stood off to the side, their eyes on Alex. They didn't know what to say, didn't know how to fix the pain that was spilling from him. They watched as Alex's fists clenched into the dirt, his nails digging in as if he were trying to hold onto something, anything, to keep him grounded in the chaos.

Mia, her face set with determination, turned back to look at Alex one last time. "I'll get my mama. Without your help," she said, her voice sharp, cold.

She let go of Jake's hand. Slowly, deliberately. As if every step she took away from him was an answer to a question Alex had been too afraid to ask. It was the final break.

Her words, though simple, hit Alex like a physical blow. They sent a sharp pain through his chest, tightening around his heart. He couldn't look away.

Mia continued walking, her head held high, but her shoulders were slumped with a weight he couldn't see. She didn't turn back. She didn't need to.

Alex's voice trembled as he whispered to himself. "Mia…"

He knew. He knew that she was slipping away, just as she had done before. And no matter how hard he tried, no matter how much he had fought for her in the past, she was still walking farther from him, farther than he could ever catch up.

The world around him seemed to close in. He couldn't breathe. The ground beneath him felt like it was pulling him into an abyss, deeper, darker.

And then, in the space between his shattered breaths, the truth hit him harder than anything before.

Mia wasn't coming back. Not this time.

His hands clenched tighter, his eyes locked onto the retreating figure, but his body refused to move. Alex could feel the anger, the pain, the helplessness build in him like a storm.

He was powerless.

And that feeling, more than anything, was what broke him.