CHAPTER 49 : FALL

Nur stood silently in front of the freshly buried grave, Hazim's name engraved on the tall tombstone. His grave was beside Farah's. Nur's face was blank, while Ali, Khairul, Nasuha, Ehsan, and Kyoko also stood nearby.Ali recited a prayer, and the others raised their hands, except for Kyoko. Nur poured water over Hazim's grave, and Khairul scattered flowers and pandan leaves. Khalid, along with Mikael and Mei, approached them."If I had known what happened, I wouldn't have thought twice about helping you," Ali said to Khalid."Didn't expect things to turn out like this. Our mistake for underestimating the enemy..." Khalid replied."So now what? Do I join your superhero group? My parents don't even know what happened to my brother... or to me... We just disappeared..." Nur asked, her voice hoarse as she thought about her parents and her brother's fate."We're not going to force you. You can make your own choice. If you want to live as a regular human again, we can help. But you can use your powers to make sure what happened to your brother doesn't happen to anyone else," Khalid offered. Nur turned to him with an angry expression."Don't use my brother's death as some cheap example! I hate it," Nur said, and Khalid fell silent."We want to help you... Believe me. Whatever you need, we'll try to help," Mei added. Nur turned her gaze back to her brother's grave."Where would I even go back to?" Nur asked."Come back with me, Nur... Khairul is staying with me now too. It won't be a problem, right, Dad?" Nasuha invited, extending her hand toward Nur with a smile. Ehsan nodded in agreement."You need time," Khalid added.Khairul watched everything happening, unable to say anything."Don't blame yourself." Mikael patted Khairul on the shoulder, and the two looked at each other."I'm trying."A few days had passed since the battle, and Khalid didn't want HOPE to conduct any activities for now. The Special Force was entirely focused on searching for them.I'm living with Nasuha now, and so is Nur, but she's locked herself in her room. She only comes out for meals.I don't know how to talk to Nur.And I can't shake the feeling that I'm responsible for Hazim's death...Khairul was washing the dishes when Nasuha approached him, placing an empty but dirty pot on the counter. She grabbed another brush nearby and started cleaning the pot alongside Khairul."I could've cleaned that one too.""It's okay. I wanted to talk to you, so I'm using this as an excuse," Nasuha replied with a small smile. Khairul looked back at the plate in his hands."It seems like my dad likes you a bit now. Maybe because he sees how helpful you've been around the house..." Nasuha said."I have to make him like me. I'm living in his house, after all." Khairul smiled faintly, and Nasuha let out a small laugh."My dad's changed... Just a little bit, but hey, better than nothing, right? Maybe he saw what I could do, and his fear lessened a bit.""To be honest... I'm scared of your powers too.""Right? I didn't expect I could do that either. Letting out a Star Beam like that..." Nasuha sighed, rinsing the pot."I didn't say it to you that day, but... I'm really thankful," Khairul said. Nasuha rested her head against Khairul's side."Don't say you want to die again. Promise me," Nasuha replied, and they both looked at each other."Promise." Khairul lifted his pinky finger, and Nasuha linked her pinky with his, moving it up and down."Good." Nasuha smiled again, and they released each other's fingers. Nasuha placed the washed pot in the clean section of the sink.Ehsan was in his room, typing on his laptop. He paused for a moment and leaned back in his chair. He then picked up his phone and became intrigued by an article about what had happened recently.The article included a picture of the massive blackened crater created by Nasuha's Star Beam. Ehsan let out a long sigh.Nur emerged from her room, her hair messy and disheveled, her face weary. She descended the stairs and walked to the living room, heading toward the kitchen, where Khairul was in front of the television, watching Ms. Star cartoons.Mantis was glaring at Ms. Star with a sharp gaze, and Khairul rested his head on his hand, focusing more on the show."My existence only brings pain. You shouldn't reach out to someone like me, Star. You'll only end up bleeding," Mantis told Ms. Star. Khairul's expression turned somber as he listened to Mantis' words. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed behind Khairul."N-Nur?" Khairul turned around, surprised to see Nur, and quickly rushed to her side."Are you hungry? Nasuha cooked chicken rice; I'll help serve it in a moment.""I can serve myself..." Nur replied, not looking at Khairul, her expression shifting to anger. Khairul fell silent immediately."Ugh... Don't talk to me." Nur sighed as she walked toward the kitchen. Khairul watched her go, his expression turning sorrowful.What should I do? I don't understand..."It seems nothing interesting is going to happen for a few days. HOPE doesn't want to do anything... Ali isn't moving either... The other mutants are too scared to come out because of the Special Force. Can you do something to make them act again, Syakir... Lilly?" Sui'ra requested, but Syakir merely shot her a glance."We've lost to HOPE twice. We won't start anything in the near future, Sui'ra," Lilly replied."So why are you here to see me? Don't you feel like chatting?" Sui'ra questioned."White Tigers... Where are they now? I want to join them," Syakir asked, prompting Sui'ra to smile widely, propping her head on her hand."Uh-huh? Interesting... You want to join the White Tigers? I thought you wanted to be free without any control, Syakir," Sui'ra replied."I can't win against HOPE... If I want to defeat them, I need mutants who share the same desire. I won't work under them; I just want to cooperate," Syakir explained."Why do you... want to defeat HOPE so badly? What are you trying to prove?" Sui'ra asked again, but Syakir only grew angrier."Why should an alien like you care about what I want? If you're not going to tell me... don't waste my time." Syakir turned his back on Sui'ra, ready to leave."Woah-woah. I'm asking just because I want to understand you, Syakir. I'll help you meet the White Tigers... Joining them will definitely give you a chance to take down HOPE, especially since the more mutants fight and war among themselves, the more I like it," Sui'ra coaxed, and Syakir turned back to face her."The White Tigers... they are currently operating in—"I thought I understood everything about myself.Now I feel like I'm returning to my old self...I don't understand anything... I don't know how to act... What should I do?"Save me... Nasuha..."Why am I asking Nasuha to save me? What do I actually want at that moment? I'm going crazy trying to understand everything...Khairul clenched his fist, a blade emerging from his right arm. His index finger touched the tip of the blade as he stared at it while alone in the bathroom.Khairul's monstrous form, where blades grew from his back and both sides of his mouth, transformed the blade, his eyes reflecting a predatory glint. He looked at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, his hair wet, the scars on his face just remnants of what he had before becoming a mutant.I became just like Mantis when I fought the Stray Farah after she almost killed Nasuha, and again after my father killed Hazim...I don't know what happened, but my body felt lighter, the pain barely noticeable, and I healed almost as quickly as that old man. Why am I so similar to him?I feel disgusted with myself when I think about how much I resemble my father...Khairul lay on the sofa, the living room darkening, his arms covering his eyes. Memories of his time with Hazim played in his head, and tears welled up in Khairul's eyes, flowing down soon after.Even after all this is over... I'm still defeated.I failed to protect others, my first friend. Now I'm the reason why a sister lost her brother, why a parents lost their son...Why do others who are more deserving of life die while I always survive?"Khai..." Nasuha suddenly appeared, sitting beside Khairul and wiping away his tears."N-Nasuha." Khairul was startled, and Nasuha smiled softly."Just cry... I know you've been holding back your feelings for a long time," Nasuha said, and more tears streamed down Khairul's face as she stroked his head."Nasuha... I... can't forgive myself. You're hurt... Hazim is dead... Everyone is badly injured because of me..." Khairul lamented, and Nasuha's expression turned sad."What are you saying? Your father and those two mutants are the bad ones. They forced me to hurt Kyoko and Chyou. I understand you feel responsible. But you're not at fault, and neither am I. I couldn't control myself back then. You couldn't control what your father did..." Nasuha comforted him, but Khairul wiped his tears, which wouldn't stop flowing."If you can't forgive yourself, I will forgive you. Accept all the suffering and burdens you carry, and bring them along," Nasuha added, gently hugging Khairul."W-What are you saying? I don't understand..." Khairul replied."Don't... suffer alone. Share with me all your feelings... Your joy, sadness, anger, vengeance, and pain. Let's save each other; that's what I want, Khai." Nasuha said, touching both of Khairul's cheeks."I... I don't deserve you...""I don't care. I want you."They looked at each other for a long moment, their eyes meeting. Khairul slowly pushed Nasuha's hands away from his cheeks.We've faced so much together. We've changed. But only one incident brought us back to zero, to where we started...How many times will we fall and rise again?Khairul fell asleep, and Nasuha covered him with a blanket before standing up quietly. She walked away and went upstairs.This time, I'll protect Khairul.He's always the one protecting me, saving me. If only I were stronger, Khairul wouldn't have gotten hurt like he did, and I wouldn't have fallen into enemy hands...Stronger. I need to become stronger...What I can do is still not enough...Nasuha knocked on Mei's room window several times. She moved to the window and opened the curtain, seeing Nasuha flying and looking at her with glowing eyes."Kar! Kar! Kar!" A few Strays were chasing Nasuha, who flew through narrow alleys. One Stray came from above, and Nasuha unleashed a burst, pushing it aside, but it collided with the wall."Buorrghhh!" A buffalo-like Stray charged toward Nasuha, and she grabbed its horns, flying with the creature. Nasuha twisted her body and slammed the Stray to the ground, crushing its skull.Mei, who was guarding Nasuha's Mind Dimension, watched her train.Faster...Stronger!"Kaaarrghhhh!" Zaki, in his monstrous form, almost pounced on Nasuha, but she dodged and immediately released a Star Slash that sliced through his right hand.I can't keep being the one that was protected!Mei sipped from a glass filled with cold water and ice while Nasuha sat across from her. Their training session had just ended."Why didn't you invite Khairul to train with us?" Mei asked."He... He's still hurt. Every night, he cries alone, eats very little, and looks miserable. Khairul was strong when I was weak; I have to be strong when he's weak..." Nasuha replied, gazing at Mei with determination."Alright, I understand. We all need time... After fighting the White Tigers and Khairul's father and his group, it's clear we need to become even stronger... Master our mutant powers more," Mei said, placing the ice-cold cup on her forehead."Mei... What can I do to help Khairul? I want to save him. I don't want him to keep feeling what he's feeling now," Nasuha sighed, and Mei lowered her cup."We can only guide him. The one who can save Khairul is himself. He needs to rise again; we're just a temporary support until he can become strong on his own. Like I said, he needs time. Just like you, don't rush to change everything right now... You need rest too," Mei advised with a smile, and Nasuha nodded in understanding.Mikael was sitting at his bedroom window, blowing cigarette smoke outside. The sky was illuminated by a full moon and stars, and from afar, a bright light could be seen flying.We won't lose again...Kyoko sat on her balcony, munching on potato chips. She could see the same bright light that Mikael noticed.I won't let us lose again...Nasuha entered her room through the window, landing in the middle of her space."Fuwah~" Nasuha yawned, then laid down on her bed. The chair at her study desk spun around, and the light turned on."Where have you been, huh?" Ehsan asked, and Nasuha's eyes widened."D-Dah?" She quickly sat up from her bed, and Ehsan sighed deeply."I'm going crazy trying to find you." Ehsan rubbed his face, and Nasuha looked at him in confusion."Why did you suddenly come into my room?""I wanted to make sure you were just sleeping... A lot of bad things have happened recently, and I was worried you wouldn't be able to sleep. Well, I haven't been able to sleep at all for two weeks," Ehsan complained with a bitter smile."If you're going to start talking about stopping what I want to do now... forget it," Nasuha said."I'm giving up trying to change your mind," Ehsan replied, and Nasuha fell silent for a moment."I'm just an ordinary human. No powers... no abilities like all of you. When I see what you can do, honestly, I'm relieved. You're strong, Nasuha," Ehsan continued, and Nasuha faced him fully."I've always doubted you. Too afraid, too hesitant, but this time I believe in you, Nasuha. You can do it. You can save many people, you can fight... I support you—" Before Ehsan could finish his sentence, Nasuha hugged him tightly."T-Thank you, Dad...I appreciated it. Thank you." Nasuha said, tightening her embrace, and Ehsan smiled, returning her hug."Keep fighting, my hero."