SLOANE HAYNE

I'm currently inside the national book store to buy the psychology book that I want to give to Lorelei for her upcoming birthday. The air conditioner inside is too cold that I can almost see my cold breath.

Almost a month had passed since I and Rheign talked to each other. I spend those days and weeks pondering with the circumstances we experienced. It wasn't easy, I'm telling you. Every single day feels like hell, it's suffocating.

Sometimes, I would find myself crying inside my room while reminiscing everything. The deaths of my classmates leave a big impact on my life. We may not have lots of good and beautiful memories together, Amber and I may have started on the wrong foot, but I treasure them, specially him.

I was pulled out my trance when I felt the phone inside the pocket of my jeans vibrated. I fish it out and saw Lorelei's name on the screen.

My forehead creased. I relinquish the book I was examining and open the message that my best friend set.

"Alexandria and Pierce are already awake!"

I feel like my heart misses a beat when I read the message. For fleeting moments, I just stared at the empty air in front of me with a blank, dazed look.

I don't exactly know what to feel. I'm really glad with the news, but I'm quite scared with the things that I'm going to know. Despite the information that Lorelei disclosed with us regarding their past, some things are not making any sense still.

There are still lot of questions. What is Aeron's connection with Astreia? Summer and Asther's reason for their revenge is now cleared for me. Aeron's purpose, however, is still a mystery to me... to us.

Luther also told me that Claire's body was found alongside Alexandria's the night when our lives almost ended. I am also confused with that. What is Claire's reason for affiliating herself with them?

I heaved out a heavy sigh and went of the book store. When I stepped outside the mall, I saw the beautiful sky over the horizon. Dappled sun shone through the trees, creating mysterious shadows. The afternoon sun bathed the buildings in its warm light. Tiny specks of dust seemed to dance in the shaft of afternoon sunlight that slanted through the window.

I looked at my watch and saw that it's almost four in the afternoon. I waited patiently for a cab and thankfully, a taxi stops in front of me

"Lorenzo Hospital," I told the driver.

The drive lasted for almost twenty minutes since the hospital where Pierce and Alexandria are admitted is just few kilometers away from the mall. After paying the driver, I immediately went inside the building.

The painful shriek of a woman greeted me when I walk through the hallway. Some nurses are trying to calm her down, but she continue weeping. They have no choice but to inject her a tranquilizer.

I averted my gaze from the mournful scenario and continue walking. The grip on the paper bag I'm holding tightened when I stopped in front of a door.

I knocked on the door, and to my surprise, Lorelei's face greeted me. Her blood-shot eyes can attest that she just recovered from crying.

"Lauren," she called my name in a barely audible voice.

I breathed deep and pulled her outside because I saw some unfamiliar faces inside the room looking at us... to me specifically. I don't want to cause any commotion. I enclose Lorelei in a warm embrace. She cried in my shoulders and I just keep on caressing her back while whispering that "it's going to be alright."

After some few moments and when she finally calmed down, we decided to enter the room.

I bow to the two people sitting beside Pierce's bed. "G-Good afternoon."

There's a few moments of silence between us, and it's honestly making my skin crawl.

The woman smiled at me all of the sudden despite the obvious sadness in her tear streaked eyes. She stood up and walked towards me.

"Perhaps you're one of my son's classmate?" she asked.

So they are Pierce's parents. That explains the similar features between them. Pierce probably gets his eyes on his mother, and the rest of his face on his father. Him and the latter looks almost exactly the same.

I nod my head sheepishly. "Yes, Mrs. I'm L-Lauren, by the way."

She pats my shoulder. "Just call me auntie Florence, Lauren. So I guess we need to give y'all a time to talk-" she turned her attention to his husband. "Leo, let's go outside."

Pierce's father nod at me before following his wife.

The tensed atmosphere inside Pierce's room was making my skin crawl. He is just lying on the hospital bed with dazed look on his face. Lorelei is just behind me, both of us are just watching him.

Among the four of us who survived that tragedy, except for Lucas who I think was not really part of the killers' plan, Pierce suffered the most. He witness the deaths of his friends.

He might have seen all their worst sides, their extremities and the demons inside them, but that doesn't change the fact that they are his friends, he treasures them, and watching them being killed is a taste of hell.

I really think that Pierce's survival is a pure luck. If detective Davien, Luther and the other police hadn't immediately find us that night, we would be dead as a meat right now.

I heaved out a sigh and sit on the chair beside his bed. "H-How are you, Pierce?'

He slowly turned his attention to me and smiled subtly, the few cuts and bruises on his lips probably made it hard for him to smile widely. "My limbs are still aching, but I'm doing good... physically, that is."

Something seems to clench my heart when I heard the immense pain on his voice.

He let out an awkward laugh. "But the emotional torture? I don't I will ever recover from that. I witness my friends being killed in front of me, Lauren, and the painful feeling is unexplainable. Maybe I will get over with this someday, but I am pretty sure that that day will be late."

I look at Pierce with pity. He is just staring at the ceiling while saying those words. He is forcing himself to smile, but the tears brimming on his eyes betrayed him in hiding his emotions.

I sighed heavily. "I perfectly understand you, Pierce. Believe me, I have been in that almost exact same situation. Really, there are certain times that whenever you feel like you're already healed from the damage of the past, the wounds will reopen and all the pain will come back. And that's fine."

He looks at me. I smiled at him.

"Healing is not an overnight process anyway. It's alright to be an emotional wreck and cry. You don't need to pressure yourself. Take one step at a time and don't be discouraged. Soon enough, you'll just find yourself smiling while remembering all your torment and struggles. Beautiful tomorrows will always come."

While I'm saying those words, I feel like I'm also telling it to myself.

There is a long moment of silence between us. However, this time, it's some sort of a comforting silence. He pondered with his thoughts.

He stared at me for seconds, and his lips eventually curved into a smile... a genuine one. "I guess you're right. I will heal when I'm ready. I just have to find the courage to do so."

"Our wounds are often the opening for the most beautiful parts of our lives," Lorelei said our of the blue.

We turned at her and smile. I guess my questions will remain unanswered for now. I can't pressure Pierce considering his current situation. He will for sure break down if I mentioned something that can trigger his emotions.

The three of us talked for quite a time before I decided to went out of his room. Lorelei decided to stay.

My hands are shaking while I'm walking towards Alexandria's room. I feel so cold and nervous.

I heaved out a sigh before knocking on the door of her room. An unfamiliar face of a man greeted me.

I cleared my throat. "Uh, is Alexandria inside? I heard she is already awake."

He eyed me suspiciously, his emotionless eyes boring on me. Him and Alex are the exact opposite of each other. The latter is a jovial person.

I smiled awkwardly. "I'm Lauren, one of Alexandria's classmates. I just want to ask if she's okay."

He stared at me for a couple of seconds before opening the door wider.

I entered the room and saw Alex staring at nothingness while lying on the bed. She seemed to notice my presence and turned her attention on me.

"I'll go out for a while, Alex," the man said.

"Alright, bro," Alex answered.

So that's her brother. The door behind us closes.

She smiled. "Lauren."

I return her smile and sat on the chair beside her table. "Hey. How are you?"

I want to smack myself for asking a stupid question. Of course she is not okay!

She sighed heavily. "I'm doing good. How about you?"

"I'm fine. Lorelei and I actually only got minor injuries so we only stayed on the hospital for a couple of days. Is it you who we're worried about," I asked with a concern tone.

I and Alex are not friends. Just like what I said before, Lorelei is the only person that I considered as my friend. However, I'm not ruthless to not sympathize with my classmate's loss.

Tears suddenly brim her eyes. "The physical pain that I felt that night is nothing compared to the emotional torture of losing my greatest friends because of a simple misunderstanding. "

My brows snapped together. What does she mean? I wanted to ask questions but I chose to keep myself shut and let her speak instead.

"Claire sided with the killers because she thought Sam and I betrayed her."

My eyes widened. Another story of betrayal....

"It all started with the person who came in Claire's life disguised as a beautiful rainbow, Clark Sullivan."

The confusion stirring inside me grows . That name is unfamiliar to me.

"He's our school mate when we were in junior high school. He was Claire's first love... no, he was my friend's first in everything. Samantha and I witnessed how Claire admire that bastard from afar. We saw how the prologue of their story began. Everything was doing just fine- not until we discovered his secret. That man was a fucking sexual predator- and he almost had Claire as his next victim."

I pursed my lips, unable to say anything. So Claire was almost became a victim of sexual assualt? Damn it.

"Claire was head over heels for that bastard, and telling her that his boyfriend was just toying with her feelings without any consummate evidence would just ruin everything."

I nod my head, agreeing with her.

"Samantha tried to get close to him, with the sole purpose of finding any evidences that would support our allegations. Unfortunately, it seems like Claire mistook her actions-" she looked at me smiled bitterly. "she thought Samantha was flirting with that demon incarnate."

A hand seems to clench my heart. Another story of misunderstanding that leads to the fatal death of everyone.

"Her grades started dropping when Clark broke up with her because we threatened him that we would taint his name. That causes Claire to failed because she couldn't focus on my studies anymore."

She breathed deep before continuing. "Her miseries didn't end up on that. Her parents started disowning her, they always reminded her how much of a disappointment she was. Everything in her life turned up side down because of what his boyfriend did. And because she didn't know the truth, her anger and frustration was baling on us. She kept all those pain for several years. Sam and I didn't even have the idea that she was blaming us."

She breathed heavily. "It's just unfortunate that she didn't get the chance to know the truth and we failed to let her know the truth. She was blinded by her emotions, and that leads to her downfall."

Few moments of silence rose between the two of us.

I swallowed a lump. "I'm sorry, I'm lost for words. I honestly don't know what to say to lessen your pain. But I hope you're not blaming yourself for what happened."

She chuckled. "Don't sweat it. I am telling you all of these because I'm aware that you have lot of questions too."

My cheeks heat up in embarrassment.

"And, I'm not blaming myself. I know I have a fair share of my mistakes as Claire's friend, but I also know that she has her own mind that can decide... she has her own decisions. It was her choice to wallow in despair and anger."

I smiled genuinely. "That's good to hear."

We talked for a bit before I decided to exit her room because her brother is also there. I went back to Pierce's room and tell them that I will go first.

I heaved out a sigh when I stepped out of the hospital. The blue sky was dotted with fluffy white clouds that drifted lazily in the gentle breeze. The roads shimmered in the heat of the midday sun. The sunlit skyscrapers pierced the hot, blue sky.

I hope that someday, everything will be alright.

•••••

After several weeks, Pierce and Alexandria was discharged from the hospital in accordance to the doctor's words. I'm glad that they are okay now.

I and Pierce actually had a conversation just last week. He disclosed what exactly happened that night, including Aeron's connection with Astreia.

It appears that he was Astreia's boyfriend. I was shook to the core when I learned about that. I really didn't expect that Aeron would resort to such things to avenge her love ones. However, we can't blame him though. Love is indeed a powerful force me that would turn everyone's world upside down.

I was cleaning my room when my mother called me from downstairs. I went out of my room.

"Someone sent you this," my mother said while handing me a box.

My forehead creased. Whose box is this?

I get it from her and go back to my room. I heaved out a deep and heavy sigh before opening the box-that appears to be from Pierce.

"Please treasures these letters the way the person who wrote these treasures you"

-Pierce Ycrio.

My brows snapped together. What the hell?

I slowly untie the ribbon and pull out the papers out of the box.

I pick one up and read it silently.

𝗕𝗟𝗢𝗦𝗦𝗢𝗠 𝗟𝗜𝗞𝗘 𝗔 𝗙𝗟𝗢𝗪𝗘𝗥

:: 𝚊 𝚐𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚛'𝚜 𝚞𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎

You are the epitome of the little miracles of this world with your profound beauty and fragrance. You whisper seraphic breath of heaven in blended tints, angels had written your grace in Viminal hill bare with pine trees.

Borrowed from rainbows and the sunset, you bespeak the warmth of the sun that bestowed my life sublime hue. The rain drizzled upon your leaves, and you bloom splendidly into a vivacious flower. You stand in saccharine serenity, a part of nirvana's tapestry.

𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝘂𝘁𝘀𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿::

Let me shelter you from the wind and cold. I'll grow picket for you to lean on. I will crawl along a begrimed channel adorned only with tears, for I know you deserve all the honor and affection. You'll be my utmost valuable treasure. I'll let you flutter and dance along with the breeze, and paint your fascinating figure.

Don't bother hiding your painful thorns, because I'm willing to bleed just to hold you.

𝐘𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐥𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐲𝐦𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠

𝐀 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐬,

𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐩𝐭𝐮𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐬

You are, indeed, the every flower that this gardener needs and adore, Lauren.

I clasped my hand against my mouth as tears also brimmed my eyes. The overwhelming emotions inside me intensified when I read the name of the person who wrote this beautiful poem- Sloane Hayne Laxon.

I open another one.

I was blinded by the unfathomable darkness within me

But my eyes will never forget how cosmically enthralling you are

I became deaf by the howling clamor of my cataclysmic monster

But my ears will never forget how your voice soothes my wrathful soul

My lips were sealed by my grim emotions

But my heart will never be hush to speak how much I love you

Damn. I never knew that Sloane has his poetic side.

I breathed deep and gather all those letters. I don't think my heart could handle the emotions coming from those poems anymore.

I hug the box with tears cascading from my eyes. I miss him.