NYXIE: THE LONG LOST EMPRESS (COMPLETED)

Chapter 27

"Please forgive us for that, Aurelia." Hinging paumanhin sa akin ni kuya Hellion. I saw how his eyes sparkled with pain and sadness.

I know they're hurting right now. At hindi ko alam kung kailan matatapos ang labanang ito.

Ngumiti ako ng pilit. "It's alright," tipid na sagot ko.

Claude shook his head in frustration, while Kuya Blaze tried to calm himself. He gently bit his clenched fist out of anger.

"Let's all go home for now," bulalas ni Kuya Blaze. Tumingin s'ya sa akin. "And thank you for helping us out today, Aurelia."

"It's nothing, your highness," saad ko. "But what about the investigation?"

"We will continue tomorrow. And it's okay if you won't join us, since you already help us a lot," he exclaimed calmly. Pero halata pa rin sa mukha nito ang galit.

It's really frustrating when your friend changes without knowing the reason why they suddenly change, especially if that specific person became part of your life and comfort zone. People tend to say that the best thing to do is to let go, but it's not that easy. It takes time to let go of them.

"Alright," sagot ko. "But if you need my help, I will not hesitate to lend you a hand." 

Both of my brothers smile at me. At ngumiti lang din ako pabalik.

"Asshole! Damn it!" Claude cussed. Kaya naman ay napalingon kaming tatlo sa kaniya.

I pursed my lips when I saw him crying. I stiffened as I saw how his shoulders moved, a cue that he was weeping.

"Claude..." mahinang tawag dito ni kuya Hellion. Claude didn't lift his face and is just bowing his head. My brothers slowly walk towards him. Then Kuya Hellion patted Claude's shoulder to comfort him.

"How can we understand him if he's acting cold and won't even bother to tell us his reason? He is such a jerk! How come it's easy for him to cut ties with us when we grew up together?" iyak niya. "He is so unfair. I know that he is hurting, but how about us? He became selfish again, trying to keep his problem all to himself."

I looked away. I can't stand seeing Claude like this. Hindi ako sanay kasi sa mga panahon na magkasama kami, never ko s'yang nakitaan na pinanghihinaan ng loob. 

Napayuko nalang si kuya Hellion habang si kuya Blaze naman ay ikinuyom ang kamao. 

"You know what, Claude." Napatingin silang tatlo sa akin. "My master once said this to me. Friendship is not about who acts real to your face, it's about who stays and remains true behind your back. Aidan might not be with you when the three of you are fighting alone, but you will always have his back. You just have to trust and wait for him. Based on what he said earlier, I think he needs time for himself."

Mahirap mang tanggapin, but we need to trust him. I know deep inside he cares for his friends, and he didn't mean to say those hurtful words to them earlier. 

Kuya Blaze smiled sadly. "We know that, Aurelia. But how long do we need to wait? It's been a thousand years already. And he is not the one who's in pain when his lover died; we were hurt also, and until now we are hurting... because that woman is my sister." pumiyok ang boses niya nang sambitin ang salitang "sister.".

What if sabihin ko nalang sa kanila? Para hindi ko na sila masaktan pa ng husto. I was about to speak again when I heard my master's voice in my mind.

"I know what you're thinking, Nyxie. This isn't the perfect time for you to tell them the truth. Just wait for the perfect time." Every time I heard her voice, I felt a sudden chill in my spine. She's really scary.