Azriel Capoue - The secrets of Al

Chapter 13

As I gazed at the distant silhouette of my former home, a sense of melancholy washed over me. Itappeared forlorn, as though it too had succumbed to the weight of sadness. I contemplated whether Ineeded to approach it to truly make it feel like home, the home I once knew. Yet, the building itselfunnerved me. It exuded an eerie atmosphere, akin to a bungalow nestled within a graveyard, with dryleaves adorning its roof and unsightly vines clinging to nearly ninety percent of its walls. Even with youreyes were closed, you could distinguish our house from the neighboring ones by the palpable differencein aura. It was as if our house did not belong; a monochromatic anomaly in a modern, vibrantneighborhood.I let out a sigh, my footsteps eventually bringing me to the gate of our fence. Nature's grasp hadencroached upon the gate and the entire perimeter, entwining itself so tightly that the core structurewas scarcely visible. The creeper plants had wound themselves around the sturdy horizontal iron bars,one at the bottom and one at the top, while their withered, brown leaves concealed the mesh affixed tothe bars, forming the fence. Nevertheless, the fence's shape remained; a faint memory of what it oncewas tickled my mind.I stood there, scrutinizing the house for what felt like an eternity before summoning the courage toenter. A gnawing hesitation and anxiety had taken root within me. Memories of Azra, my father, mymother, and our family together flooded my mind. I tried to convince myself that I might find theminside, although I knew it to be an improbable fantasy. This was the source of my hesitation. Despite mygrieving, there was a part of me that clung to hope, refusing to accept the harsh reality of their deaths. Ittreated the news as if it were a mere nightmare, one from which I would eventually awaken. I cherishedthat fragment of optimism; it provided a glimmer of solace amid the desolation. However, standingbefore our home, about to enter, I sensed that my already fragile hope was about to shatter.The desolate appearance and aura of our house were all the confirmation I needed. Both parts of me,the one that grieved and the one that clung to hope, were acutely aware that stepping inside wouldeither extinguish the remnants of my hope or perhaps, against all odds, bring it to life. Unfortunately, theformer seemed more likely.I stood there, hesitant and torn.As I surveyed the neighborhood and then cast my gaze upward, I noticed that the clouds had significantlydarkened without my awareness. The sky was devoid of almost any white clouds at that moment.Streetlights had already illuminated the roads, and the lights in most of the houses, visible through theirwindows, had been switched on.When did it become so dark? – I queried.I sighed heavily afterwards.With my eyes tightly shut, I let out a deep sigh before exerting all my strength to push open the nearlystuck fence gate. It would have been much easier if my right leg worked properly and had the strength,as it was my dominant leg. I could have used it as a solid anchor while pushing the gate open. However,since it wasn't, I had to rely on my left arm for the push and support myself with the shillelagh in myright.Upon entering, I found myself in the disheveled, brown courtyard that had once been a beautiful greengarden, adorned with charming dwarf sunflowers and a thriving grass. Now, it lay covered in driedleaves, with the garden in disarray, broken flower pots, and withered plants strewn amidst the chaos.The once-pruned rose bushes had become tangled with thorny branches stretching out in all directions.It was disheartening to witness the transformation of what my mother had meticulously nurtured andcared for. She had dedicated a lot of effort to the garden, and now it was in shambles. I couldn't help butmutter an apology to her in my thoughts.Suddenly, a voice from behind startled me out of my reverie. Irritation welled up within me, and I was onthe verge of turning to confront the intruder, my face contorted in anger. Then I remembered I was noteven supposed to be seen by anyone."Who are you...?" the voice inquired, to which I felt an immediate sense of frustration. I was about toface the person, letting my angry gaze speak for itself, but then I needed to remain hidden."You are trespassing..." He mouthed."Shit!" I muttered under my breath, darting my eyes to the corners, attempting to see him withoutturning my head. My intention was to slip in and out unnoticed, without anyone realizing that I was backin town, back in my own house. Aunt Liz had warned me that there might be people looking for me,although I had no concrete evidence of that, I needed to exercise caution, and I was simply not in themood to engage with anyone.Wait, why am I even panicking? Whoever this is, they wouldn't recognize me. It has been years, and Idoubt they knew me as a child. Moreover, this isn't their house, so they have no authority to stop me.Though, if I frame it that way, I have no right to enter either. According to their perspective, this wasn'tmy house either.I sighed.I finally spun around and faced the person with a determined expression on my face. "It's not trespassingif the owners aren't around anymore, is it?" I retorted; my voice edged with sharpness."Az—Azriel...?" the person stammered in shock, and my eyes widened in response.As I struggled to process the sudden recognition, a barrage of thoughts raced through my mind."How the hell did... Wait," I thought, haltingly. "Wait... Ach..." I began, though I wasn't entirely certain.Not like he was with me. "Acharya?" I mouthed hesitantly, unsure.He nodded, his face filled with shock, his mouth agape. With no warning, he lunged toward me,wrapping his arms around me tightly. His embrace was so intense that it left me breathless, but I didn'tprotest. I could feel his excitement at seeing me deep in my gut.I made a few attempts to slightly push him back in an effort to free myself, I had something else in mind.I wasn't in the mood for reunions, yet paradoxically, I was -- reunions with my family, contingent on whatI would discover inside. My focus was entirely on what had become, or not become, of my family in thehouse. Everything and everyone else were inconsequential to me.I felt remorseful for what I was about to do, but it didn't stop me. I pushed him back, this time moreforcefully, offering a brief, forced smile. "You recognized me so easily... I barely do myself. I guess Ihaven't changed as much as my eyes deceive me into thinking.""Yeah... uh," he said, sniffling and wiping away tears with his fingers. "Actually, you've changed a lot. ButI'd still recognize you. And you recognized me easily as well.""Yeah, I did, didn't I? Your converging eyebrows haven't changed," I said, struggling to maintain thefacade."But Azriel, I thought you... uh... Where have you been all these years?" he inquired, his tone soft andconcerned, his eyes reflecting a newfound worry, like a person who hadn't found peace for a long timedue to unsettling and distressing thoughts."Honestly, I wouldn't be able to account for where I've been these past years," I responded."I—I think I understand what you... what you mean. I'm so glad you're okay, Az," he said, tears streamingdown his face.I looked at him for a quite a while, and then nodded, my own tears falling, and then I pulled him into atight embrace, both of us in need of a comforting hug and a cathartic cry. I didn't exactly know why, butthen again, I did."So, where were you heading until you spotted the intruder?" I cleared my throat and asked, after weseparated."I apologize for entertaining those thoughts about you," he conveyed with a remorseful expression. Igestured with a shake of my head, reassuring him that there was no need for an apology."I visit to illuminate your wall light bulbs in the evenings—every evening," he clarified.My astonishment prompted me to inquire, "Every evening?"He affirmed with a nod, "Every evening since that day..."I stared at him, utterly surprised and baffled. "Why?" I inquired. "It's been a very long time, hasn't it?"He let out a heavy sigh. "Azriel... I haven't shared this with anyone all these years because I couldn'twrap my head around it. I was there when it happened... I saw them, I saw their faces... And after a fewdays, they were the same ones who went door to door in every house in town looking for you."I squinted, confusion clouding my expression. "I don't understand what you just said, Ach... You werethere when what happened? And you saw their faces? Who are 'they'?""I was there when they... whey they murdered your family, Azriel... I witnessed the whole thing," heconfessed.My eyelids fell, and I lowered my head in disappointment."Go home, Ach..." I uttered, immediately turning my back to him.You idiot... why did you have to tell me that, I muttered softly, a single tear streaming down my face.Acharya had inadvertently stoked the dwindling ember of hope within me and then set it ablaze. Thatember had been my anchor, holding me together, preserving my sanity, and convincing me that myfamily was still alive.Yes, I knew that I would have eventually discovered reality. But still... I had wanted to uncover the realityin my own time. Moreover, the way he delivered the news made it all the more agonizing. Theexpression on his face and the sorrow brimming in his eyes made me imagine that what he hadwitnessed was unimaginably horrific—the scene of my family's murder. That's what his demeanorconveyed. So, not only did he ignite the flames of my dwindling hope, but he also offered me a heart-wrenching glimpse of the tragedy through his mournful countenance.I heard his reluctant footsteps as he walked away, granting me the solitude I so desperately craved.I finally approached the door, though every step was laden with hesitation. My knees seemed to havelost their strength, as if they were rebelling against any further movement.I had to drag them forward.I stood at the doorstep, a point of no return. My trembling hands reached for the knob, my neck tensed,and my breath growing shallow. I was petrified of what I might discover when I entered the house—orperhaps, more frighteningly, what I might not find.