Chapter 3

THE MAN looked at Yric straightly, he was holding the edge of the bus for support. His hands were shaking because of fear. He hesitated for a moment but still choose to speak. Bruises were visible on his skin. Dark rings circled his both weary brown almond eyes.

 

"I need your help," the man said in a shaky voice before looking away from him. He turned his head from left to right searching for someone.

 

Out of curiosity, Yric glanced in the direction where the man was looking. But he didn't see anything weird. People were just waiting for the road to be cleared. He returned his attention to the man after a second. In a low voice, he said, "How can I help you? If I can, how can I be sure that you wouldn't harm me?"

 

 "I'll do whatever you want. Just let me live," the man responded instead of answering his questions.

 

His forehead furrowed, miming a hint of confusion. "I don't know to help you though," he said matter-of-factly. "I am not sure who you are." He eyed the man more closely to study his face.

 

The man ground his teeth which made Yric step back. He glanced sideways and looked far away. The man's face conjured up a scowl of trouble.

 

"He's here," the man mumbled out of nowhere.

 

For a moment, he wondered what the man needs from him. He turned his head again for the last time to know where the man was looking. Just like before, he saw nothing peculiar on the bridge.

 

"Who?" he even asked the man as he glanced back at him.

 

But the man didn't have the time to answer his question. Confusion was drawn to his face as the man ran away from the bus, hiding at the back of cars lining up on the length of the bridge. Yric decided not to follow the man even though he was acting weird. He thought helping the man might ruin him that's why it's better to restrain himself. 

Yric only moved from where he stood when he could no longer see the back of the man. Massaging his head as it hurt, he made his way back to the railing and sat on the cold pavement. He stayed there for a moment while waiting for his friends. As time began to pass, the bridge was filled with constant honking. People were stuck with their anger rising and patience getting thinner. 

The noise made Yric block his ears with his hands. As the honking got louder his head hurt more. Pain drilled inside his skull. It happened because he had sensitive hearing. His ear would react to that kind of sound. He wanted to stop everyone from honking their cars but he couldn't move.

 

As thoughts flooded his head thinking about how to escape that misery, a loud explosion occurred near where he was sitting. A red car flew upward and crushed the next car. People started running away from the explosion to save themselves while shouting. It didn't happen just once. Another car which was grey flew toward the railing crushing the cold bars. He put his hand on his front to cover his eyes as the grey car caught on fire. The window glass shattered to him. He turned his back to protect himself.

 

As his surroundings became quiet again, he looked back at what happened. People were watching the burning cars beside their cars. The bridge now was filled with endless chatter. While everyone's attention was on the middle of the bridge, he transferred his gaze to the burning grey car near him. He noticed another man wearing a dark suit on the other side of the car. The man in black didn't bother to stay away from the fire. He was looking at something below the edge.

 

Yric decided to walk closer to the man since he felt something weird from him. As he carefully walked not to touch the burning car, he notice the hands holding the foot of the railing. The man in black wasn't doing anything to help. Realizing what was going to happen if he didn't do something, he rushed to the railing. He pushed the man blocking the way on his shoulder and held the man's hand who was going to fall into the lake below. As he pulled up the man, he realized the man was the one who asked for his help.

 

"What do you think you're doing?" Xurden asked Yric angrily. "Let him go."

 

Yric turned his head to Xurden while still pulling up the man. Their eyes meet for a moment. His eyes grew when he recognized Xurden's face. He couldn't forget this man who was the reason he felt heavy ever since they entered the bridge.

 

"Are you crazy?" Yric told him hard. "If you're just going to stand there, it's better for you to go away."

 

He removed his attention from Xurden and pulled the man completely until the man could stand on his own feet. Yric let go of the man's hand taking a deep breath. The man stepped back when Xurden took a couple of steps. Without knowing what was happening, he blocked Xurden who was planning to hurt the man.

 

"Move," Xurden said harshly. His eyes blared up.

 

"And if I don't? You're going to hurt me too?" Yric stated gathering confidence in his chest. "Are you trying to kill the man? That's so wrong. You better stop. I am going to call the police."

 

Xurden lowered his head since he was a bit taller than Yric. "Go ahead. No one's going to believe you even if you try," he said simply.

 

Yric didn't like how Xurden sounded boastful. "You will be sent to jail if you did something wrong." Yric took out his phone from his pants pocket.

 

He didn't have the time to call when Xurden tried to pass him as the man ran away from them. 

Xurden glanced at him sideways filled with anger in his eyes. He was going to chase the man but Yric stopped him. 

Yric held his right hand but Xurden quickly clenched his wrist sending shivers in Yric's skin. Yric's expression now mimed the solemnity of thought as their eyes meet again. He tried pulling his hand away but Xurden didn't let him. 

To free himself from Xurden's grasp, he shook his body hard making his necklace slip from the collar of his inner shirt. His necklace flew toward Xurden and its tie hooked up to one of the buttons of Xurden's suit. He immediately stop moving so that the tie wouldn't break. 

Xurden looked at him with confusion written on his face. The man let go of Yric's hand removing the necklace's tie momentarily. He looked at the crescent moon pendant with anger drawn on his face. He was sure it was the same silver necklace of the kid he meet one stormy night. He didn't get it wrong since he also felt a pint of his energy from it.

 

"Why do you have this?" Xurden questioned him.

 

Yric harshly took Xurden's fingers from the pendant and put the necklace back inside his shirt.

 

"Because this is mine."

 

"Impossible," Xurden stated.

 

"How it can't be possible? You're crazy. I should go," Yric said hastily. He needed to go before he would be caught up in something serious because of the explosions. He turned his back from Xurden and started to walk. He only had a few steps when a hand got a hold of his sweater's hood, stopping his steps. Glancing back to Xurden, he displayed anger in his eyes.

 

Xurden's grip came with a querying look. "Do you know me? You can even see me."

 

"Should I? You sound as if I must know you," Yric pretended. He did remember who was the man but he was trying to forget what happened the night he meet him. 

Xurden's brow knit releasing his hood.

 

Their eyes connected and Xurden stared at Yric's intently making the younger guy petrified on his toes. 

Xurden didn't even blink as his eyes glowed blue.

 

"It's better for you not to know who I am. Forget everything that happened tonight and the first time we meet," Xurden said in a very low hypnotizing voice. After that, his eyes changed to black, and he left Yric walking toward the other people standing outside their car.

 

As Xurden mixed with the people, Yric couldn't see him anymore. He only moved when he heard his friend Noah calling his name. Noah was standing near the door of the green bus. Walking closer to his friend, he spared a glance at the directions where Xurden went. But he didn't see any sign of him.

 

"Are you okay?" Noah asked him worriedly. "We shouldn't have left you here."

 

He answered him moving his head. "I got scared though of the explosion. It was so sudden."

 

"That's what I am going to tell you. They believed someone had put explosives on the bridge. We should go before anything else could happens again. We found a small truck. It will take us to the town."

 

Yric looked at his friend in disbelief. He knew it wasn't just some explosive so he stayed quiet not to scare his friend. As he stood there, Noah climbed the bus and ran going to the back. While his friend fetched two bags from the compartment, he looked up when felt someone was looking at him from afar. He saw nothing though at the tip of the tower making him look straight to the length of the bridge. A couple of seconds later, his friend was back and skittered inside the bus going to the door while carrying two bags in two hands.

 

XURDEN could see the length of the bridge from the cliff where he was standing. The burning cars made it clearer to his eyes. Even from afar, he could still tell the fears drawn in the people's faces. He didn't feel any pity towards those lowly humans. But he was bothered by that guy named Yric. The younger guy even noticed him when he was looking down from the tip of the tower. 

Fetching his cigarette from the back of his suit, he let one out and lighted it up. The tip of the cigarette burned to the small fire from the golden lighter he was holding lightly. 

At that moment, Sebastian arrived carrying a transparent cylinder in his right hand.

 

"Who are you looking at this time?" Sebastian asked as he stood next to Xurden. Sebastian stared intently in the direction where Xurden was looking. He even put his hand above his eyes aligned to his brows. His eyes stopped at the bridge where he saw Yric walking together with Noah. He was not wrong since he notice Xurden looking at the guy differently ever since they arrive there. "Is he the kid you're talking about?" he added putting his hand down.

 

"No," Xurden answered simply. He blew the white smoke out of his mouth.

 

"You're lying, Boss," Sebastian stated.

 

"I'm not," he said grinding his teeth.

 

Sebastian backed away a couple of steps raising his free hand to block what was coming from Xurden. "I am just joking. Why are you looking at him then?"

 

"There's something wrong with that human," Xurden said and sipped on the cigarette. "Erasing his memories didn't work."

 

"Really?! How'd you know that it didn't?" Sebastian blurted out.

 

"I just know. He's acting weird just like the first time I meet him."

 

"That means he's the boy you talked about yesterday," Sebastian exclaimed. He received a glare from Xurden. "I am not going to say anything, Boss. Do you want me to check on him?"

 

"No. Let him be. His existence doesn't matter to me. This would be the last time we would meet. Where's the car?"

 

"It's on the road," Sebastian answered and lead the way.

 

Before Xurden took a step, he looked back at the bridge. Yric was still walking between the cars and stopped looking at where Xurden was. Xurden's heart skipped a bit for some reason. He didn't expect his heart would do that to him. He needed to forget that guy. Meeting Yric didn't help him at all. It was making him worse. He felt like he was starting to become a human. 

His brow knit. His expression was now miming a scowl of disbelief. 

It couldn't be happening that Yric knew he was there just like when he was standing at the tip of the bridge's tower. Yric only continued to walk when Noah shouted his name. Thoughts ran wild inside Xurden's head. he couldn't find answers though since he barely knew Yric. He threw the cigarette without finishing it out of anger. He thought maybe Sebastian was right. But if he did check who Yric was it only meant he was giving in to his emotions which was not supposed to happen. Emotions drive humans crazy and if he turned like them he would kill himself. He almost cursed the gods that sent him to Earth since it was included in his punishment.