Chapter 6 — The Night He Left

Chapter 6 — The Night He Left

For several seconds, Miyaka couldn't move.

The motorcycle was still running beside her, its engine producing a steady vibration beneath the silence that had suddenly settled over the garage. Jason stood a few feet away, his face unusually serious, and the words he had just spoken seemed to hang between them as if neither of them knew what to do with them.

Moises didn't leave alone.

Miyaka stared at him.

“What does that mean?”

Jason didn't answer immediately.

“Jason.”

He looked away.

“I was hoping I'd never have to tell you.”

“Then why are you telling me now?”

“Because he's back.”

The answer made her chest tighten.

Miyaka switched off the motorcycle.

The sudden silence was almost painful.

She removed her gloves and dropped them onto the workbench.

“Start from the beginning.”

Jason rubbed the back of his neck.

“I don't remember everything.”

“You said you saw something.”

“I did.”

“Then tell me.”

He looked at her.

“I was nine.”

“So was I.”

“I know.”

“Then why do you remember something I don't?”

Jason hesitated.

“Because you weren't there.”

Miyaka frowned.

“What?”

“That night. You weren't with us.”

She stared at him.

Her memory of that evening was strangely incomplete.

She remembered rain.

She remembered waiting.

She remembered hearing her mother calling her name.

But beyond that, everything became blurry.

Jason pulled a chair from beneath the workbench and sat down.

“Moises had been acting strange for days.”

Miyaka slowly sat across from him.

“What kind of strange?”

“He was quieter than usual.”

“He was always quiet.”

“Not like that.”

Jason looked down at his hands.

“He kept checking the road. He kept asking what time it was. He wouldn't play with us.”

Miyaka's stomach tightened.

“Why?”

“I didn't know.”

“And you never asked?”

“I did.”

Jason gave a humorless laugh.

“He told me everything was fine.”

Miyaka looked away.

That sounded like Moises.

Even as a child, he had been good at hiding things.

Jason continued.

“Then that evening, I saw a black car outside his house.”

Miyaka's eyes returned to him.

“A black car?”

“Yes.”

“What kind?”

“I don't know. I was nine.”

“Did you see who was inside?”

“One person.”

“Who?”

Jason shook his head.

“I couldn't see his face.”

Miyaka leaned forward.

“What happened?”

“I followed them.”

Her eyes widened.

“You followed them?”

“I was curious.”

“You were stupid.”

“I was nine.”

“You were still stupid.”

Jason almost smiled.

Then his expression became serious again.

“I followed the car until it stopped near the back road.”

“What happened there?”

“Moises got out.”

Miyaka's fingers tightened.

“Was he alone?”

“No.”

Jason looked directly at her.

“There was a man waiting for him.”

“Who?”

“I don't know.”

“What did he look like?”

“Tall. Dark jacket. I couldn't see his face clearly.”

“Then how do you know he wasn't someone from Moises's family?”

“Because Moises was scared of him.”

Miyaka went completely still.

“Moises wasn't scared easily.”

“I know.”

Jason's voice became quieter.

“I'd never seen him look like that before.”

Miyaka swallowed.

“What did they say?”

“I couldn't hear everything. I was too far away.”

“But you heard something.”

Jason nodded.

“One sentence.”

“What?”

“He told Moises that if he didn't leave that night, someone would get hurt.”

Miyaka felt cold despite the warm garage.

“Who?”

Jason shook his head.

“I don't know.”

“Did Moises say anything?”

“He asked about his father.”

Miyaka's eyebrows drew together.

“His father?”

Jason nodded.

“The man told him his father had already made the decision.”

“What decision?”

“I don't know.”

Miyaka stood abruptly.

“So that's it?”

Jason looked up.

“No.”

She stared at him.

“There was more.”

“Then tell me.”

Jason took a breath.

“Moises saw me.”

Her heart stopped.

“You?”

“He looked directly at where I was hiding.”

“What did he do?”

“He didn't say anything.”

“Why?”

“Because the man was watching him.”

Jason's voice dropped.

“Then Moises turned away.”

Miyaka felt her eyes sting.

“Did he look scared?”

“Yes.”

“Did he say anything about me?”

Jason hesitated.

That hesitation hurt more than the answer would have.

“What?”

“He asked if you were safe.”

Miyaka's lips parted.

Jason continued.

“He asked if you were at home.”

She looked down.

For a moment, she couldn't speak.

All those years.

All that anger.

All those nights wondering why he had left without saying goodbye.

And he had been asking about her.

She sat down again.

“Why didn't you tell me?”

Jason's eyes dropped.

“Because my father told me not to.”

“Your father?”

“He knew what happened.”

Miyaka stared at him.

“Jason.”

“I was scared.”

“You were a child.”

“I know.”

“You could have told me later.”

“I tried.”

“When?”

“A few days after Moises left.”

“What happened?”

“My father stopped me.”

Miyaka's face hardened.

“Why?”

“He said it was dangerous.”

“For who?”

“I don't know.”

She stood again.

“This doesn't make sense.”

“I know.”

“Why would Moises leave if he loved us?”

Jason looked at her.

“He didn't leave because he wanted to.”

Miyaka's breath caught.

“You don't know that.”

“I do.”

“How?”

“Because I saw his face.”

Jason's voice broke slightly.

“He kept looking back.”

Miyaka closed her eyes.

The image formed in her mind.

A young Moises walking toward a car in the rain.

Looking back.

Leaving anyway.

She pressed a hand against her chest.

For years, she had imagined him simply choosing to leave.

Maybe that was easier.

Maybe believing he had abandoned her had been the only way she could eventually stop waiting.

But if he had been forced—

Then what had happened?

Who had forced him?

And why?

Jason stood.

“There was one more thing.”

Miyaka opened her eyes.

“What?”

Jason reached into his jacket.

He pulled out a small envelope.

It was old.

The paper had yellowed with age.

Miyaka stared at it.

“What is that?”

“I found it years later.”

“Where?”

“In my father's things.”

Her heart began beating faster.

“What is it?”

Jason held it out.

“It has your name on it.”

Miyaka didn't take it immediately.

Her eyes remained fixed on the handwriting.

She recognized it.

Even after all these years.

Her hands began trembling.

“No.”

Jason nodded.

“It was written by Moises.”

Miyaka slowly reached for the envelope.

The handwriting was uneven, as though whoever had written it had been in a hurry.

Her name was written across the front.

Miyaka.

She stared at it for a long time.

Then she turned the envelope over.

It had never been opened.

Her throat tightened.

“Why didn't I get this?”

Jason didn't answer.

Miyaka looked at him.

“Why?”

“I don't know.”

She carefully opened the envelope.

Inside was a single folded sheet of paper.

Her hands trembled as she unfolded it.

There were only a few lines.

But the first sentence was enough to make her world tilt.

Dear Miyaka,

If you're reading this, then I didn't get the chance to say goodbye.

Her eyes filled with tears.

She kept reading.

Please don't believe that I left because I wanted to.

Her breathing stopped.

The garage disappeared around her.

The motorcycle.

The tools.

The lights.

Everything blurred.

There was only the letter in her hands.

And the boy who had written it fourteen years ago.

Jason watched silently as Miyaka reached the final line.

She read it once.

Then again.

Her fingers tightened around the paper.

Because beneath everything else, beneath the fear and confusion, there was one sentence that she knew would haunt her for the rest of the night.

If they ever let me come back, I will find you.

Miyaka lowered the letter.

Her tears finally fell.

And somewhere across the city, unaware that the truth had just begun to surface, Moises Laurent was standing in his office staring at the same night in his own memory.

Neither of them knew that the letter Jason had kept for years was only the first piece of the truth.

And someone had gone to great lengths to make sure Miyaka never saw it.