Chapter IV
Morning light steadily brightened a gray sky, filtering through parted clouds over a little brick home.
A seeming epitome of calm, yet the air within that little home was as heavy as could be, silent even...And the home would remain silent even as the sun rose higher and higher within the sky...Perhaps too silent. Rather, the household seemed to have lost it's light, it's warmth, it's comforting air...And all with good reason.
Syrus laid unconscious in his bed, surrounded by those who were close to him as they watched on worriedly.
Out of everyone within that household...Only he was the one in terrible condition.
During the fire, Aaron and his brother, Rei, had managed to escape successfully before it had intensified, despite Syrus not having been able to see them within the crowd...Perhaps because of his panic at the time.
Miraculously...They had been able to make their way back inside to look for him within the burning building. However, when they did find him, he was unconscious, trapped and unconscious on the second floor. Having recieved harsh burns from the heat and inhaling smoke, it was anyone's guess as to whether he would recover or not. Proper healthcare wasn't a luxury they were capable of having.
All they could do, was simply watch over him and pray for his recovery...And unsurprisingly, none of them were taking things very well.
Perhaps out of all of them, Aaron had taken things the hardest. He felt heavily responsible for the way things had turned out...For the way Syrus had turned out.
"...This is the second time his life has been in danger because of me." He spoke up tonelessly, his usually bright, royal blue eyes dulled. His entire body seemed to droop in defeat and self loathing. "...Aren't you going to agree with me? You said if something were to happen again, you wouldn't let it slide."
Cai, who had been leaning against the wall, arms crossed, cast Aaron an expressionless gaze.
"...Did you want me to feel angry with you?" Despite the question, there wasn't any sense of hostility coming from him. "You can beat yourself up about it all you want, but these circumstances weren't under your control this time around." He continued, turning his amber gaze to the side. "If anything, it was Syrus' own fault for rushing in without actually checking if you were even trapped inside or not...Not that I intend to put any of the blame on him, but if anyone had to take the fall for this, it would be him." He closed his eyes. "...Of course, it's just like Syrus to rush in, disregarding his own safety if it meant saving one of his companions. Hell, even a stranger."
"..." Aaron would have shown his surprise more openly, given the fact that Cai was actually siding with him for once...But he still felt miserable about all of this. "...I sort of understand Taharo's fear of letting him continue like this...Maybe it would be better if-"
"Say anymore of that, and I really will throw one at you." Cai interjected sharply before Aaron could finish, casting him a hard glance. "Don't make Syrus' efforts go to waste merely because of your own concern. He already decided that this would be the path he'd take a long time ago...And I'm sure more than anyone, he understood the risks that came with that very decision." His gaze drifted over to Syrus, his expression softening to one some might even consider compassion. "The only thing we can do for him is be by his side and do our best to protect him...Isn't that what we agreed on?"
It was then, that Aaron finally lifted his gaze, looking up at Cai.
It wasn't as though he'd forgotten that important promise to Cai...But the reminder certainly did him some good. Perhaps it was even something he needed right now.
That important promise...More than anything, he wanted to uphold it.
"...Right...That's all we can do, isn't it?" Aaron muttered quietly, more so to himself as he gave a little nod, resolve flickering back into those royal blue eyes of his.
Protecting him...Was the most important role the three of them had.
Protecting Syrus...Their sun. Their Hope.
That was their fervent wish.
As though that wish had been answered, it was just then, that Syrus finally began to stir.
He felt like he had been dreaming that whole time...A very long, deep dream, before his eyes eventually flickered open.
A familiar ceiling came into his line of sight as his vision began to clear ever so steadily.
Understandably, he was in a bit of a daze, his thoughts muddled and scattered, as though a muddy torrent of water had overshadowed them.
Was he...Back home in his room? That would appear to be the case as he glanced around, barely recognizing the familiar surroundings.
The small desk in one corner of the room, the bookshelf near his bed...Somehow, it had felt as though it'd been a terribly long time since he'd seen these familiar surroundings.
As he sat up, he felt a pain that spread like a fever throughout his body, his ears twitching at the sound of a familiar voice.
"Syrus! You're awake!!" Aaron's voice reached his ears, but it took him a moment to process it, his ears ringing, his head pounding...He couldn't seem to recall anything at the moment, but soon enough, it came back to him...And vividly. As if reliving a horror film, he recalled it all...The fire, the terror he felt, the memories he recalled, and...Aaron.
That's right, Aaron.
"You're...Alright???" He questioned, finally making out his figure, and feeling relief wash over him.
Aaron knitted his brows in response. Syrus was the one injured, and yet, he was still worrying about others...Yet he gave him a nod regardless.
"...Yeah. My brother and I managed to escape before the fire got worse." He explained, checking Syrus over to get a feel for how his injuries were healing over. "It was an electrical fire...Not surprising, considering how poorly managed everything is around here." He added in, catching onto that questioning look in Syrus' eyes, and he answered him before Syrus bombarded him with questions. "You're honestly the only one who got hurt, and badly...Try to take it easy, alright?"
"...Really?" Syrus muttered in response, relief washing over him even more, leaving him feeling strangely exhausted, even though he had just woken up. "...How long have I been out??"
"About a week. Considering you're covered head to toe in burns, I'd say it's amazing it wasn't longer." Aaron answered, gently pushing Syrus back down, urging him to rest before he could try and protest. "Rest."
Syrus...Didn't protest for once, even if he might have wanted to. He could barely lift so much as a finger as he was now, and he was still trying to process everything.
The fire...Wasn't caused by what he had thought. He had needlessly rushed in unnecessarily, and gotten himself hurt in the process.
Then there was...Those memories he had recalled from a decade ago...The death of his parents, and that silver eyed man.
Why had he forgotten? Why did the Diou even attack?? Was it really just to take control over the country...?
His gaze trailed over to the window, feeling as though the more he recalled, the less he understood...It was a frustrating feeling.
Somehow...He was seized with the feeling that there was something more to it...A bigger part of the picture was missing...But what??
He was trying to wrap his mind around it before happening to catch sight of his reflection in the window just beside his bed...And he had to do a double take at the image he saw there.
...Was it just his imagination? He could only assume that to be the case as he looked upon his reflection, his eyes usually a deep, emerald green...But in that moment, his right one was suddenly a vibrant, fiery red.
He wasn't sure if he believed what he was seeing, strangely transfixed on the spot. He couldn't tear his gaze away...And as the second ticked by, a strange, burning sensation began to well up within it, growing stronger by the moment...Until his right eye just downright burned. He felt as though it could have been melting right out of his socket. The pain eventually grew so intense, that he had to reach up and cover it...And just as soon as he had done so, the pain just...Stopped.
Like the pain, the color just...Vanished.
As though it were never there to begin with.
He had begun to wonder if he was just tired. His eyes really were just playing tricks on him.
"Are you alright?" Cai's voice sounded off from not too far away, still leaning against the wall even after Aaron took his temporary leave. "Does anything hurt??" He questioned in concern, making his way over to inspect Syrus carefully. Perhaps his injuries were causing him some discomfort??
It was a surreal sight for Syrus, if he had to be honest. That look of worry somehow didn't suit Cai, but perhaps that was also because Syrus was more accustomed to that usually aloof expression of his...One that seemed to be missing entirely from the Cai standing just beside him. There was a somehow gentle, soft look in his eyes.
"...No. I'm alright." Syrus finally answered, reassuring him with a smile before turning back onto his side.
He decided to just try and rest, not really being able to do much even if he wanted to, given his condition.
And the rest of the day would just tick away just like that. He would eventually be greeted by the others, and scolded by Taharo, expectedly.
Normal, peaceful moments that made what happened before seem like it might have just been one, terribly nightmare...
But Syrus knew deep down that just simply wasn't the case.
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