Chapter 33.5 – How We Got Together (Final Part)

One month later

Alex's Side – Christmas Eve

It’s the holidays. But Natalie… yeah, she still pulls me into her crazy schemes.
Right now? She's deep into decorating like we’re filming a Hallmark movie meets an 80s fever dream.
Tinsel, lights, scented candles, Mariah Carey playing on loop like it’s religious canon.
She’s even got Hana wearing antlers.

As for me?
I’m the unpaid labor again.

But in all that noise, there’s one thing that still bugs me.
Wan.
And that so-called Ustaz Sharil.
Even now… something feels off. Something dangerous.

It’s late evening.
Mom's typing away at her laptop, probably buried in a report.
Hana’s already curled up asleep, snuggled with her plushies.

Knock knock knock

"Alex, could you see who that is?" Mom calls out from her work desk.

I walk over and open the door.
It’s… Marina’s mom.

Her face is pale, her breath shaky.
“Alex… is Marina with you?”

“Huh? No—what happened?”

“She’s not home. Faiz said she was waiting for him outside but she never came back… I can't reach her…”

My gut sinks.
This… this isn't right.

“I’ll go look for her. Please—call the police, now!”

“R-Right!”

I grab my hoodie, lace up my shoes.

“Mom! I’m heading out!”

“Be safe!” she shouts back, still glued to her work screen.

I sprint through the cold streets, heart racing.

First stop: Ms. Jackie’s place.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

The door creaks open, and Ms. Jackie peers out, her loyal dog Koby by her side.

“Well now, Alex? Out this late? What’s the rush?”

“Marina’s missing! Have you seen her?”

She gasps. “Oh, Lord—Koby, we’re goin’. Let’s help this boy!”

We split up and search.
Street after street.
Park. Side alley. Empty shops.

Until—

“Ugh… A-Alex… over here…”
I hear a groan from the side of a drainage wall.

“Faiz!? Adinor!?”

They're bruised, bloodied, barely standing. Faiz clutches his stomach, wheezing.

“It’s Wan…” Faiz coughs. “That bastard… he jumped us with that fake ustaz… Sharil…”

“What happened to Marina!?”

“...They took her.”

My fists tighten.

“Where!?”

“We… don’t know… They were headed south… maybe the old community hall... near the church...”

Koby growls.

The dog bolts ahead—nose to the ground.

I chase after him.

The trail leads us to the old community prayer hall.
The one the church lets us use for Jumu’ah prayers.

But tonight—
It's quiet. Too quiet.
Lights are on inside. Shadows moving. Laughter. Chanting.

I sneak through the side window.
My breath stops.

Inside…
There are several older boys, teens I don’t recognize.
Some are dazed—drugged out, spaced.
And at the center—Marina.

Bound.

Her clothing with her hijab torn. Makeup smeared from tears. Clothes half undone.
Barely conscious.

Standing above her…
Ustaz Sharil.
And Wan.
Laughing.

I feel it.
Something breaks inside me.
No… not breaks.
Burns.

I charge in without hesitation—
My fists clenched, blood pumping, heart screaming louder than my thoughts.

“MARINA!!!”

Like a battering ram, I slam into the circle of bodies, sending two of them flying across the floor.
I don't care who they are.
I just see red.

I shove Ustaz Sharil—or whoever the hell this twisted freak really is—off Marina’s limp body.
She’s barely conscious, her lips trembling…
Eyes half-rolled…

Drool trails from her mouth.

I see the syringe on the floor still dripping.

My jaw tightens. “What the hell did you do to her, Wan!?”

He turns, his face contorted—
Like some preacher-turned-prophet, frothing at the mouth.

“She’s tainted! She needs to be cleansed!!”

I don’t even hesitate.
My fist drives into his face with a snap.
His body spins before crashing into the wooden planks.

The fake Ustaz grabs a wooden board and swings it—
WHACK!!

It hits my head.

Pain explodes.
My vision shakes.
Warmth spills across my forehead.
Blood.

But I don't fall.
I don't scream.
I push forward—my arms trembling, rage overriding every nerve.

Suddenly, Koby bursts in with a bark that shakes the rafters.

“What the hell!?”

One of them flinches. Another steps back.

“KOBY!” I shout. “Go! Get Jackie! Now!”

He growls once before darting out like a streak of light.

I turn—
More are coming.
Strangers.
Boys in hoodies. Young teens. Mostly Malay.

Their eyes are hollow.
Some are scared.
Some... are smiling.

Like they've been taught this is holy.

No time to question.
I scoop Marina into my arms. She’s heavy, limp…
But I won’t let her go.

My back sears with pain—
A kick to my ribs.
Another to my jaw.

I stumble—but I hold on.

Someone grabs my shoulder. I twist—

And BITE.

Hard.

Blood sprays as the attacker howls.
His leg jerks back, tendon torn by my teeth.
I spit it out.

“I don’t give a damn who you think you are!!”

Ustaz Sharil roars and lunges at me, face twisted in zealotry.

“You’re a heretic!!! YOU DEFY THE RIGHTEOUS PATH!!”

I lay Marina down gently.
Stand.
And as he leaps—

I punch him midair.

Then—

CRACK!!

I headbutt him so hard I feel his skull rattle against mine.

He crumples like a dropped puppet.

My vision fades—
Blood dripping past my eyes.

But then—
A voice.

“You’re weak…”
“That’s why you fail to protect them…”
“Let me take over…”

It’s… inside me.
Somewhere deep.
Not me.
But part of me.

A shadow.

I stagger. My knees tremble.
But I plant my foot.

“No… not yet…”

Natalie’s Side –

Christmas was supposed to be joyful.

Marina was excited for once—Luna even made peppermint cookies shaped like little reindeers.
We were just finishing decorating the final string of lights when my phone rang.

“NAT!!!!”

Phylis.

But that wasn’t her usual scream.
It was different.

Broken.

Panicked.

Terror laced in every syllable.

“Your friend—she’s missing! Marina’s gone!!”

Everything in me goes cold.

I nearly drop the phone.

“Luna!! Let’s go!! NOW!!”

She doesn’t ask questions.
She grabs her coat, and we’re sprinting out the door.

We make it to Alex’s house.
Hana is sobbing uncontrollably in Puan Mas’ arms.
Alex’s mom’s hands are shaking.

“What happened!?” I ask, out of breath.

Before she can reply—

RING! RING!
It’s Ms. Jackie on the line.

“KOBY FOUND THEM!! Alex is there too!! And the police just got here!!”

Elder Muzzafar grabs his coat.
Other neighbors gather with flashlights.
We all rush toward the abandoned building by the old prayer hall.

We arrive—

And we hear it.

“ARGHHHHHHH!!!!”

“THAT BOY IS A DEMON!!!”

My heart pounds against my ribs.
The door in front of us suddenly shatters outward with a loud BOOM.
Splinters fly.

Dust clouds rise.

Smoke… and blood.

Out of the darkness, one of the men stumbles out, bloodied and screaming, eyes wide with terror.

And then—

I see him.

Alex.

Bruised. Bleeding.

Standing alone amidst the wreckage like a ghost pulled from a war.

He’s straddled over one of them—
Punching. Again. And again. And again.

“POLICE!! STAND BACK!!” one officer shouts.

But no one dares step closer.

Because…

The air turns cold.

The shadows twist unnaturally.

And Alex—

He’s glowing.

His eyes—aren’t normal.

One glints amber, the other red, like fire and rage forged into flesh.

Natalie (Present Day Narrating)

“This is the moment I swore—
I would never let him fall that far again.
Never let him become that monster alone.”

Natalie’s Side (continued)

His fists won’t stop.
Blood flies with every blow.

One of the bystanders grabs a metal pipe—
Tries to sneak up on the cop.

But before the man swings—
Alex appears out of nowhere.

Like a blur.

He grabs the man—

SMASH!!

Throws him against the wall so hard the bricks crack.

Then he turns, eyes blazing.

“GET AWAY FROM HER!!!”

He’s standing between Marina’s unconscious body and the rest of the world.

I don’t even realize I’m crying.

“Alex…” I whisper.

Please come back…

That’s not you.

That’s not the boy who smiles when Hana hugs him.
That’s not the boy who blushes when I grab his hand.

Please don’t lose yourself

The air is thick with blood and screams.

“HANDS UP!!! DROP YOUR WEAPONS!!” the police shout through the blown-out door, their flashlights cutting through the smoke like searchlights in hell.

But it’s too late.

One of the cult members lunges toward Alex—
Iron pipe raised.

I scream—
“ALEX!!”

But he’s already moving.

He ducks under the strike—
SLAMS the guy down onto the concrete floor, then straddles him.

Punches. One. After. Another.

Like thunder.

“RAAAAGH!!!!”

He’s roaring like a beast—
Lost in something deeper than rage.
Something darker.

“ALEX STOP!!!”

I throw myself at him—arms wrapped around his back—
Shaking. Crying.

“Alex!! Stop it! It’s over!!”

But he’s trembling.
His fists still clench.
His teeth grit.

He breathes like a wild animal…

Until—
His body slumps.

He looks at me—
Eyes bloodshot, glowing faintly with that amber-red glint.

Then—he turns.

“Marina!!”

She’s lying in the back—barely breathing, clothes torn, a needle on the ground beside her.

Alex stumbles to her, falling to his knees beside her.

“MARINA!!”

He cradles her—
Wiping the sweat from her face, the blood from her lip.

“Stay with me, okay!? Help’s coming—just stay with me!!!”

Paramedics rush in.

The room feels like it should start breathing again—

But then—

“DIE!!!!”

A flash of silver.

Wan.

Knife in hand.

Coming straight for Alex—
Eyes wild. Screaming something twisted.

I move without thinking—

I shove Alex aside—

But someone beats me to it.

“FAIZ!!!”

Time slows.

Faiz stands in front of me—
Eyes calm.
Smiling.

SHHLLK.

The blade enters his chest—deep, right beneath the ribs.

“GHHK—”

Blood.

So much blood.

“No—no no no no—FAIZ!!!”

Alex freezes—

Everything stops.

Then—
Something in him breaks.

He charges Wan like a bullet—

CRACK!!

A punch so powerful, Wan flies backward—crashing into the wall with a sickening crack.

His body slumps.
Out cold. Or worse.

Alex roars again—

But I grab him. Slam my arms around him.

“STOP!!! ENOUGH!!! PLEASE—PLEASE—ENOUGH!!!”

He’s trembling again.
His breath ragged.
Tears fall.

But Marina—

She reaches out.

Hands weak.
Bloody.
Shaking.

And she—

ties my hand with Alex’s.

Using her own scarf.

“Y-you two… were always… meant to be… together…”

Her eyes flicker.

Alex leans in—voice trembling.

“Marina… mengucap…”

She smiles weakly—
And softly begins reciting her final prayer.

Tears spill down Alex’s face.
My heart shatters.

Then Faiz—
Coughing blood—smiling through it all.

“Hey… don’t forget us… okay?”

And then—

Silence.

Natalie (Present Day Narrating)

That was the day I saw the real Alex—
The broken child hiding inside the fighter.
The protector who never learned how to cry for help.
And it was the day I promised—
I would never let him carry everything alone ever again.

Alex side -

Weeks later…

The world has moved forward.
But not me.

Not yet.

We lost them.
Marina.
Faiz.
Our friends… our family.

Gone.

The funeral feels like a distant blur now.
Cold wind. Heavy rain.
Muffled prayers under black umbrellas.
I held Nat’s hand. She held mine.
We were numb—until the moment they lowered the coffins into the soil.

That was when it shattered.
My knees gave out.
And Natalie caught me.

The bodies were flown home to Malaysia.
Buried in their hometowns with full rites.
Their parents… their siblings… wept with us.

The news spread like wildfire.
The cult had already reached Malaysia.

And the fallout was immediate.

The Malaysian authorities—together with international intelligence—declared the movement a dangerous extremist cell.
Raids happened. Arrests made. Entire networks dismantled overnight.
But it was too late.

Nothing would bring Faiz or Marina back.

Wan?

Word got to me through Mom and Elder Muzzafar.
He lost it.

They said he went completely mad after realizing what he did.

He was sent back to Malaysia with his parents—
But never made it to the hospital.

He committed suicide.

Threw himself off a coastal cliff.

Nothing but a suicide note found in the pocket of his school uniform.

It said:

"Forgive me, I can still hear her voice."
"She said ‘why?’… And I didn’t have the answer.”

...

Sharil, the fake Ustaz?

The Malaysian government stripped his citizenship.
The Americans didn’t hesitate.

He’s now locked up in a federal maximum security facility, labeled as a domestic terrorist and spiritual manipulator.
He won’t ever walk free again.

The boys who were lured into the cult?

Most are just like us.
Victims.

They’ve been placed into rehabilitation programs.
Elder Muzzafar and even some community leaders stepped in to mentor and counsel them.

But me?

I still wake up hearing Faiz’s voice—
Still see Marina’s hand trying to tie mine and Natalie’s.

...

The present — Grand Canyon Rim

Mom’s on the far side of the ridge—surveying the strata layers for her geology research.

I’m here…
Just staring at the endless horizon.

I don’t know what I’m looking for.

Peace, maybe.
Closure, maybe.
…Forgiveness?

Then I feel a gentle tug on my sleeve.

“Hey…” Natalie’s voice. Quiet. Soft like snow.
“Let’s sit here for a while…”

I nod.

We sit—shoulders touching.

The wind is cold.
But she’s warm beside me.

We don’t speak for a moment.

Only the rustling wind, the faint cry of a hawk soaring above the canyon.
And my heart—still heavy.

Still unsure.

“Alex…” she whispers, staring out at the sky.

“Yeah?”

“You blame yourself, don’t you?”

I don’t answer.

She grabs my hand—firm, not letting go.

“You don’t have to say it. I already know.”

I clench my jaw.

My voice trembles.

“I… I was right there, Nat. I could’ve stopped it. I should’ve…”

She leans her head on my shoulder.

“Sometimes… things break no matter how tight we hold on to them.”

Her voice quivers, but she continues.

“Faiz… Marina… they didn’t die in vain. You saved others. You broke the chain. If you weren’t there—more girls… more boys… it would’ve continued.”

“But—”

“No ‘but.’”
She looks up at me, eyes shimmering.

“You’re not a monster, Alex. You’re human. A human who protected others with everything he had.”

Silence again.

I shut my eyes.

And for the first time since that night…

I cry.

Quietly.

Not out of rage.
But because for once… I allow myself to mourn.

Natalie doesn’t say a word.

She just holds me.

And I finally let go.

Natalie Side -

The wind howls softly across the canyon rim, brushing our faces with its chilly breath.

Alex’s hand is gripping mine.

But it’s trembling.

He won’t look at me.

Then—

He suddenly pulls me into a tight embrace.

Like he’s falling and I’m the only thing he can hold onto.

His voice cracks.

“I’m scared…”

That’s all he says at first.

Just two words, broken by the weight of everything he's been carrying.

“…Alex?”

I gently pull back, trying to see his eyes—but he tightens the hug.

“I’m scared… if anything happened to you…”

He says it like it’s already happening.
Like he’s already lost me too.

His arms tremble around me.
His heartbeat—erratic, desperate.

The guilt, the grief…
It’s suffocating him.

“Alex,” I whisper.

I pull away and place my hands on both sides of his face. His eyes are filled with sorrow, fear… and a kind of loneliness I’ve known for so long.

I can’t watch him destroy himself anymore.

So…

I decide.

Right now.

Right here.

No more hesitating.

I lean in—and softly press my lips to his.

No fireworks.
No slow-motion movie music.
Just sincerity.

A promise.

A lifeline.

A kiss that says: I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.

His body stiffens—
But then I feel it.

He melts into it.
His hand gently holds my back.
His forehead leans into mine as our lips part.

We open our eyes—his gaze is wet, full of disbelief.

“Nat…”

His voice breaks again.

Tears spill down his cheeks.

I can’t stop mine either.

“Alex…”

We fall into each other’s arms, sobbing—not from pain anymore.
But from release.

From knowing we’re not alone.

From finally letting go.

From finally choosing to move forward.

A tiny voice interrupts us.

“bo…si…?”

Hana.

She’s hugging our legs, confused but smiling shyly.

Alex sniffs, chuckles through the tears, and kneels to pick her up with one arm. I rest my head on his shoulder, and Hana leans into both of us.

Just like that—

The three of us stay there, watching the sun dip beneath the red cliffs.

It’s not the end.

But maybe…

It’s the beginning of something new.

Alex – Present Day

Time passes.

Seasons come and go like a quiet breath on the wind.

And at long last…
I accept it.

I finally open the door I kept sealed for years.

Frederica…

I’m sorry.

I couldn’t save you.

I was weak. I was late.

But…

I know now—

Even if I carry your memory in my blood,
Even if your name will always echo in my heart—

Natalie…

She's the one I want to walk forward with.

No matter how painful the road.
No matter what the world throws at me.
No matter the guilt I’ll always carry.

I made my choice.

Natalie is the one for me.

She’s not a replacement.
She’s not a distraction.
She’s my equal… my partner… my home.

Natalie – Present Day

Alex…

You became a part of me.

My other half.
The stillness to my storm.
The storm to my silence.

There’s no version of me anymore that doesn’t include you.

Everything we’ve gone through—
Every wound, every tear, every smile…

It all shaped us into what we are today.

What Marina and Faiz sacrificed…

It wasn’t in vain.

We live for them now.
And I will never forget them.
Not even for a second.

Sometimes…

When I look at Mariam…
That fiery gaze, that unwavering courage…

I see her.

I see Marina.

And I wonder—
Is it fate?

When I first met Mariam in New York, I thought it was coincidence.

But the more I knew her…

…the more I felt Marina’s soul watching through her eyes.

As if something divine sent her to remind me…

That love never truly dies.

And maybe that’s why…
She became my closest friend.

Alex – Present Day

Mariam and Amin…

When I see the two of them standing side by side—fierce, loyal, unshaken—

I see Faiz and Marina in their place.

Not the same people.
But the same soul.

It’s like they carry a flame passed down through the people we lost.

And sometimes I wonder...

Is this Allah’s mercy?

Is this how He helps us carry the weight?
By giving us echoes of what we lost—
So we can find hope again?

Maybe.

Because when I look at Natalie…

And she looks at me with that same fiery, stubborn heart…

I wonder if we deserve it.

This second chance.

This peace.

This love.

Our life moves forward.

Just like that… we’re suddenly middle school students.
It’s a new year, a new classroom… but the same story.
Same me. Same Natalie.

We sit near each other this time.
She glances at me like she’s checking the pressure of a time bomb—making sure I don’t explode again.
She's subtle about it, but I notice.
And for a while, yeah… I thought things might finally calm down.

But then he arrived.

A new student. Vietnamese-American. Born here.
Loud. Confident.
One of those kids who walks like he owns the hallway on day one.
Another rodeo.

Another test.

I ignore him at first. That’s my rule now.
Don’t react. Don’t give anyone a reason.
But the moment he starts mouthing off, pushing buttons, testing limits…
I feel the itch again. That fire I buried deep.
My jaw tightens. My fist curls under the desk.

Natalie notices.
She leans over slightly, brushing her arm against mine.

"Don’t," she whispers.
Just one word—but somehow, it calms me.
Her voice—soft, grounded—pulls me back.

It’s her way of protecting me from myself.
She always does that now.
Like she promised she would.

I nod. Just barely.
I try to stay quiet.
I try.

But then—

That day.
The day my father shows up again.

Never forget that day how he has become

I want to believe he’s changed.
But deep down, I already know.

He didn’t come back to heal.
He came back to control.

That night… everything falls apart again.

In how…

I met Darrel and Damien…

In how my body that is filled with scar become…

Los Angeles.
The streets don’t sleep. The cold feels different.
I’m wearing a hoodie that covers more scars than just physical ones.

I become a monster

Maybe they’re right.

Borneo-Sigma Event Hall, 2001 – Night

The music from the event is low in the background.
Somewhere nearby, people are laughing and taking pictures.
But I’m not with them.
I’m sitting behind a speaker setup, phone pressed to my ear.

Her voice comes through—quiet, nostalgic.

"Hey, Alex…"

"Yeah?"

A pause.

"I was thinking about them… Marina… Faiz..."

Her voice cracks. I close my eyes.

"Yeah…" I whisper, "I know. They're still with me, Nat. Every single day."

I can hear her trying not to cry.
And just like that, the ache hits me again too.

The people we lost.
The promises we couldn’t keep.

"Please," she says, "don’t disappear again. I can’t lose you too."

"I’m here," I say.
And I mean it.
Even if I feel like I’m slipping again, even if I don’t trust myself sometimes…

"I’m not going anywhere, Natalie."

A silence follows. Not awkward—just full.

"Thanks, Alex…" she murmurs.
"Thanks for not giving up."

"Thanks for not letting me."

She chuckles a little. That gentle kind.
The one that feels like home.

"Love ya."

I freeze.
She said it so casually—but my heart skips anyway.

Then she adds, with that teasing edge—

"Just… have fun, okay? But just fun. Nothing else. Got it?"

There it is.
That jealous undertone. She tries to sound playful, but I know her too well.

"Yeah, yeah… fine."

We hang up.

And I sit there, holding the phone to my chest, feeling her warmth linger like sunlight through a stormcloud.

Narration – Alex (to himself):
I don’t know what I’ve become.
But she…
She’s still my light.

And maybe that’s the only reason I haven’t been completely swallowed by the dark.

End Chapter