FORSAKEN KID: But He's Dead (unfinalized)

“As long as YOU didn't tell him.” Marina clarifies.

“Well, genius, I wouldn't be asking because if I told him, I’d know he knows!”

“That's great, then…” Ialan goes to make himself a cup of milk. Marina and David sat at the dining table to rest.

“Why didn't you register me in your circle?” David asks, his voice emphasizing he's full of her shit.

“Look, man, it slipped off my mind. It's just this once! My head is always thinking, y'know. Clustered. …And why don't you know about it? weren't you working for the head?”

“I’m friendless, the fuck am I supposed to know clusters go in ‘circles’.”

“...”, “...” silence for a while. This is so ridiculous they chuckling. Making Ialan also smile a bit.

“I do hope they don't revoke all our hard work. I really need that cash,” David worried.

“Do not fret, boy. Revoked or not, I'll still pay you your share,” Marina stands up, “Well, care for some dinner? You might want to clean yourselves up while I cook.”

After a comfortable dinner. David stands outside the house, staring at the cloudy night sky. “Looks like rain.”

“I’m sure it won't,” Marina says as she comes and leans on the door frame.

“Bet.”

“You don't wanna. I’m a 100% accurate weather forecast. Don't bet against the real deal.”

“Wind’s whispers, huh.”
“...”

“By the way… I've been curious, but… Where's your other friend? Weren't there three of you?” David couldn't help but ask. 3 years ago, he was approached by Marina’s then-circle, her accompanied by two boys, one being Ialan. “ ‘Emeru’... was it?”

“Ah, I thought you forgot about him.”

“Not a single one from the three of you is forgettable. But really, I’m guessing he's living in a different house, since you and Ialan are family and he's not… but I haven't really seen him.”

Marina tries to let in a few seconds of silence, trying to find a way to twist her words. But she dismissed the thought anyway.

“Don’s dead.”

For a second, David was frozen still. “Oh… I-I’m sorry… for bringing that up. I… didn't know,” David knew she’s a huge bitch, in his eyes was an evil villain. If he was the person before he got to spend these past days with Marina, he probably wouldn't care and would say horrible stuff like “Deserved it”. He hated them. But… is the feeling really still there?

“It’s not like it's your fault, no need to be sorry.”

“No… let me. Sorry—… you lost a friend…” David tries to be aware of her expression, but he only sees a  solemn  face and a smile, and hears a tone that he can't read. He can't tell how she's feeling at the moment.

Marina awkwardly looked away, “Man, you're being weird.”

“Can I ask what happened?”

Marina was dead silent. Her eyes’ glimmer shut down. The words can't leave her mouth. How Emeru died.

Ialan, lying on the rooftop, spoke, “Leave it, David. She's not going to tell you,” his voice softened, a little sadder, “She hasn't even told me, nor anyone. Only she knows…”

A death with no warnings. “You mean…one day, suddenly, he's… dead?”

“Right. Bloody and a mess. Sis almost died herself that day.”

“...Someone killed him and tried to kill her?” Baffling. Someone out there was stronger than the Wind-Blessed Marina and Land-Blessed Emeru? They are practically invincible together… “I didn’t think someone could kill a powerful Element-Blessed Child…”

“Sis never specifically said he was murdered. Like I said, only she knows. We can only guess.”

Marina is just listening to them, mute at the moment.

Ialan continues, “The only one I know who’s capable of killing Emeru is Sis. I can’t imagine another being who can do it.”

David’s voice was stuck for a second from the shock, “...wh–” he turned to Marina, “Did you…”

Ialan replies instead, “I may not know about Sis as much as Emeru did, but I know her well enough that she would never kill Emeru, no matter what. I am sure it was something else…”

Marina finally spoke again, “You can hold your tongue now, Ialan. It’s true. I was the reason Don died… it was my fault. I did kill him.”

David has no words, no idea of what’s really the case.

Ialan sat up to look at Marina from above, “If it was an accident, you can’t blame yourself…! I am not going to ask you to explain to me what really happened that day in detail, you can keep that secret for yourself until you die if you want. But leave something for me. The last dangling piece of Emeru’s memory…”

Marina just stared in the clouds. “Give me a bit more time.”

Ialan jumped down, “Wasting more time when it’s the thing you have very few left, are you?” and went inside. After he shut the sliding wooden door, Marina just couldn’t contain her little bitter laugh.

David felt like he stepped into a serious conversation he’s not supposed to. He prompts to go back as well, he whispers, “I’m sorry…”

“Stay,” Marina said.

“Huh—?”

“Stay. Go back to where you were standing.” He obliged without a word but full of worry. “I haven’t discussed it, right? About earlier, when I asked you to resign and work for me.”

“Yeah… you did say that.”

“What do you think?”

“You said you’ll only have me for a few jobs— you don’t mean one of them is resigning, don’t you–?!”

Marina cracked a smile. The one David can’t read. “Change of heart. And you hate your current job, don’t you? I swear anywhere but there is fun. I’ll give you time to think about it.”

“Why?” David was bothered. 3 years ago, in his eyes, she was living just for fun, toyed and used other “weaklings” just for the ideas in her head no one among the crowd could understand. All her actions were for selfish reasons. So why is she suddenly doing stuff in his favor? Should he really trust her?

Marina did another cackle. “Because I am a very selfish person,” unchanged, “I just do everything I want. I have a list of things I want to do before I die, in fact. Reconciling and knowing more about you was part of it, David.”

Confused, “…I don’t understand…”

“I have 2 years and 5 months left to finish my list.”

“—!” shock, then a brief sadness.

“Haha. Don’t make that face. sigh… get it now? I’m being more selfish than I have ever been because of my limited time~” she says, showing him the colors of her eyes. “You noticed, didn’t you?” Her orange-vermilion eyes, slowly being eaten by boring light grey shades from (her) left to right.

“Yeah… You used to have very vibrant eyes. I kept wondering why they look like that now.”

“It’s the timer. Once they fully turn grey, I’ll be dead.”

“...Is it a curse?”

“My precious curse. It was well crafted… to force a limited lifespan onto someone…” her eyes glimmered with amazement and praise towards the curse that is killing her. “It pretty much confirms to us that our fates are sealed. It’s a really beautiful curse~...”

“......” David was lost for words.

“Emeru’s final gift more me.”

“...!” “You…you mean he’s the reason you’re gonna—”

“Shh.” An index finger on her illegible grin.

“………why…? He’s dead but he’s still killing you…”

“My very best mate poured the last of his life energy to give me this curse,” She blushed and smiled, eyes squinting close, “It’s important to me.”

“...” He really can’t understand her.

…

David prepares the couch he’ll be sleep on. Marina is already asleep. He was left pondering. “Concerned?” Ialan suddenly speaking behind him surprised David and did a little yelp. His presence was too quiet to notice.

“Dude?!”, “My bad. So? Did she tell you anything that's concerning you? I can clarify if you want.”

“...Not that…” David hesitated for a moment. “Have you tried finding a way to dispel the curse?”

“No”, “Why not? Isn’t she important to you?”

“She is. After that incident, I swore to devote my remaining time with her to help her fulfill her wishes. If she wished to find a way out of the curse, I would do my best to aid her. But sister, it seems she loves that curse more than life itself.”

“Really…?”

Ialan turns away, “Of course not. Or…”

“I… Not to be boastful, but I’m a talented Herbal Witch. I want to try and learn about that curse… and find a way to dispel it. Is that alright?”

“...” Ialan walked to his room, never responding. David just laidon the couch, squeezing the bag of the rare sleeping powder she gave him. 12 midnight. “I have to pay them back somehow…”