Chereads / Forge of Shadows / Chapter 34 - Who?

Chapter 34 - Who?

"Huh? Where am I?" Orion asked, looking at the entirety of his all-white surrounding. "What the hell?"

"Niv!" He quickly turned, looking at the boy with a cut across his ear and to the left of his light blue eyes, smiling brightly at him. "What's wrong?"

Orion stared at him, body trembling as he took one step back and then another.

"Niv?"

"Orion?" He asked, fingers trembling.

"Of course you idiot." The boy laughed. "Who else would it be? Why are you just standing there? You look like you saw a ghost."

"Huh?" Orion thought, looking around him as the white dispersed slightly. Below him is a vast expanse of snow as far as the eye can see.

Buildings began to appear around them and some other people as well.

Turning to his right, he noticed the run-down building.

No. Wait ... I escaped, didn't I? I thought I did. Huh? Where is this now?

"Niv!" The boy shouted, waving a hand in front of his face. "Why do you keep spacing out today?"

"Orion!" He shouted, grabbing the boy's shoulders and began shaking him. "Punch me."

"Huh?" The boy looked at him like he just said that he grew wings. "What are you on about-?"

"Punch me!" He shouted, pushing the other boy into the snow.

"Fine!" The other boy shouted, rushing to him as the dull ache of his fist connected to his cheeks, sending him tumbling to the cold snow.

"Cold!" Orion shouted, standing back up as the other boy began to laugh his heart out, falling into the snow again. "What are you laughing for?"

"You are such a dumbass!" The boy shouted, wiping tears from his face.

"A kid like you shouldn't be saying words like that," Orion said, crossing his arms over his chest but a happy smile is still very evident on his face.

"Hey! I am four months older than you." The other boy said, grabbing a handful of snow and threw it at Orion, running away from him. "Respect your elders, idiot!"

As the cold ball of snow crashed into his face, Orion felt himself fall to the ground again.

But this time, instead of falling into the snow, he continued to fall down with no sign of it ever stopping.

"Come on, Niv!"

"Orion!"

_____________________

Orion gasped to life, looking around him like he was trying to determine where he was. His heart drumming against his chest as he noticed the back of a chair right in front of him.

What?

A hand pulled him from the back as he finally noticed the way the car was saying and turning.

What the hell?

The hand jerked him to the seat, him making eye contact with the boy from earlier. His blond hair stained with blood and blue eyes looking intently at him.

Orion?

"Oh, you're awake?" He asked as the two got thrown to the door from the impact. "Ow."

"Sorry." He quickly pushed himself off the young man as the car turned again, almost lunging them to the other side again. "What the hell is happening?"

"Oh? Orion? Awake?" Issac asked, looking back at him from the front seat.

"Issac?! What are you doing here?" He asked, absolutely confused about the situation he is in.

"Hmmm," Issac mumbled as they were thrown in the other direction again.

"What?!" Orion shouted trying to steady himself as the man beside him began fumbling with the seatbelt. "Issac?"

"You're so loud." The man sighed, covering his ears. "But it seems that your memories are a little … spaced out."

"What is the last thing you remembered?" The younger man asked, finally getting the seatbelt to do its job.

"Hm?" Orion tried to think as he felt the take another sharp turn, throwing him to the car door again. "How the hell am I supposed to think like this?!"

"Wear your seatbelt then," Soren said, looking at him from the wheel. "You can think later. We are running into some problems."

"And that is?" Orion asked, putting on his seatbelt. As calmly as he could.

"They found us."

"Who?"

_________________

"How did they know to come after us?" Soren asked, changing the gears of the car and completely ignoring Orion.

"Beats me," Issac said, looking at Jadin from the corner of his eyes. "Any ideas, Jadin?"

The younger man, sat there fiddling with the strap as he stared out at the vast expanse of fields and forests.

"Are we in the outskirts of the city?!?" Orion shouted, staring at the trees as a bullet whizzed past them. "What is going on?!"

"We … we weren't careful." Jadin finally spoke as Issac turned to them. "I am sure there are triggers in the buildings they attacked. Especially the one where we found the body in."

"Triggers?" Orion asked, frowning. "Do you mean one of us has a tracer on them? Just from entering a building?!"

"I liked it better when you are unconscious." Issac groaned, pressing his temples.

"What?"

"Sh." He held his finger up. "I am trying to think here."

"We cannot outrun them forever, Issac," Soren said, looking at the mirror and seeing the single vehicle that is pursuing them relentlessly. "What do we do?"

"Do you know that division they might be, Jadin?" Issac asked, looking at the young man staring blankly at the expanse. "Jadin?"

"They … they will see me as a traitor now … wouldn't they?" Jadin asked, looking at Issac with his brows furrowed. "I … how will I face him?"

"That man from the vision?" Issac asked, raising his eyebrow at him.

"Yeah. He ... I used to be a petty thief in the underground world." Jadin said, fiddling with his fingers. "I am only able to make it this far because he picked me up and gave me a new life."

"Is a man like that someone you wish to follow?" Issac asked as the young man's eyes widened.

The two knew exactly what he was talking about as the younger man buried his face in his hands. "I … I don't know what to think. This is too much happening in just one day. I …"

The car fell silent as Issac turned away from the boy, watching the vehicle relentlessly tried to catch up to them.

What do I do?

We were just throwing those cops off our track, and suddenly we are chased by these people. I should have taken care of them as well.

Back in the building. But I didn't know that two jeeps already left by the time I got there. Now they are the ones chasing us.

If I don't do something, everyone here is going to die.

I guess there is no helping it. I have t-

___________________

"I don't know what you are talking about." Orion was the one to break the silence as he stared at the younger man looking up at him blankly. "But I say do what you think is right. Life is too short to sit by wondering if you should have done something or not."

"And if the decision I make turns into a mistake?" Jadin asked, hands trembling.

Orion shrugged, "Well, you learn a lesson from it then. Kids these days, always trying to put so much emphasis on one thing and when one thing doesn't work out, they act like their entire life is over.

"Listen here, your life is not over until you die and even then, you still live on in the hearts of your loved ones." Orion paused, seeing the confused look on the boy's face. "What I am trying to say is this.

"First weigh the odds and then make a decision. Something you are sure you will not regret because you thought it through so thoroughly." Orion explained staring out the window as the car continued to turn, scratching against the thicket at the side of the road.

"And, even if you come to regret it in the end, know that it is not over yet. Simple enough for you to understand?"

"… not really," Jadin said sheepishly.

"Did you really make me waste all my words, for nothing?" Orion groaned, leaning back against the seat of the car.

"I remembered something though." The boy said, smiling brightly. "Thank you, Orion."

"Whatever kid," He said, quickly turning away from him as the boy in his memories came back suddenly. Who is that now?

__________________

"Made a decision?" Issac asked, looking at Jadin's still confused expression.

"No." He said firmly. "But … I think I should confront them still. If we could reach some kind of truce. We could work together or something like that."

"Ambitious," Issac mumbled, staring at the vehicle getting even closer and then at Soren's stressed face, hands clutching the wheel tightly. "Alright. I'll help you."

"W-what?"

"Issac." Soren began but Issac patted him on the shoulder. "Stop the car in that corner. Jadin, get ready to jump off."

"W-what?" Jadin asked, grabbing the car door and removing his seat belt. "O-ok."

"Issac."

"Take care of Soren, Orion," Issac said, holding the bundle in his arms tighter. "I am leaving him to you."

"You better come back in one piece," Orion said, frowning at him.

"Of course," Issac said as they began to turn a corner. "Get ready!"

"ISSAC!"

"You even slow the car down and I will not talk to you again." Issac turned to Soren, frowning at him. "Jadin go!"

The car doors opened and slammed shut as the car sped away, the persuing car stopping just inches from Jadin's face.