It's been a while since Noah left. But Joe and Kaelin was still sitting in the drawing room, lost in their thoughts. Kaelin was thinking about his grandma's last words, while Joe was thinking about Noah.
What did that boy wanted to tell them! What was there inside the forest! Will they really be able to find out the truth tonight!
Or, it's just a... Trap!
Joe was constantly thinking about all these. The more he thought, the more the suspicions grew. Were they doing right! Was it really safe to go into the woods!
Suddenly, he looked at the clock. About an hour was left before midnight. He looked at Kaelin, who was still lost. In a moment he decided what to do.
They didn't know if it was really worth going or it was a trap, but he decided to take the risk. He had to find out the truth, and there was no way other than that.
He looked at Kaelin.
"Kae, go, get ready. We have to leave, not much time left."
Kaelin turned hid head towards him.
"Not we. I'm going alone."
"What!"
Joe asked i surprised.
"Yes. All these things are related to me. After thinking a lot, I understood that those beasts came yesterday only for me. I was their target, but because of Granny's interruption, they attacked her."
He stopped for a while.
"Yesterday, so many people's lives were gone... Just because of me. Granny died in my arms, in front of my eyes, but I couldn't do anything but see her to die. I'm weak Joe, I'm just nothing. I've already lost Granny, but I can't afford to lose you. I can't drag you in this mess. So, I'll go alone today. Whatever happens, will happen with me. I'm not able to protect anyone, so I also don't want you to get harmed just because you want to protect me."
He stopped. Tears accumulated in the corners of his eyes. Joe looked at him for a while, then smiled a little.
"And you think, I'll listen to you!"
"Joe, pl-"
"Shut up and get ready. I'm going with you, and that's final."
"But-"
"Kae, she was my grandma, too! She had always treated me as her own grandchild, she had never let me feel like an outsider. I was an orphan. Before you both came in this village, I was not so different from a dg astray. People used to sympathize me, but no one ever loved me! Every year, on my birthday I used to cry alone in my room, praying to God to send someone in my life whom I could call my own. God fulfilled my wish, he sent her in my life. After you settled here, I never cried anymore. I knew, I have someone now."
"You know Kaelin, the day you came in this village, the day you held my finger with your hands, I promised myself, to protect you, to be by your side for the rest of my life. And today when she's gone, I can't break my promise. I don't want to, and I won't. I'll always be by your side, till my last breath. I'll never let you face anything alone. Whatever comes in our way, we'll face together."
Joe stopped. He took a deep breath, the walked towards Kaelin, standing in front of him.
"And one more thing.. Don't think yourself weak Kae. Don't think that you are nothing. You're special Kae, you are definitely something. Otherwise, why would grandma risk her own life just to save you! If you were nothing, why would she hide in this village disguised as normal human for so many years, when definitely she had some superpowers! She wanted to protect you. Remember her last words, what she told! She told you to find your true self, and I'm sure that is something special. Like Granny, you are also special Kae. You also have a different identity. it's just that you don't know yourself. And for that, we have to find out what's behind the veil.
So never doubt yourself Kae. Always remember, you are special. Even if you are really weak, still you are special, you are special to me. Even if the the world turns back, I'll always be with you. I'll be with you, no matter what."
Kaelin couldn't utter a single word. He felt like suddenly, his voice had disappeared from his throat, and the dictionary disappeared from his brain. He fell short of words. Emotions captured him all over.
Suddenly he realized, he was not alone. There was still a person who he could count on, a person who still loved him, cared for him. He felt blessed to have Joe in his life.
He hugged him tight. Tears falling from his eyes, but he didn't try to stop them. Joe hugged him back, he felt what Kaelin was thinking. Why wouldn't he! After all, he was the one who understood him the most.
"Come on, stop crying like a baby, go and get ready. You have already wasted fifteen minutes."
Joe teased him. Kaelin slapped his back, ten went towards is room. Joe smiled after his figure disappeared behind the closed door. Suddenly, the atmosphere in the house felt a little lighter.
After a while, they stepped out of Kaelin's house. The whole village was silent, there was no one on the streets. They strolled through the road which led to the forest. A pent-up excitement and fear was slowly bubbling up inside them. They didn't know what was going to happen, so they wanted to be prepared for the possible scenarios.
They reached at the end of Kateris. Over the fenced boundaries, something was waiting for them, something unknown!
They looked at each other. As the clock struck twelve, the clock chimed in the Village Square. The moment the sound of the bell was heard, they took a step back, and jumped!
Like the last time, they crossed the fence. Joe held Kaelin's hand tightly, and took steps forward. They didn't know, as they stepped into the forest, a thin layer of smoke left Noah's body and disappeared in the air.