Twenty-Nine
A light breeze brushed against Scarlett’s skin as she stared out at the rising sun. Hues of orange, yellow, and red colored the sky as it gave way to the day ahead. She closed her eyes and soaked in the rays of warmth.
Her nose flared and she ground her teeth as she tried to hold in the tears that wanted to break free.
She hadn’t visited her favorite spot since the day after she entered Ever Realm.
When things were alright.
When her father was still alive.
When Jenna was a trustful person.
A tear slipped its way out as another followed with each thought. Her heart ached for those she’s lost and a sob wrenched out from her chest.
Scarlett fell to her knees and lowered her head to the ground. Not only weakened by not having been to Earth in days, but by the trauma she’s experienced.
She missed them so much. Her father and even Jenna… because no matter what, at the end of the day, she was her big sister. Scarlett needed to be strong for her mother and the emotions she’d shoved to the side rustled restlessly. They’d begun to eat her from the inside and she simply ignored them. The matter at hand was more important.
Pressure built behind her eyes as she hugged herself. Slowly lifting her head, Scarlett gazed at the sun through blurry eyes. It’s risen into a full circle directly before her and she lightly smiled at its beauty.
‘I’ll be okay.’
She threw her head back and let out a light laugh. “How did I get here?”
A weight settled over her chest as she closed her eyes once more. She’d make it through, they all would, one way or another. They had too.
Her mother had forced Scarlett to take a breather and go back to Earth. She reminded Scarlett that if she stayed away for too long, her body would perish itself. An empty vessel.
Scarlett took a deep breath as she wiped her eyes and rubbed her face. With the number of tears she’s cried, she was surprised she even had more. Scarlett's light movements turned vigorous as she tried to rid herself of the spilling tears.
“Keep going at that rate and you’ll rub your face off.”
Scarlett froze at the familiarity of the voice. She slowly turned her head to find Cain leaning against a tree with his arms crossed. He wore the same blacked-out business suit and fancy shoes she’d first seen him in. She met his gray eyes and knew her brown ones were red and puffy.
“Go away, Cain.” She weakly said as she turned back around and closed her eyes.
After finding out he was not only Raxon’s brother but Edgar’s son, her mother had a lot of persuading to do. Cher knew that if they were to ally with the Dreammares, they’d need their leader to be accepted. However, she couldn’t do so without completely confiding in the fact that she could trust Cain. Everyone was kicked out of the room, including Scarlett and she didn’t know what was said but they both came out of the room serious as ever. The Officials had been invited in while Scarlett was not, that’s when Cher insisted she go back to Earth.
No movement was heard and Scarlett turned to find Cain still leaning against the tree. He was staring at the sunset and its colors perfectly made his pale skin glow with a tan. His eyes sparkled as they took it all in.
“Beautiful isn’t it?” Scarlett shifted her legs and sat crisscross on the cool grass. She kept her eyes on the view but her body thrilled as she felt Cain walk closer until he sat beside her. His legs were stretched out and her gaze slowly trailed down their long length.
Scarlett snapped her eyes back to the view and lowered her shoulders. “It’s saddening, how something so beautiful comes to an end so soon. But beauty can’t be forgotten, it must be cherished because it will soon rise again.” Her throat tightened as she paused.
“I’m waiting for it to rise again,” Scarlett whispered into the air. She didn’t know why she was opening herself.
‘What’s there to lose anymore?’
A tear escaped Scarlett’s eye and she reached up to wipe it away when a hand beat her to it. Scarlett froze as her body came to attention. She slightly turned her head to Cain and met his ignited eyes. His hand was raised and lightly grazed her cheek to wipe the tear away. Scarlett’s breath hitched and her heart skittered as sparks sprung from his touch.
Every inch of her craved him. They’d been denying something that strongly wished to break free. Cain gazed into Scarlett’s widened brown eyes. So much hurt and pain resided within.
“It will.” Cain murmured as he dropped his hand and returned his eyes to the view.
Silence befell them and Scarlett closed hers to soak in the sun’s rays.
She heard Cain’s chest rise heavily before he spoke.
“My father was a cruel bastard.”
Scarlett’s mouth parted as the shock heightened her hearing to make sure she heard correctly.
He kept himself facing forward and Scarlett didn’t make any move to comment. She wanted him to continue and say as he wished.
“He was a High Nightmare with not a single noticeable default. Unlike the lowly Nightmares whose ugliness was seen, my father’s lied within his soul; the blackness that crawled within his veins.” Cain’s eyes hardened as bitterness filled his mouth. “My mother was a Dreamer, young and naïve, who fell for my father without knowing what he truly was. She’d cut off ties with her family for him and it wasn’t until she was trapped by pregnancy, did he show his true colors.”
Scarlett could feel the anger that began to course through Cain.
“He killed her after she birthed him two sons,” Cain let out a pained and dry laugh. “She simply wasn’t needed anymore. He was a cold-blooded monster with no fucking feelings. Except for his sons, of course. He poisoned the thoughts of my brother and Raxon ate up every word fed to him. He relished in the torture. Father attempted to do the same to me, but I had more of my mother in me.”
Scarlett listened as her heart tugged. She didn’t know what to do and let him be when a thought came to her mind.
“If you were born in Ever Realm, how are you able to come here?”
“My father was the highest level of Nightmare, able to pass between both Realms unlike any other. Mixed with the fact that my mother was a Dreamer, it allowed me to be able to come and go as I please.” Cain paused and glanced at Scarlett out of the corner of his eye.
“My brother despised me because I wouldn’t join him by his side. When I left, he resided to hunting down every Dreammare and trying to get his hands on me. That’s when the Refuge came to be. I haven’t seen him since and wouldn’t want to either.”
Scarlett stayed silent and looked towards the rising sun. It was barely reaching the edge of the sky and illuminated everything it touched. The heat warmed her skin even though their topic chilled her blood.
“When I was little, I’d get my sister in trouble for things I did.” Cain slowly turned his head to Scarlett. She simply stared and bit her lip wishing she’d kept her mouth shut.
The corner of Cain’s lips twitched before a smile broke out across his face. His laugh filled the air and Scarlett’s eyes widened. A warm, fuzzy feeling fell upon her body as she stared at Cain. A small smile of her own showed through before she joined in the laughter. His smile was as beautiful as she’d imagined it. Since knowing him, he hadn’t once smiled.