Lord Shadow

HALF AN HOUR LATER

She was in the living room of Sian house. She is drying her hair with Sina towels. Looking at the house she smiles a bit. It is a modest but beautiful home.

It fit Sina.

‘Tea?’ Sina asked as she comes out from the kitchen bringing a tray of biscuits and small cakes. She slowly put down the tray on the table in the living room.

Sofia nodded

‘That would be great. I had quite a journey to come here’ she said

‘And you can tell me all about it’ Sina said as she went back to the kitchen to brew some tea. Sofia as she finished drying her hair with the towel put it in the hanging rack and started to look around the house.

She saw the stairs that lead to the second floor and she saw the pictures in the walls, the tree on the back of the house, and the swing on the porch.

She smiles a little.

‘It is a nice house’ she said. Sina come out from the kitchen bringing a pot of tea and a few china teacup and nodded

‘It is isn’t it?’ She smiles proudly. Then she added

‘I always wanted a house like this. A small but homely home. A home for a family to come back home to. Though I need to work on the family part. My family keeps on leaving’ as she chuckles.

‘Sorry’ Sofia said apologetically

‘Ah, don’t sweat it’ And Sina looks at Sofia and said

‘So other than trying to get Azief back, what brings you back home?’ Sina said with a teasing smile on her face.

Sofia nearly spurted out the tea and biscuits in her mouth.

‘What do you mean? I’m not coming back for him. I wanted to see you and catch up’

‘Oh, really?’ Sina look at Sofia like she didn’t believe even a word she said.

‘I don’t think I believe you, Soph. You had the face since you enter my house’

‘What face?’

‘My getting-back Azief face’

‘What kind of face is that, huh?’

‘The only face you got’ and Sina chuckles. Sofia blushes.

‘She is with Katarina now’ Sina just shook her head.

‘You know you are my friend. I am always rooting for both of you. From the beginning. If not for you, I might even chase him. He is kind of hot’ And Sina chuckles.

Sofia looks at her and rolls back her eyes.

She knows Sina is just joking. After all Azief was not Sina type.

They might have not talk much these couple of years but Sofia knows what Sina wanted. She wanted a family.

But Sofia also heard that Azief met with Katarina after he went out of her seclusion. She knows this news from one of her contacts that was close to the Broker.

She hates one thing about Azief. That he couldn’t lie. What she said to him before she left was not a lie. And she is hurt

But just like before, she couldn’t imagine a life where she isn’t in his life and where he isn’t in her life.

And the fact that he also loves Katarina breaks her heart. Because, there must be someone in his heart he loves more.

And she just couldn’t accept it if the person he loves more is not her. Because no matter how he said it is equal, she know it is not.

Love is not equal. If anything it is selfish. And anyone who thinks it is no is lying to oneself.

So she left. And yet the moment she left she felt like something in her life went dark.

It was like she lost something very important and she just couldn’t the emptiness she felt in her heart no matter how he tries to fill it back.

It wasn’t until she talks with Will, that she knows she needs to talk to him. She wanted to hold those hands again and dream with him again.

And she knows that is fucked. Because she had hopelessly falling in love him, in an abyss so deep she knows she would never get out of it.

Now, forever and always.

She looks at Sina and then said

‘Katarina is the most beautiful woman in the world’ She takes a deep breath and looking down at the food on the trays she said

‘I can’t compete with that’

Sina laughs.

‘Oh, please. It has always been Azief and Sofia. It has always been you and him. And I know you believe that too.’

Sofia eyes brightened. But she didn’t know what to say.

‘I left. And he didn’t chase me’

Sina smiles and shakes her head

‘Azief has always been little slow and stupid’

‘After he got out of his seclusion he did not seek me’

Sina sighed

‘Like I said, he’s an idiot.’

‘But-‘ Sina couldn’t stand it anymore. She sighed and then she got up from her chair and holds Sofia shoulders

‘Listen. I’m going to say something and this time you need to listen. You know from the moment I saw you both, I know. I know whatever you have would be special. I could see it. And Loki could see it too. It is unfortunate that both of you couldn’t see it’

‘So, Azief is being an idiot and dull like he always is. You always know he is a little slow in the matters of his heart. For such a powerful man, it is a wonder how he could be such timid in front of love. Love is immense and maybe that is why he is afraid. Especially when it is true love. And what you two have together is special. I should know. I watched you two idiots from the beginning. He is always hiding in the darkness in him. And you might not see it but I know you try to pull him out of that darkness. And you failed’ Sofia head droops down.

‘So what if you failed?’ Sina said smiling as she saw Sofia is about to cry and patted her head.

‘You have a lifetime to be together. You have a lifetime of trying to pull him out of that darkness. And surely, someday, you would pull him out of that’

‘How can you be sure?’ Sofia small voice enters Sina ears.

‘Because it is you Soph. Because you might forgot but I didn’t. You are the girl who he risked his life for. Countless of times, regardless of the cost for him. He goes crazy for you each time. You are the girl he just could not let go. Other might not be able to do it. But you can. Because it is you. Because, let’s face it, he did not fall in love with you because of your looks’

‘Hey!’ Sofia hit Sina in her shoulder and Sina chuckles.

‘He fell in love with you because of what you are. Because you are special to him. And I think you know it too. It is why you wanted to return the moment you left. Because you know how special you are to him and that makes him special to you. So, listen to me now. You could sit here in my house, moping on the couch or….you could do something better than that’

Sofia chuckles a bit as she is wiping the tears that is about to falls from her eyes. And then she ask

‘And what is better than that?’ Smiling Sina answers

‘Love. Girl, you go to him and remind him why she fell in love with you. Because I know the first moment you two idiots locked eyes, you will remember it all. Girl, that boy loves you very much. I just don’t think he knows how much. Sometimes, you have to remind them’

Sofia laughs. Her eyes were in tears but she laugh as she buried herself on Sina chest and cried her heart out.

‘I miss this’ She said

Sina caress Sofia hair and close her eyes as she hugs her

‘Welcome home, Soph’ And then smiling with a glint of mischief in her eyes she said

‘I miss all the drama’

Sofia hearing this push Sina away and said

‘Hey!’ But then looking at each other, like they couldn’t hold their smiles, they smile and then they laughed out loud.

Then Sofia started throwing the cakes at Sina and it landed perfectly on her face

‘Oh, this is war’ Sina said as she took cover in the living room, making the tray as her shield. On her hands, is biscuits and chocolate scones.

Sofia went to the kitchen pantry searching for more ammunition.

They throw food at each other for half an hour. The entire house was dirty by the time they were done.

They were sprawled around in the living room, their face and shirts is filled with chocolates and flours.

Sina look at Sofia who was laying beside her and said

‘I miss this’

‘Me too’

Then Sina look at her house and said

‘Let’s not tell this to anyone’ Sofia looks at the fondue sticking on the house walls and ceiling. She smiles and laughed and nodded

After all who would believe that the famous Divine Archer and the Genius Alchemist, respectable figures in the world is throwing cakes at each other, playing like little kids?

Then a liquid chocolate falls on Sina face from the ceiling. Sofia laughs again

Sina however was not upset. Instead she said

‘You do know you have to clean this all with me right?’ And Sofia instantly become silent. And she takes a look at the house again and she sighs

‘Fine’

That day was a happy day for Sina. She met an old friend. She met her family. It was truly happy day for her in a long time.

But outside of Pandemonium dark clouds is coming.

The arrival of the Divine Archer in Pandemonium was reported just a few hours after she arrived.

Her arrival comes at a sensitive time. The President of the World Government is still in Pandemonium.

And the Divine Archer has come back to Pandemonium. To those who don’t know, it would seem like that the Death Monarch is summoning all of his people back.

There is also the suspicious movement of Oreki in the coast of Japan

It looks like the beginning of a war.

On other parts of the world, Sithulran is hiding somewhere when she meets a young man wearing fur clothing that offers her something.

They talks and then they seems to clash with each other sinking an island on Cabo Verde.

While that was happening, the carriage of the Oracle arrived at the Centre Palace. Escorting him in to the Palace was Will the Purple Speedster.

He seems even more powerful and his lightning has a tint of green.

And somewhere in a cave on Pandemonium, a man opens his eyes and his fingers seems to glow with power as he smiles inside the darkness in that cave

‘A lot happened’ that man said before he got up and went outside. Then he flies to the Centre Palace

***

Sina has always been a good friend to Sofia and Azief and have always seen those two as she called it idiots doing stupid things. She knows Azief timidness in matters of love and she had always believes in them. Like Loki said, she is the one that is keeping the family together now.

There si aliitle about Will there, about Sithulran and You Know Who.