A Tale Beyond Destiny

Chapter 9: Worry (Caleb)

As I was lost with my own thoughts, I did not realize that Caliana had already run away from me, not until it was too late. I just realized it when I heard her hurried footsteps as if she wanted to get out of this place, out my house, and I feared to say that she also wanted to get out of my life. She wanted to run away into my life as if she was too afraid that I would hurt her, physically, emotionally, and mentally.

Though I never intended to do that. I never wanted to hurt her. Even more so, I wanted the best for her. I wanted her to be as free as she wanted to be. I wanted her to do everything that she liked to do, but she had never done in the past because of some circumstances. Circumstances that I think that her parents were involved in.

I let out a sigh as I shouted her name, but it was far too late because I heard the door of my house closed with a loud bang. That made me clench my fist as I started to blame myself, because really, who should I blame if not myself? After all, I knew that I was the one who triggered all her fears. I was the one who made her push herself out of her comfort zone, even if I did not intend to do it.

“D*mn you, Caleb. Really? You really have the guts to go on your way and mess things up with her.” I started to curse at myself as I quickly moved around my house to get a coat so that I would be able to follow Caliana outside.

I was still wearing my pajamas and my sleeping shirt, and I knew that it was too cold outside if I could just go out without anything that could protect me from the breeze. Then, I immediately went to the entrance of my house to get something to wear on my feet, but I cursed again when I realized that the slippers and the shoes on the rack were complete, and it only meant one thing: that Caliana did not wear anything on her feet.

It seemed as if she was too distracted that she never paid any attention to her surroundings, not even to herself, and that resulted in this kind of thing. It made me worry even more, and I did not like the idea of what was happening to her as of that moment. I did not like the idea of her getting too distracted to the point that something like this had happened.

I started cursing myself once again, because again, I was the only one who needed to be blamed for what had been happening to her. I was the only one who caused her to get too distracted, to the point that she decided to go out of my home and go as far away as she could from me.

I closed my eyes as I let out an irritated sigh, before I finally grabbed one of the shoes that I bought for her days ago, then I went out of my way to find her outside of the building. I first checked the whole floor first, to see if she was just around the corner, but sadly, I could not find her anywhere.

I let out a sigh once again as I moved to go down to the ground floor, praying that she was there because I did not know what to do anymore. My mind and my heart started to panic, but I was trying my best to stay as calm as I could because I knew that if I would worry even more, I would not be able to think straight. And that was a big no, because I would not be able to find Caliana on time.

In no time, I found myself looking around the ground floor, not caring about the people who were looking at me as if I was a weird person, but still, there was not a hint that she was just there. It was as if time had passed by and she was already running outside of the building.

I cursed once again as I put both of my hands on my hips as I realized something; “Caliana was still not familiar with the whole place,” I mumbled to myself as I started to stride out of the building to look for her.

It might be the first time that I ever hurried outside of my condominium building. It was the very first time that I ever walked without even giving any single care about the people around me, because all I wanted to do was to find Caliana as fast as I could, and I hoped that she did not get that far from the building because I really knew that she would get lost if that was the case.

“I hope she is fine,” I mumbled to myself, almost a prayer, because of the worry that I was feeling.

I could not help but to think of so many negative thoughts, even though that was clearly not healthy as of the moment, and I could not help but to think of so many what ifs, and it was all because of her.

I wanted her to be safe, even though it may sound so absurd, because she was just gone for a few minutes, and even though it was morning and there were many people who were already preparing for the day.

I could not shake off the thought that something, or rather someone, might take advantage of her, and it was also given that she was not accustomed to the things around this place and she was naive about too many things. Someone might do something to her, and I did not know what I could do if that would really happen to her.

Do not get me wrong. As I have said earlier, it was morning, and this place was really safe for everyone to live in, but we could not be that so sure. After all, many people were planning something for us that we did not even know, and it might be the end and our downfall; just like what that person had done to me and my family in that past.

I blinked as I shook off that thought inside of my head. I needed to focus. I needed to find Caliana so that I would be able to remove these thoughts inside of my head. I needed to make sure that she was just alright and unharmed. Above it all, I needed to apologize to her because I knew that I was the one who was responsible for what had happened to her.

I clenched my fist once again as I started to move and look around the place. I did not pay any attention to the stares of the people around me any longer, because all I had in my mind was to find Caliana and to make sure that she was safe, and that I needed to persuade her that she should return with me to my house, because somehow, I think that she did not want to be around me anymore and I certainly did not like that idea.

I started to move as I looked around the place that I thought that Caliana would be, but sadly, there was no hint that she was there. I even checked almost all of the shops that were around the place, but I never saw her inside. It was as if she did not even consider going to that place, and I was just an assuming b*stard who did know where I should start finding her.

I have looked around the place for almost thirty minutes now. My feet had already started to ache but I did not stop. I did not want to, because I was so determined on finding her. I even promised myself that I would not take a break, not until I found her, safe and sound. I promised that I would not stop, not until I was sure that Caliana was the one in front of me.

With that in my mind, I started to look around the place again, but another thirty minutes had passed, I had not seen Caliana yet. I even asked the people that I had crossed with, but they also did not know where she was, even though I had already described her features.

I was about to return to the building, thinking that Caliana might just be around the corner and I just missed her, but then, the park that was near to my condominium building caught my eye, and I thought that Caliana might be inside.

I did not consider it earlier, but as of that moment, I remembered how much she adored the park when we first met, and I thought that there would be a high chance that she was indeed inside, and I almost cursed at myself because I never thought of that.

And so, I decided to go inside of that park. I even took a deep breath as I prepared myself, because somehow, I knew that Caliana was inside. I even started to think of the lines that I should tell her, the apology that I knew I needed to say to her, but the moment that I went to the side of the river, all of those statements were suddenly gone as I became so awestruck with the person in front of me.

It was Caliana, and she was staring up at the sky wearing the most beautiful expression that I had ever seen in my life.