The Invisible Mystery

Chapter 42: Always Proud of Him

Just like what Thunder had done the moment that I noticed that he was already at my side, Storm sat beside me, though unlike Thunder, he asked for my permission first, before he finally took a seat beside me when he saw that I slowly nodded my head at him—saying that it was just alright for him to accompany me on that place.

He had this smile on his face, though I could not figure out what kind of smile it was. I could not seem to figure out if it was a happy one or not or if it was only a forced smile, because it seemed like the only one who could understand the emotion that he was feeling at that moment was only himself.

I looked at him, staring straight at his face as though I was trying to figure out what was on his mind, and then, suddenly, I thought something that I did not think before when I saw him—something that I did not know if I had the courage to ask him because I did not like the idea that he would suddenly feel the same pain that I was feeling that moment—if not, more pain than I was feeling that moment.

I did not know how to ask him if he knew… if that was the reason why he was already in that part of the Lost Soul’s Forest—if that was his reason why he suddenly appeared right after his twin had vanished on this world.

I did not know if I had the courage to wipe off that unexplainable smile on his face, but it seemed like I did not have to do that any longer when I heard him say something that I wanted to confirm earlier—that something that I was about to ask him, but did not have any courage to do so.

“I heard everything,” he said to me, as though he had figured out what had been on my mind at that moment. “I even saw everything that had happened earlier.”

It seemed like it was the longest and most unbearable silence that I ever endured in all my life. It seemed like it suffocated me with the thought of how much pain he had felt when he saw his twin right before his eyes, even though they were always together in this life.

“I did not have the courage to go near him though,” he told me once again, as though he really knew what I was about to say next to him at that moment. “Because I thought that I would just get in his way of fulfilling his final wish in this world.”

I felt a pang in my chest as soon as I heard that from him. It felt like I was hurting for him, and that was also the moment that I wondered how much pain he had endured while he was watching his twin for the last time.

I knew it was more than the pain that I felt. I was sure of it, because, after all, I knew that they always had each other’s backs whenever they needed someone to lean on. I knew that they were inseparable. I knew that they were always together, and suddenly, one of them was gone and would not come back in this world any longer.

“I talked to him last night.” I looked at him as soon as I heard that he was still talking to me about his brother. “When he finally found the right time for him to tell me his secret, though I did not know if I could really call it a secret because I already knew about it, right from the start.”

I suddenly remembered what Thunder had said earlier, that Storm knew about everything that he had done for them to continue pursuing their dreams—that Storm knew all along, but also kept it to himself because he did not want him to think that knowing about it would mean that he had to give it up.

He laughed a little as though he had remembered something, but what he had said next did not make me smile at all because it seemed like I felt that pain once again while I was looking at him—because it felt like I was looking at Thunder’s other half, his other self, or maybe should I say his whole definition of that someone he cherished the most in this world.

“I honestly did not know how I should react when he had finally said every single thing that he had been keeping from me.” I heard him let out a sigh as though he still could not believe that this time had come, that moment that he had been waiting for all this time. “I thought that I was already prepared for it, but it seemed like I was only trying to make myself believe that I am indeed ready for it, even though I was not.”

He laughed once again, but it seemed like it was only an empty laugh because it seemed as though, just like me, he was still trying to comprehend what had happened last night up until this time, because he could not believe that everything had happened so fast—that everything had happened right before his own eyes and all he could do was to watch it.

“I think that I was preparing for this day to come…” He tilted his head as though he was taken back to that time when he first found out that his twin had a job so that they would be able to continue their studies. “I always imagined what would happen, but it seemed like it did not help me at all.”

He finally looked at me that time, and that was the moment that I finally saw the emotions that could be seen on his face. That was also the moment that I knew I had to prepare myself, because it seemed like he was mirroring the expression that his twin had earlier—back when we were still talking to one another.

“Because the moment that he finally said that he would confess something to me, I finally realized that nothing could prepare me on that day that I finally heard from him that one thing that he had kept from me in the past.”

He looked away once again, as though he wanted to control the emotion that he was feeling at that moment. It was almost as though he was trying to control himself not to break down, not in front of me that is.

“He told me everything that he wanted to tell me,” he sighed as he looked up at the still dark sky above us. “And I thought I would do the same for him, because I knew he deserved that.”

I could feel that he did not regret anything at all when he started to be honest with his twin, as well as with himself. I could feel that he was even happy with that thought, because they had finally managed to really be honest with one another—without anyone, not even themselves, stopping them from doing so.

“Actually, I think that he deserves more than that.” I saw how he smiled as soon as he finished saying those things. “He deserves everything in this world, because of so many sacrifices he has made for our family, as well as for our friends.”

“You were really so proud of him,” I told him, when I finally had the courage to use my voice without shaking. “I could see that you were always proud of your twin, Thunder.”

He looked at me, as he could not hide the admiration that could be seen in his eyes—that one thing that did not change the whole time that we were talking to one another, as though he knew that until the end, he would always be proud of him… of Thunder, his twin.

“I am, and I do not think that will change,” he said to me, as he tried to widen his smile, even though I could already see unshed tears in his eyes. “Because he is that one person that I will not trade for anything or anyone in this world. Because he had done everything just so I would be able to have a comfortable life in this world.”

The look in my eyes softened when I heard that from him, because just like before, back when we first talked to each other, alone, in this place, I still could tell that nothing had changed in the way he looked at his brother—I could even tell that he admired him even more than before.

I could tell that he became even more proud of him than before, and I must say that it might be because of the talk that they had the night before—I could tell that it was one of the reasons why it felt like he became more proud of him than he ever did before.

“I became even more proud of him, because of the thought that he had finally been able to fulfill his wishes in this world.” I looked at him as I continued to listen to what he was saying to me. “I am proud to think that he was finally able to fulfill everything that he needed to do in this world.”

I could not help but to smile while I was listening to every word that left his mouth. I could not help but to feel the admiration that he had for his brother, because it could be seen on his face—it could be felt in the emotion that he was feeling at that moment.

It did not last though. After all, I saw how his smile dropped as sadness suddenly crept into his eyes as though he had thought of something that had ruined his mood, something that I was trying to figure out not until I finally heard him say something once again—something that I never thought I would ever hear from him because I always thought that he was a very optimistic person.

“I am so proud of him that I did not think I was able to do anything in return,” he whispered, but I could still clearly hear it, which made me realize why he had suddenly become so gloomy. “I did not think I had ever done something for him, even though I promised to myself that I would try my best to think of something for him in return.”

He thought he had never done anything for his brother. He thought that his brother was the only one who had sacrificed something for both of them. He thought that he could not do anything for him, even though Thunder had done so much for both of them—so much that Storm thought he had never done anything for his twin.

“He was always so busy, and whenever I was offering to help him, he would say that I should just focus on my studies,” he started to tell me, as though it was the first time that he had said something about what he had thought to himself. “He was always there to cheer me on, but I do not think that I ever did anything about it in return.”

I just listened to him, as I did not know if there was really the right word to tell him at that moment. I think that it would be best if I waited for him to finish what he wanted to tell me other than say something when he still has not let all of his thoughts out of his mind.

“I always looked up to him, because I always thought that he was the best at anything that I could think of,” he added to those things that he was saying about himself. “And here I am, just a normal person without anything to be proud of… other than being in the elite section of Pristine University.”

That was the moment that I finally stepped up and said what I wanted to say, because I think that it was already too much for him to say those things to himself. I think that whatever he was saying at that moment were the thoughts that were stopping him from looking at the brighter side of his situation.

“I was even thinking if he ever felt proud of me—”

I immediately stopped him as soon as I heard those words, because I knew that he would immediately regret it if they ever leave his mouth. I knew that he was bound to blame himself, and I never wanted that for him—because as much as he wanted the best for his twin, I knew that it was also what Thunder had wanted for him.

“I think that he was always proud of you,” I said to him, which made him stop talking, but I did not stop myself from saying the things that I knew Thunder would also say if ever he would hear something like this from his twin. “I think that all of the achievements that you managed to have made him feel proud of you too.”

I knew that Thunder knew that his twin brother did not just let him do his work without doing something in return. Even though I was not on the scene where Storm finally found out the truth about what his brother was doing, I knew that he had done something so that he could repay him in a way that he knew Thunder could appreciate it.

I knew, because that was also what I did whenever Abigail would do something for me and I did not know if I would be able to do something for her in return—when I was trying to figure out if ever I had really done something for her, when she had done so much for me.

“How could you say that?” he asked me, as though he was not believing any words that I was saying at that moment—though I must say that he was only having a hard time making himself believe those words that I was saying.

“I know because I have seen how he looked whenever he was talking about you,” I told him, as I remembered how happy he was whenever he mentioned Storm’s name or anything related to him. “I know because I could feel the sincere proudness and admiration that he also had for you.”

I looked at him, and then I smiled when I saw how shocked he looked because of what I had said to him. I saw how it was as though he could not believe that I was saying those things to him, even though it was really the truth that I was saying.

“I know, because I could see the way that no one and nothing would be able to separate both of you, even through death or anything that would stop both of you.”

Just like what I have said earlier, they always have each other’s back, and I must say that was the greatest thing that anyone could have in this world—I think that was that one thing I knew I would hold onto, if ever I managed to find someone that I could lean on and depend on, and they would also do the same for me.

I think that was how the twins showed their support to one another. I think that was how they would tell each other that they were proud and admire the other one, without really telling them about it.

And I think that they did not even noticed it, because I saw how Storm suddenly had realizations because of what I had said to him.