The Invisible Mystery

Chapter 36: With Them

I could not sleep once again that night, because of all the possibilities that I had thought of. It was almost like I could not seem to take my mind off the thought of the possibility that this was just a mere accident.

I could not seem to shake off that thought that this might not be just an accident, just like what I had thought of before, and it had something more about it—something terrifying that someone had planned all along, just like what that blogpost had claimed before.

I was still in deep thoughts because of that, actually. I was still thinking about it, though I could not seem to make myself believe that behind the smiles that they had as of that moment, they had experienced something horrible because someone had planned something so that they would be gone on this world.

I did not want to think anymore negative thoughts about it, but it seemed like I could not stop myself. It seemed like I knew to myself that it might really be the case, because, really, why were they still in this world if they had accepted what had happened on that day?

Why were they still finding their happiness, even though they were not supposed to exist in this world any longer?

I felt pain. It felt like my heart was crushed into pieces. It felt like I could not breathe properly because of those thoughts that they had to face something like that when it was their last time to live in this world—that they had to face something like that when they did not even have a chance to find the happiness that they truly wanted to have.

I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard that someone was knocking on my door. All my thoughts suddenly disappeared as a frown suddenly appeared on my face, as though I was trying to figure out who it was behind my door.

I did not intend to go out of my cabin that day, because I thought that my mood might affect them. I thought that they would just tend to get worried about me, and that would mean that all of our plans would come to a halt once again.

I thought that they would just realize that something was wrong, and I never wanted that to happen. I never liked the idea that they would once again think of something else other than thinking of ways for them to fulfill their wishes in this world.

I knew I did not have any choice but to see who was knocking on my door though. After all, I knew that they would never give up, not until I finally asked them what they wanted—just like what they always do whenever they were looking for me.

“We were planning to do the things we were doing before, back when we were still alive.”

That was the first thing that Winter, the one I assumed was knocking on my door earlier, had said to me as soon as I opened my door for both of them—she was with Evo, who seemed as though he was also excited with the thought of doing the things they liked before, when everything about them were just alright.

I wonder if they regretted a thing that they were not able to do before everything like that had happened to them?

I stopped as I immediately shook off that thought inside my mind, as I knew that they could immediately tell that something was wrong with me if ever I would not be able to hide my emotions—if ever they sensed that something was bothering my mind once again.

“Would you like to join us, Liana?”

I snapped out of my thoughts once again when I heard Winter had said those words to me, and I almost got taken aback when I saw how excited she was, as though I did not have any choice but to be with them and accompany them to what they wanted to do for the day.

I did not like to disappoint them, so even though I wanted to have some alone time because of the things that have been bothering my mind ever since last night, I still nodded my head and tried to smile at them to tell them that it was just alright for me.

“If you’ll have me,” I said to them as I finally went out of my cabin. “Then I guess, I’ll just be with you guys.”

I saw how Winter’s eyes twinkled as though she was really happy because of what I had said, and even Evo’s smile widened with the thought that I would be with them and that I did not directly refuse their invitation.

“Why the sudden change of plans though?” I asked them, even though we really did not have any complete plan nor itinerary about what we would do in this place while we were still here—though I must say that I was confused about their sudden invitation to do whatever they were doing before.

“We figured that this might help us figure out our wishes,” Evo answered me, which made me look at him and agree that this might really help them figure out something.

After all, I knew that going back to the place and the times that they were just happy would certainly help them remember and figure out what they wanted to fulfill in this world for the last time.

I wonder if they were genuinely happy that time? Was their happiness also stolen when that incident happened? Was that the reason why all their happiness seemed to be so far from them as of that moment?

I blinked as soon as I realized that I was thinking about those things once again, and I immediately checked if Evo and Winter had noticed it, but it seemed like they were still engrossed in talking about what they should do for the day and those things that they were doing before.

“I wanted to try those things we were doing before,” Winter sighed, as though she was thinking of those times that they were doing whatever they wanted to—back when everything was just alright… back when nothing was stopping them from doing so.

“What about you, Liana? Do you want to do something?” Evo suddenly asked, and I almost jumped because of it, though I managed to stop myself on time for them not to notice anything wrong. “I mean, we could possibly do what you also want to, if you would let us.”

It seemed like he figured out that it was as though I was trying to think of what he was trying to say, because he had said that one sentence as though he had figured it out immediately, though I instantly said to him that it was just alright for me to accompany them to what they wanted to do.

“After all, just like what you guys had said, you were trying to figure out your wishes,” I said to them as we continued to walk towards where the others were. “I think that we should prioritize those first, before we do something that I want to.”

After all that, I could wait. I could wait for as long as I could. I could wait for that day that I would be able to do what makes me happy, because I knew that I had to focus on them first—I had to turn my attention to helping them achieve their final goal in this world.

Because I knew I had to do that, even before, though I must say that I would certainly do anything now just so I could fulfill their final wish—because I knew the possibility that the incident that had happened to them might not be a simple accident but something else.

“If you say so…” Evo said, unsure, as he kept on gazing at me as though he was trying to figure something out—though I made a vow to myself that I would try to conceal what I found out the night before.

To my relief, they did not bother to take notice of my silence anymore and they just continued to talk. I, on the other hand, just continued to follow them around as my mind kept on thinking about what I found out—about those thoughts that kept on bugging me once again.

It did not take long for us to finally see the other three, who also seemed to be talking about what they wanted to do. I even saw that they stopped talking to one another, when they saw that we had finally reached the place where they were.

They talked once again, and it seemed like they were trying to agree about where they should go first, while I was just listening to them, because just like what I had said earlier, I would just try and accompany them because it was their day—it was their time to choose what they wanted to do without stopping them.

“Was it really just alright for you to just accompany us, Liana?” Winter asked, as though she was worried that I might just get bored if I would just let them do whatever they wanted to, but I immediately gave her a reassuring smile to tell her that it was really just alright.

“I already told you. I just wanted to see you guys happy,” I even said to her, though it seemed like she was still a bit hesitant about it. “Do not think about me and just think of what you want to do, so that you can really enjoy this.”

After all, all I wanted to do for them was to help them fulfill their wishes. Now that I knew that there was a huge possibility that this was something more than what I had thought of, I realized that I wanted to do everything for them—even though I knew that it might just hurt me in the end.

“Why don’t we have breakfast first before we agree on what we have to do for the day?” Evo suggested, which made the others immediately agree, because that would be the best thing that we could do for the day.

And so, just like the day before, we had breakfast at that very same spot where we ate yesterday. And just like the day before, we started to talk about random things that we could think of—though I must say that most of them were about what they had to do for the day.

For a moment, because of all of them, I managed to forget my worries because of what I found out the night before. I managed to focus on them and laugh alongside them, even though it felt like there was still a slight sting inside my heart.

All of us finally agreed about where we should go first. That was the reason why we found ourselves on the river that was just near where we had our breakfast, and it seemed like they planned to fish because they even went to a storage room to get the things that we needed—which I didn't even notice was there—before we finally went and tried our luck if we could catch something.

I did not know how long we were on that river, but it seemed like no one had luck on them that day because no one had managed to catch anything—not even a single fish, even though we had prepared a bait for them.

“I think that we should give up on this and go on with our next plan,” Cloud said, and he even threw what he was holding before storming out of that place.

It seemed like it did not bother them though. After all, I saw them shake their heads with a smile on their faces as though they already knew that Cloud was bound to do something like that.

“We should follow him,” Evo said, after we finally managed to arrange the things we used earlier in their proper places in the storage room. “I am confident that he knows where we should go next, so we should probably go to that place now.”

We all agreed to what Evo had said to all of us, and just like what he had said, Cloud was indeed at the next location that we agreed to go earlier—it seemed like he was also waiting for us because I saw that he immediately stood up as soon as he saw that we were approaching.

“We should probably try those things that we were doing before, separately,” Cloud even said as soon as we reached his place, and all of them agreed as they started to disperse as though they were planning to do just that.

I, on the other hand, just watched them as they went, as the thoughts that had been disturbing me for some time now had come back, because the longer I was looking at them, the longer it hurt to think that was the reason why their life on this world ended.

I watched how Evo tried to do childish things, as though he was trying to feel like being a kid again—as though he wanted to take back those times that he did not have any problem with anything at all.

I watched how Winter tried those attractions that were also part of that, almost like a park place—as though she really wanted to remember how it feels to do those things back when everything was just alright.

The twins caught my eye at that time. After all, I could not help but to let out a laugh when I saw that they were trying to use the slides and swings that were not certainly for their age, but they still tried it anyway—as though up until now, nothing that has changed… that they were still together after all this time.

I wonder if they knew the truth. I wonder if they knew the possibility that it was not a mere accident and it was something more horrible than that. I wonder if they had an idea that this did not happen because it was meant to happen—but someone did everything they could to make it happen.

I wonder if the reason why they were here was because they wanted to seek justice that they could not get before?

“It seemed like your mind was elsewhere.”

I looked at the person who was talking, and it almost confused me as to why Cloud had suddenly decided to talk to me, even though he was the one who suggested that we should probably separate for a moment to do whatever we wanted to.

I was about to ask him why he was not doing what he planned to do, though it seemed like he already knew what I wanted to say because I heard him explain why he was suddenly at my side.

“I saw you staring at them, and I could immediately tell that you were thinking about something else.”

All of the emotion on my face suddenly disappeared when he said that, because I did not know if I should tell him or not—I did not know if I really had the heart to ruin all of this because of what I found out.

I was contemplating what I should do. I was trying to think of the best way to explain myself, but it seemed like it did not matter anymore as I saw how he waved his hands as though he was trying to dismiss the question that he had asked me.

“Do not answer it if you do not have a heart to do so,” he said to me, and it almost terrified me to think that he could tell I did not want to tell him the truth. “Though I must say that you could tell anything to me if you already have the strength to do that.”

He waved his hands at me, and went to walk away from where I was. It seemed like he finally decided to leave me alone and just do whatever he had planned to do, so I decided to find a place to take a seat because I knew that I did not have any strength to have some fun.

I stopped in my tracks though, because I heard Cloud call my name as though he wanted to get my attention, and so I looked behind me once again as I became taken aback because of what he had said to me.

“You did not have to stop yourself from doing whatever you want to,” he said, which made me frown because I did not know why he had said that. “We consider you as your friend, and I must say that our definition of ‘friendship’ is doing everything you want to… with us.”

And for the first time, I saw a genuine smile on his face as he said to me once again…

“Just be yourself, Liana. Tell us what has been bothering you at the right time.”