The Drowned

" 10 "

He started moving back and forth in his place while thinking, with his weapon in his hand. Four men were standing in the same room that contained his office, two to his right and two to his left. His desk was large and was not scattered or unorganized. To his left, there were giant shelves from ceiling to floor, containing decorations, files, books on philosophy and psychology, novels, literary books, and books in all languages.

On the other side, the window takes a prominent place in the wall and is surrounded by red velvet curtains. On his office table is an old antique of an angel, and on the other side is a statue of the Virgin Mary, newspapers, as well as his cup of cold coffee, his locked computer, and a box of pens next to the computer. In front of his desk were two chairs covered with black leather, and in front of them was a small table with a rug the color of the curtains underneath.

In front of the office, with a medium-sized table for very important meetings, the table is chaired on both sides by two chairs and on each other side by four chairs, meaning the total number of chairs around the table is ten chairs. Underneath it is a rug of the same color and type as the small rug that takes a place under the small table in front of the office, followed by a door made of red wood to match the color of the curtains and the rug.

He knocked on the door and hurriedly raised his head and looked at the door with his blue eyes. His long blond hair with black ends was tied up, revealing his short hair at the back, which was hidden under his long hair and that tattoo behind his ear. He had white skin, and his entire appearance did not suggest that he was Thai or Italian at all. The person knocking on the door was allowed to enter, and two people entered and stood and bowed their heads. One of them spoke

(We couldn't bring him, sir)

He shouted loudly as he threw his weapon on his desk so as not to hurt anyone with it or shoot anyone

(How come you couldn't bring him, you have to get Aran from Nathan. I'm still worried that Nathan might hurt him)

One of the guards standing by said

(When we went to take it from Nathan, we saw him sitting in front of him on the horse and laughing, and we saw someone pointing a weapon at him and he fired, scratching Aran’s face, and the horse became agitated, and at the same time we noticed Nathan’s men and his brothers rushing towards them, and we hurried so that they would not catch us and we would fall victim to that.)

Shouted

(Scratch his face??)

The other spoke

(Mr. Matthew, please calm down. Mr. Aran is fine, and what we know is that Nathan is taking good care of him.)

Matthew sat on the arm of the sofa and stared at the floor, his eyes moving erratically, meaning he was worried. Then he spoke

(Gather information for me about Nathan and his family)

The guard standing to his right answered him

(One of our spies is in his house and accompanies him everywhere)

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Aran sits on the sofa quietly, closing his eyes in pain. Every time Nathan passes the cotton filled with antiseptic over the wound on his cheek, and the last time Nathan passes the cotton over Aran’s cheek, he screams while holding his hand.

(Mmmmm, this hurts)

Aran did not hear any sound from Nathan, and Jonathan stood near them in fear. He saw a mass of anger sitting on top of Nathan's head, and it was black in color, and if that mass exploded, it would kill everyone. On the left, at the door, someone stands and stares at them. Nathan got up when one of the guards entered and said

(Mr. Joshua is back, sir)

Nathan looked at Jonathan, and Jonathan quickly supported Aran and said

(Come on, Aran, let's go upstairs and rest in Nathan's room. He will follow you in a few moments.)

Aran pulled his arm, took three steps, stood behind Nathan and spoke

(I'll go, but first Nathan has to hug me)

Nathan turned and stared at him, then hugged him gently, placing his head on Nathan's chest, then walking away, speaking

( I'll go now )

Jonathan took his hand and they walked towards the stairs. Nathan quickly turned around and stepped outside, and with his quick steps, he moved his braid and threw the ribbon away, opening his hair and flying in the air around his shoulders. He stood in front of his men and Joshua, with anger shining through him, a mass of handsomeness, but very angry.

Joshua walked away, showing the man who was tied up and kneeling, and without saying a word, Joshua told him that they found him on the outskirts of the farm carrying a sniper weapon and full equipment. Nathan looked at the kneeling man and asked him calmly.

(Who are you and who sent you?)

The tied man looked at him and then ignored him. The standing spy froze his limbs due to Nathan's speed in kicking the man in the stomach. All he could hear was the man screaming, one kick, two kicks, and after the third kick he spoke.

(He sent me... Nefad sent me. He asked to kill you and bring the boy, but because of the movement, my balance lost and I hit the boy.)

It did not take long for a single voice to rang out, which was the sound of a bullet from Nathan's weapon. Nathan left everyone and entered. The spy fell to his knees in fear. Nathan entered the room and noticed that Aran was searching for clothes in the closet, so he took a deep breath and approached

( let me help you )

Nathan was surprised when Aran walked away from him towards the bed, crossing his arms over his chest angrily. He approached him and grabbed his arm, but Aran let go of it and moved away, sitting on the bed from the other side. Nathan smiled, gathered his hair into a bun, took off his shoes, then approached Aran and knelt down, speaking.

(Although I do not know what mistake I committed, but here I am sitting in front of you, you can punish me)

Aran turned his face to the left so Nathan smiled and stood up whispering near Aran's ear

(Despite your anger and your quarreling with me, you will sleep tonight in my arms. I mean, you will sleep. Come on, lie down, but just a moment. Will you sleep in equestrian clothes?)

Aran did not answer him, so he got up to the closet and took out light clothes for him and Aran. He changed his clothes first, then approached Aran, grabbed his arm and gently pulled him to change his clothes. Aran's silence worried him, so he spoke to him after he finished changing Aran's clothes, and he spoke apologetically

(I'm sorry, very sorry for not speaking to you and for my harsh behavior, but if I had spoken, I would have thrown all my anger at you)

Aran remained silent and lay down with his back to Nathan, who also remained silent, pulling him towards his chest and closing his eyes. Moments passed, then Aran spoke calmly

(I heard the sound of gunfire. Did you kill him?)

Nathan answered

(Yes, he was going to kill you)

There was a long silence, then Aran spoke again

(I'm not angry with you, I'm sad)

Nathan hugged him so tightly that Aran closed his eyes. Nathan fell asleep, but Aran did not sleep at all. Aran moved and turned around, touching Nathan's cheek with his fingers and moving his hair away from his face. He approached and kissed his forehead and whispered.

(How I wish to see your face, and I will always wish for that all my life)

He got up quietly after Nathan walked away, walked towards the closet, opened it, and looked for the clothes in it. Then he pulled Nathan's hooded coat and walked quietly towards the door. He opened the door, turned around, then closed the door behind him and leaned his forehead against it, whispering

(They wanted to kill you, not me.)

He turned around, wrapping the coat around him tightly, and descending the stairs barefoot. All the servants admired him and his beauty, but they were afraid of Nathan, so they did not speak to him. He passed them all and walked outside, then crossed the garden under their gaze and headed towards the stable.

Because some trees cover the view of the stable. The guards noticed that the stable door opened and then closed quietly, so they could breathe at ease. If Nathan woke up and asked about Aran, they would tell him that he was in the stable.

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Casper has been working in his office since his last meeting with Arthur. He feels angry and sleepless, his eyes full of sleep. He turns his chair toward the window, staring at the atmosphere and how quickly it has changed. He knocked on the door and his men entered his office and stood up and said

(What you ordered has been implemented, sir.)

He spoke as he turned and stared at them

(Has he been taught a lesson? Did you mutilate his handsome face or what?)

One of his men smiled as he took out the tablet, presented it to his master, and walked back. Casper turned it on, accessed the video clips, and played the first clip. The clip was played and William appeared riding his bike and scratching an SUV. The traffic stopped and the man got out of his car.

A very large man with a tattoo along his left arm. He has a long beard and long red hair that is braided back. He appears to be a wrestler. He quarreled with William and William ended up receiving a lot of beatings and insults, then he left him and left. Casper closed the tablet contentedly and spoke

(You did well, and because you were good at this task, I will raise the salary for you and the rest of your team, and you can rest for three days.)

The men thanked him and left, so he sighed and returned to his work, but all his mind was with Arthur when it occurred to him that William would find out who had done it and throw all his anger at Arthur. He did not feel the time, nor even himself when he refused lunch and dinner. He completed his work and then looked at the clock. It indicated one o’clock. And half after midnight.

He walked into the hall and saw all the guards bowing to him. He sighed and went out to the door, wandering into the company courtyard, turning right and walking towards the garage, followed by two guards. Then he walked towards his car and pressed the control button, opening the door to the top. It was one of his modern cars and he chose it because it was fast. He got into his car and drove it. He headed toward the street and turned toward the road home while remembering Arthur's appearance. He felt a great pain in his chest, so he patted him and said

(It's okay, my heart. It's okay. I know he's your first love, but you have to be patient. He will come to you himself. Just be patient.)

Casper arrived home, parked his car in the garage, got out, and was greeted by the butler, as well as the security system and the automatic speaker

(Welcome back, Mr. Casper)

Casper smiled faintly and shook his head and entered the house. He walked through the living room towards the stairs, but he stopped because his phone was ringing, so he spoke.

(Dharava, answer the call please)

The automated system answered, making Jonathan's voice spread throughout the house

(P'Casper, can you come to the horse farm? It's very urgent)

He asked as he walked up the stairs

(What happened in the middle of the night that made the matter urgent?)

Joshua replied

(Hurry, please. We have been searching for Aran for an hour, and there are three guards who will be killed if we do not find him. The guards are spread out looking for him, and Nathan is in a state of silence. And you know what happens after silence.)

Casper answered as he quickly descended the stairs towards the gate

( Storm )

Sarah Casper left the house again for the horse farm. When Aran arrived at the stable, he knew that the guards were watching him, so he opened the stable, then closed the door and walked from the left side away from the place. He wanted to get as far away as possible. He crossed while reaching for the trees, then his foot slipped and he fell on his knee.

He felt a terrible pain, but he ignored it and got up and felt hot blood flowing from his knee to the end of his leg. At the sound of his falling, Alkina woke up and went out the back gate and followed him. Aran was rising and falling. He rested his hand on his head and stood, stroking her hair, speaking

(Come back, Alkina, Nathan loves you and I don't want you to get hurt because of me)

But Alkina ignored his conversation and continued walking with him. He walked away for a long distance, feeling terrible pain in his legs and he was barefoot. He sat for a short time and then got up to continue walking, but he got tired and decided to rest. He thought that he had left the farm away from Nathan and his family. He decided to continue his walk after resting for a while.

Nathan woke up. He thought Aran was in the bathroom, so he got up to call him, but he did not get an answer. He opened the bathroom door and searched for Aran, but did not find him. He left the room and shouted calling him, and at his voice, all the sleeping people woke up. One of the guards rushed to him and said:

(Mr. Aran has entered the stable, sir.)

Nathan left them and searched the stable, but he did not find Aran, and now he noticed that Alkina had disappeared as well. He was in a very overwhelming state of anger. He commands all the guards and his brothers stand beside him. Joshua noticed that Nathan was barefoot and sitting on a chair outside, watching the guards sitting in front of him with fear.

He continued braiding his hair and throwing it away as he saw some of the guards returning, shaking their heads. Nathan stared at the ground, then entered the house and went up to his room. He pressed one of the buttons to turn the panel on the wall and the screen appeared. He pressed two buttons, then entered the camera settings, then the surveillance camera in his room.

A video of his bedroom with Aran appeared on the screen, and he noticed Aran moving, turning around, and kissing his forehead. He raised the volume to hear Aran talking. He felt sad and anxious as he heard that sentence repeated. Then he noticed Aran getting up and leaving the room after putting on the coat, and he noticed that he was barefoot. He heard the sound of Casper's car stopping in the courtyard, so he got out quietly, noticing that the driver was not Casper.

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Casper arrived at the farm and the guards opened the gate for him. Nathan's family's horse farm is very large, and finding someone there requires searching for a very long time. He entered his car towards the farm and walked a short distance and slowly, but he stopped and looked to his left. He got out of the car and one of the guards ran towards him and asked him:

(What's wrong, Mr. Casper?)

Casper stood up and spoke

(Take my car home, I'll walk back)

The guard ran out and got on the car and took him towards the house. Casper walked towards the sound to see Alkina sitting on the ground and Aran leaning on her back, so he spoke.

(You are here and Nathan is going to start a war with the guards at the house)

Aran panicked and asked

(How did you know where I was, P'Casper?)

Casper laughed mockingly and sat cross-legged

(Haha, you are still inside the farm. If you continued walking a little, the guards would find you, because this farm has no exit except the gate.)

Aran bowed his head and whispered

(They will kill them all because of me)

Casper spoke

(Aran, listen to me. Nathan is not an easy person. Give yourself a chance and let him do what he sees fit and everyone will be fine.)

Aran did not speak, so Casper resumed his conversation

(The three guards who were standing at the gate when you left, Nathan will kill them. If you do not return, he will kill them. Come on, get up so we can go back.)

He got up and Alkin got up with him. Casper helped Aran ride her and walked, and she followed him, carrying Aran on her back until they reached the house. The twins hurried towards and dropped off Aran, who walked two steps and stood in front of Nathan and spoke.

(I'm sorry, I wanted...)

His speech was interrupted by Nathan screaming at him, then he addressed Casper

(Shut up. You're welcome, Casper.)

Casper smiled and walked over to him and whispered to him

(Calm down and let's talk inside, it's cold)

Nathan looked at Aran's clothes and noticed the blood stain. Although Aran was wearing black pajamas, the blood stain was clear, and he noticed his red legs from walking long distances. He sighed and spoke

(Jonathan, Joshua)

They quickly understood and took Aran, that is, inside, towards Nathan's room. As for Casper and Nathan, they sat in the living room talking. Casper spoke.

(He is afraid that one of you might be harmed because of him, so he wanted to leave and Alkina followed him)

Quiet finally came, and Nathan entered his room. He saw Joshua putting bandages in the first aid kit and throwing the blood-filled cotton into the trash. He stared at Nathan, who turned to sleep and turned his back to Aran, who held back his tears.

Nathan did not sleep because he was worried that Aran would go out again. Aran spoke after he thought Nathan was asleep, tears streaming down his cheeks and the sobs he was trying to suppress escaping from his lips as he wiped his nose with his shirt sleeve.

(I left just to try to protect you and your family. I am bad at everything. I do not see, I am not strong, and my presence is harmful to you and your family.)

Nathan stood up and listened to his conversation, then he pulled him forcefully and lay down. Aran hugged him tightly and hid his face in Nathan's chest and sobbed loudly, and Nathan patted his head and back until he fell asleep, but Nathan remained awake and lost in thought. He stares at the ceiling while Aran is sleeping on his right arm, holding his clothes tightly.

When morning came, he got up quietly and covered Aran well. Then he went to the bathroom, washed his face, and walked out. He noticed Casper sitting, and from his face he knew that he had not slept well or at all. Nathan sat down in front of him and spoke

(We both have something occupying our minds that forces us not to sleep)

Casper shook his head and Nathan continued talking

(Casper, I want you to find me the best eye surgeons)

Casper hurriedly raised his head

(You're going to treat his eyes? Really?)

Nathan shook his head and they walked out into the garden, staring at David taking the horses out of the stable. Aran woke up due to a terrible nightmare and searched for Nathan around him, and when he did not find him, he got up calling for him and running. He stumbled twice while running and got up again until he reached the gate calling for him.

(P'Nathan)

Nathan was startled by his voice and turned around, running back into the house to see Aran standing clinging to the door. His knee was bleeding again due to his repeated falls. He approached him and spoke.

(I'm here, Aran)

Aran hugged him tightly while crying and whispering

(He placed the muzzle of the weapon in the middle of your forehead and fired. I saw him kill you without mercy in front of my eyes.)

Nathan patted his back, took him away, and carried him upstairs. Jonathan followed him with the first aid box, placed it next to the bed, and left. Nathan sat treating Aran's knee again, then got up and sat next to him, so Aran approached, hugging his arm in complete calm. Aran stopped wailing and remained silent.

Nathan persuaded him to go down and have breakfast, and Aran agreed and got up, changed his clothes, washed his face, and they went downstairs together. The servant put coffee for his master and breakfast for Aran, who was eating quietly. After breakfast, they went out to the garden, hearing the voice of Jonathan and Joshua, but Casper had left for his house to rest.

When he arrived, he entered the house and went to take a shower, after which he sat down to work. He tried to sleep but failed, and he worked all day without sleeping. He felt that his body was exhausted. On the other hand, Arthur stood on the balcony of his apartment, thinking about the message he saw on William’s phone, felt his heartbeat, and began thinking about Casper’s words.

He shook his head in an attempt to push the thoughts away, then re-entered because of the rain. He was cleaning and carrying William’s coat to wash it. A purple earring fell from the coat’s pocket. Arthur stared at it and picked it up from the ground in his hand as he prayed that this earring belonged to William’s sister or his mother. He put it on the stairs and finished his work. Then he headed to the library to work.

He stood staring at the books that had been dropped by one of the visitors and were related to scientific research. He did not know what had happened to him until he thought about Casper. He wished to visit him or even catch a glimpse of him watching him. He went out in the evening thinking about William’s letter that had arrived.

(I will be gone for a few days and I cannot visit you)

He shook his head to expel those thoughts and continued his work. It has been 3 days since his dispute with Casper, and today he returned early because of the bad rain that hinders movement. He returned home at noon and began preparing his food and complaining about the rain and that it was making him sleepy. He looked out the window and stared at the bottom of his apartment for a long time, then shook his head in denial, rubbed his eyes, and looked down again.

He quickly pulled out his coat and put it on. Then he pulled out the umbrella, opened the door to his apartment, and hurried toward the elevator. A woman stopped him and said that the elevator was broken. He cursed in his secret and ran toward the stairs. It took a very long time to go down until he reached the outside.

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see you later