Breaking the Barriers • BrightWin

Twenty-Five

Alive

Waking up abruptly, Win looked around the dimness of his room, his mind racing, trying to process what it was that could have woken him when it was still night time. The silver glow of the moon had come through the slits of the blinds, indicating that it was still very much late in the evening.

Silence was all around him as he walked out of his room to get himself a glass of milk. After he got it, he sauntered his way back to the carpeted stairway and each maid he passed by, he was automatically greeted with a slight bow of their heads. Up until now, he still wasn't used to this kind of lifestyle, nor didn't he know if he ever would. He wanted to stop them, but every time he attempted to do so, they would immediately and hurriedly excuse themselves.

As he reached the family room, his eyes fixated on the sliding glass, having an incredible panoramic view of the night sky showing off its different shades of blue and purple, trying to engulf him with its beauty. To end his dilemma, Win remained silent as he ambled out of the threshold.

Leaning nonchalantly forward against the glass railing of the recessed balcony, the fresh night air seeped cold through his skin. Midnight was approaching. He watched the silvery moon rise above the clouds as it unveiled the horizon of the place and shone all over the dim night, but his mind was far away as his thoughts wandered amongst the stars.

The stars reflected in his eyes. He thought to himself how long it had been since he had last taken the time to look at the stars... They were so bright, and lovely. Thousands of memories of the past flooded his mind: warmth, heat, ecstasy, love, home... Bright.

For the past six years, he felt empty. Not that he was not grateful that he met his real family, he was beyond happy at that. It was just, there was still an empty hole in the chest where that man once existed.

"You seem to have a lot in your mind right now..." a raspy reverberated voice gently echoed throughout the vicinity of the balcony.

He then snapped his thoughts out and went back into the moment as he glanced at the owner of the voice whose face was awashed in moonlight. He then immediately shook his head lightly, giving the other a rather small smile. He was too engrossed in his own thoughts to have realized his brother's arrival.

"Did I wake you up?" He asked as he noticed the telltale redness around his eyes like he was newly awakened from his sleep.

"Not at all," The older man replied. "How about you... can't sleep?"

"Kinda," Win echoed skeptically, his voice was a bit glum. Then he shrugged his shoulders and looked up at the sky again while the other man just surveyed him quietly.

Silence filled them, the only noise was the humming wind could be heard and the crickets chirping.

"Do you want to talk it out?" Off gently asked, leaning his back against the railing as he faced Win.

Win looked at his brother for a moment before his gaze went back to the scenery in front of them. Somehow, their relationship for the past years grew closer. Close enough to tell each other's worries. But this was different... He never told Off anything about what was in between him and Bright.

But no matter how much he tried to hide it, Off seemed to read everything in his mind. Maybe, it was because of the inexplicable strong connection between their blood and heart. Off sighed deeply as he turned his body to face the night sky.

"It's Bright, is it?" He softly said, his gaze remained on the starry sky.

Win's gaze flew back to Off. He didn't know if he would be shocked or not. For the first time after six years, he heard him utter the name of his old friend again. He remembered years ago how Off was so infuriated by Bright, let alone the barbarity of the latter's parents to their family.