𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓

XVIII

~KAI~

After killing my brother I was finally able to come to Athenas old apartment. It was a hard decision but I needed to do it before I would disappear completely. I bought the house she looked up and decided that's where I'm gonna put her ashes and where I'm gonna live now even if it will be without her but I need to finally get up and do something with my life.

Axel said that he is going there with me too just so I wouldn't do something stupid and personally I liked the idea of having friend with me or at least someone close to me. After so many years of being alone and focusing on tasks that others gave me, it was good to take a break and just enjoy my life for once.

I knew Athena would be happy if she knew that I found myself a friend and started to live a calmer life away from the city that haunted me. Away from people that wanted to kill me and away from everything that gave me so much trauma. It was my last two days in the city while the moving company was getting some of my things on plane. I will still keep this apartment here cause yet I'm not totally ready to close this chapter completely.

I slowly entered Athenas garage. After I parked my car I turned off my engine. I had second thoughts about going in there, I wasn't sure how I would react but this was one of those things on my bucket list that I knew I needed to do for better closure. I put my face into my palms taking few deep breaths in before someone opened the door for me.

"Hello mister Cortez." an elderly voice said and I immediately recognised it. Jerry used to be mine and Athenas guard for years and after she left she took him with her. He was something like a father figure to me after I left the house. I was only a teen and even if he was looking after my garage he was also looking after me but after I brought in Athena he made a softest place for her in his heart. When I asked him why he said that she reminds him of his daughter that unfortunately traveled away to Europe with her girlfriend and since then he can see her only few times a year though screen of his tablet.

"Jerry." I said as I looked at him very close to breaking down after I saw him after years. I didn't know if he knew about what happened and I hoped I wouldn't need to be the one to break this news to him.

"Is miss Lenoir with you?" he said hopefully. So I needed to be the one to break the news to him. Fuck. I got out of car and decided it would be better if we would sit down for this. I locked the car and motioned for him to go with me into his office. I saw a picture of Athena, me and Jerry there as we were smiling together. I think this photo was took on Christmas Eve when we decided to invite him in after we bought him few presents. I was silent as I pointed at the couch to sit down on, the look he held on his face was concerned and he looked even more worried once he saw my glittering eyes.

"Thena is dead. She died after she forgave me for everything. We wanted to run to Ireland and start a new life after we would fake our deaths but my bastard brother kidnapped us and-and he-he, he killed her right in front of me and I couldn't do shit about it." I sobbed as I said it. It was a relief to say it even if it bought it all back, it was relief to let myself go after it was bubbling inside of me for two months.

I didn't even know when Jerry started hugging me. All I know that I leaned my whole body into his as he was holding me welcoming the feeling.

"It's okay son. It wasn't your fault."

________________

After my little breakdown I got myself into Athenas apartment, everything smelled like her and I found myself tearing up again but I held it in. I first went into her living room thinking about stealing few of her blankets. So I did, one was fluffy black one and the other one was brown from a very thick and warm material.

I looked around more walking into her kitchen finding a glass of water with her dark red lipstick printed on it. She must have drank from it before she left her apartment. I looked into her cabinets looking for nothing really specific. I decided it will be a great idea to take one of her mugs. I recognised one that I knew she loved so I took it with me.

I then walked into her bedroom looking at her messy bed with random clothes on it. She had her favourite candle there on one of her shelf's. I absolutely forgot about that. I took a photo of it, making a little note to myself to buy it. Even if Athena was gone I wanted to have a piece of her with me, I still had her ashes at home but I wanted to let someone make something with them.

My last stop in her apartment was her office. Her table was a mess with stacks of papers on it. In the middle of the table was her MacBook. I walked around her office going through drawers. I found one secret drawer in her table. I couldn't open it at first since it was on lock but when I put my hand under the desk I could feel a small key. I pulled it out and slowly unlocked the drawer. There was a picture of me and her along with two envelopes. On one of them was written Kai and on the second one was written Jerry.

I didn't know how to react to it but I knew I couldn't open it now. I took both of them and then locked the drawer. I couldn't be in this apartment anymore. I took the stuff that I wanted to keep with me and then left her apartment. I knew this would go on sale sooner or later so I made another mental note to buy it before anyone else can.

I walked out of her apartment and then took a ride down in the elevator walking back towards Jerry.

"I found this in one of the drawers." I said giving him the envelope. He thanked me as he took the envelope into his hand. Before I left he wrapped me in warm hug and told me to be careful.

I got into my car and then drove away. In car I called the landlord of building that Athenas apartment was living just to find out that the apartment was written on me in the case of Athena's death. Fucking fantastic, I drove into my garage and then went into my apartment preparing for one last thing I wanted to do before I would leave and that was to visit my parents.