Love me in the Shadows of Our Memories (🇬🇧)

Chapter 25 - Believe in love

Love blossoms from myriad sources.

In the yearning for closeness in tender embraces.

Within the mutual understanding that loving individuals share.

In the faith of a reality beyond the veil of fear.

And in the desires for united visions and dreams of a shared future.

Magnus

Almost three weeks had passed since Jace and Alec's team rescued him from the clutches of Nate. By now, normalcy had returned as much as possible. The protective fence had been fully repaired. The infirmary buzzed with its usual activity, and the dramatic day had receded into the background for many residents.

Life was too short in these times to dwell too long on such situations. It was over. No one had been seriously injured or died, and thus, the matter was closed.

But for Magnus, leaving it all behind wasn't easy. He concealed his feelings, outwardly trying to appear fine. Of course, convincing everyone of that wasn't so easy. Tessa, in particular, was worried and frequently asked him if everything was truly okay. Magnus appreciated her care, but sometimes it was just too much. How could he forget when there was always someone to remind him of what he had gone through?

And as if that weren't enough, there were the nightmares. They plagued him night after night, and with each passing day, it became harder for him to dismiss the terrible images of darkness. But he had to. He couldn't live in the past forever.

Fortunately, Magnus didn't have much time to dwell on it, at least not during the day. His twins demanded a lot of his time and attention after the traumatic events. Understandably so. They had nearly lost both parents at the same time.

Magnus felt guilty about it. He blamed himself and kept asking himself if there had been a way to prevent it all. Yet, every time he came to the same devastating conclusion.

He ran a hand over his face as he pulled his key card from his pocket. Weary and still lost in thought, he entered his living quarters.

Jarin was on the couch watching television. Immediately, Magnus pushed the difficult thoughts to the back of his mind. He closed the door behind him and greeted his son with a kiss on the temple.

"Hey, big guy. How was school today?"

"Fine," came the curt reply. "Everything was great, Papa."

Jarin didn't even look at him, staring fixedly at the TV. Magnus shook his head with a slightly amused smile. He placed his key card in a small wooden key bowl on the table and removed his shoes. Then he went to his bedroom, shed his work clothes, and put on his comfortable overalls.

"Where's your sister?" he called out to Jarin through the open door as he zipped up.

"In her room. Reading."

"Did anything else happen?"

"No."

Magnus stepped back into the living area, stifling a yawn. He would have preferred to go to bed early tonight, but he had decided to finally talk to his son about the situation with the pills. But first, he wanted to grab a bite to eat and slice an apple he had left over from breakfast. He offered some to his son, but Jarin declined.

"Jarin, can you please turn off the TV?" Magnus requested after finishing his snack. "I want to talk to you."

Jarin made a disgruntled sound but complied with his request and turned off the television. Magnus sat down next to his son on the sofa. Large eyes looked up at him.