Clouded Hearts

33: Why?

Flashback when they went to the magical place. The reason Achelois went back to Manila. (Chapter 21)

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Danice

I kept stealing glances at Achelois and Rhea seated in the back, their hands barely touching, like a fragile connection holding them together despite everything. Their silence, heavy and unspoken, only amplified the tension in the car.

"Stop it, Ice," Eryx muttered beside me, his voice calm but firm.

"What? Aren't they cute together?" I asked with a teasing grin, trying to lighten the mood.

"They aren't," Nyx said coldly from her seat.

I turned to her, raising a brow. "Di talaga kita maintindihan, Nyx. Gusto mo ba si Achelois?" Nyx shifted her gaze to me, her eyes like daggers.

"I want what's best for Achelois. And Astraea is not the best for her."

The words hit like a slap, and for a moment, the air turned heavier. "And who are you to decide who's best for her?" I challenged, leaning closer.

"I'm her best friend," she shot back, her tone clipped, her jaw tight.

"Exactly. You're JUST her best friend. You are not in the position to decide for her. Stop acting like you're her guardian angel when you don't even know the whole story." I smirked, knowing it would set her off.

Nyx's glare sharpened, her voice fasten with venom. "You don't know anything, Ice. You have no idea what Achelois went through. Don't drag her into the same pit she already climbed out of!"

"We are not dragging her to any pit, Nyx. She is digging her own, we are not at fault. She is the only one who can decide for herself. It's not you, not me and definitely not those guys but only her." Mariing sambit ko. Bakit ba gusto niya siya palagi na susunod?

"You guys are pushing her to do so. I cannot bear to see her again in the same devastating state. NOT in ny watch!" She glared at me.

I laughed bitterly. "Then, what about Rhea? You think she's undamaged? You think Achelois is the only one who's hurt? Well you are absolutely wrong. God, Nyx, wake up. Rhea's been through hell, too! She was ruined in ways you couldn't imagine."

Nyx leaned forward, her voice trembling with barely contained rage. "You're making it sound like Rhea's the only victim here. Achelois was destroyed. She was shattered into pieces while the rest of you stood by and watched her fall!"

I clenched my fists. "No one stood by, Nyx. Stop making it about what you think you know. You have no idea what Rhea went through! Don't you dare invalidate her pain. Don't you dare! Only Eryx and I know the depths of her suffering, so don't you sit there and play judge."

Nyx's silence was deafening, but her eyes still burned with defiance.

"They both suffered, Ice. Stop this," Eryx said softly, his voice strained but measured, as if trying to pull us back from the edge.

But I couldn't stop. Not now. "No, Eryx. How dare she treat Rhea like some villain. Rhea is a victim, Nyx. If there's a villain here, it's you. You and your self-righteous judgments!"