Memory of A Future Dream

CHAPTER III: A CONFRONTATION BOUND TO HAPPEN

"DO YOU have the Tarkas with you?" Troiar asked me after he had eaten.

"You mean the device? Yes, I have it and will not give it to you until you tell me what really happened," I answered firmly.

Troiar sighed before he looked me straight in the eyes. "What if I told you that there are other worlds beyond our own?"

I almost rolled my eyes but stopped myself. "Cut the bull, Troiar, because I don't want to hear it. Just tell me the truth and nothing else."

"I am telling you the truth," he replied indignantly. He stood from the bed and paced in front of me. "Does it not even occur to you to question why my father is so adamant to find me when, from the beginning, he doesn't even show an ounce of care for me?"

I kept my face blank because I wanted to hear what he was about to say.

Troiar shook his head. "It's not me that he wanted. It's the Tarkas."

I looked at him nonchalantly. "Let's say that I believe you. Can you now tell me why you ran away and took that thing?"

I didn't mean to sound unconcerned, but it seemed to Troiar that I was. He stopped pacing and faced me as if he had realized something for the first time. His eagerness to explain was gone, and while looking at me, longing slowly emerged on his face, followed by regret. I discreetly swallowed my emotions because I could feel my walls crumbling down. I raised my face and hardened myself.

"What? Tell me why such a small thing would be—"

"I'm sorry, Steorra." He cut me off.

Hearing him speak my name threw me off my balance. It brought back our memories, both the good and the bad, and along with it were the feelings that I thought I had long buried rising on the surface.

I stood up from the chair. "I only want the truth, Troiar. If you can't tell me that, keep your mouth shut."

I walked toward the door. I needed to leave this small space, away from him, for me to calm my emotions down. Nothing has changed, huh? My fists clenched at that thought, because when it came to this man, I really had no control over my feelings. I was a few steps from the door when I felt his arms wound around me from behind. He then pulled me close to him and hugged me tightly. I stiffened at the contact, both from anger and deep down, to stop myself from embracing him too.

"Let go," I coldly ordered him.

"No," he firmly countered. "I lost you once, Steorra. I will not lose you again."

I wanted to believe his words, but I couldn't bring myself to do so. I stayed still even when I felt his forehead on my left shoulder.

"I'm so sorry for everything," he said in a low voice, and I could feel so much in those words, but my pain got the best of me.

I forcefully removed his arms and faced him, seeing his dejected expression in the dim light of the room.

"That's it? Then what? I'll forgive you, and everything will be fine between us? No, Troiar, it's not going to be like that. You hurt me when you lied to me. Like, what the heck? Before everything else, we've been friends for years, YEARS, Troiar. You knew everything about me, and all those times you didn't trust me?"

"It's not like that."

"Then why? Because you were protecting me?" I couldn't help being sarcastic. This conversation shouldn't be happening right now, but unfortunately, Troiar pressed all my triggers with that simple apology.

"Yes! I lied because I was protecting you!" Pain was evident in his voice. "I was also protecting myself from the hurt I would surely feel once you realized the truth. And you proved it to be true when you didn't give me the chance to explain myself and cut me off from your life just because I am who I am," he huffed. "Look, I don't blame you, but just so you know, I was hurt too, and I'm still hurting."

This time, I couldn't open my mouth to counter him.

"My father took everything I loved away from me, Steorra. Anything that caught my attention, he would make sure that I wouldn't be seeing it again. I grew up being punished for something that wasn't my fault, but I endured it because I thought he might change one day." He then shook his head. "Surely it didn't happen. Then I met you, grew fond of you, and loved you. I couldn't bear to even imagine what he would do once he found out about you." He then looked at me. "You are my heart, Steorra. It will be my death if anything happens to you."

I was stunned by his intensity. But behind that, the sincerity of his words reached me, penetrating my walls. One by one, they were crumbling to dust.

He then took my hands. "And he did find out about you."

My eyes widened. "W-what? H-how?"

"He didn't tell me, but he used you to make sure I'd follow his commands."

"What do you mean?"

"He was the one who orchestrated my betrothal and wedding without my consent." His expression became grim. "And I couldn't refuse because he threatened your life."

My eyes stung. Seconds later, and no matter how hard I tried not to, my tears trickled down my face. He then gently wiped them, and his warm touch was like a healing balm to my heart and soul.

"I'd rather be chained to someone I don't love than to lose you," he said with raw emotions in his golden orbs.

"But you left," I said.

"I didn't have a choice, and because I had to, that device must not fall into my father's hands, no matter what. Believe it or not, I wanted to take you with me, but I didn't have enough time. I haven't contacted you for the past two years because I knew my father had been watching you, ready to pounce at any sign of communication between us. I didn't want him to again use you against me, Steorra, so I laid low and planned how to get you out of the Capital..."

I felt punched in the gut when I heard his last words and realized what was happening. The relief I felt at the moment suddenly disappeared.

"It's a trap!" I blurted out.

I immediately took the black bag where I put the Tarkas under the bed and, to Troiar's confusion, gave it to him. And just as I activated my gun, hurrying footsteps could be heard outside our room before the door burst open and a group of Trastarian soldiers came pouring in.