Check-Mate

48. Trigger

As Chain leaves the room, the door softly clicking shut behind him, I feel the tension shift in the air. It is just Terk, Gym, and me now. 

The silence hangs heavy between us, and I know P' Gym can sense something isn't right. He has been watching P' Terk closely all night, noticing the worry etched into his features, the way he can't seem to relax. I can tell P' Gym is about to ask the question he's been holding back.

"What's going on?" Gym finally asks, his voice quiet but steady. His eyes flicker between me and P' Terk. "You two have been acting strange all day. Is there something I should know?"

I take a deep breath, knowing I can't avoid this any longer. What I am about to reveal... it is not just important—it's life-altering. 

I glance at P' Terk for a second. His whole body tenses up, his jaw tightening as he stares at the table. I can feel the anxiety radiating off him. But I know this conversation has to happen.

"There is something I need to tell you, Phi," I say, turning my attention fully to him. His expression shifts, becoming more serious. He nods, leaning forward slightly, signaling that he is ready to listen. "It is... about Chain and me. We are not actually twins. In fact, we are not even siblings."

The shock on P' Gym's face is immediate. His eyes widen, and he blinks, like he is trying to process what I just said. 

I can't help but be a little amused by his reaction. Most people don't even believe us when we say we're twins. There is nothing about us that screams "family." Chain is taller, with sharper eyes and paler skin. His build is more masculine, and his whole appearance practically screams Chinese-Thai, whereas I am... well, not.

P' Gym, still wide-eyed, stammers, "But... how? I mean, Chain looks just like your mom. I always thought—"

I smile slightly, nodding as I cut him off gently. "I get that a lot. But there is a reason for that. Chain isn't my brother. He is my cousin. Our moms are phi-nong."

P' Gym's eyes narrow in thought as he takes his time digesting the new information. He nods slowly, trying to fit the pieces together. "So... your parents took him in after...?" He trails off, unsure how to finish the sentence.

"After his parents died," I finish for him. "Yeah. His real pack was from Rayong province. His parents died in the attack when his pack was wiped out."

As soon as I mention Rayong, I notice the shift in P' Gym's expression. It's subtle at first—just a flicker of recognition—but then it deepens into something darker. His face pales, and I can see the wheels turning in his mind. He's already connecting the dots. 

The Rayong province... it is under the Crimson Heart Pack. The pack his father rules.

I can tell by the way P' Gym's lips part and his eyes widen that he has already put it together before I say it. But I confirm it anyway.

"It was your father's men who killed Chain's mother—my aunt."

P' Gym goes pale. His hands grip the edge of the table as his breathing hitches. I see the shock and guilt flicker across his face, his lips moving wordlessly before he finally manages to speak. "I... I didn't know. I am... I am so sorry."

I shrug, more out of habit than indifference. "It's not your fault. You had nothing to do with it."

Still, worry is written all over P' Gym's face. His apology is more reflexive than anything, but I can tell it's hitting him hard. I let him sit with it for a second before I lean forward, locking eyes with him. "But that's not what we need to worry about."

P' Gym looks up sharply, confusion clear in his expression. "There is... something else? What could be worse than that?"

I exhale slowly, trying to prepare myself for the next part. This is the real reason we are having this conversation. "There is something else. Something bigger." 

I pause, letting the weight of my words sink in. "Chain, when he was a kid, he saw his whole pack get slaughtered. Right in front of his eyes."

P' Gym's face falls, the color draining even further. "What?" His voice is barely a whisper.

"He was just a child," I continue. "He witnessed it all—the destruction, the deaths. He was traumatized. So much so that my aunt—Aunt Lita—had to use spells to suppress the memory, lock it away so he wouldn't go insane from the trauma."

P' Terk, who's been silent up until now, finally speaks, his voice tight. "You never told me that, Warm." He turns to me, eyes filled with a mix of concern and frustration. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"I didn't think it was necessary," I admit, looking down at the table for a moment before meeting his gaze. "I didn't think it would ever come up. But now... I am not so sure. Given what's been happening lately, I felt like you needed to know."

Terk's face hardens, and I can see the worry deepening in his eyes. "What do you mean by that? What has changed?"

I let out another long breath, feeling the weight of my words before I speak. "The reason Chain screamed in pain and fainted the other day... it wasn't random. Something triggered the memory that was locked away. That's why he collapsed."

P' Gym's breath catches in his throat, and his eyes go wide again. "Something triggered it?" His voice is strained. "What could possibly trigger something like that? Do you know what it was?"

I nod slowly, feeling the tension in the room ratchet up a notch. "I have a theory." I pause for a moment, glancing between P' Gym and P' Terk, who are both watching me intently. "The place where Chain fainted—it was the area meant for the Luna of the pack to live. The one who ruled before your father took over."

P' Gym's face shifts, the realization hitting him like a punch to the gut. His hand goes to his mouth, and I see the horror in his eyes as he processes the connection. "You are saying... that being there triggered his memory? Because it reminded him of his pack?"

I nod again, slowly. "Exactly. Something about that place must have stirred up the memory. The suppression spells are still in place, but whatever happened in that moment must have broken through, even if just for a second."

P' Terk runs a hand through his hair, visibly distressed. "And now... the memories are starting to come back?"

"Not yet," I say quickly, trying to reassure them. "The spell is still holding, but it is fragile. If something else triggers it, or if Chain is exposed to more reminders of that time... it could all come flooding back."

P' Gym's face tightens with fear, his hand gripping the table again. "And if that happens?"

"If that happens," I say softly, "he could lose himself to the trauma. It could break him." The weight of the statement hangs in the air, pressing down on all of us.  

P' Gym looks like he has been hit by a truck, and P' Terk's knuckles are white from gripping his chair too tightly.

The room falls into silence again, thick and heavy. There is nothing left to say for now. We have opened the door to a truth that can't be shut again, and I can feel the weight of it pressing down on us, threatening to crush everything we've built.

For now, we just have to hope that nothing else pushes Chain over the edge.