Painted in Fate

Chapter 11: Unspoken Realities

The weight of discovery settled over Billy like a dark cloud, casting shadows on every thought that passed through his mind. His fingers tightened around the old, worn pages of the book he'd found, his heart pounding in his chest. His uncle—his own flesh and blood—had been at the center of the tragedy that wiped out Babe's family. And Billy had unknowingly played a part in it.

The memory fragments from their past life continued to swirl in his mind: the fire, the destruction, and Babe lying in his arms, his body weak and fading. The pain in Babe's eyes as he looked up at Billy, full of betrayal and loss.

It had been too much, and now, the guilt that gnawed at Billy was almost unbearable.

"I should have known," Billy whispered to himself, pacing back and forth in his study. "I should've seen it coming."

But how could he have? He had been so young, so naïve, completely unaware of his uncle's true intentions. Even now, he didn't know how to explain it to Babe. How could he tell the man he loved that his family had been destroyed because of him?

The thought made his stomach turn.

Billy's fingers ran through his hair, frustration boiling beneath his skin. He knew he had to come clean, to tell Babe the truth. But what if it drove Babe away? What if it shattered whatever fragile connection they had managed to rebuild in this life?

He couldn't risk that. Not yet.

Babe's Haunted Dreams

Across the city, Babe tossed and turned in his bed, his mind caught in the grasp of another dream—no, not just a dream, but a memory.

The flames roared around him, licking at the walls of his family's home, casting an eerie orange glow on everything. The air was thick with smoke, and the acrid smell of burning wood and flesh filled his lungs. He tried to scream, but his voice was hoarse, his throat raw.

He stumbled through the chaos, searching desperately for someone—anyone—who could help. But all he found was destruction. His family, his home, everything he had known was being ripped away from him in the blink of an eye.

And then he saw Billy.

Standing at the edge of the fire, his eyes wide with horror, Billy had looked so out of place, so helpless in the face of the destruction unfolding around him. Babe's heart ached as he reached out to him, but his legs felt heavy, like they were sinking into the ground.

Babe tried to scream Billy's name, but the words wouldn't come. Instead, he watched helplessly as Billy stood there, tears streaming down his face, his lips moving as though he was trying to say something. But Babe couldn't hear him.

The scene shifted, and suddenly Babe was in Billy's arms, his body weak and trembling. His vision blurred, and the sound of the fire roared in his ears. He felt Billy's hands holding him tight, but all he could feel was the overwhelming sense of loss. His family was gone. His home was gone. And even though Billy was there, it wasn't enough to stop the pain.

With a jolt, Babe woke up, his heart hammering in his chest. He sat up in bed, gasping for breath, his body slick with sweat. The dream—no, the memory—was too vivid, too real. It was as if he had just relived the moment when everything he loved had been ripped away from him.

And in the center of it all was Billy.

Babe's hands shook as he wiped the sweat from his brow, his mind racing. It didn't make sense. Why was Billy there? Why did he look so devastated? And why did Babe feel like he had lost everything in that moment?

"Why is this happening?" Babe whispered to himself, his voice cracking. "Why can't I just understand?"

He buried his face in his hands, his body trembling with the weight of the emotions coursing through him. He had always felt connected to Billy, but now, the connection felt like a curse. Every time he saw Billy, the memories from their past life grew stronger, more painful.

And now, he didn't know what to do with the truth that was slowly unraveling before him.

The next day, Babe and Billy met again. They both tried to act normal, but the air between them was thick with tension. Every glance, every touch, seemed to carry the weight of unspoken truths, the memories of their past lives hanging over them like a shadow.

They walked side by side through the park, the silence between them uncomfortable. Babe's thoughts swirled with the fragments of the dream he had just experienced, and he wondered if Billy was thinking the same thing. But he didn't dare ask. How could he?

Billy, for his part, kept his gaze forward, avoiding Babe's eyes. He had been up all night, trying to make sense of the discovery he had made in the archives. His uncle had been responsible for the destruction of Babe's family, but how could he tell Babe that? How could he admit that his own family had played a part in the tragedy that still haunted Babe's dreams?

They both wanted to speak, to tell each other everything, but the fear of what would happen kept their lips sealed.

It wasn't until they stopped at a bench, the soft breeze rustling through the trees, that Babe finally broke the silence.

"Do you ever feel like... like something's missing?" Babe asked, his voice hesitant. "Like there's something we should know but... we just can't remember?"

Billy's chest tightened, and he felt the weight of the question settle over him like a heavy blanket. He nodded, but didn't trust himself to speak.

Babe stared at him, his eyes searching for answers, but Billy kept his gaze on the ground.

"I don't know what it is," Babe continued, his voice barely a whisper, "but I feel like... we're connected to something bigger. Something we can't ignore."

Billy swallowed hard, the guilt gnawing at him from the inside. He wanted to tell Babe everything—to explain that they were connected by a past life, by a tragedy that had torn them apart. But he couldn't. Not yet.

"I feel it too," Billy admitted quietly, his voice thick with emotion. "But... I don't know if I'm ready to talk about it yet."

Babe nodded, his heart sinking. He had hoped for more, but he understood. Whatever they were facing, it wasn't something that could be solved in a single conversation.

They sat in silence for a while longer, the weight of their unspoken realities pressing down on them.

Later that night, as Babe lay in bed, his mind still buzzing with the events of the day, he felt the pull of another dream. But this time, it wasn't just a dream—it was a memory.

The fire. The screams. The sight of his family's home crumbling before his eyes.

And Billy.

Billy, standing in the midst of the chaos, looking devastated, guilty.

The truth hit Babe like a freight train. Billy had been there. He had been involved.

But why?

The memory ended before he could see more, but it was enough to leave Babe reeling.

His breath hitched in his throat as the realization settled in. Billy had been part of it. He had played a role in the destruction of his family. And now... Babe didn't know how to feel.

Anger, heartbreak, confusion—it all swirled inside him, leaving him torn between the love he felt for Billy and the bitter truth of what had happened in their past life.