need help

9

Macau lay in bed, his breaths shallow and quick, body tensed as if he were bracing against an invisible force. In his nightmare, he was back in his father’s mansion. Cold, suffocating darkness filled the room, the familiar shadow of his father looming. But tonight, it wasn’t just his father. The face of his father’s bodyguard appeared, eyes dark, a malicious grin forming.

In his sleep, Macau let out a small, broken whimper, his hands clenching the sheets so tightly his knuckles turned white. The sound echoed faintly in the quiet mansion, reaching Kim, who had been passing by Macau's room on his way to his own. Kim froze, his heart pounding. He’d noticed Macau’s strange behavior recently, but he never suspected something like this.

Without thinking, he pushed open the door, his heart twisting at the sight. Macau lay tangled in his sheets, his face contorted in terror, quiet, gasping sobs escaping his lips. Kim stepped closer, gently reaching out to touch his shoulder. “Macau,” he whispered, but Macau flinched at his touch, retreating deeper into the nightmare.

In that moment, Vegas, who had just returned to the mansion, appeared in the doorway. He took one look at Kim’s pale face and Macau’s trembling form and knew something was wrong. He knelt on the other side of Macau, his voice steady but softer than Kim had ever heard it. “Macau…wake up. You’re safe here.”

But Macau’s nightmare tightened its grip. The bodyguard’s voice echoed in his mind, a cruel reminder of the past he had tried so hard to bury. His breaths became erratic, and his body convulsed with silent, hidden screams.

Desperate, Kim and Vegas exchanged a look, realizing they had to wake him before his mind drove him deeper into the darkness. Kim gently shook Macau’s shoulder, his voice barely above a whisper, “It’s okay, Macau. You’re here with us.”

After what felt like an eternity, Macau’s eyes snapped open, wide with panic. His gaze darted around, unfocused and haunted, until he finally registered Kim and Vegas by his side. His body was exhausted, his breaths ragged and shallow.

Vegas reached out, but Macau flinched instinctively, a flicker of fear in his eyes. Vegas’s heart shattered, his mind racing as he wondered how he’d failed his brother so deeply. Kim gently placed a hand over Macau’s, his voice calm. “You’re safe, Macau. Whatever you saw, whatever happened, it’s over.”

Slowly, Macau’s breathing steadied, though tears pooled in his eyes. His voice was barely audible, and he looked away, ashamed, feeling exposed. “I…I’m sorry,” he managed, unable to meet their gazes.

Vegas leaned closer, his own voice strained. “Macau, you don’t have to be sorry. You’re not alone, not anymore.” He looked at Macau with a fierceness that surprised even him. “We’re here for you. Whatever’s haunting you…you can trust us.”

In that moment, for the first time, Macau saw the sincerity in their eyes, the concern they’d buried under their own misunderstandings. And though his pain still loomed large, a small part of him dared to believe—maybe, just maybe, he didn’t have to face it all alone.

Later in the mansion

The mansion was quiet that evening, a rare calm settling over the house. Everyone sat in the living room, the usual chatter subdued. Macau had asked for everyone to gather; his request had been almost whispered, his voice trembling. The urgency in his eyes, the pain hidden behind a forced calm, left them all unsettled.

Vegas glanced at Macau, worried lines creasing his forehead. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was deeply wrong, something he hadn’t seen, hadn’t been there to protect him from. Kim and Tankhun exchanged a look, sensing the tension but unsure of the source. Pete and Kinn remained silent, feeling the heaviness that filled the room.

Macau sat quietly, his fingers clenched into his palms, his breathing shallow. Finally, he looked up, his eyes flickering between them, his voice barely a whisper. “There’s something…I need to tell you all. Something I…should’ve said a long time ago.”

A silence settled over the room as he struggled to continue. Each of them felt a growing dread, sensing the weight of Macau’s words before he even spoke them. After a deep breath, he began, his voice trembling.

“Our father…he wasn’t just cruel to us. He…allowed things to happen.” Macau’s voice broke, and he looked away, shame clouding his face. “One of his bodyguards…he…he hurt me. More than once.”

For a moment, it was as if time had stopped. No one moved, no one breathed. Vegas felt his world shatter around him, a sudden, suffocating sense of failure pressing down on his chest. He had spent so much time looking out for Macau, or so he thought, but this—he hadn’t known. He hadn’t been there. His voice caught in his throat, his hand gripping the edge of the sofa as he tried to steady himself.

Kim’s eyes widened, and the bitterness he had carried toward Macau felt like poison now. All the anger he had directed at him, the accusations he had thrown…it all came rushing back with an unbearable guilt that washed over him. Tankhun’s face paled, and he wrapped his arms around himself, feeling the shame and regret of all the times he’d turned a blind eye.

Kinn felt his own heart twist, memories of Macau’s isolation flashing in his mind. He felt the weight of his ignorance, the failure to protect someone in his own family, someone who had needed them all in ways they hadn’t understood. His jaw clenched, anger mixing with a deep guilt, directed not only at the bodyguard who had harmed Macau but at himself.

Pete’s voice was barely a whisper as he looked down, the reality of it hitting him with a force he couldn’t bear. “I should’ve seen it. I should’ve known.” He had been there, right in the mansion, watching Macau and seeing the signs of his quiet suffering. But he had missed them, every single one, and now he felt his own failure weigh heavily on him.

Vegas moved closer to Macau, his hand trembling as he reached out, his voice raw with regret. “Macau…I’m so sorry. I should’ve been there. I should’ve protected you.” He felt an ache in his chest, a realization that his role as an older brother had meant nothing if he hadn’t been able to save Macau from something this devastating.

Macau looked at him, tears in his eyes, and shook his head. “It wasn’t your fault, Vegas. I…I couldn’t say anything. I didn’t know how.” His voice broke, a sob escaping him as he finally allowed himself to let go of the burden he had carried alone for so long.

Tankhun moved closer, wrapping his arms around Macau, holding him tightly. “I’m so sorry, Macau. For all the times I ignored you. I had no idea.” His voice shook with a mixture of guilt and remorse, his own memories of turning away from Macau haunting him now.

Kim, barely able to face Macau, spoke in a choked voice. “I…thought I understood everything. I thought…I was angry at you for hurting Chay, and I couldn’t see what you were going through.” His voice broke, the guilt of his own judgments hitting him hard. “Macau…I’m so sorry.”

Kinn placed a hand on Macau’s shoulder, his own expression one of quiet, pained resolve. “We should have done better. We should have protected you.” His voice was low, a dark anger flickering in his eyes as he thought of the man responsible for Macau’s pain. But the guilt he felt toward Macau was stronger, realizing just how blind they had all been.

The room filled with silence again as they processed the truth, the regret and sorrow hanging heavily in the air. They had all failed Macau in their own ways, each moment of doubt, judgment, and neglect now returning to haunt them.

But for the first time in years, Macau felt a sliver of relief, a weight lifting as he shared his truth. And as they surrounded him, their apologies genuine, their guilt raw, he felt the smallest hint of hope. Maybe, with them by his side, he could finally begin to heal.