Golden Melody

Chapter 6.3

Zatariel Wov

His pov

I stood up, carrying my plate to the kitchen, my legs feeling heavy and unsteady.

I needed to get away, to think, to process the bombshell that had just been dropped.
I needed to understand what was happening, to figure out what to do next.

I caught Mimi staring blankly as she filled a glass with water.
The pitcher was empty, and she seemed to be lost in her own world.

I shook my head, a wave of concern washing over me.
Her eyes were glazed, her movements slow and unfocused. It was unlike her.
I patted her gently on the shoulder, hoping to break through her daze.

She flinched at my touch, her eyes wide and unfocused.
She looked down at the empty glass in her hand, then back at me, a flicker of confusion crossing her face.

She seemed lost, like she was miles away, her usual vibrant energy replaced by a strange, unsettling quietness.

I worried that Thyron had done something to her, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something else was going on.

"Mimi, are you okay?" I asked, my voice laced with concern.

She just nodded at me, her gaze still distant, and went back to the living room with the juice.

She was so weird today, always staring blankly, her usual cheerful demeanor replaced with a strange, unsettling quietness.

Maybe Thyron had forced her to act like this?
I shook my head, trying to push away the unsettling thought.

I washed the dishes, the sound of the water and the clinking of plates filling the silence.

Mimi hurriedly took the prepared plate and went back to the living room.

I suddenly remembered her adobo.
I hadn't tasted it much earlier, my mind consumed by the unsettling events.

Sorry, Mimi.
I should have been more attentive.

I finished washing the dishes and went back to the living room.
I wanted to check on her, to make sure she was okay.

But as I walked towards her, I saw Thyron's arm around her shoulder, his hand resting on her back.
He was talking to her, his voice low and intimate, and she was laughing, but her eyes were sad.

I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

Something was off.

And I wasn't going to let it go.
I needed to find out what was going on.
I needed to know the truth.

"What's wrong?" Marie whispered, her eyes fixed on Miexha and Thyron, who were engaged in an animated conversation across the room.

"I don't know," I murmured, my gaze glued to them as well.
"It's like... she's not happy."

Marie leaned closer, her voice hushed.
"She's not," she agreed, a flicker of concern in her eyes.
"It's like she's... forced."

My stomach churned.
I had felt it too, a sense of unease radiating from Mimi.
Her forced smiles, the way she seemed to shrink under Thyron's boisterous laughter, it all screamed of something amiss.

Before I could move, Marie's hand shot out, gripping my arm.
"Wait," she hissed, her eyes darting between Miexha and Thyron.
"Look at them."

I followed her gaze.
Miexha was biting her lip, her eyes downcast, a single tear tracing a path down her cheek.

Thyron, oblivious to her distress, was still grinning, his hand resting possessively on her shoulder.

The tension in the room was rising.
It was suffocating, a heavy weight pressing down on us all.

Then, as if sensing the shift in the atmosphere, Marie grabbed the microphone, her voice a sudden, bright counterpoint to the oppressive silence.

"The smell of your skin lingers on me now
You're probably on your flight back to your hometown"

Kyliah started clapping along to the music, her infectious enthusiasm spreading through the room.

"It's time to be a big girl now
And big girls don't cry
Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry"

Marie's voice, rich and powerful, filled the space, a welcome distraction from the heavy silence that had settled over us moments before.

"Isn't she amazing?" I asked, trying to break through her quiet contemplation.

Mimi gave me a slow, almost sad smile.
"She is," she agreed, her voice barely a whisper.

"Wow, Marie, you have a beautiful voice!" Kyliah exclaimed, her enthusiasm infectious.
"Right, guys?"

Thyron chimed in,
"Yeah! You should join the music club with Exy. You two would make a killer duo."

Marie's smile faltered
"I miss my dad," she said softly,
"He used to sing me to sleep."

Thyron's boisterous demeanor shifted slightly.
"Your dad?" he asked, his voice laced with curiosity.

"Yes," Marie replied, her gaze drifting to the ceiling.
"Isn't it unusual for having a single dad?"

"How about your mom?" Kyliah asked, her tone gentle.

Marie hesitated, a flicker of pain in her eyes.
"Oh, she's long gone. I haven't even met her. All I know is that she had the same scarlet hair like Thyron."

Thyron's eyes widened, a spark of excitement igniting within him.
"Really? Your mom must be a Sebastian. We might be cousins!"

Marie's smile was strained, a forced attempt at politeness.