THE PATHS CONNECTED

Chapter 11

TIMOTHY'S POV

I leanef against his desk, pinching the bridge of his nose as my aunt’s voice fills the speaker of his phone.

'Timothy, something’s wrong. Irvine’s been asking a lot of questions lately—about her past, about things she shouldn’t remember."

My heart drops.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean she’s remembering, Tim. And she’s not alone. Khalil is here."

The moment I heard Khalil’s name, rage explodes inside me. I griped my phone tighter, my breathing sharp and uneven.

"That bastard." I said

"Timothy, don’t do anything reckless." Our aunt warned me

But I was already booking a flight, my hands moving on autopilot. Khalil was supposed to be out of her life. He was supposed to be gone. And now? Now, he’s going to make sure Khalil never gets near Irvine again. 

I did everything to protect Irvine. I sent her away, far from Clea, far from Khalil—far from everything that could hurt her. But I should’ve known. My sister was never the type to stay hidden. And Khalil? Of course, he followed her. 

I thought I had control over everything. But now, everything is spiraling. And I’m about to do something I can never take back. 

It was night already when I arrived the streets of Manila are humid, filled with the sounds of life. But for me, everything is drowned out by the pounding of my heart. I tightend my grip on the gun hidden under my jacket as I walks toward the house where Irvine and Khalil are seated together.

My vision turns red.

Khalil notices me first, his expression shifting from shock to alarm. He stands quickly, shielding Irvine behind him.

"Timothy—" he said

"You just don’t know when to give up, do you?"I shouted

Khalil tenses, stepping forward.

"Irvine remembers. You can’t keep her from me forever."

"You think this is about keeping her from you?"I scoffs darkly, pulling the gun from my jacket and aiming it straight at Khalil’s chest.

"This is about ending this nightmare once and for all."

Irvine gasps, her eyes widening in horror.

"Tim, no!" Irvine shouted

Khalil pushes Irvine behind him, but she refuses to stay back. Before I can pull the trigger, she moves—too fast for him to react, too desperate to stop herself.

A gunshot rings out.

Khalil stumbles back, untouched.

Irvine falls to the ground, blood pooling beneath her.

"Irvine?!" I shouted everything is like in slow motion

The gun slips from my hand as I rushes to her side, catching her before her head hits the pavement. Her breathing is shallow, her body trembling against my arms.

"Tim… why?" He asked

Tears blur my vision as  I presses my hand against her wound, trying to stop the bleeding.

"No, no, no. You weren’t supposed to—damn it, Irvine, stay with me!"

Khalil kneels beside us, eyes filled with panic.

"We need to get her to a hospital!"

I cant barely hear him. My mind is drowning in guilt. I shot her. I shot his own sister.

Then, someone entered. My blood turns cold when I see her walking towards us.

Clea.

With shaking hands, I looked at her.

"Wow, Timothy. I never thought you had it in you."She laughs, the sound sending chills down my spine.

"All this time, you wanted to protect her, and yet you were the one who pulled the trigger. How poetic."

My stomach churns. My hands tremble as I grip Irvine tighter.

"I have to say, I didn’t expect you to do my job for me. But hey, I’m not complaining. Bye I need to leave I have some important business to do" She said laughing

Something inside me snaps.
My grief, guilt—it all transforms into something else. Something dark. Something deadly.

"Take her to the hospital." I commanded Khalil

"What about you?" He asked

"I have unfinished business." I said

And with that, I picked up my gun and walks away, determined to end this once and for all. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Clea lounges in an abandoned warehouse, humming to herself as she scrolls through her phone. The sound of heavy footsteps makes her look up, smirking as Timothy steps into the dimly lit room.

"Well, well. Look who finally decided to join me."

Timothy doesn’t speak. He just raises his gun and pulls the trigger.

Clea barely dodges the bullet, laughing as she pulls out her own gun.

"Oh, Timothy, you’ve finally grown some fangs. I love it!"

They circle each other, weapons raised, eyes locked. The tension is suffocating. 

"What’s the plan, huh? Kill me, then what? Think that will make up for what you did to Irvine?"

Timothy’s grip tightens.

"This isn’t about redemption. This is about making sure you never hurt anyone ever again."

"Then what are you waiting for?"

A gunshot echoes in the warehouse.

Clea gasps, her body jolting as blood spreads across her torso. She stumbles, dropping her gun, eyes wide in disbelief.

"You... actually did it."

Timothy walks up to her as she collapses, her breath shallow, her smirk finally fading.

"You lost, Clea."

Clea coughs, a weak chuckle and blood escaping her lips. 

"Maybe. But tell me, Timothy—when you look in the mirror, do you really think you’re any different from me?"

Timothy doesn’t answer. He just watches as the life drains from her eyes.

And then, silence.

He walks out of the warehouse, blood staining his hands, his heart heavier than it’s ever been. But he doesn’t stop. He has to get back to Irvine. He has to make sure she’s okay.

Because after everything, she’s the only thing he has left.