Sotus: For One Last Time

Springs of Distrust

Monday,

Arthit POV

It's been three days since the dreadful conference and I haven't talked to anyone since then but Chalam, my personal attendant (who's now staying nearby for safety reasons). Thankfully, today is a U.S. Holiday, so campus has been closed down. Looking out of my sunny balcony, I can only sigh in relief at the thought of going another day without seeing anyone.....

I glance at the gear bracelet in my hand, and suddenly I am back to 12 years ago, a few days before my mother died.

After sending everyone out of the room, she tries to hand me a black and golden pouch as she struggles to quietly whisper "Arthit...gi-give me yo-your hand".

"This was your father's...You may not know this, but to engineers, gears are everything. It connects and moves everything. It is life itself. This-this was your father's" after shakily inhaling, with great difficulty and a sadness in her eyes she continues, "When he proposed to me," she smiles with a pause once again, seemingly thinking of something far away as her eyes drift from mine, "he gave this to me. Keep it safe, Arthit. Don't lose it. It is the key. One day, you'll understand. And make sure you never show this to anyone. Do you understand?".

"Okay mom, I will cherish it," my much younger-self answers.

"It has a twin you know, maybe one day you'll be curious," she says with a mischievous smile, one I haven't seen in a long time, before forcing an even wider smile while saying "Do me a favor Arthit. Even when I'm not here, find the twin bracelet". Puzzled, I look at her questioningly. "You may just thank me for it one day, Oon" she finishes with a small wink before closing her eyes and resting which is something she did a lot of these days.

Unfortunately, not even three days later, and she was already gone. And now thinking back, why did mom want me to keep the gear hidden? I never questioned it before....as warning bells start resonating within my mind, I am jerked back to reality.

A sudden ping on my phone catches my attention. It's the 119th missed call I received since Saturday and half of them are from Kong alone. Just thinking about him makes my heart constrict with this unfathomable feeling. I can't believe that not even three days ago, everything seemed invincible with him. I know it's only been a few weeks since we reunited, but after the time we spent together these past several days, basically living together, I could have never imagined that Kong was hiding something big from me. I thought we talked about everything, except for what really happened when he went to Austria. But how was I supposed to guess that his time in Austria would involve espionage crap? Perhaps, it wasn't fair on my part getting so angry at him as he never outright lied to me, but betrayal still burned like acid on the back of my throat.

Whatever is going on, Kong is right in the middle of it, I know that for sure now. And to make things worse, it seems like the three most important people in my life don't trust each other. I wasn't expecting them to be friends on the first day, but the mutual hostility did surprise me, along with their parting words. At this point, after reflecting on all things since Saturday, the sadness and disappointment I feel nearly drowns me as I finally admit that I do not know who to trust...

I never imagined uncle Anurak and aunt Lara ever hurting me nor have I ever thought of Kong capable of harming me. But survival instincts that my mom harnessed in me at a young age due to her paranoia at the Green village springs back with force and her face, as she always told me, "Don't you trust anyone but yourself, Arthit" comes to mind with a revenge. I don't know why, but I seem to have forgotten her words these last several years.....