Kristal||ONC 2020|| {Complete}

Chapter 4: Regain

Peace.

He had forgotten the meaning for a long time. Those four alphabets kept lingering in his mind endlessly as he clawed his way through his imaginative universe. However, after years, now he found the meaning out of the blue. Even if it was still unclear, Harold had been sure he would be able to restore his own mind. If he could patch up 300 pieces of the puzzle, he can do anything yet the mind is always the darkest part in oneself. It either destroys you or pulls you up.

Harold never felt such peace throughout his sleep for years. They were often filled with malicious dreams. This had been his first time after all those dark days. Stretching himself lazily in between the sheets of the bed, he tossed his head to the side, meeting his loyal clock and groaned at the comfort beneath his skin.

Saturday; his favorite day. Finally, it came.

Sitting up from the bed, he landed his feet on the furry carpet, digging his feet in between. There was nothing more comfortable than digging his cold feet in between those thin lines of a soft cloth. Harold picked out a simple white shirt, threw it on and matched it with a pair of dark blue shorts. He would have head down shirtless, but since his two unwanted cousins might be lounging anywhere in his home, he did not want to risk it. Not to mention, James was into men.

Harold wasn't disgusted by it, but he didn't want to risk being his cousin's lover since he bore no interest at the twins who felt like leeches, sucking him dry. Arranging his steps carefully down the stairs, Harold heard whispers coming from the corner of the stairs. There were slow and soft as if preventing the walls itself from absorbing into the conversation. Stopping his steps behind the corner of the steps, he made sure he was hidden before eavesdropping on their conversation.

"Five days," said James nervously, his fingers brushing through the fringes of his hair and his shaky voice echoed through the silent home. "Come on, Jacques. I only have five days. You need to ask Harold for me. Mom usually does it for us, but we cannot let mom know about our business problems. She would be devastated."

Unknowingly, a smirk curved on Harold's lips. He was right. Like an evil demon ready to take on the world, he crossed his arms, leaning by the wall and listened carefully at their conversations.

Jacques stared at his twin, scoffing the ridiculous request.

"Harold doesn't even talk to us since he was young. It's going to be hard to ask for money from him. We can't even get any answers from it," said Jacques, brushing the bridge of his nose and added. "He's selfish like his father and he is definitely going to say no. He's not going to lend us anything especially if we tell him that there are loan sharks coming after our asses."

Harold's eyes widened at the mention of loan sharks.

They never learned.

First, his aunt and uncle, now his cousins. Guess it runs in the family. Tucking his palms into his pair of comfortable shorts, he realized that he needed to inform his mother about it, rather than leaving her clueless. Making the least sound he could, Harold headed back towards his room to pick up his phone. Once he obtained what he wanted, he immediately texted his mother, leaving a small sentence at the back like he always did to point out that he wasn't trying to be rude.

I told you what I need to. It's all up to you now if it comes up.

Slipping the phone back into his pocket, Harold headed down for some coffee and breakfast. Before meeting the last step of the stairs, he felt a hard body crashed into his and stared at Jacques who immediately apologized. Harold studied James' gaze, pushing him aside. Fear was painted all over their faces, reminding him of himself back then as he groaned, heading into the kitchen. Honestly, Harold felt sorry for them because despite their mother being dependable on his family, their father had always been a reputable man.