Chapter 52

KATELYN.

"Where is Eligor? Why are you alone here, Kate?" I didn't know how to respond to Aimee. How could I tell her that Eligor suddenly disappeared from my sight like a bubble? Ever since I told him we were breaking up, he never showed up again.

"He just stepped out for a moment," I replied briefly, lying in front of them.

"Are you sure you can go home tomorrow? I'm sorry, Ms. Hernandez, you didn't get to enjoy this trip. And now we're going to leave you behind," one of my co-teachers said, and I nodded, forcing a smile in front of them.

"I'm fine, and besides, our house is nearby, so I'll just rest there tomorrow once I'm discharged from the hospital," I explained, and they nodded in understanding.

"In that case, we'll go ahead. It's still a long journey, so take care, both of you, okay?" I nodded and bid them farewell one by one. As they were leaving, I noticed Loraine glance back at me, seemingly wanting to say something.

I couldn't bring myself to look at her, so I just let it be. Besides, what else could I say to her? I knew she was aware of what happened between Eligor and me. I knew they had talked about it. I knew she didn't want Eli to stay by my side and preferred him to go back to whatever it was that incubi like him did for work.

Whatever it was, I didn't care anymore.

Loraine remained silent and left the room as well. I waved goodbye to Aimee as they departed, knowing they still had a long journey back to the central city.

The next morning, the doctor finally allowed me to leave. I also learned that Eli had already paid for all my hospital expenses, so I didn't spend a single cent on my treatment. Eli didn't neglect me until the end because as soon as I stepped out of the hospital, there was already a taxi waiting for me.

I rode there and had myself dropped off at our old house where I grew up. It has been five years since I last visited our home. During my college years, I used to come here every year to clean up the things we left behind with my mom. Often, I would spend my summers here with Aunt Kaylie.

But in my final years of college, I became busy and got a job, so I couldn't come back here anymore. Surely, time has taken its toll on this house. Will I still find any answers when I return?

To be honest, I don't want to go to this house alone. It brings back my childhood trauma and the painful memories of my parent's separation. But Aunt Kaylie always insists that I come back here to face my fears, yet I still can't do it on my own.

That's why I want to bring Eligor with me. I want him to be the person who will accompany me as I try to confront the memories I've long avoided and left behind in our old house.

But who would have thought that he was also one of the reasons behind that trauma.

"We're here," I handed my payment to the driver, but he refused to take it.

"Everything's been paid for, ma'am. Just send me a text when you need a ride to the train station," he replied, and I nodded. I didn't realize that even my car had been prepared for me by Eligor.

As I stepped out of the car, our old house came into view, filled with crawling plants. Our backyard was overgrown with wild grass and plants, while the gate showed signs of rust and chipped paint.

I opened the gate and walked towards the house, each step filling me with a sense of unease. It felt like with every step I took, memories from my childhood in this house flooded back.

I could still picture the joy my parents and I shared, playing in the garden. The small slide my dad made for me and the swing tied to the big tree in our backyard, now with a broken rope and covered in dust.

I walked towards the front door, key in hand. Opening it, I was greeted by the familiar scent of the furniture left behind. They were all draped in white cloth, covered in dust, with cobwebs scattered on the ceiling and a few broken window panes.

It felt as though someone had intruded into the house during its long abandonment. I hoped nothing important or valuable was missing among my mother's belongings. I put down my bag and rolled up the sleeves of my jacket, one by one, opening the windows to let in light and fresh air.

The breeze was still a bit chilly, and I couldn't lift heavy objects yet, so I simply cleaned a chair and checked if the water still ran in the kitchen. Luckily, there was still water, but no electricity.

I fetched some firewood from the back of the house and lit the fireplace to keep warm. As the stale smell dissipated, I closed the windows and took a moment to rest.

Now, inside and done with tidying up, a feeling of sadness and apprehension washed over me. Sitting down, I could see fragments of my childhood and the memories we left behind in every corner.

I glanced at the staircase leading to my room, a staircase that always appeared in my dreams. I swallowed hard, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness, and slowly made my way up the stairs. Thankfully, it was still bright enough that I didn't need a light to see my surroundings.

But as I ascended, I felt a growing heat in my body. Was it due to my illness? Or was it simply the rising temperature?

I swallowed again, unsure why, but as I approached my room, memories of the man from my dreams resurfaced. I remembered Eligor and the times we spent together in this very room.

As I stepped out of the car, our old house greeted me, filled with crawling plants. The backyard was overrun with wild grass and plants, and the gate was rusty with cracked paint.

I opened the gate and walked towards the house. Every step filled me with nervousness. As soon as I saw that my room was open, I hurried inside and noticed the old dusty bed. I don't know why, but in my imagination, the room was enveloped in red light, and next to the bed stood a shadow, the silhouette of the man I once loved, who betrayed me.

"Eli..." I couldn't help but shed tears. Here we go again, the pain consuming my heart.

I wiped away my tears and looked around. The red light and his shadow were gone from my room. It was just an old room with a dusty bed.

I turned around and closed the door, then went to my mother's room to search for her belongings. I hoped to find answers to my questions. I wanted to know about Eligor and if he was really connected to what happened to us before.

I went to her room and searched through the items placed in her cabinet. I noticed a box filled with papers and read through them one by one, but there was nothing unusual. I continued searching and found a small box.

I opened it and saw a silver necklace with a dream catcher pendant, crafted with silver and precious stones. But what caught my attention was a photograph with writing on the back.

As I looked at it, I recognized the couple in the picture, and I knew exactly who the woman was. It was a photo of my mother when she was still a college graduate, but what puzzled me was the man with her in the picture.

He couldn't be my father; they didn't look alike at all. They were so different, and besides, my father didn't have a black tattoo on his right hand.

I furrowed my brow and read the letter written on the back. It was a love letter to my mother, from the man in the photograph.

*crash*

I turned around and quickly hid the picture in a box, placing it in my pocket. I hurriedly left the kitchen and there I saw a man carrying some belongings in his hands.

Even though he had his back turned, I vividly remembered his physique.

"Father?" I called out to him, and he immediately turned to look at me. As we locked eyes, astonishment was evident on both our faces.

I could see how much he had aged. His face had a white mustache, a few strands of his hair had turned white too, and it was clear that he had become thin and neglected his health.

"K-Katelyn?" he stuttered, lowering the things he was holding. I wondered what he was doing here now, and I couldn't move from where I stood.

"My child?" he asked again, and he suddenly embraced me tightly, taking me by surprise. I didn't know how to react or what to say to him. I felt stunned and lost.

It had been years since I last saw my father, ever since he separated from Mom and left us. I hadn't received anything from him, not even a letter or a gift on important milestones in my life.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him, and he seemed surprised by my question. Did he feel the anger in my voice? Did he sense the resentment I had been harboring towards him all these years?

"Ah... well..." he couldn't answer, and I glanced at the expensive vases he had been carrying earlier. Ah, I knew. He had stolen them from his former house.

"Aren't those vases, Mom's? Did you break into this house?" I asked him, and he let go of me and couldn't look directly at me.

"Sorry, child. Your father is penniless now, so I had to do this," he replied, and my fist clenched in anger. I wanted to shout at him, I wanted to berate him for all the ways he had failed me over the years, but when I saw how frail his body was, how weak and old he had become, I couldn't bring myself to do it.

I took a deep breath, not expecting to face my greatest fear. But strangely, my heart felt more at ease than I had anticipated.

"What happened to you?" I asked, and I saw him cover his face, followed by the sound of his sobbing.

I fell silent, realizing that I was looking at the man I once feared so much, now in such a fragile state before me.

Wait, should I have ever been afraid of my father? From what I remember, he always provided for me as a child, always made time for me when I needed it, and he would always accompany me to play whenever he was not working back then.

When did our happy family really break apart?

"Child, please forgive me if I have been a terrible father to you if we have become like this," he replied while still crying, and I could sense the regret in his voice. He was crying in front of me as if he no longer cared about how I perceived him.

He knelt before me, still crying, holding my hand.

I looked up, trying to calm myself, but my eyes couldn't hold back the tears anymore. Why was it like this? What did I miss not to see my parents' suffering?

Ah, I remember now.

However, the reason why my once-happy family fell apart was because one night, my mother woke up from a terrible nightmare that changed her. Since then, she started waking up every night, and that's when the changes in her behavior began.

Now that I see my father in this situation, I can't help but wonder what I would do if I were him. What would I do if my spouse tried to keep our child away from me?

I can only imagine what my father felt when his wife suddenly changed one night and became distant from him.

I couldn't control myself any longer, and I knelt down to match my father's height, embracing him tightly. I don't know what my father went through, but I know he must have had his reasons for doing what he did to us.

Right now, I want to open my mind and heart to listen to what he wants to say and explain to me what happened back then. Because I want clarity on what occurred, I want to confront the things that I have been afraid of for so long.

The things that continue to torment me until this day.