Chapter 9

JACE POV :

This world is quite astonishing, when you claw your way out of the mire of dysfunction. When you first peek over the horizon and see nature without the haze of discontent. Without any filter, with the naked eye and the brain open to the beauty of this reality, amazement comes. It is the amazement of the baby when they first meet a dog, or see a leaf move in the wind. And when you see those simple things, when you can in love with the small, everything gets so much better.

The larger things become almost overwhelming, the sense of love so much stronger. It is then you realise that before you lived a half-life, greyed and without the warmth each human is born with.

When I am most awake, most present in the moment, every sense of nature converges into a single energetic joy. It is as if there is a feeling passing between each living thing, a bond that is tangible and blended, a melody beyond the range of ears but available for the heart. And so, as the each leaf moves in the wind, a part of me does also. It is the togetherness of what is separate, the glue in the universe.

Why spin straw into gold when it already is that shade of the sun? Why take something warm and make it so cold? If this is alchemy, then you can keep those cold palaces for your cold ego, to house those bones that lost their soul. The sun spun this straw from mud and rain, grew a seed into a fine strand of such beauty. And so you see, blind wizard, nature is my alchemy.

If the earth had a pulse it rose through the mountains, creating their bold silhouette. To my eye, their peaks are the green line of a doctor's graph. I saw those rocks at dawn, those slopes that give home to so much life, a foundation for trees and shrubs, grass and ferns. With blue above and below, in the sky and lake, ever lightening as the sun rose, I knew it would be a good day... I just knew.

I love nature, it seriously has some power which could calm me wholely. Although I'm a mafia boss everyone fear for, at the end of the day I'm still a human with emotions, but these emotions is not for the world to see , Mundanes— the worst creation of God.

I'm genuinely tired of all the shit that's happening around me and goddamn it I just want a moment to breathe it life.

To be honest, I didn't choose mafia life, it chose me so I complied.

And....as I said priorly, it was a good day indeed. At least by finding Nyla Rivers.

Nyla

She was beautiful. A beautiful lass who shines from her soul, one who is fully able to love and respect herself.

That's Nyla Rivers for you.

I still remember her, her impressions are like a fresh memory as if I met her yesterday.

She was the most astonishing girl I ever met... easy to talk to and fun to be around. There's beauty in being a good listener, someone who seeks to make connections and joy and see things from new perspectives. She had safe eyes, perhaps that's the best way to say it. She had a beauty that made those billboard-princesses look as paper thin as they are, she was something robust and real.

And today, when my eyes met hers I felt like everything is going to be okay. But nothing will . She lost her memories and she doesn't deserve such things which happened to her.

And I don't want myself getting involved her anymore, not in the future.

It's so unsafe for her to know about me and be with me, she had suffered enough...

At least let her happy henceforth...

I closed my eyes and all I ever think was about Nyla.

She loves nature too. It's only from her that I learned to respect and admire the beauty of nature.

I still remember her getting all hyped up when she wrote a poem about nature and trust me it was so beautifully penned by her.

'In this light that paints my skin so warmly, the trees are dancing ladies, each in dresses more fabulous than any designer can craft. They move, choreographed by the wind, in perfect time with one another. They are the life and soul of this early summer morning, and I wonder how many hues of green my eyes are witnessing. As they stretch upwards and outwards toward the light, drinking in rays as pure as the rain, I stretch my arms up too, fingers spread toward the sun and slowly begin to dance.'

The moment she completed reciting her poem, a huge smile plastered across her face waiting to hear my compliment.

Her smile..

Her smile was one of happiness growing, much as a spring flower opens. I could see how it came from deep inside to light her eyes and spread into every part of her. A person smiles with more than their mouth, and I heard it in her voice, in the choice of her words and the way she relaxed. It was beautiful.

It was a beautiful scenery and that's one of my favorite thing...

God, where did it all go wrong? We— me, Harry,  Nyla were so happy back then. That single Halloween night changed everything and we can never go back being the same.

"Still thinking something?" I heard Harry's voice from the car that's been parked near the meadow.

No one's POV :

"So you knew before? That she's is here? " asked Jace.

Harry sighed " Yep, I knew"

Jace swallowed the lump that's forming on his throat.

"Is s-she the N-Nyla we—"

" Jace, yes she's the one, she is our Nyla that we once knew. I even did a background check and I found out she's the one when I talked to her back at the club" said Harry.

"Druggie huh? Man, she and her nicknames" Jace scoffed and a beautiful smile crept on his lips.

Harry smiled softly at Jace and said "Only she has the power to make you smile that even now you know. It's like' The great Jace Finn' can smile but the cause should be Nyla rivers"

Jace shaked his head in disagreement but Harry knows better.

"It's beautiful right, Harry? "

"Yes it is , after all it's our favorite place which contains a lot of memories to reminisce" Harry sadly.

"Can't we just go back in time ? " asked Jace with a shaky breath inhaling the natural air.

Harry closed his eyes, " We can't " he whispered , a traitor tear streaming down his face.

Both Harry and Jace continued looking at the sky, drifting in their own thoughts.

It was peaceful at the moment and it felt good. Like too good.