45: Farewell

"How do you feel?"

"I'm fine, Tal. I'm sorry, I hurt you –"

Talia pressed her index finger on Axel's lips to shut him down. She hummed and smiled at him, telling that it does not matter to her and she understand that Axel was not feeling well at all. "It is fine, okay? The important thing here is you. You have to get more rest."

Axel tried to get up but she stopped him. "Look, you have to rest. Just stay there and have some rest. I will take care of you and I am not leaving you," Talia told him, planting a smile on her lip.

Axel sighed and looked away from her. "I don't know why you are not mad. I hurt you and –"

"I told you, Axel. It is fine and you do not have to be sorry."

Axel has no choice but to do what she says. He lay himself in the hospital bed and hissed as he felt pain in his elbow. Talia guided him. She then looked at Kiel who is just standing next to the chair and is staring at the siblings. She smiled at Kiel while he diverted his gaze away.

"Talia," Axel called her after seconds. Talia sat beside his bed and held his hands. "I often have nightmare and last night was really just a bad luck."

"Stop talking, just rest."

Axel shakes his head and heaved a deep sigh. Now, he stared at the blank ceiling. "It's fine, I am fine. It was just that I can't fight my demons. Something is appearing in my dream and it is kind of creepy," he tilted to Talia and continued. "You think I am crazy?"

"No." She chuckled, disagreeing. "You are just unique, Axel. You are not crazy and about your nightmares, that can be cured. What are you seeing by the way?"

He shakes his head again, feeling so down. "It was not clear actually. But..." he paused and closed his eyes tightly. "But I saw a face... A face. Wait, a face. It is familiar and –"

"Hey, calm down," Talia told him. "Don't tire yourself too much thinking about it. You can do that later when you are fine –"

"I saw your face." Talia stopped from talking when she heard that from him. She looked at him, clueless. While Kiel started to walk heading to their area so he could easily hear their conversation. "Your face, Talia. It is your face. I am sure of it!"

Kiel creased his brows on the other hand. "What is happening in your nightmare?" he asked and held Talia's other hand.

"I... I don't know what is happening but," Axel said and sighed. "Talia leaving. She is leaving us and I can do nothing about it. I can't stop her. She does not love us –"

"Hey," Talia cut him off. "I will not leave you, Axel. I love you., okay? Just don't think negative You have my word, I would not leave, never."

Axel wagged his head over and over. "I know, Talia. It was just that my nightmare is taking in over me. I'm sorry if I think that way."

Talia caressed his hair and planted a small kiss on his forehead. When Axel fell a sleep, Talia stared at his face while still holding his hand.

***

"Hey, I bought coffee."

Talia opened her eyes when she heard Kiel opened the door. He put the coffee he bought in the table and went near Talia. He kissed the top of her head and tapped her back. "Hmm, thank you."

"You also have to rest, come on. Sleep and I will take care of him."

Talia scoffs. "Yeah, I am sleepy. Is it fine? I will just be there in the couch."

Kiel nodded his head and changed his seat with Talia. She sipped on the coffee first before she took a nap. She have not taken a sleep for already almost a day and she is really knocked out this time. She is sleepy as hell and it took her many hours to wake up.

"Hot chocolate," Trist smiled and handed her the cup as she went inside. Talia accepted it and put it in the table. She watched Trist head to her son, Axel. Kiel was still up, beside Axel and is sleeping. "Hey, Kiel, I got him."

Trist wanted to talk to Axel first so Talia and Kiel left them inside the room. They took a walk in the hospital's hallway. They were silent for a moment until Talia heaved a deep sigh, breaking the silence amidst them.

"You fine?" Talia asked Kiel.

He looked at her and nodded his head. "Yeah, why?"

"You look like not," she insisted and continued to walk. Kiel just shrugged his shoulders off and followed Talia on the way. "Look, you can tell me if you have problems, Kiel. It's not that you hide secrets. You know that I can't live with silence without truth."

They stopped from walking and sat on the bench. Talia lost count of how many times Kiel let out a heavy sigh. She just know that he has a problem and she has to know about it. She called him again when he did not even utter a word.

"I am fine, actually," he said, obviously lying. "It was just that I am not feeling well. I mean, I am but I am not. I can't explain."

"We have to check you up, then." Talia stood up and she was about to invite Kiel when he refuses to. "What is happening, really? You are acting weird."

Kiel gulped and looked up at her, directly at her eyes. "You think this really is right, Tal?"

"What are you talking about?" she furrowed her brows and gestured her hands. "I don't know about –"

"Ysiah is right," Kiel told her and bit his lower lip. "He is right."

"O-Okay? Right about?" She is still confused yet she already has a clue. She felt her heartbeat through her chest, beating fast. She is nervous even if se has not heard anything from him yet.

"About using you," he said and forced a smile. "You are a Zanea –"

"You gotta be kidding me," Talia shut him and chuckled nervously. "You are just joking, right? You are, Kiel. Tell me what hap –"

Kiel shook his head and looked down at his foot. "I am sorry for doing this, Talia. I can't take this anymore. The guilt –"

"Tell me you are just joking," she said in monotone yet in pain. Kiel was about to hold her hand when she step backwards. "Don't. D-Don't touch me. I just need answer."

"Tal –"

"Don't say my name!" Talia yelled, making some of the people in the hallways to look at their area but they seemed not to care or even distracted. Talia was too occupied with the pain she is feeling. "Tell me that you are not telling the truth! Tell me, Kiel!"

Kiel closed his eyes and a tear fell down on his cheeks. "I am sorry if I can't."

Talia covered her mouth in horror and pain. She bursts into tears and looked at him with disbelief, After that, she ran away from him like he is sort of a virus that she should avoid. Kiel on the other hand, wiped his tears away and gasped. He is hesitating for doing this but he has to.

He is just lying to her but again, for her safety, he will do anything for her. Even if it will cost him his life.

"Where are you –" Eman was not able to ask Talia as they crossed path when she just ran pass through him. He was caught off guard for a moment before he followed her way without thinking any second.

Talia went to the garden area and hide herself in the bushes. She sobbed while covering her face in her knees embraced by her arms. What she heard from Kiel just broke her. They were just talking fine lately yet all of a sudden, it was like Kiel wants to break it up with her.

"How dare you..." Talia sobbed and turned her hands into fist. "How dare you, Kiel..."

"Talia." Eman did not get fully near her when he saw him weeping. He creased his brows in confusion. "Hey, what happened? Can you tell me?"

Talia shakes her head and looked at Eman. "Well, I never thought Ysiah will be right. You know, he just utter false. Damn him, Eman."

"Is this about Ysiah or your boyfriend?" Eman started to walk near her. Good thing Talia did not complain and just let her brother to sit before her. "Tell me. I might can help you feel better."

Talia chuckled in sarcasm. "Both of them, actually. I never expect this. Wealth is really everything, aren't it?"

Eman tousled his hair. "What is it really?"

"Kiel told me the truth. He used me because I am a Zanea. He love me because of our family's wealth. I am just nothing –"

"No, you are everything, Talia. And you mean, he is just using you? Oh, come on. Have he get something from you? What is it?"

Talia stopped for a moment and sobbed. "Nothing, none yet."

"He is just lying to you. He is not using you nor our family. If he really did, then why admit when he got nothing yet?"

Talia shakes her head, not getting convinced. "You can't change the fact that he loves money more then me. Stop defending him, Eman. You don't know him."

Eman hissed. "Yeah, right. I don't know him. But that's it? You will believe and break up with him?"

"He left me no choice. I am breaking up with him. We are nothing now." Just by saying those, Talia felt a punch on her chest. She just ignored it wile tears are still flowing down to her cheeks.

Knowing that Kiel is just using him, That Ysiah is right about him – makes her to hate Kiel. He might be lying or not, but he said it. He already did. He used Talia for being a Zanea and he loved her because of their wealth.

It really is important to know the other's point of view, their sides. Because on the other hand, Kiel was already dying with the thought of the hurt Talia's feelings. He cannot accept the fact that he broke her. But he has no choice, both of them has no choice but to keep themselves alive and away from danger.

"I did it," Kiel told Margo from the other line. "I am done. Now, can't they still stop from bugging her? I am surrendering myself to them and they should get away from Talia."

"Are you fine?" Margo sounded so worried. "You don't have to do this, Kiel. We can take then down, and not this. You are hurting each other and I think Talia does not deserve the pain at all. You two does not deserve the pain."

Kiel scoffs and hissed. "I already did it, Margo. Tell them that I am ready. They take my life and they will get away from Talia. They should keep the deal because if not, I will be killing them."

He heard Margo's sighs from the other line. "Alright, Kiel. We will not let them hurt you, understood? We got your back, brother. We will take them down."

"Margo, don't. Let us keep the deal, okay? I will surrender with nothing and you should do nothing but let me go. I am doing this for us, for all of us. Tell Talia that I love her."

"This is not a perfect time but you are so corny, really."

"Shut up."

Margo chuckled but after five seconds, she sighed once again and now she talked sounding terrified. "You really sure about this, brother? You will give yourself up?"

"For Talia, I will."

"Your love for her is just, incredible. How I wish I get to have a lover like you."

"You will. It will come in the right time."

"When is the right time anyway?"

They both chuckled. They guess this is a farewell.