Chapter 005

“Sera?” Kael's voice pulled me out of my thoughts and I gasped, turning to see him staring at me, his forehead wrinkled.

“Huh?”

“Are you still here with me? Why do you look like you've seen a ghost?”

My eyes darted down to the mark on the book again and I closed it hurriedly clearing my throat and masking whatever was on my face with a neutral expression.

“I…I'm fine. The mark just seems strange that's all. I will go through the book later tonight but right now I have something to do.”

Kael pursed his lips, “are you kicking me out?”

“Is there anything else you'd love to share? If not then yes, we will discuss later about whatever I find out in that book.” I dropped the book on the table as if it was burning my skin and gave him a cold smile, “If you don't mind…”

Thankfully Kael didn't argue, but only shrugged before turning and leaving my room.

When the door closed behind me, I let out a breath of relief but it didn't calm or soothe my racing heart.

I glanced at the old book laying on my table and shuddered.

What were all these? What exactly was happening right now?

And what does this mean?

I had no idea, but one thing was for sure - I'd get to the bottom of it, not just for my sister, but for my parents who had fallen, whose deaths were somehow involved in all these.

My parents…

My biological parents..

It still felt weird thinking that the parents I had grown up with were not my birth ones. It felt very weird and foreign because they had loved me.

In their own ways, they had loved me.

Although they always favoured Thalia more than me, always loved her more, cherished her more but I had thought it was because of the differences between us.

Thought it was because Thalia was the pretty one, the cheerful one who brought life and light wherever she was, while I was just the nerdy anti-social one.

Now I know, but even knowing didn't make me feel better, because now I wonder - what if my parents were alive? I wouldn't have had to contest with anyone for their love and attention, the way I had to do with Thalia.

I closed my eyes momentarily as father's words rang in my ear over and over again.

/We are not your biological parents./

What were they like?

Who were they?

But of all the questions I had, the one that weighed most in my mind was - what exactly had led to their death and how was it connected to Thalia's?

With another slight shiver, I opened my eyes, staring at the book again.

I didn't dare touch or open it, because for a very short moment I feared what would await me, the knowledge I'd uncover in those pages.

I feared what I would learn, and what it would mean - to me, what it would mean for us all.

And that was strange because if there was anything I never feared, it was knowledge, learning new things.

But somehow I could tell that this would be way bigger than me.

With a shake of my head, I took my laptop and placed it on the table pushing the book to the other edge of the table - as far away from me as I could.

༺༺♡♡༻༻

Two hours had passed, with no result.

Two hours of searching, scrolling through sites and blogs but finding nothing.

It was as if, any drop of information about the questions I had was wiped away by something.

After those two hours I gave up and opened up my mailbox instead.

There was only one person I knew who could actually get hands on even the most hidden information.

One person who could hack through every system and at least give me little answers to the questions I had.

After typing out a short yet concise email, I sighed in relief and was about to close my laptop when I heard the door close and knew that my father had come back.

I could scent him in the house, which was good because I had a question I knew he could answer too.

So I closed the laptop, left the room and found him sprawled lazily on the sofa in our living room.

The strong smell of alcohol hit my nostrils, turning my stomach as I took him in.

He had been drinking - as usual, but this time as he raised his eyes and looked at me, my heart broke for him - deeply.

Because of the depth of sorrow and pain in those eyes - I had never seen anything like it before.

And I could only imagine just what it would feel like.

What it would have been like - losing your daughter and having to see her body, not in whole but cut up in pieces, butchered like a pig.

I shuddered as the image flickered through my mind.

"Hello Sera..." He drew, with a smile and I took a step back, deciding to leave him alone.

He was obviously mourning and definitely not in the right state of mind to answer whatever questions I might have for him.

"You've got that look, that curious look. Out with whatever question you have dear."

I sighed, "do not worry dad. We will talk about it tomorrow, you need to get some rest."

"Don't tell me what I need," he snapped, his voice rising, then he blinked as if realising what he just did before he smiled, "I'm perfectly fine. Come on, I could use some distracting conversation."

His words came out strong - a surprise considering the drunk state of him, so I guess at least his mind should be strong enough for a conversation.

With a sigh I walked closer to him, ignoring the ugly stench of alcohol and something very dirty coming from him.

"I wanted... If it isn't too much trouble, I wanted to ask about my birth parents. Who were they? How did you get to know them and how did I end up with you?"

For a while, he said nothing. Just stared at me with an off expression.

My shoulders slumped and I turned when his voice stopped me.

"Your father was my childhood friend," he said, "my best friend too. When we got married, we became neighbours and the families were close. He...he had always loved adventure, your dad. Loved researching around for hidden knowledge and treasures."

He looked at me with a small smile and I could see what was in his eyes even though he didn't say it. /Just like you./

And that warmed my heart greatly.

"We..including your mother would always tease and warn him that one day he might discover something that's not meant for him to know and goddess forbid that becomes the end of him."

A chill ran through my bone but I said nothing, couldn't say anything as he continued.

"And...I guess that was true. At first, your mother started complaining that he was having night mares, repeatedly. Then it was the headaches that kept coming and going on. He had been researching on something and kept telling us that he was getting close to discovering what he needed and," he swallowed tightly, "your mother begged him to stop because for whatever reason she believed that, what he was digging at, was responsible for his current predicaments at the time. Of course he didn't listen."

I knew I wouldn't either.

"Then...one night we heard noises. It happened so fast, before we could get to the apartment they were ... gone. Slaughtered, butchered like animals. There was nothing left except you - not even a single scent of who might have broken into the house."

I didn't realise that I was crying until I felt a tear slide freely down my cheek, followed by another and another .

My throat felt too tight as I envisioned it all, as I looked at the raw pain in my father's eyes.

"Months of investigation led us nowhere so the case was closed and we had to take you in."

"Thank you, dad." I said and turned away, deciding that I've heard enough even as pain seized every part of me.

"Whoever or whatever killed your parents Sera," father called stopping me in my tracks, "was responsible for your sister's death too and…” he trailed off but I didn't need to hear what he wanted to say, I didn't want to because I know.

And I also knew one thing for sure - I'd get to the bottom of this.

As I walked up to my room however, a question ran through my mind.

‘'What If, whatever this is ends me the way my parents ended just because I'm about to venture into forbidden territory?’