06. A Scar He Have

Sieghal was picking up all the meds spilt on the floor last night. It was his last bottle before getting a new prescription from the pharmacy. They'd promised to send it over in two days once they restocked. Still, as of this morning, Sieghal hadn't gotten any confirmation from the hospital.

Antidepressants. That's the only thing Sieghal could get after hitting up nearly every psychiatrist in Vegas. No hospital or clinic was left unvisited in his quest to shake off his fear and trauma. He'd tried every kind of therapy, but it was all in vain. That fear seemed to be ingrained in his soul, impossible to erase.

Since he couldn't sleep, Sieghal cleared his mind with a shower, dousing his head with cold water in the early hours before the sun was even considering rising.

As the water cascaded over him, Sieghal glanced at the scar left by the trauma he'd suffered that day. A Kraken bite covered almost half his calf, deep and unforgiving, the keloid mark refusing to budge despite all the creams and treatments he'd tried. That scar acted like a ghost of the past, relentlessly haunting him.

While enjoying the shower, Sieghal quickly turned off the tap when he heard a loud noise outside. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist, ignoring that he was still dripping wet, his hair continuing to rainwater.

He ran to find the noise source, thinking someone was trying to rob the old house. But when he got to the kitchen, he saw Theo picking up a frying pan and some eggs that had fallen to the floor.

"W—what happened?" he asked, worried.

Sieghal grabbed a trash can and tossed the broken eggshells, wiping up the spilt eggs while Theo stared at the scar on his leg.

After a moment, Theo finally looked away, making Sieghal realize that his brother had been eyeing the scar on his left leg. He stood up and threw the rag full of egg mess into the sink.

"Are you trying to cook something?" Sieghal asked, trying to divert Theo's attention.

"That's none of your business," Theo replied, placing the pan down and walking to the fridge to grab some more eggs, only to find it empty. So, he shut the fridge and walked off to his room, leaving Sieghal with unanswered questions.

As Theo left, Sieghal noticed his brother was still wearing the clothes from the previous night when they had parted at the hospital. Had his brother just returned after spending the night there? It seemed likely, as Sieghal hadn't heard a peep in the house since last night, except for the silence.

Seeing the dirty rag in the sink and the empty trash can, Sieghal got curious and finally opened the fridge. He saw it empty, with only a few frozen fish in the freezer. The kitchen shelves were the same, completely barren, save for a box of expired cereal.

He wiped his face, tossed the cereal box into the trash, and wondered how bad Theo and his father's lives had become while he wasn't around.

Finding no food in the house, Sieghal dressed and grabbed something for them. He knew Theo must be starving, so he had tried to cook the last of the eggs.

"How bad has it been for you since I've been leaving this house?" he muttered, questioning the family's state, which seemed to be falling apart. Seeing Theo's condition, Sieghal realized how useless he felt in that house.

Shira felt like a strange place to him now. With all the new developments and tourist spots, it wasn't hard for Sieghal to find an open breakfast store.

After buying a couple of sandwiches and two cups of hot coffee, Sieghal returned home, a bit spooked, when a car suddenly stopped before him. His brow furrowed as he saw the unfamiliar car, and his expression darkened when he realized who had just stepped out.

Recognizing the person, Sieghal turned his head, thinking of running before the person could catch him. But just as he was about to take off, the person grabbed his arm, almost making him drop the food he'd just bought.

"Gotcha!" the man chuckled, a laugh filled with satisfaction. "I've been looking for you for nearly six months, and look at us, meeting in a place I'd never expect, the Land of Shira!"

"So what if you found me? Do I owe you anything?" Sieghal shook off the man's hand. With a sharp gaze, Sieghal wasn't scared, even though the man was much bigger and taller than him.

"Owe me? Well, it's not a debt, but didn't you say to come to you when you were bored with your new boyfriend? And what's this? You refused the money I offered and ran off to this small fishing town?"

Sieghal narrowed his eyes, his jaw tightening. Shaking his head, he replied, "So, you've been stalking me for the last six months, Mr Arash?"

The guy smirked. "Why you lookin' like you don't dig what I'm doin'? I've thrown a ton more cash your way, way more than what your boyfriend's got. So what's the deal with you liking that dude anyway? He's just a manager of some tiny company, while I'm the big shot owning a construction franchise. I can toss you a hundred thousand dollars a day if you want."

Sieghal went quiet for a second. Did he say a hundred thousand dollars a day? That sounds hella tempting, but Zayn Arash is a nutcase who always hides behind his sweet talk for Sieghal. A psycho is full of lovely words but a fool and covered with blood.

"No, thanks. I've got a way better gig than being your plaything. Just use your money to buy yourself some bitch on the street. isn't that what you're into?" Sieghal said, striding away.

But after just a few steps, a furious Zayn grabbed Sieghal by the collar and slapped him so hard his lip split and bled. Did he fight back? Nope. On the street, still deserted by pedestrians, Sieghal faced Zayn's intense stare and rage, ready to explode with punches that would hurt way more if he did.

"I'm giving you a way better deal than anything you've ever had. Who do you think would endure having sex with a body that has such disgusting scars?" Ah, here it goes again. Sieghal knew that once Zayn started talking, he wouldn't stop until he felt satisfied, or else more slaps and punches would come his way.

Sieghal ground his teeth. But he still tried to hold back that anger because he knew how crazy Zayn would be if he did that. "Then you shouldn't have to chase and offer a hundred thousand dollars a day just to have sex with this disgusting body." He said, then left Zayn, who looked shocked by Sieghal's words.

"You—hey! Don't run, Sieghal!" Zayn shout out. "Sieghal! Come back here! Hey!"

He tried to catch up, but Sieghal, who had a small body, was lighter when running, so Zayn's speed could not catch up with him. However, no matter how fast Sieghal ran, Zayn could catch up easily.

Zayn roughly pulled Sieghal's hand, knocking over the glass of coffee he was drinking. Sieghal rebelled. He tried to get his hand away from him, but the difference in their body size alone was enough to show how different their strength was, so Sieghal struggled to get away.

"Why are you doing this? What do you want from me?!" Sieghal said while hissing in the face of Zayn, who was now in front of him.

"I just want to explain something to you. where exactly are you running to, huh?!" Zayn tightened his grip, making Sieghal grimace in pain.

For the first time in six months, he felt again the grip of the man he disliked. His judgment of the man was completely wrong in the first moment, he was deceived by Zayn Arash's words of bloody love.

"I don't want to hear anything from your mouth. Let go of me, Zayn!"

"You're a little black cat who needs to be taught a lesson! Come with me now!"

"W—no! I told you, let me go!"

Sieghal resisted, holding his body so that Zayn could not pull him away. Still, once again, the difference in strength between them made Sieghal's efforts futile.

Zayn continued pulling Sieghal towards his car, making it almost difficult for Sieghal to walk as he had to keep up with the man's wide strides and refusal to be carried.

"No! Zayn!"

"I knew you were stubborn, but I didn't expect you to be this difficult." Zayn insisted on pulling Sieghal along, but Sieghal, who was trying, still did not give in.

           

Annoyed by Sieghal's stubborn behaviour, Zayn raised his hand again, intending to slap Sieghal. However, before that happened, someone intervened, and he held Zayn's hand while standing in front of Sieghal.

"Y—you?!"