CHAPTER 3: His Name is Theon

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THEON XEDRIC LEE

Undefined shapes of sure perspiration formulated on my temple as I ran over on a charred, red-blooded forest in an unknown place, carrying nothing but a gasp of impotent rage. I was chased by unknown creatures, definitely horrendous and fear-inducing entities which might bring agony on my life, I surmised. Running was the only option. Moving away from them was a sure path of undisputed salvation. I was running, barefoot.

The luminous moon which was bathed with flame-like blood was the sole witness of my entire suffering. While observing the entire prairie which connected to the forest, I could barely believe what I’d perceived. Everything was red. Even the color of the vast field of grass, which usually lush green, turned into red. It seemed that it was the first time I encountered that place. Never in my entire life I’d seen something like that, I was not fully convinced that a place like that could be feasibly existed. Never.

“Where am I?” a question of profound confusion.

As I continuously escaped, running the life for survival, I hurriedly halted as if something whispered to my soul to stop from running. I fastened my gaze at the back to see if these creatures chasing me were still behind me. I could not see anything, I’d felt indisposed, heavily breathing and my heart pounded so fast as if it would explode anytime soon.

I felt safe, though for a little a while. I scanned the whole place, trying to be as vigilant as possible. Questions echoed inside of my mind, grappled with my own thoughts and wrestled with my own sanity. Two questions on my mind kept on bothering me, seeking for an immediate answer.

“What place is this?”

“Who are those creatures chasing after me?”

I was mused with my own thoughts; pensive as it may sound but a part of me eagerly demanded for answers as if what I was looking for was freely available for the time being. A faint murmur of undefined noise caught my attention as I wrestled to find answers to my question, thereof.

“Run!” a word I heard as if commanding my feet to flick along the way.

Twigs cracked, a heavy sigh of tremendous worry, wind howling and my heart beating was a perfect harmony mixed together which generated a soothing, earth-appealing music. I ran as fast as I could. The most essential thing I considered was my own survival, to find a refuge or to find someone who could feasibly bestow the most fundamental thing I need – help.

Then, after a while, a knock was spotted on my room, a noise which had woken me up from my weird, fantasy-like dream. Well, it’s always like that and it was nothing new to me. Dreams about monster, me always chasing by something and seeing undefined creatures were always the content of my dream. I actually had no idea why was that and why they always appeared them on my dream.

If you’re going to ask me if I was scared, well not anymore. But before, when those monsters and creatures tried to chase me, I was entirely scared and even catching my breath every time I wake up as if I was really there and as though it was really happening.

I also remembered that there were nights that these dreams of mine would wake me up in the midst of night. Terror became my friend and fear resided like a usual visitor. Then, it hunted me no more. The moment I got used to them, I started to feel more relaxed. Well, that was really nice after all because it was just only in my dream I could be with the places I would love to be. Because in real life, I just only have me and my room.

When I heard the knock three times, I stood up because it was time for my breakfast to arrive. Yes, I didn’t join my parents to take any meal in the dining area, but in fact, a male servant was fetching food to my room. Even before I opened the door, I wore my black jacket and put the hoodie on. It was kinda weird, but yeah that’s me – a total introvert.

I just loved staying at home, especially in my own safe haven. I never let anyone enter my room apart from the dad and my male servant. Well, according to the doctor, I was diagnosed with a rare condition wherein I suffered from extreme extroversion. I never wanted to meet another person, I hated being in the spotlight, I hate someone looking at me. I hate conversing with people. I was more of a loner but not sad, and I was one of the rare persons with this kind of situation. I hate school but I love learning.

And speaking of school, I stopped attending school because of my condition. I never wanted to be with the crowd, not because I was claustrophobic but I just hate the fact that everyone was with me and I had to mingle with them.

I remember when I was in grade school, when we were about to perform, I just got peed on my pants, everyone laughed at me and I was totally embarrassed, one of the many reasons I hated school. Then, there was also time, that I was bullied because I was always alone and wearing my black hoodie jacket, again, another reason why I cursed school. That was the reason as well why I and solitude became friends. I befriended with peace and tranquility. I actually didn’t know if that was the real case or I had no choice because I was alone.

After that incident in grade and high school, it didn’t stop there, I also attempted to study in College, but I was really pressured, and as I grew up, I feared people. And since I was bullied back then, my college life as freshmen made it more even difficult for me to stay in the school. So, I asked my father if it was possible to study at home and I was glad he did. I was in my graduating year as a business management student, well, it was not the course I wanted for myself but because my father was a businessman, like the usual CEO son, we don’t have any choice but to rather follow orders and command. But somehow, I learned how to love the course. Selected male teachers from my University had a schedule to still continue my study.

My father, Augusto Lee, was the owner of the Lee Unibank Incorporated - a full-service universal bank in the Philippines which provides a complete array of industry-leading products and services including Lending Deposit-taking, Foreign Exchange, Brokering, Trust and Investments, Credit Cards, Corporate Cash Management and Remittances in the Philippines. He was really a successful businessman and one dream he wanted to fulfill was to see his only son rising like him and to inherit the company he built, and the only son he was referring was none other than me.

I was still thinking if how that was possible. How could I even pursue what he wants if I was locked in my room, babying my condition? He always mentioning about the inheritance that I was the sole heir of Lee Unibank Incorporated, and he wanted me to fix myself as if it was just a simple command telling myself to be the person he wanted me to be. Like any other kid, I was just want to live a normal life and to pursue what I like but since, I was a child of a Billionaire, that was not the way life works.

Since, Dad wanted me to get better, he even hired psychologist to help me up with my condition but all of them were failed. Majority of the reasons were because I was not cooperative enough for what do they call therapy. Well, I just personally believed that I didn’t need a therapy, because I had no problem at all or that was just the thing I wanted to make myself believed or I was just in denial. Well, I guessed, more likely, I was really in denial and I thought there was no problem at all. I was happy living my life alone. It’s just that my dad needs an heir to inherit the company but unfortunately, I was that heir.

Well, that was the life waiting for me and I had only two options, first, obey my father and try to be okay with everything or resist. Well, I didn’t think that resisting to my father’s order was even an option, I surmised. Dad was really a good father, he was really the best and failing him would really a huge disappointment for him and I didn’t want to do that, but what’s the best way to help myself. Who was better qualified to help me with this?