Garte's POV

I sit up against the bark on the tree. I'm not crying, I don't feel anything really. I guess the best way to describe it is numb, however not as numb as I was when I found out both my brothers died, or went missing.

The forest is quiet. I know that's a given fact, but when you live in a village like O'Khasis, you get used to noise. You know, the townspeople buzzing around with conversation about who did what, who had a new baby, politics, all that. I try to listen sometimes. Gossip, even though it's really bad, is interesting.

I like the quiet. It's nice to be in a place where no one can hear me. Then again, it's probably bad. I shouldn't be surrounded with my own thoughts. I've seen what it's done to people.

It's dangerous.

I pick up a rock, fiddling with it in my hand. It's rough, so it's not the greatest thing to have scraping against your skin, but it's okay.

All of the sudden, anger boils in my blood. I don't know how, but it happens within an instant. I grit my teeth, grasping the rock so hard I can feel it digging into my skin. I throw the rock as hard as I can. It goes pretty far. So, I pick up another rock and throw it, it goes farther and farther.

I do that a couple times, but it doesn't help with the firing anger inside of me. I turn around, grabbing the final rock. But I don't throw it, I keep it in my hand. Then, I don't even have to walk two steps to find a stick fallen from the tree right next to me. I pick it up, deciding to start a fire.

I sit down, my back against the rough bark from the tree. Continuously rubbing the rock and stick together, sparks begin to fly off the stick. I keep doing it, and eventually the tiniest flame burns at the end of the stick. I set it down on the ground, grabbing other sticks to go around it. After about five, maybe six sticks, it becomes an actual fire.

I take the letters out of the jacket of my pocket. Reading them over again, I tear up. Even though nobody is here, I kind of pretend that it's the fire and the smoke getting into my eyes. It's weird, I know. But I guess it's just natural instinct, or something else.

I take the tip of the first letter, touching it into the fire. The flame immediately appears. I hold it up away from the fire, seeing the flame for myself. It's nice to see the letter burn in the scorching fire.

Just like this baby's father will burn in hell.

I drop it in the fire, and sparks fly up in the air. I keep doing it, letter after letter. Each time, the fire gets bigger and the heat rises. Not only does it give real satisfaction to burn the letters, but it feels warm in the cold O'Khasian weather.

I cough due to the smoke, dropping the last letter in. I put my hands out in front of the fire, gently rubbing them together. It's getting dark, and I can tell it's about to become winter.

I should have brought a jacket, or some sort of cloak, but I guess I didn't think I would run away for this long. I don't know how long I plan to stay out here. I guess the better way of putting it is I don't know when I'll go back. I know the village depends on me, but how am I supposed to be married to Zianna after what she's done to me, to our boys?

I sit back against the tree, the fire right next to me. I hug my arms to my chest, closing my eyes gently. Sleeping, though it doesn't take away the pain, makes it go away for at least a few hours.

"You know, if you don't put out that fire, the entire forest will go up in flames." I hear a voice say.

I jump up, immediately looking around. My hands are shaking, adrenaline flows through my blood. I don't have anything to defend myself, just a basic little dagger.

"Jumpy much?" I hear the same masculine voice say. It's not deep, however it's not high either.

"I-I... Show yourself!" I yell, stuttering and shaking through my words.

"Oh, calm down, Garte John William Ro'Meave." The voice states my name, which is strange, but comes out of the shadows.

"H-How do you-"

"Know your full name? I think you know why." He says, pulling the hood of his cloak down.

I see his features, so similar to my father's. So similar to Tobin's. I see Theo for the first time in years. My heart races with happiness, I can't believe my younger brother is standing right in front of me, after four years of being presumed dead.

"Theo! Is it... Is it really you?" I ask, not wanting to be 100% sure and looking like a complete idiot.

"You guessed it." He says, with a small smirk on his face.

The only thing separating us is the fire. The light shines against his face, highlighting his sharp facial bone structure. His dark brown hair brings out his emerald green eyes, which are shining. But he doesn't look happy. In fact, the smirk he has looks suspicious, dangerous almost.

"So we meet again." He says in a low tone.

"W-Where have you been?! I've been searching for years for you!" I exclaim, almost yelling in his face.

"That's not important." Theo replies in a snarky tone.

"Like hell it isn't!" I tell him, balling my hands into tight fists.

He doesn't look taken back at all by what he said. In fact, he doesn't look intimidated at all. But for some reason I don't think at all about it. In fact, I don't even care. I shake with happiness seeing my brother for the first time in years.

"Everyone will be so glad to see you!" I tell him, a bright smile appearing on my face. I almost forget everything that's happened today.

He gives a smile and slowly reaches down for a rock. The rock is fairly big, when he reaches down for it and picks it up I'm kind of surprised. When he was younger there was no way he could have picked that up. He wasn't the strong one of the three of us.

"Good. I'm glad to see you, too." He says, raising up the rock slightly. "But I can't come back."

"Why not...?" I ask, shocked at his answer. He looks beat up and relatively dirty. I would assume he would wanna come home.

"Because. When you find out you'll hate me." He says, raising the rock behind his ear.

I shake. What the hell is going on?

"W-Why would I?" I ask him. I can't fathom why he would ever think I would hate him.

"Because..." He raises the rock over and smacks me in the head with it.

The sharpest pain I've ever felt hits me like a bus. I get knocked down to the ground, grabbing my throbbing head. I open my eyes, wincing in pain. Everything is blurry, like I'm under water.

"I'm the father of the baby your wife is pregnant with." He says, but the pain I'm feeling is so unbearable I can barely hear him.

He begins to walk away slowly, or at least his blurry figure does. I reach out for him, my hand shaking. I can see the red on my hand, though it looks like a mesh of colors.

"W-What...? Th-Theo... No... P-Please-"

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You guys I am so sorry for no update. School and a bunch of other things have gotten me occupied.

Thanks for reading! Bye!
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