Chapter 109 [Nyrel Loyster] Flashback [3]

"Wow! The shopping center is bigger than before!" Ephera's loud voice and breathtaking appearance immediately attracted everyone's gazes.

"We went just the previous week, Ephera. Don't exaggerate."

"You are always too serious, big brother," Ephera sighed. "Anyway, thanks for the drive, Jayce!" She thanked Jayce.

The latter was coming from a rich and prestigious family so he just had to make a call and someone appeared with a limousine to drive us to a shopping mall.

"Don't fret over it, Ephera." Jayce showed a dazzling smile that would make any girl give a glance at him and indeed several girls in the mall looked at him and whispered with each other. "Just tell me if you need something."

'That guy sure knows what he is doing.'

Nyrel thought and looked at Emric.

Emric had a slightly annoyed expression since he knew that Jayce was into his sister. Still he didn't do anything to hinder him.

'Is he okay with Jayce or maybe Ephera told him to not do anything?'

Nyrel was pretty sure that Ephera was aware of Jayce's obvious feelings toward her but since she didn't do anything in return, he didn't know what to think of that.

It might be because she also felt some affection toward him and decided to tease him a little or not at all but decided to ignore him as it was the best solution.

"It's…really gigantic." Shayna muttered, amazed by the shopping mall.

It was the first time Shayna saw such a big shopping mall. Jayce brought them on the one he would usually buy his clothes and it was obviously a lavish mall.

"Can you really see, Shayna?" Nyrel asked as she stared at Shayna's broken glasses on her nose. Though they were broken, she had no choice but to put them on, otherwise she wouldn't be able to walk or see anything.

"Y-Yes. It's difficult but they are enough, Nyrel," Shayna replied with a smile.

"Enough flirting, lovebirds! We have to first order Shayna's glasses."

"F-Flirting?!" Shayna stammered at Ephera's words. "We are not…" She lowered her face.

Nyrel ignored Ephera's words, knowing well what she was trying to do and glanced behind him. A man in suit was looking at him and immediately averted his gaze when Nyrel turned around.

'Be discreet at least.'

Without wasting time, they all headed to an optical store. Inside it, Ephera accompanied Shayna. "Wait for us outside, guys."

We all nodded and waited outside.

'Awkward…'

Nyrel felt not at ease at all with Jayce and his two friends. Emric just let to check something so I was alone with them.

"Hey, Nyrel, come with us for a minute," one of Jayce's friends squeezed Nyrel's arm and forced him to head to an isolated corner inside the shopping mall. Jayce and his other friend followed them with a smile.

Nyrel didn't resist and followed them. If it wasn't today, it would have been another day so he thought it was better to finish it now.

-Bam!

"Agh!" Nyrel coughed when Jayce punched his stomach. It was a ruthless punch.

"Because of you, I had to apologize in front of Ephera." Jayce's tone was cold unlike when he talked with Ephera. "How are you going to forgive yourself for that huh?"

"It wasn't because of me…" I said holding my stomach. "Shayna was the one who told what happened and she said only the truth." I said with a grimace.

"And?" Jayce scoffed. "That four-eyed b*tch is your girlfriend, right? You should have kept her in check," he snorted.

"..."

"Can't believe I had to bring your poor ass*s, in my private limousine. I should clean it again."

"Right, Jayce!"

"I agree!"

His two friends cackled behind him.

-Bam!

"Argh…"

"If you tell anyone what happened here…" Jayce leaned to reach Nyrel's ears and whispered. "I will make your life a living hell."

"..."

"Your answer, nerd?"

"Yes. I will not tell anyone…" Nyrel said.

"Good." Jayce smiled brightly and released Nyrel who fell on the ground and his glasses also fell.

"Let's go guys. Ephera has probably finished already." Jayce smirked and left with his friends.

"..." Nyrel remained on the ground and stared blankly at the ground for a minute. His green eyes didn't seem alive at all. They were like the eyes of someone dead for a long time.

Suddenly black shoes appeared in Nyrel's vision. "Did someone hit you?" A male's voice asked without a hint of worry.

"I think it's obvious," Nyrel stood up and dusted off his clothes before looking up at the man's eyes.

"Your eyes will scare off the children." The man said before stooping down to pick the glasses. "Put them on, it's better that way."

Nyrel took and put on his glasses without giving an answer to the man's words.

"I will leave then if you have nothing to say," He said and started to walk away.

"I hope you are not planning any retaliation against him, Nyrel Loyster."

"..." Nyrel stopped his steps.

"You are lucky that Leon hadn't died that day…but it doesn't mean we will let you off. If you try anything against him…No I'm sure you are not stupid to antagonize him and his family."

Nyrel ignored him and walked away.

"Who was it?"

But as he walked, heard another voice from his left. It was Emric.

Nyrel stared at him for a few seconds before answering. "He just asked me the way." He lied through his teeth without even flinching.

"He did wear glasses but I think he is not blind. Signs are everywhere and staff of the mall are there to help him." Emric wasn't convinced at all.

"We are late." Nyrel just said that and walked toward Jayce who was speaking to Ephera who was back with Shayna.

"Next is a salon!" Ephera raised her hand.

"A salon? For what?" Emric got over my non-response and asked his sister.

"For me and Shayna, obviously!"

"M-Me?" Shayna was clearly not aware of that plan. "I don't have money though…"

"Don't worry! Jayce will pay for us!"

"Eh?"

"Right Jayce?"

"Ah, yeah…" Jayce nodded with a smile. "Take the best option, I will take care of the bill."

"Perfect! Let's go!" Shayna coiled her arm with Shayna's arm and rushed ahead.

….

….

All the boys had waited on seats for now 45 minutes and they were still not finished.

"For me it took only twenty minutes though?" Jayce's friend yawned.

"They are girls after all." His other friend replied.

"Yeah. My sister is also taking one hour for her hair," Jayce laughed.

"..."

"..."

Emric and Nyrel were seated on other seats, apart from Jayce's group.

'What am I even doing here?'

Nyrel corrected the position of his glasses and leaned back on his chair.

'I should study instead of wasting time here…that's what father, mother and Chloe would have wanted…that's the only thing keeping me alive-no. The only thing keeping me alive is Leon. That guy is still alive. As long as he is alive…I won't die. I will do it properly and join mom, dad and Chloe.'

"W-Who is that?!" Jayce's friend's voice woke Nyrel from his thoughts. He glanced up and frowned.

A beautiful…no, the girl in front of him could really be a top actress or a top model…or both. The girl's light brown hair cascaded down sublimely behind her back and her light brown eyes filled with innocence attracted every boys' gazes on her.

'Shayna?'

Nyrel recognized her after a few seconds but he couldn't believe it. Could someone change this far in a salon? He thought such things would happen only in fiction but…

'Well, she doesn't wear those glasses and she doesn't have thick braids anymore, with the makeup, I can understand.'

The fact that Shayna was wearing really the typical long skirt and blouse, timid girls would wear was even more attractive.

"U-Um, I feel a little awkward…" Shayna said and put on her broken glasses but it diminished her beauty in nothing even though it was weird.

"Don't worry, Shayna! You are perfect!" Ephera also finished and came out.

She also cut her hair slightly and had a session of light makeup.

And she wasn't even less beautiful than Shayna. Truthfully she was without doubt the most attractive girl in the city right now.

Jayce's mouth was hanging down as he stared at Ephera.

"Finished ogling my sister?"

"Ah, yeah.."

""Y-yeah…""

Jayce and his two friends replied awkwardly to Emric.

"Now! Let's go to the restaurant!" Ephera shouted.

"I'm sorry but I will have to leave now…" Nyrel couldn't stand it anymore so decided to speak. "I have a lot of work to do…"

"What? But you can do it after? Come on, Nyrel!" Ephera insisted.

Nyrel narrowed his eyes behind his thick glasses.

'Something…something is up with her…'

He felt an odd feeling with Ephera and he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.

"Leave him, Ephera. You can't force him, right Jayce?" Emric unexpectedly helped Nyrel.

"Yeah, of course. He should leave if he is busy." Jayce immediately agreed.

"T-Then I will also leav-"

"No! Shayna, come with me!" Ephera dragged away Shayna and waved her hand at Nyrel. "See you tomorrow, Nyrel!"

She was the only one bidding him goodbyes.

Nyrel nodded and left or was about to leave…

Just when he spun on his heels to turn around, his eyes caught a boy.

A boy of his age.

A eighteen year old boy.

He had messy black hair and dark eyes…just like Leon.

The man who took his family away.

Nyrel's eyes opened wide when he saw the man walking past him a dozen of meters away. He even caught a glimpse of a rictus on the man's lips.

Without thinking, he pushed away everyone and rushed to him.