Chapter 140 Eyes with dreams [2]

Chapter 140 Eyes with dreams [2]

"WOOHOO~"

"MUHAHAHA."

"MOMMY, HELP ME!!"

I couldn't help but laugh at the mix of cheering and panicked cries from behind me.

My back pressed against Oliver's chest, we somehow squeezed four people onto one bike, with me in control of the handle.

It had been over an hour since we left the house, and we were just a short distance away from our destination.

The eight-lane highway was mostly empty, a few vehicles passing by every other minute.

"You still there, Chubby?!" I shouted, my voice muffled by the rushing wind.

He was at the very back, barely having any space to sit.

"PLEASE STOP!!"

His voice was brittle, as if he might start crying any second.

But despite his pleas, the others yelled, their excitement only growing.

"FASTER!!" Aimar yelled, his hand wrapped around Oliver.

I glanced at the speedometer, watching as the needle hovered around 140 km/h.

Click!

I shifted the gear, slowing the bike down a bit, and I could hear Chubby thanking every god in existence, even with the wind whipping against my face.

"Chubby!!" I called out, "Hold on tightly!!"

Vroom!

"NO!!"

I twisted the handle again, the bike jerking before it picked up speed once more.

The wind howled around my ears as the speed climbed above 200 km/h.

Their screams echoed throughout the highway as we approached an area with a slightly denser forest.

'Hmm, it should be around here,'

I thought, recognizing the familiar place from blurry memories.

A broken, rusty red signboard was all I needed to confirm our location.

"AZ!!"

Oliver yelled as I turned the bike off the smooth road onto the uneven ground leading deep into the forest.

"Trust me," I mumbled, slowing the bike as we descended downward.

"Hey, Azariah, where are we going?" Aimar's voice reached my ears as the area around us began to darken.

The trees above started to intertwine, leaving only a narrow path for me to ride on.

The bike bumped up and down for a while before I slowed it to a complete stop.

"We're walking from here." I glanced back, looking around the place.

Right in front of us was an inclined hill covered with small trees and bushes.

"I'm never riding with you guys again," Chubby grumbled, clutching his stomach.

The twins also dismounted, I parked the bike and led them onward.

The soft sound of water hitting rocks echoed in the eerie stillness of the forest as we made our way upward.

Slowly, the forest began to clear, and the sound of the waterfall grew louder.

After climbing for half an hour, we finally reached the top of the hill, where a blood-red river rushed down.

The thunderous roar of the waterfall filled the air as we moved closer to the edge.

"Is it blood?" Chubby asked, a little frightened.

I chuckled, "No, it's just the minerals mixed."

"Damn," Oliver mumbled, looking down the hill, "How deep is this?"

"Around two hundred meters," I answered, staring at the waterfall whose bottom was obscured from view.

"So why are we here?" Aimar asked, his eyes on me.

I gently smiled as I pointed ahead.

'But not this time.'

I won't let that happen again.

"...I see," he mumbled thoughtfully.

"Anything else that's bothering you?"

A full minute of silence lingered between us before he sighed, bringing his knees up and curling his body.

Now I was supported by his back.

"I'm scared, man," he mumbled harshly, and I could feel his body trembling.

"Of what?" I softly asked.

"These eyes," he replied, and I knew which eyes he meant. "They don't feel like my own."

"...Did something happen?" I calmly questioned.

"...I saw dreams with these eyes," he replied quietly. "...Dreams that I shouldn't have."

'Do you know something about this, El?'

[....No.]

Before I could ask anything, he continued, his voice turning more harsh,

"...For twenty days, I've been dreaming about war...

Soaked in the blood of enemies...

like a machine, all I did was kill...

It filled my mind with rage, Az, rage directed towards someone I don't even know...."

His words trailed off as I shifted my body, facing him, standing on my knees.

"You used those eyes in front of your mother before, right?" I asked, as he took ragged breaths. "Did you see those dreams back then?"

"...No, I saw those dreams only this time." He shook his head. "...They keep flashing in my mind, Az, again and again...like an endless torture."

"Calm down," I mumbled, rubbing his back. "Those are just nightmares."

He drew a deep breath before letting it out. "Yeah, they're not real."

"Yep, so chill out," I replied, standing up on my feet and helping him as well.

"Yeah, Akasha wouldn't have been so close if they were real," he mumbled, sliding down the hill.

"Wait, what!?" I asked, but he gestured for me not to worry.

I shrugged as well, jumping down as I exclaimed, "Yeah, Oliver!!"

"What?"

I smiled sweetly. "If the chance arises, help me bag your aunt."

"The fuck?" He cursed, looking at me weirdly. "You haven't even seen her yet."

"I fell for her name."

"Doesn't matter," he replied. "She's already married."

"Correction: 'She was married,'" I remarked.

"How do you know?" Narrowing his eyes, he asked.

"Just an intuition," I replied, grinning. "Was I correct?"

"You don't have a chance," he stated as if he was sure. "And since when did you start preferring mature women?"

"I always preferred them," I shrugged. "You're the one who didn't notice."

"I'm sorry, have I somehow given the impression that I give a solitary speck of shit about what you prefer?" He replied with a dead look on his face.

"Tch, what's with the formal language?" I grumbled as I helped him climb down.

"I'm not helping," he replied, shaking his head.

"Fine, I'll do it myself."

"Yeah, you purple shit, now let's go home," he said, not bothering to comment further.

Aimar and Chubby were trying to climb back up, but I signaled them to move down.

"Hey, Az," as we climbed down, Oliver mumbled.

"Yeah?"

"The thing you said about protecting my happiness," taking a deep breath, he continued, "I'll take your word on that."

I smiled genuinely, nodding, "Sure, man."