*5*

(PREVIOUSLY ON DARKNESS BEFELL US)

"Honey you could never guess who the leader of the Karan security duty is," he said looking at me and touching my cheek, "Well who is it?" I said following him around, "It is Rik," he said turning to me and I almost screamed from the shock of my past but hoped maybe it was someone else with a similar name, "....yes Nen it is Rik my former best friend," he said and came straight at me pulling me in for a hug

. . . . .

(NOW)

Nen (narration)

"Hey hey hey!" I looked at Karth as he was shaking me hard, "Karth stop I am alright," I said and tried to stop him

"I am sorry but you zoned out for over 20 minutes and I was worried, " he said checking my face looking worried, I just touched his face to reassure him that I was fine and then he let go

"Can we go down for breakfast I am starving," I said pulling him through the door and he just smiled at me, for some reason I just knew he was just pretending I knew he was worried about this Rik thing but who am I kidding I was worried too, just hearing the name made me feel like passing out I did not want to remember what happened that fateful day but I guess some things just keep coming back

When we reached downstairs I saw everyone at the table, it put a smile on my face, the only thing people in this tower come together for is dinner so seeing everyone there for breakfast was nice, at least I forgot about Rik for a second

"Nen," I heard my name being called by the voice I had taken long without hearing, I turned slowly and I saw my brother Caz, he was smiling at me with open arms but I just looked at him

I remember clearly I was still in the hospital recovering when Santi told me my brother was gone, the moment I wanted him by my side is when he left and now he is back like everything was okay

"Nen I am back," he said coming at me while smiling,

"I can see that," I simply replied taking my seat at the table next to Karth,

"Did you know he was back?" I asked Karth looking at him and he just shrugged making himself a plate,

"I have just seen him now too, I had no idea he was back," he said still looking at Caz,

"Does he think that I can just forgive him just like that, like he left last week and is back," I said avoiding to look at him I felt at the corner of my eye that he was looking at me

"Nen you will have to talk to him whether you like it or not, he is your brother," Noth told me from my side and I looked at him and he gave me a small smile, Noth was my friend he would always reassure me everything was going to be okay even in a bad situation

I just smiled and ate my food in silence and dreaded the moment I would have that talk with Caz.

. . . . .

"I am going out with Noth, I will see you later," Karth said kissing me and left, I was still sitting on the bed thinking when I heard someone knocking on the door,

"Come in," I said and Caz came in and I just rolled my eyes, "Please Nen let me explain," Caz said running his hands on his face

"Explain what, that you left me at the time I needed you most, the time I almost lost my life, the moment where you could reassure me that everything was going to be okay, but you left me for years.....years!!!, there is nothing you can say that can make me understand Caz....nothing." I said yelling at him, that is when I realized how much anger I had toward him

"Nen I am very sorry I was stupid I wasn't thinking but I knew you would be safe with Karth, I just could not stand seeing you like that," Caz said looking down

"So that is why you left me because you thought I would die and so you could have nothing to do with it," I said looking at him

"Nen please I am sorry," he said trying to convince me but I did not care at all, he left me yet I was his only family left, if he lived the past years without me then there was nothing to discuss, he did not have to apologize, I turned out okay without him

"Caz you left because it was your choice so now this is my choice, leave my room," I said looking straight at him and he looked at me one last time before he left,

I looked at him and I just shook my head because I missed him a whole lot but I had learned to live without him, there were times when I thought I would die if he ever left me, before he and I were inseparable, we would do a lot of stuff together he is even the one who urged me to join security duty so that we could work together, it just hurt that some day he decided to leave me just like that

I sat on the bed and thought of Caz, I heard a knock on the door and just said lazily, "Come in,"

"Hey how are you?" Santi said coming in and I guess her a small smile

"I am okay what are you doing here?" I said looking at her, "Well I came to see my best friend and I also saw Caz downstairs," she said looking at me,

"Nen I know you are still hurt from him leaving but he is your brother, blood is blood," she said continuing while settling on my bed

"I don't want to talk about it," I said looking away, "Nen come on," she said complaining and I just gave her a look

"Alright Nen onto another subject I think Farath likes me," she said slowly and blushing a bit, I turned and looked at her quickly,

"Oh wow you are on top huh," I said smiling at her and she blushed hard, I just laughed she is so funny,

"Wow Santi so who are you going to be with, Farath or Noth?" I said weighing with my palms

"You know I like Noth but its like he does not even notice me, whenever I try to talk to him he just ignores me, I really don't understand," she said looking away sad

"Well maybe you can tell him that you like him, maybe you have to start it you know," I said simply, "No I cannot do that Nen it just feels weird, I cannot tell him I like him he has to approach me and besides Farath treats me well, who knows maybe I could change my mind about Noth," she said looking back at me

"Okay okay but remember Noth likes you maybe he is just afraid," I said smiling

"Oh the big bad warrior is scared, of what Nen?" Santi said getting off the bed

"I do not know Santi I am just sayin..wait it just got so quiet," I said getting up and moving quickly to the window, "What do you mean?" Santi asked quietly, "It just got so quiet listen," I said touching her shoulders

I moved to the window and saw everything was normal until I heard a weird sound and that is when I saw the missile heading straight for the market and hit, the blast was so strong and loud Santi and I fell and immediately the alarm of attack was sounded, I moved to Santi to help her up and sat her on the bed, "Stay here," I said to her and I was out

. . . . .

When I got downstairs there was a commotion with Farath giving orders to the security duty, people moving up and down with acbooks,

"Everyone you have to be ready for anything, the same people who sent that missile are ready for war with us," Farath said then lowered his head and breathed in hard,

"The Karan found an etocrite body at their border so the etocrites are not all dead like we all thought and we have to be prepared for the fight, the last time we were not prepared this time we have a chance to be ready for their attack and I could not be more sure that they are the ones who have sent that missile, we have to do our best to protect our tribe, are you with me soldiers?" Farath said with a deep voice and there was gasps in the room, "Yes sir," all the security duty shouted in response

"Tora can you track anything yet?" I asked her and she was working hard on her acbook,

"Not yet but all in due time, Nen did you know the etocrites are alive?" she asked me looking up from her acbook

"Karth told me when he returned from the East and apparently the Karan security duty are in the East too," I told her and she nodded her head

"So that is why those three have been going out a lot these days, I did notice," Tora said,

"So is your brother back in security duty now that he is back?" she added asking, "I do not know," I said and I saw her nodding her head slowly, what I liked about Tora was that she minded her own business and if you did not want to tell her stuff she would not push it

I looked around and saw Farath approaching my brother, "You should suit up you are still in security duty even if you left, " he said touching Caz's shoulder and Caz smiled and moved upstairs.

. . . . .

Karth (narration)

I was talking to Farath on the acview, he was reporting the current status in the city and Noth joined me too, "Current status?" I asked, "The market was hit, lots of lives lost," he said, "Have you tracked where it came from?" I asked, 'Tora and Caz are working on it," he replied

"Alright Farath take care of everything, make sure the people do not find out about the etocrites okay, the last thing we need right now is panic among the citizens," I said and cut off the call

"These things have started attacking Noth and we are not even so prepared yet, at least we have Xasv," I said moving to the window

"You know what I do not understand is immediately after Caz's return to the tribe, the missile hits our tribe," Noth said and I turned to him,

"What are you saying?" I asked him, "I am saying I do not trust Caz, he left all those years and now he is back, for what if you ask me? I think he is a spy for maybe another tribe or worse the etocrites,' Noth said seriously,

"I know it has crossed your mind too but you do not want to over think it because he is Nen's brother, I mean don't you find it weird that he is back?" he added crossing his arms

I could not lie though I thought of it but I did not want to over think but if it was true and he was back to spy on us then the person who would be hurt the most would be Nen, I saw how hurt she was when her brother left and if he was back just to leave again, then maybe I had to kill him to save her from any more pain.

"So what do you think?" Noth asked me and I just stared on, I just did not even want to think that Nen's brother was a traitor

"Then we shall have to keep a close eye on him, we better tell Farath to do that," I said grabbing my acbook but Noth stopped me and simply replied, "I alerted him already."