Broken Wings

Xander

Lucas, my best friend forever, is and was and will always be a man of golden heart. He is not a people pleaser but a caregiver. Someone needs him in their life, just like me. He thinks he sneaks on those sweets behind me, but I know all about it. Just like now, he will be trying to do the same in the conference room. But I don't say anything as it makes me see his smile. The most precious smile, like sunshine, radiating brightly making everyone's life beautiful and glowing. Just like me.

We are childhood friends. Adversity made us close but this guy's efforts made us closer. I was 6 years old when Uncle Mike introduced us. I was not a shy boy but I don't trust people which made me a bit cold. But this idiot made me believe in trusting people. And he became my soulmate and best friend. He was still recovering from the loss of his mother but was never down. He was still the happy person, and he still is. No matter what the trouble is, he never changed. He is still the same loving, smiley, caring person, he always was. Like now, where he is planning to give a surprise vacation for Mr. Irvus Kazas and his wife Shanon. He knows about the old man's interest in arts so I have to ensure that.

I talked with my secretary about the plans. After finalizing everything, I came back to the room, to see Luc trying those chocolate muffins. His stress reliever. But then I noticed his expression, something painful. This is him when he thinks about his mother.

I walked up to him. Before I could ask he said,

"Xen, this muffin tastes just like mama's recipe. This is what she made for me for the last birthday she spent with me. It tastes exactly the same." his eyes were teary, he may break down at any moment.

" But something is wrong. How can this be possible?"

"What, is there something wrong with the taste or are you feeling sick?" I frowned thinking something happened because of eating it.

"No, I am completely fine, nothing is wrong with the taste and me. It's that I clearly remember mama saying, She experimented it herself to give me a surprise as I love muffins. But if it's her recipe, and that was the first and last time she did it, how come someone can make the exact same piece after so many years. "

"Luc, anyone can have done it. Just because Aunty did it by herself and .. she is not here with us anymore, sorry, but someone else could have also tried it. They may have done it. What's so wrong with it?"

"But they can't bring out the exact flavor."

"Dude, you are overthinking, it's just a recipe. Chill. We can go and check who has prepared it and then you will know. But explain to me why you are so worried."

"The thing is that day, Mama, after celebrating my birthday said, she has to visit her friend, but she never came back. Only grandpa came and said She is no more. No one said anything to me, I still don't know what happened to her. My father never spoke after that. So I thought that if someone might be knowing Mama then they could at least say what exactly happened to her. "

I know what he is trying to do. He is still looking for closure. After all these years, he doesn't exactly know what happened. I had tried to ask Uncle Mike. But he has either tried to avoid it or given some other explanation of fate or bad luck and no one could have changed it. There is a greater part missing from what the elders have told us, it's like, they don't want us to know. The last time we have mentioned it, Luc's father, Graham Barnet, had angrily thrown a fit, which terrified Luc, he stopped asking after that. Everyone thinks he has moved on. But I know him better. He hasn't. He can't. How can he? When there are so many loose ends. How can someone who loved him so much will suddenly decide to leave him knowing that he is the one who needs her the most? Yes. She was trying to leave him. That's what grandpa said to Uncle Mike. And that's why Luc should never know about it. I heard it, then I knew. But they don't know I am aware of it. But I have to know why she did what she did. Luc was shattered, broken, crying night after night, thinking about, terrified about his demons. And the only person who could calm him and support him was trying to abandon him. Why? Why try to care and love him when you have decided to leave him. Why Celine Barnet, why? What were you trying to do?

For 15 years I have been asking the same question. Trying to find what exactly happened, but everything comes to a dead end. It seems like I may never get the answer but I can't stop. I have to do this for the sake of my soulmate, Luc.

"Ok. Let's find out who provided these. Then we can find the answer." I suggested.

"Yeah, that will be good."

I asked the assistant of Mr. Kazas, the redhead, with a stoic personality.

So, right now we are standing in front of Cassandra's Den.

Yes, the exotically named cafe who provided us those muffins. But before we can proceed, I got a call from an unknown number.

"Hello"

"Hello, Is this Mr. Xander Cage?"

"Yes, speaking."

"Well, hello sir, I am the Manager from the club Spades, speaking. Sorry to trouble you, but can you please come to the club. It's umm... urgent."

I know the club, That's where my brother Andrei cage visits regularly. My elder brother. If the club is calling, that means he has created some ruckus. And I have to clear that.

" What is the damage?"

" Sir, umm....we... I..."

"Please. I am sorry on his behalf. I will totally bear all the cost."

"Sir, it's not property damage. This time it's serious. He had a fight with a few of the U-city people. And they are not taking it easy."

" Okay, try to hold the fight. I will be there in 15 mins."

Luc looked at me. "Andrei?"

I nodded.

He called for Uncle Robert, immediately. Uncle Robert too understood the situation, and he immediately started for Club Spades. On the way, Luc called Police chief Thomas, who is one of our acquaintances, to intervene.

Andrei Cage. My elder brother has gone downhill after our parents' death. He blames me for it. He thinks I am the reason they went on that fateful night to visit someone in the mountains. I was sick, and they took me for treatment in the mountains. He insisted on going with us, but they denied him. But I was being difficult, so I urged them to go home. And that's when everything happened. That one day changed everything I know. Something so terrible happened that broke my trust forever. It not only affected me but the bond between me and Andrei became a broken thread which increased with the progress of time. He thinks everything happened because of me. He never liked me. According to him, I was the main reason why our parents never focused on him. I took away all their attention, love, and care. If only he knew, but I can't say it to him. It's better to live in a bubble of lies than to get heartbroken with the truth.

He never knew what happened. Uncle Mike kept everything under wraps. He never knew I had to go to therapy to recover from those nightmares. He never knows how trusting someone and feeling safe with them can shatter you when you know who they really are. He never knows how it feels to fear those whom you thought are the ones who love you the most. He will never know when it feels hopeless when you realize you are alone in this world of lies and betrayal. He will never know how our parents died on that fateful night, as mentioned in the media, or actually, why they have disappeared.

He will never know.

And it better be that way...

Because I, Xander Cage, will never let him know the truth.