Doesn't Matter

Since that meeting, Uncle Daniel had been plagued with fear whenever he was around Adam. He tried his best to reason with him, to make him see the folly of seeking revenge, but Adam remained stubborn and unyielding. It was as if he was possessed by dark desires that had been hidden within him for far too long.

Uncle Daniel approached the topic cautiously, attempting to appeal to Adam's sense of reason. "My son, you must understand that she is innocent in all of this. The real culprit was her father," he implored, his voice trembling with emotion. "Why are you intent on ruining an innocent life? Why are you making her suffer?"

Adam's chuckle was chilling, and his eyes glistened with unshed tears as he questioned his beloved uncle, "Then why did I suffer? I was innocent too. Why were my parents taken away from me?"

"Son, it was an accident. You must let go and move forward," Uncle Daniel pleaded, his heart breaking at the sight of Adam's anger and pain.

"No!" Adam roared, glaring at him with a fiery intensity. "I will find her and make her regret why her parents saved her that day."

"Son..." Uncle Daniel's voice trailed off, overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness as he realized the depth of Adam's determination. The darkness that had consumed his nephew seemed insurmountable, and he feared that there was little he could do to save him from the path of vengeance he had chosen.

"No! Don't tell me to stop because I am not hearing that!" Adam declared, rushing towards the exits and slamming the door behind him loudly. The striking sound of the door made Uncle Daniel jolt awake from his sleep. He sat up in bed, panting hard, his heart racing with fear and worry.

"No! This can't be," Uncle Daniel panted, running his hands through his head, shivering with anxiety. Beside him lay his wife, Aunt Tessa, who was silently awake, observing his every action. Concerned, she got up in a hurry when she saw hot tears of fear streaming down her husband's face.

"Daniel?" she questioned softly, reaching out to caress his back in a soothing manner.

"Tessa!" he cried, catching her off guard with the intensity of his emotions. Her gaze softened as she looked at him, waiting for him to speak.

"Yes?" she asked gently.

"Tessa! My love!" he choked out, his voice filled with fear and distress.

Tessa hummed softly, giving him the space to express what was troubling him.

"Tessa! Adam!" he continued urgently.

"What happened to Adam?" she asked, worry evident in her voice as it rose a bit.

"He is going to be insane!" Daniel exclaimed, his voice filled with terror, and his pupils dilated with fear.

"What do you mean?" Tessa asked, holding his shoulder firmly to make him look at her.

"He... he is not okay. He has lost his right mind!" Daniel said with a trembling voice, his fear escalating with each passing second.

"What did he do?" Tessa asked Daniel with a worried tone.

"He did nothing, but he's up to something," Daniel replied with a heavy sigh. Tessa furrowed her brow, encouraging him to continue. With a silent gulp, he continued, "You remember the incident when his parents died?"

"Yes, I remember. The villa caught fire," Tessa nodded.

"Yeah, but he's not accepting it!" Daniel said, frustration evident in his voice.

"What are you trying to say?" Tessa asked, urging him to elaborate.

"You remember the man who saved his daughter, but not them?" Daniel asked.

"Yes, I remember him clearly. He saved his daughter from under a burning log, but he couldn't save them," Tessa recalled.

"That was an accident!" Daniel exclaimed.

"I know. He even approached us later," Tessa nodded.

"Yes, his daughter died," Daniel continued.

"The elder one, right? She slipped from the balcony during the fire," Tessa said sadly.

"Yes, and I was only able to save one," Daniel said with a hint of guilt.

"I know," Tessa replied softly.

"Adam... he considers that man's daughter was the reason for his parents' deaths," Daniel said with a heavy heart.

"But that's not true," Tessa protested, "That poor soul is innocent; she was trapped in the fire too."

"He says it's all her fault," Daniel sighed.

"You should stop him. He will end up regretting all this!" Tessa hissed.

"I tried... but it doesn't matter to him... he has been plotting this since then... we can't take out the hatred he developed inside him," Daniel mumbled.

"Daniel, look... he's still young. Look after him. He will end up hurting an innocent soul along with his damaged one. Tell him to stop and move forward," Tessa advised.

"I tried... but I think we have to handle this as soon as possible... before he turns into a maniac," Daniel admitted.

"Yes, you should. Stay with him more and observe his every action... give him the attention he wants!" Tessa demanded.

"Okay, I will..." Daniel says softly, looking down at his lap. Tessa rubs his shoulder and fills a glass of water for him.

While gulping the water down, Daniel's side eye glances towards Tessa, who was busy adjusting the bed sheets in front of her. "Tessa..." he mumbles slowly.

She hums and looks at him with doe eyes sparkling under the lamp light, making him smile a bit. He raises his hand, caressing her cheek softly, "Thanks... for listening to me..."

"It's alright. Now sleep," she says, smiling at him.

"Yeah," he says, pecking her forehead swiftly. Tessa lets out a sweet chuckle, blessing his ears as he instantly feels relieved hearing her soft giggles.

"Tessa..." he calls out again.

She hums, rubbing his palms. "Sorry. Sorry for what I did."

Tessa observes him silently, and he continues his confession about what he thinks should be done by now, "I know I judged you like others... didn't want to... sorry again..."

"It's okay..."

"No, it's not!" Daniel cries. "I did you wrong... to us!"

Tessa doesn't respond but hugs him instantly. "It's alright. It's completely fine. Just don't repeat it. It doesn't matter anymore."

Daniel doesn't say anything but cries bitterly in her embrace. She also doesn't say anything other than hold him close, letting him take out all the pain he has been holding for years.

With a soft tap on his lower back, she mumbled near his head, "Just don't let Adam repeat all this. She is innocent. Don't let another soul get damaged in the name of rivalry and regret it later."

"Okay, okay," was all Daniel could muster, and the couple slept peacefully in each other's embrace after years of regret and distance, unaware of the burning desire the young male was holding on the other side of the world.

Adam clutched onto the canvas of his parents tightly, tears of frustration flowing down his cheeks. With a sudden wave of emotions, he let his left hand move away, turning softly so that his gaze fell upon the jacket hanging on the wall in front of him. A silvery glint caught his eye at the corner, indicating the chocolate Ella had given him previously. Chuckling silently to himself as he stared at the bar, he muttered, "Guess what! You are becoming a hurdle now."

With that, he smashed his fist on the flower pot, causing glass to scatter all over the floor and sending blood gushing out of his fist. The pain was insignificant compared to the turmoil within his heart. His obsession with revenge and the burning need to make someone pay for his parents' deaths had reached its peak, and he could no longer control it. The darkness inside him was consuming him, threatening to shatter everything in his path, including the innocent life of the girl he once had a connection with.

As he stared at the shattered glass and the blood dripping from his hand, a wicked grin spread across his face. Ella's image flashed in his mind, and he whispered, "I warned you, didn't I?" His heart was now consumed by vengeance, and he was ready to unleash the storm he had been brewing for years.

Adam's mind was a whirlwind of emotions as he questioned his very existence. "Why does everything have to turn against me like this?" he muttered miserably, staring at the scattered glass and the blood dripping from his palm. The pain in his hand was nothing compared to the torment he felt inside.

His heartache and rage had become an uncontainable force, threatening to consume him entirely. The weight of his past, the loss of his parents, and his burning desire for revenge had all become too much to bear. He felt like a prisoner in his own mind, trapped by the darkness that lurked within him.

As he glanced at the jacket hanging on the wall, a wave of conflicting emotions washed over him. The chocolate Ella had given him seemed to mock his twisted feelings, reminding him of the connection they once shared. But that connection was now tainted by his dark desires, and he couldn't escape the guilt and turmoil that consumed him.

With clenched fists, he fought back tears of frustration and anger. He wanted to lash out, to make someone pay for the pain he had endured, but deep down, he knew that it wouldn't bring him the closure he sought. Instead, it would only perpetuate a cycle of suffering and regret.

As he gazed at his own reflection in the broken mirror, he saw a troubled soul staring back at him. The innocence he once had was now overshadowed by the darkness that had taken hold. He longed for peace, but he couldn't find it in the path he had chosen.

In that moment of despair, he knew he had to confront his demons and find a way to heal his wounded heart. The journey to redemption wouldn't be easy, but he was determined to break free from the chains of vengeance and find solace in forgiveness.

With a heavy sigh, he gathered the shattered pieces of the flower pot and cleaned up the mess he had made. As he did so, he made a silent promise to himself – a promise to seek a path of healing and growth, to let go of the hatred that had consumed him, and to find a way to honor his parents' memory without resorting to destructive desires.