"Why didn't dad go through anything?" Cyril muttered the very thought on Calico's mind.
"I was hoping you would know." Calico shrugged as Cyril walked up towards the bookshelf.
"What are we in- some sort of fantasy novel or something?" Calico almsot snorted when Cyril pulled a book and the bookcase swung open.
"How else did you think I managed to escape this place under dad's nose?" Cyril made a very good point- all things considered.
"Then why didn't you come in this way?" Calico countered as the two boys stepped into the dimly lit tunnel the bookshelf had been hiding.
"I wanted to make sure we had a secure way out- in case things got hairy. So I made sure to make a ruckus as far away from here as possible to throw people off by breaking the window." Cyril explained briefly.
"You still have so much to learn about things like this it's funny sometimes-"
"Well maybe if you and dad didn't treat me like a baby after your so called change of hearts- then maybe I would have already learned how to think through things like this and not get my memories taken away from me because I was too weak to do anything to stop our dad-" Calico started to ramble- almost incoherently at some points- before Cyril turned around and gripped both of Calico's shoulders to get his attention.
"You aren't weak Calico." Cyril's voice had turned serious- and held such a genuine undertone- that Calico couldn't speak because Cyril had never really spoken to him like that before.
"You managed to turn out the way you have today- a caring- kind- strong- passionate- protective- stubborn- man despite what you were put through as a child."
"I will never forgive myself for what I did- nor do I think I'll ever be able to atone for the pain I caused you- but I can swear that from now on I will do whatever is in my power to ensure your happiness."
Calico's breathing had turned shallow when Cyril started speaking, a couple phantom pains flaring up due to talking about his childhood- memories of the burned hands- whipped legs- being left in a room for hours or even days at a time- beaten inches from death just to be told to- figure out how to survive on your own.
The phrase- survival of the fittest- struck a deep chord within Calico among the terminology he hated the most.
It was bad enough before Cyril had initially been brought into it.
His father pitched them against each other- saying whoever would win would get a prize.
Cyril was a competitive, ruthless, child- taking pride in winning victory over Calico every time no matter the cost.
And that had caused the long scar over Calico's back that only one person had seen other than his family.
But for some reason- Calico couldn't remember when or how the person had seen it- only he knew Kade had been the one to see it.
"You are excused." Calico said simply- making Cyril confused. "For our childhood. The fights we had . . . If our dad hadn't told us to do them- then it wouldn't have gone so far. And even if that isn't the case- you clearly are trying your best to make it right- and I am grateful for that. You've obviously had an actual change of heart since we were kids- unlike you know . . ."
"I don't deserve your forgiveness-" Cyril started to say before Calico shushed him.
"It's not something you can refuse. I want to give it to you- because I've learned to love who you've grown up to be- Uh. . .?" Calico trailed off when Cyril's arms wrapped around his shoulders and pulled him into an embrace.
Calico wasn't necessarily opposed to the contact- and often craved it- he was just shocked that Cyril was showing emotions of this level- especially because he believed that Cyril was crying into his shoulder. But it didn't take Calico long to close his arms around his older brother for the first time in their lives.
Chapter Twenty Three: Choi Industries
Start from the beginning
