Elsword: Yin Yang (Under Major Revision)

62

"Is it safe to go in?" Eve asked with Amos sitting on her lap. 

"She said the tower is known to have some...loose ends." Aisha answered hesitantly. "Um she said it's not exactly a safe place for kids to be in."

Eve and Raven instantly exchanged worried glances. As if sensing his guardian's discomfort with the information Amos quickly piped in," don't worry, guys. I can play with that glasses kid instead of coming along." 

Elsword snickered at the way Amos addressed Allegro. 

"I hope Allegro doesn't mind," Raven mused. "Maybe we should speak with him before leaving."

"I spoke with him yesterday," Eve replied. "He--"

"He said he didn't mind looking after me!" Amos cut Eve off. "He even promised me he'll teach me how to make some cool potions." 

"Just promise me you won't go try tasting some weird substance," Raven said, ruffling the young Ponggo's head. "We wouldn't want you to get sick." 

"I'll be okay, Raven." Amos pushed his hand aside in a fit of giggles. "I'm not a little kid anymore."

"You look like it to me, little guy." Raven kept messing with Amos' head despite his protests. 

"If you are so grown up I bet you can survive my secret tickle attack." Eve piped in. Amos burst in laughter and tried to squirm his way out but Eve and Raven refused to let him go---they were all laughing along with the young Ponggo. 

I felt a tinge of pain in my chest upon seeing Amos' interaction with Raven and Eve. I knew Raven and Eve were not Amos' real parents but they sure acted like it, treating Amos like he was their own kid. Seeing them fool around reminded me of my family and the fun we used to have together. I pried my eyes away from them and gazed down on the burnt wood left behind from our fireplace; I had no doubt Chung noticed my change in mood. 

"Sorry to keep everyone waiting." Speka came running back to our circle with a large brown backpack hanging from her shoulders. "We're all ready to leave now..." Her eyes averted to the laughing trio. "Um am I interrupting something?" 

"Sorry we got a little carried away." Eve said in between laughter. Amos rolled off her lap once his guardians had freed him from their "wrath". 

"I'm free!" He shouted with arms raised in the air. "They'll never catch me now!" He took  off running to the neighbouring fireplace where Allegro was at. 

"Kids," Raven said with an eye roll. "How can they have so much energy?" 

"Oh shush," Eve playfully slapped Raven on the arm---he winced from the hit. " According to my research,  kids are supposed to be jumping with energy." 

With loving parent figures like Raven and Eve who wouldn't be bursting with energy? I thought grimly to myself. He's so lucky to have such loving people to look after him, unlike me when I was his age. A lump grew at the back of my throat and grew uncomfortably large as past memories flashed through my mind.

Everyone dove into a conversation as we followed Speka to her team. I lingered at the back to avoid talking with anyone---I didn't want to talk to anyone yet.

"Hey," a hand rested gently on my shoulder. "You okay?"

I shook my head as my eyes burned from the reminders of the past. 

"It must be hard," Chung wrapped an arm around me---thank goodness we were at the back where no one could see us. "Sorry, Ara, I don't know what to say."

"Y-you're here for me," I told him in a soft whisper. "That's enough." 

And that wasn't a lie.