Archimage: Taste of Death (Archimage Series #1)

Chapter Twenty-eight: Tree of Life

*Note: Expect that there are typos and wrong grammars here*

-:-

Raiden was problematic until he arrived home. Hanggang ngayon ay hindi maalis sa kaniyang isipan ang banta na ginawa ni Lyon para sakaniyang pamilya. He didn't expect that Lyon would do that to him just because of the Tree of Life. It really hurt him so bad.

"Hey, you okay?"

He hid the pain and betrayal first in his expression before looking up to see his sister. He smiled slowly so that her sister won't suspect anything.

"Yeah, just a little bit tired. Kamusta sina Elora?" He asked and removed his coat and scarf and put it on the rack.

"They're asleep. Napagod din ata si Elora sa breastfeeding." She reported. Dahan-dahan namang tumango si Raiden bago siya dumeretso sa kusina upang uminom ng tubig. "Saan ka ba nagpunta?"

"Uhh, somewhere." Reiko sighed them rolled her eyes.

"You really won't tell me, huh. Alright, hindi na kita pipilitin. I'll have to go."

Pagpapa-alam ni Reiko kay Raiden na ngayon ay umiinom ng tubig. But he stopped from drinking when he remembered to remind Reiko of something.

"Reiko.." She turned around again when Raiden called her.

"What?" Tanong nito habang nakataas ang kilay.

"Don't go to the kingdom."

Ipinagtaka naman ni Reiko ang sinabi ng kaniyang kapatid pero nagkibit balikat lamang siya bago umalis.

"Just don't go or else you'll not eat here anymore!"

Raiden shouted enough for Reiko to hear it in the living room. Hindi na ito pinansin ni Reiko at lumabas na ng bahay. Raiden knows that Reiko won't go to the castle since it's not her style at wala naman siyang kailangan doon, but he still reminded her just in case Reiko would thought to visit the castle.

After he drank the cup of water, he went to their room to see his wife and his children. Napangiti agad siya at parang napawi ang lungkot na naramdaman niya kanina nang makita niya ang mag-ina niya na natutulog ng mahimbing. Lumuhod siya sa tapat ng kaniyang mga anak at isa-isa niya itong hinalikan sa noo.

"You're back."

He looked up to see Elora and his smile became wider when he saw the cute and puffy face of his wife. He leaned closer to her and gave her a peck in the lips.

"Yup. Are you tired?"

He stood up and went on the other side of the bed to sit there. Umiling naman si Elora at sumandal sa balikat ni Raiden, while he started to caressed Elora's hair.

"Where did you go?" Elora asked in a soft voice.

"I just went somewhere else."

Hindi alam ni Raiden kung sasabihin niya ba kay Elora ang totoo dahil ayaw naman niyang mag-alala ito sakaniya.

"Really? Pero bakit nababasa ko sa isip mo na pumunta ka sa castle?"

Raiden shut his eyes harshly, nakalimutan niya palang mind reader ang kaniyang asawa. So for Elora not to know about the reason why Raiden went there, he tried his best to shrugged those thoughts off and think of something else.

"Yeah, I tried making up to Lyon." Napatingin sakaniya si Elora at tinaasan siya ng kilay. "Pero hindi kami nagka-ayos."

"Bakit naman?"

"Let's just not talk about that. Matulog ka na lang muna, I know you're tired taking care of our children."

Raiden said and started to hum while caressing Elora's hair. Alam niya kasi na madaling makatulog si Elora kapag ginagawa niya iyon. The weight of Elora became heavier in Raiden's shoulder at alam na niya na malapit na itong makatulog.