Past - 12
Third Party's POV:
Sven swiftly turned the page, anticipating more of Elysia's memories.
Blank!
His eyebrows furrowed, and he continued flipping through the diary, page after page, all of them disappointingly blank. The frustration of not understanding what happened after those beautiful memories weighed on him.
Just as he was about to give up and close the diary, he felt something inside. Sven's curiosity was piqued. He gently placed his finger on the bookmark and carefully turned the pages, revealing a plastic-encased flower as it fell from the diary onto his lap.
With a puzzled expression, he picked up the flower, studying it intently. Then, with a sense of intrigue, he returned his attention to the diary. There, he found a finely-drawn sketch of a young boy entering a car, followed by Elysia's memory:
"This is the first time I'm writing a memory after years. I met someone today; his name is Ares. He stopped the kids who called me jinx and gave me a flower, symbolizing that we are stronger than we think. After mom and dad, he was the first person to be nice to me. I want to be happy but I'm scared... What if it's all a dream? Would they be taken away from me if I become happy?"
Sven's heart squeezed as he read her last words. An array of emotions crossed his features. He examined the plastic-encased flower again, his gaze shifting between the flower and the picture of Ares that Elysia had drawn.
So, that's how everything started...
Sven proceeded to flip through the remaining pages, immersing himself in Elysia's memories, from her moments of Ares to her cherished times with her mom and dad. Laying on his bed with one arm under his head, supporting himself, and the other holding her diary as he smiled, reading her beautiful recollections, chuckled at a few due to her simplicity, laughed at some because of her endearing clumsiness, and felt genuinely happy while reading others that reflected her infectious joy.
As he turned the final page, he was greeted with a beautiful picture Elysia had drawn. It depicted a younger version of herself sat on the grass with a radiant smile, accompanied by a majestic young white horse. On one side of Elysia, a man and a woman were seated, presumably her mom and dad. The woman bore a resemblance to her mom, Sandra Lawson, whom Sven had met earlier. On the opposite side of the horse, there was a younger version of Ares, also sitting on the grass.
It didn't take long for Sven to recognize that this was an imaginative artwork of her world, with everyone wearing broad smiles, portraying the people she loved unconditionally. It was a small yet complete representation of her innocent wishes.
Sven's hand gradually rose, his fingers approaching the young girl seated in the middle of the picture, a beautiful smile on her face and her eyes shining. Subconsciously, he lightly stroked her face, his gaze fixed on her innocent expression as Elysia's figure flashed before his eyes.
In that fleeting moment, an odd desire crossed his mind – he found himself wishing to be a part of that picture, to exist in her world, to be one of the people she would hold close to her heart. He wanted to be her person; Elysia's person, a strange yet compelling desire...
Unbeknownst to Sven himself, a small smile graced his lips. His pupils dilated, and his gaze grew intense, a slight mist gathering in the corners of his grey eyes. In that very moment, Sven Neve Damaris remained oblivious to what life had in store for him. Little did he realize that the "little mouse" he had encountered months ago would one day become his entire world...
Realization had yet to dawn upon him, but the game of fate had already begun. The web was woven, and it was the path he needed to walk on, to discover his true self and to give meaning to his once aimless life.
Little did Sven, Elysia, and Ares know that their lives were on the brink of becoming intertwined, just as an impending stormy wave loomed in their path. It was a new and undiscovered journey for them, a strange territory to explore. Sadly, however, the threads of fate seemed to be weaving a tale of loss for these three souls...
The path of love, as they were about to learn, was never a bed of roses. They were destined to walk on the path of thorns, just as the old saying goes,
"When you yearn for someone who isn't destined to be yours, when their solitary tear bleeds your heart, when your nights are filled with weeping and prayers for them to belong to you, when having them feels like losing them, when they're within your reach yet forever out of grasp, then know that you've encountered your first taste of unrequited love."
*************
"Looking for this?" Sven waved Elysia's diary in front of her, a wide smirk on his lips.
Having spent the entire night reading and re-reading Elysia's diary, his curiosity about her had transformed into genuine interest. He needed to know everything about Elysia Dean Lawson.
Elysia darted towards him at lightning speed, determined to reclaim her diary. Sven, however, had quick reflexes and held the diary above his head, out of her reach.
"Give it back to me," Elysia whispered loudly as she jumped to retrieve her diary. Sven couldn't help but chuckle at her bunny-like agility.
"Did you read it?" Elysia squinted her eyes at him, her gaze searching for answers.
"What if I did?" Sven raised an eyebrow, offering her his usual challenging look.
Elysia was flustered at the thought of Sven reading her private diary. He was the last person she wanted to share her diary with.
"It's, it's rude to read someone's private diary," she stated, her fingers fidgeting with her uniform.
Sven noticed her nervousness and crossed his arms, understanding that she didn't want him to know. "Do you think I have so much free time that I'd read a girl's diary?" He raised an eyebrow, uncrossing his arms, and slipped one hand into his pocket while keeping her diary behind his back. He leaned down slightly, bringing his face closer to hers. Elysia's eyes widened as Sven's face neared hers, and he spoke in a deep and low, almost whispered tone. "I prefer to spend my nights with my girl in bed rather than waste my time reading someone's diary, you know." He winked, his lips pursed as he observed Elysia's reaction. Her face turned beet red at his shameless words, and she quickly averted her gaze.
Unable to contain himself, Sven burst into hearty laughter, clutching his stomach as he thoroughly enjoyed her reaction.
Realizing that he was teasing her again, Elysia rolled her eyes, crossing her arms across her chest. "You're annoying," she mumbled under her breath, huffing a sigh.
A wide grin spread across Sven's face as he dramatically placed his hand over his heart. "I'm honored to receive the compliment." Elysia gave him an incredulous look. Another peal of laughter erupted from Sven, as he thoroughly enjoyed her reactions.
It was a refreshing change for him to see her honest responses, a sign that she was slowly opening up to him.
"I'll give it back if..." Sven began. Elysia's eyes followed his as he waved her diary in front of her.
"If...?" She echoed, raising an eyebrow.
"If you spend the whole day with me tomorrow," Sven offered.
"No," Elysia promptly refused.
"Why?" Sven feigned a hurt expression, placing a hand over his chest.
"We have school tomorrow," she said as a matter-of-fact.
"Alright then, how about half a day, after school?" Sven quickly bargained.
"I don't want to, give me my diary," Elysia reached out for her diary, but Sven promptly pulled it out of her reach again.
"In that case, you won't get your diary, it's that simple!" Sven declared, shrugging his shoulders.
Elysia huffed and glared at Sven, her hands placed on both sides of her waist. She attempted to give him a fierce glare, but her puffed-up cheeks made it difficult for Sven to maintain his serious expression.
"Okay, I'm using my first wish. Spend tomorrow with me, and then I'll return your diary. That's it! Take it or leave it," Sven proposed his final offer, putting Elysia deep in thought.
"Half a day," Elysia insisted.
"Full day," Sven immediately countered.
"You said half a day before, and we have school tomorrow," Elysia argued.
"That was before. Now, it's a full day, and I'm using up my wish here. You get your diary back, and we're even! Deal?" Sven raised his eyebrows, extending his hand.
Elysia scrutinized him for a moment before shaking his hand. "Deal!" She nodded.
"Then, I'll pick you up tomorrow. Bye-bye, clumsy head," Sven gave her hand a gentle squeeze before letting go, taking a step back with a broad grin. He lightly flicked Elysia's nose, causing her to glare at him while covering her nose. She watched as he ran away, sticking his tongue out at her and playfully making his signature "I'll be watching you" gesture with his hand once again.
**************
Styling his hair with gel, Sven checked himself in the mirror, all the while humming a tune. It was the first time he had put effort into dressing up for someone.
"Going on a date, brother?" Sven abruptly turned around at the sound of Henry's voice coming from the doorway. His smile vanished, and his mood took an abrupt downturn.
"That's none of your business," Sven replied coldly, grabbing his bike keys and heading toward the door.
"Come on, Sven. We're brothers," Henry blocked his path, causing Sven to halt and glare at him.
"Really?" Sven responded sarcastically. "You didn't say that when your mother starved me for days or when she beat me while Dad was away. You didn't say that when your friends called me names in front of you." Sven's voice dripped with sarcasm.
"I know, okay, I did wrong. But I was young, Sven, we both were!" Henry sighed in defeat as he tried to explain. "But can you blame me? I resented you because our family fell apart when you entered our lives. Anyone would feel that way about a step-sibling who wasn't from their mother."
Sven's gaze turned icy at Henry's words. He looked directly into Henry's eyes and said, "Was it my fault? Was I asked before being born into this world? Does every child born because someone's partner cheated on them get a say before they're brought into this world? Were we?"
His red-rimmed eyes bore into Henry's with a questioning intensity. "We weren't," Sven continued, shaking his head. "Then why are we being punished for someone else's sins? Why are we hated and reviled by people? Why are we treated like a blight in others' lives? As if we're responsible for every wrong thing happening to them when all we did was exist, and even that was without our consent? Shouldn't all their anger be directed toward the person who cheated instead of an innocent child brought into this world without any knowledge? Is this not hypocrisy?" Sven raised his eyebrows, awaiting a response. A bitter scoff escaped his lips when Henry couldn't reply, bowing his head in shame.
Sven walked past Henry and headed for the door, ignoring the despairing voice of his brother behind him. "I know it's wrong, but I didn't do anything to you. Why do you still hate me?" Henry's words stopped Sven in his tracks. He turned his head to the side without fully turning around and answered, "A bystander who watches someone suffer silently is an equal sinner as the one who committed the crime."
Sven resumed his steps and exited without waiting for a reply. A gasp escaped Henry's lips as Sven's words weighed heavily on his conscience, leaving him frozen in place.
Sven rode his bike aimlessly through the streets of London until he calmed down. He had a few minutes left before their scheduled meeting, and he didn't want to ruin his day with Elysia after a conversation with his brother.
When he parked his bike in front of her house and was about to message her about his arrival, Elysia emerged from their bakery dressed casually in pants and a sweater.
Unknowingly, Sven released a breath he had been subconsciously holding, watching Elysia walking toward him. His earlier dark mood seemed to have disappeared. He quickly looked away when she neared him.
Before either of them could say anything, Sandra appeared at their doorway, waving at them with a wide smile on her face.
Sven quickly waved back and smiled at her cheerful demeanor. 'Mother seems more excited than the daughter,' Sven thought, feeling a bit envious of their bond. Sandra closed the door after waving at them.
Elysia took something from her bag and handed it to Sven. He looked at the sweater in her hand, which matched the one she was wearing.
"What's this for?" He asked, surprised.
"Mom said to give it to you. It'll get cold in the evening," she explained awkwardly. That's when Sven realized he had forgotten to wear his jacket.
Elysia noticed that their outfits would match, potentially causing misunderstandings, and Sven, being Sven, wasn't going to let the opportunity slip by.
He quickly put on an innocent expression and mumbled, "Is this your way of asking me out? I mean, I know I'm hot and charming, but I'm not ready for a relationship, you know! Still, if you're asking so sincerely..." he trailed off, acting coy to tease her.
"I'm not..." Elysia exclaimed, interrupting him. Her face turned red with embarrassment as she tried to take the sweater back, but Sven instantly held onto it.
He attempted to take the sweater from her, but she held it firmly. "Give it," he said, pulling it away from her. Elysia resisted, holding on tightly.
Sven raised an eyebrow, tugging it again, but Elysia resisted once more. "Look at this, huh? You may look fragile, but look at this strength and stubbornness. Oh, oh," he teased, his competitive side emerging.
With a bit more force, he tried to pull the sweater away when Elysia suddenly let go. Sven's eyes widened, and he almost lost balance on his bike, but managed to steady himself in the nick of time.
"Look at you, little mouse. You know how to stand your ground, huh?" He said, showing surprise, noticing the small smile on her face. He couldn't help but feel a warm sensation as he admired how she stood up for herself. It was the first glimpse he had seen of her true personality, and he loved every minute of it.
"You started it," she answered proudly.
Sven chuckled and nodded, raising his hands in surrender. "Okay, my fault! Let's go now; I don't want to be late. We only have one day." He started his bike and put on the sweater.
Elysia hopped on the bike behind him, placing her hands on his shoulders while maintaining an appropriate distance.
"Where are we going?" Elysia asked curiously as they set off.
"You'll see," Sven replied mischievously.
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Hey lovely people, please share what you think about this chapter, this is the first time I wrote quotes! 😅
This is a surprise update, new chapter very soon on Friday again. 🤗