Chapter 2 2

Chapter 2: The Golden Crest

That rainy midnight, I couldn't sleep. While the rain poured outside, I stared at the broken ceiling of my room, observing the cracks where the water seeped through.

I liked the rain. I liked the calm it brought, as if time stood still and all you could hear was its sound. But that night, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't fall asleep. It was as if my mind was already warning me about something. Something it rarely did, except when it came to work.

It was well past midnight when I realized I was slowly closing my eyes. I was already on the verge of falling asleep. But I abruptly stopped when I felt someone approaching my house. They weren't just passing by, they were heading straight to my door.

I opened my eyes and waited. I could feel the footsteps getting closer in my front yard. They were in a hurry, and I could hear the heavy breathing of the person. It was as if they had run a long distance. I only let out a sigh of relief when I felt that the person was familiar. My danger reflexes instantly eased once I recognized who it was. Lucas.

I got up from the bed and put on the old coat hanging on the wall. What was he doing here at this hour? Didn't he realize it's dangerous outside in this weather? I went to the living room, where there was hardly anything to see. I had sold some of the stuff when I needed money.

"Lucas, what the hell?" I greeted him as I opened the door.

He was in the middle of knocking, so he was taken aback when he suddenly found me in front of him. I looked him up and down. He was soaking wet, and his face-

"What's happening?" I immediately asked when I saw his expression. His face was a mix of intense fear and anxiety. And if it weren't for the rain, I would have thought tears were flowing from his eyes.

"Sh-Shia..." His voice was trembling. I've never seen him this terrified.

"What? Tell me what's going on!" I demanded. I was starting to get nervous. I wished I could read his mind because I really didn't like the way he was acting.

He pulled me inside the living room. He sat on the only sofa there, covered in dust. He rested both his elbows on his knees and ran his hands over his face.

"Shia..." he said again. In that moment, I wanted to slap him to bring him back to his senses. I was about to do so when he fumbled in his pocket. He placed the gleaming object on the table, and my eyes widened when I realized what it was.

"Shit." I gasped. "How did you get this, Lucas?" I took a step back, as if not believing it. "Why do you have the golden crest of Titan Academy?!"

"I didn't know how many minutes passed as I stared at the round object on the table. This can't be. That crest is inside the Academy and heavily guarded. It's the symbol of the school. It's like a crown compared to a king.

I stared at Lucas. 'Why aren't you speaking? Where did you get this?'

He wiped his palms on his face again before answering. His voice was hoarse. 'Flin and Karl, they're the ones who snuck into the Academy to get it. I don't know how they did it. But it was too late when I found out I had the Titan crest-'

'You joined them?!' I exclaimed. 'You joined their plan?!'

I really want to slap Lucas this time. He is better than this. Flin and Karl, those two have never done anything good. I never imagined he would join them to do this!

'Calm down, Shia,' Lucas said, seeming frustrated. 'I didn't know it was illegal when I agreed. I thought it was just a simple job that needed my ability.'

'Oh, come on!' I blurted out.

'Shia, you know that even if I starve, I would never do something that would tarnish my family's honor. It's all we have left.'

I fell silent. He is right. He has never done anything like this, even when they were almost starving.

'We agreed that I would only do the delivery. The three of us met at the town border, and that's where they handed me the bag. I needed to give it to the man waiting at the pub. I should have been suspicious just by looking at their faces. They were covered in bruises and wounds. I was in the middle of the journey when I opened the bag to see its contents. That's when I saw the crest.'

I cursed softly.

'I don't know what to do. I went back to where I saw Karl and Flin, but I didn't talk to them. The place was already surrounded by Titan's men.'

Shameless Flin!

'I wanted to return the crest, but I'm sure I'd be caught. I sped up to the pub to find the man they were talking about, but he had already escaped. I'm stucked with the crest, Shia!'

We both fell silent. I started to pace back and forth in the living room. The only sounds I could hear were the rain outside and the creak of the floor where I was walking.

'Did Flin mention your full name?' I asked, breaking the silence.

'He only said the last name. That's all they know to call us, right?'

That's what I thought. Sheridan and Tyler are the only names they know for us. We're not that close to be on a first-name basis.

'Does it even matter? We're the only Tylers here in Hesperia-' Lucas suddenly stopped. 'My family. I need to go to them.'

Lucas picked up the crest from the table and stood up quickly. But I took the crest from him.

'What are you doing?!' he exclaimed.

I looked straight into his eyes. 'I'm the Tyler Flin was referring to,' I said. 'I'm the one who took the crest.'

He looked at me as if I were crazy. 'What are you talking about?'

'Lucas, bring your family here to the house. You're coming with them. I'll stay in your house to greet them. I'm the one who took the crest.'

Lucas swallowed. 'Shia, I can't agree to-'

'Listen to me!' I demanded. 'You can't afford to get imprisoned. You're not at fault. You have a family relying on you, Lucas. You can't just leave them hanging.'

'But Shia-'

'That's the easiest way. Once the crest is returned and the guilty party is punished, they'll easily forget about it. Besides, I won't die. I'll just be in jail.'

I can tell that Lucas is weighing the choices. 'No,' he suddenly said. 'I won't allow you to go to jail.'

'Oh, shut up!' I snapped. 'Can't you see? I have nothing to lose if I go to jail. But you, five people could die right away if you're gone.'

'Shia-'

"We don't have time, Lucas. Let's go."

I pulled him out of the house, and we rushed into the rain. From a distance, we could see some lights from people scattered along the hillside where Titan could be seen. Lucas remained quiet. I didn't know what he was thinking, but I knew he had no other choice.

His siblings and mother were unaware of what was happening when we arrived and told them they needed to leave. His younger siblings looked at me with sleepy eyes, but they still managed to smile.

"Ate Shia," they greeted me.

"What's happening, Lucas?" his mother asked her son.

Lucas didn't answer. He grabbed the shawls hanging on the wall and helped his siblings and mother put them on. When everything was ready, he looked at me. I still had the crest in my hand.

"Shia," he started.

"Hurry, Lucas," I said. "They could arrive here at any moment."

"I'll find a way. I'll prove I have nothing to do with this, and you'll be free. Please wait for me."

Lucas's family looked back and forth between me and him. I took a deep breath and forced a smile.

"Just promise me you won't let them down," I addressed his family.

For many years, I treated them as my own family. Because of the Tylers, I never felt alone. I found a sense of purpose in this world when I thought there was none.

Lucas suddenly hugged me. "Shia, promise me you'll wait for me. I'll do everything to set you free."

I nodded as he held me. "Promise, Lucas," I replied. My eyes started to sting, and I couldn't help but feel the stupid tears rolling down my face. I quickly wiped them away so he wouldn't see.

"Shia," Lucas whispered. "Shia, I want-"

I froze. I felt several people approaching Lucas's house. There were four of them, and they were coming from the direction of the Titan Academy.

"Lucas, they're here. You need to leave. Hurry."

Lucas let go of me. He managed to lead his family out of the house through the back door. His family still looked puzzled, especially his mother. She glanced at me, and I could almost feel that she knew what was happening. Once they were all outside, Lucas looked at me for the last time.

"Take care," I said.

He just nodded. "Shia, I'll get you out of there. Just wait for me."

I forced a smile. "Now go," I ordered.

A few minutes later, I was alone in the Tyler's house.

I looked at the golden crest in my palm. It was a small circle, twice the size of a gold coin. Engraved on it was a lion with wings on either side of its body, and two swords crossed in front of it.

I could feel the four pairs of feet getting closer every second. They were talking, but I couldn't hear what they were saying. I could only sense them-their positions, their heights. One of them was a woman, two men were conversing, and one man was at the back, remaining silent.

They stopped in front of the door. They exchanged glances. The woman knocked. I took a deep breath and went to the door. This time, I knew there was no turning back.

Their faces showed surprise when I opened the door. The two men exchanged glances. One had blonde hair, and the other had a somewhat brownish hue.

"Dude, you didn't say they were chicks," the blonde one whispered. He earned a glare from the girl with them. The girl had shoulder-length black hair and fair skin.

They were almost my age. They were wearing expensive coats made of black leather with the golden Titan Academy logo. They looked completely out of place in a place like Lucas's house. They seemed to shine because of their cleanliness and neatness. The way they stood exuded superiority and confidence. They were indeed students of Titan.

The girl assessed me from head to toe as if sizing me up. After a while, she spoke.

"Is this the Tyler residence?" Her voice was too precise, too perfect; it was almost as smooth as silk and remarkably angelic.

"It is," I replied in my usual voice. Compared to hers, I sounded like a frog's croak. I noticed that both of them glanced around the house.

"Are you the only one living here, or are there others?" the girl asked again.

I tried not to sound intimidated. "Just me," I answered.

The girl raised an eyebrow and went inside. She accidentally bumped into my shoulder. I wasn't sure if it was intentional. The two men followed her, while the fourth member of their group stayed in the doorway. It seemed like he had no intention of joining. He just watched his companions.

"We are from Titan Academy," the girl said as she started to move things around in the house. "We need to find something."

I couldn't help but stare at the man. He was tall, with raven black hair and intense gray eyes. There was no expression on his face, but his aura conveyed something else. I could sense danger. He exuded authority to the point of being alarming.

"Team Captain." The man with brown hair turned to face me. "We're about to start."

I was abruptly brought back to reality by what I heard. I faced the three of them. "It's not necessary," I snapped.

They stopped and looked at me. The Team Captain raised his eyebrow as if I had said something intriguing. I swallowed hard, but I still managed to meet their gazes.

"You're looking for something, and I have it," I announced.

A ghost of an amused smirk crossed the Team Captain's lips. It was as if he didn't expect me to confess. It took a whole minute before the woman with them spoke again.

"And what would that be?" she asked seriously. Any trace of amusement had now vanished from her face.

I opened my palm for them all to see. And that's when my worthless life started to unravel.

***