The meal was good. If only I could chew properly and swallow my food easily. Eating with three strangers is awkward, especially if you know they are not on good terms. Somehow, we all ate the food we set on our plates. Nobody was even speaking. It was as if we all knew starting a conversation was pointless.
Zyren stood as soon as he ate his late lunch.
"Let's just talk in my study room," he said while looking at me.
Cedric and Lou froze.
Then, they speak at the same time.
"Is that necessary?" Cedric asked.
"Can we come in?" Lou said.
Cedric is still in denial while Lou is in the bargaining stage.
Zyren looked at them, but he did not speak a word.
I stood and followed him to his torture chamber. To his study room, I mean.
While walking in the hallway, I saw a glimpse of the room we were about to enter. Still, I could not believe what I saw once I entered it. Zyren let me in first. He acts like a complete gentleman before he closes and locks the door.
The frame on the wall was slanted.
Throw pillows scattered on the floor.
Teacups and pots are at the center table, and the stains are dry already. And some chairs were scattered, of course. The curtains were thick and blocking the light of the day. The items within that room were still intact. And there is a lot of paper on the desk.
"You may sit."
I almost said no thanks. I was still in awe of how unorganized this guy was.
What happened to his discipline and habits?
I stood there and stared at some crumpled paper on the floor near him.
It was a spacious yet messy room, but I guess it represents what Zyren felt inside.
I hope he will clean it up soon.
"Are you afraid of me?"
"Huh? No. I'm okay standing here."
He is really like a tiger. Cold. Unemotional.
When he went to his seat, I no longer knew if I was still okay. To deny what I know and to bargain seemed useless at this point. And when I felt I could no longer do anything in any situation, there is one thing I often do.
"Laurie! Yell my name if you need help. We will destroy the door and get you out of here!!!"
Cedric was yelling from the outside. I felt more embarrassed than pacified.
"I assume they already told you how terrible I am as their guardian."
"Yes. Your cousins said you were strict."
"Do not let him touch you!"
This time, Lou was shouting.
"I don't think we can talk properly while those two worry about you."
"Y-yeah…" I said while being unsure if I should agree.
But he does have a point. Those two will probably put their ears on the door. And it seemed like Zyren was also thinking what I was thinking.
"Go ahead. You can yell back," Zyren said while staring.
"Let's just get this over with," I told him.
He raised his thick eyebrows and seemed surprised I was eager to be punished. Or was tortured the correct term?
"Will you erase my memories?"
"So you knew."
"They told me."
"And their abilities?" he asked.
"Yes."
"What's your full name?"
"Why?"
"'Cause I want to know the stranger that might cause me trouble."
I look away. Somehow, the arrogant tone is pissing me off.
He was intimidating. He looks like an uncivilized man hiding in nice clothing. I do not need to be a fashion guru to know that his sweatshirt and jeans are as good or as expensive as those models I saw in a fashion show. The fabric is specialized. If he chose those clothes, I am guessing he is vain. And a bit lacking in self-confidence.
Or maybe I am just trying to make my mind wander to avoid panic.
No matter what they told me, Zyren did what he could as a guardian. And I could not argue with his rules because I am the intruder, an outsider they still need to figure out.
"Since you'll be deleting my memory, it is best if you no longer remember my name."
"Please sit, Ms. Laurie."
I sat on the sofa near the door.
"I mean here."
He was pointing to the chair next to his office table.
"I prefer here, thank you."
"Even if you manage to run away. I will hunt you down if I find out you are a threat to my family."
He said that calmly and with clarity. But it was also obvious he was running out of patience. So I sit in front of him like a good puppy.
"What do you know about our family?"
"Cedric is a mind reader, Lou is a time traveler, and you happen to boss them around."
I know I said I understood his side. But I no longer want to get too involved with their family issues. Everyone has their limits. The fake calm persona I have right now is quickly disappearing.
"Do you realize what situation you are in, Ms. Laurie?"
"Do you realize how rude you are, Mr. Zyren?"
"What makes you say that?"
Again, I stood in front of him.
"To put it bluntly, we are both wasting our time here. I am not here to negotiate or beg. I only want this done. I already know you wanted to control everyone, and you prefer to make it stay that way—"
"I am protecting them," he said to cut me off.
"Well, it seemed controlling for me. Anyway, you..." He got distracted as he sat comfortably on his chair and intertwined his fingers. "You are not listening to me, aren't you?"
"You are interesting. I understand now why the two like you."
He was smiling. But if compared to Cedric, his smile seemed insulting.
"You are irritating. No wonder nobody can love you."
I froze.
It was complete silence after that.
And the room suddenly felt cold despite the sudden sweat my body was producing.
See? That is why I do not want to get involved with other people.
I can get as emotional as Cedric and as rude as Lou. It was a terrible combination.
Zyren placed his elbows on his desk while his chin rested on his hands.
"What else did they tell you?"
Now I am scared. My source of anger was gone the instant I said those words. I forgot to stay calm. I became impatient because I no longer wanted to stay in that place.
"I am asking you a question," he said calmly. But his stare is as cold as ice.
"That… you hypnotize a girl to love you. They only told me her name. I did not ask for any details."
Again, there was a deafening silence.
"I'm sorry," I said. "I should not have said that."
"Right," he said while sitting back on his chair.
He seemed angry.
He lets out a sigh and tries to compose himself.
Zyren was still hurting. And I know I should have shut my mouth. But I could not.
"Why did you do that?"
"Do what?" his voice seems tired.
"Hypnotize someone to make her fall for you? You can make yourself more presentable, you know. Like a make-over?"
"Connie does not go for looks," he said as if I insulted Connie. "If she does, then she should have chosen me."
Eh? What does that mean?
"Well, as you said, since I am going to erase your memory about us, it does not matter if I tell you my story," Zyren leaned forward as if he was about to share his secrets.
And I could not help but be intrigued.
"She was in love with somebody else."
"So, you hypnotize her because your ego could not take it?"
"She was my childhood friend," he said as if defending himself. "I cared for her despite the years we were apart. She falls in love with a guy who does not suit her. They were already engaged when I saw her again. I was supposed to forget about her when they had an accident. I took it as a sign that it was my chance since her fiancé went missing. I hypnotized her and told her we were in love with each other. I even propose to her. Everything was fine when her fiancé showed up at my apartment."
"I assume that you did not give her up so easily."
"Would you give away something that you thought you deserved?"
"I'm used to giving than taking."
"Well, I did give Connie back. She asked me to tell the truth. I could no longer lie. And that was the most stupid decision I made in my life. She cried and hated me that day. She said she could never forgive me. So I made her forget everything about me."
"Why?"
"Because not knowing me would make her happy."
Now, that was sad.
Some people would say not to give up. And to keep on trying. But for me, letting go is not a bad thing. It was only a sad thing to do when we realized we no longer wanted something or someone to be part of our life.
I often wonder why other people could not easily choose what to have and not to have. Was it a lack of courage or strength?
For Zyren, he knew he was the one that needed to let go. He made a mistake. And he tends to correct—or rather erase that mistake since there was no point in making the love of his life remember him. I wish I could say he was a coward for running away from Connie. But he still carries the burden of his past as his punishment.
"Do you still love her?"
"No. But I will always remember what I did."
"Why not erase your memory of her as well? Wouldn't that be fair?"
Zyren looks at me. "I don't deserve it."
"I see. You'd rather live a miserable life than forgive yourself for what you did in the past."
"I'm not living a miserable life."
I smiled at him. "Yeah. Right. Keep telling yourself that."
He seemed to be contemplating what to say to me. Or rather, he seemed shocked by what I just said.
"Did you have sex with her?"
"Are you seriously asking me the details of my sex life?"
"I just thought if you did sleep with her, then she had every right to hate you aside from what you have done."
"She was still healing her injuries and wounds. So we could not do it even if we wanted to. Now, stay still."
He stood and walked toward me. He held both sides of my head and looked at me directly.
I should be scared. I really should be. Right? But I stared back despite knowing what he was about to do.
"Zyren, you should have known better when to stop caring too much. If someone cannot love you back, let them be. Go and find someone else. That would be hard, sure. But it will always be the best choice. Anyway, thank you for sharing your secrets with me."
I closed my eyes and no longer waited for his reply.
After a few seconds, I realized nothing was happening. I still closed my eyes. Time was stretching longer than it used to. It was either Zyren who got second thoughts. Or he is already preparing his ritual to wipe my memories about him and his family.
The loud opening of the door made me almost jump from my seat.
We both got distracted by the one who smashed the door enough for its lock to break.
It was Cedric, of course.
Behind him, Lou was cowering. Yet he is interested to know what is happening inside that study room.
"You're going to pay for that," Zyren pointed to the door before he resumed sitting comfortably on his seat.
"Like I care!" he shouted at Zyren before looking at me. "What the hell were you thinking? Why is it okay with you to let go of your memories?"
"He'll only erase the ones that happened today, right?"
"Yes," Zyren said as if we agreed.
"Right! And that is because you don't care about us. Because we're practically strangers with weird abilities that you don't find fascinating," Cedric clarified.
I don't know where this conversation is going. Really. Cedric and Lou knew this would eventually happen, yet now they are the ones who seemed concerned about my memories.
It's not like I'm a damsel in distress.
And it's not like I see Zyren as a villain and Cedric as a prince charming despite knowing they can play that role pretty well.
Anyway, I just wanted one thing.
"I only wanted to go home. Now, if you please—"
"Play a game with me," Cedric said abruptly to Zyren.
"Are you sure? What are you going to pay me if you lose?"
"Let her go home with her memory intact. And do not bother her ever again. That means no manipulation, no subtle ways of getting information—"
"I get it. I'll let our guest off the hook. And if I win?"
"What are your terms?" Cedric bravely asked.
"We'll relocate," Zyren answered.
"Where?"
"It does not matter where. It will be my house and my rules all over again. But this time, I'll be hearing no complaints. And I mean, any complaints? Understood?"
"Deal."
"What if I won?" Lou asked as he walked towards the two men who almost forgot that other people existed in that study room.
"What do you want?" Zyren asked.
"I want my freedom back."
"As if we don't give you enough space and privacy—" Cedric murmured.
"You wanted us to abandon you, is that it?" Zyren confirmed.
"If abandoning me means you will not help me if ever I get into trouble, or both of you will stop treating me like a baby that needs supervision. Then, yes. I want both of you to abandon me."
"I'll make sure I win then," Zyren said.
"Yeah, right," Cedric countered.
"So winner commands all. What game are we playing then?" I asked.
The three looked at me as if I suddenly appeared in the room.
"What? You didn't expect me to join?" I asked them.
"Okay. Winner commands all," Zyren declared.
I thought that somewhere in the house, there would be a game room or a hidden covered court. And I thought we would play a sport that I might not even know or be good at. Yet the game we will play is a deck of cards.
Cedric seems to have an advantage, given what he can do.
But I am disregarding that now since the thoughts he can only hear are about himself.
What would be the use of mind reading if his opponents are busy thinking about their strategies themselves?
We are still in the same room. We all sat on the carpeted floor.
All are holding a set of cards. We only have one match.
So the tension was high.
Yet everyone knew the rules.
I am unsure if Lou is confident because he saw a glimpse of the past and might have probably seen something linked to this moment. But I doubt it.
Zyren seemed pretty confident as he shuffled the cards earlier.
I noticed this was not the first time they all played together.
"Who is the best player among the three of you?"
"Me," Zyren said as soon as Cedric and Lou said, "Him."
They were both pointing at Zyren.
"And yet, you challenge him? Are you both insane?"
"Well, it's better to try our luck again," Lou said while trying to check every card he was holding.
Luck, huh?
I used to believe in that. That luck has something to do with timing and perseverance. But luck is only a magic word I'll use whenever I cannot explain why something good happens.
But I avoid believing in luck. Because if I believe in it, I might end up envious of others, and I might only think I am not successful because of bad luck.
And that sucks.
Four people. Fifty-two cards. Each player has thirteen cards.
There are equal opportunities to defeat each other.
The rule is that the first to discard all the cards is declared the winner. The one who holds the number three clubs is the first to lay a card.
Lou has it. He lay it down as a pair. Three clubs and three hearts. He seemed excited because he was the first to move. However, being the first does not always mean being in control of the game. Lou sat on my right. Zyren sat on my left, and Cedric sat in front of me. I'm trying not to look at him or anyone and only focus on the game.
There is a clue based on how each player arranges their cards. It gives away how many pairs they are holding or if they had a full-house, royal flush, straight flush, or other combinations allowed in the game.
The highest number is two, followed by an ace. The highest symbol in the cards is the diamonds, followed by the hearts, the spades, and the clubs. So, even if someone holds the highest numbers, it can be beaten by the same highest numbers but with higher symbols.
I dropped a pair of cards higher than the first pair. Four spades and four hearts. It was followed by Zyren, with five diamonds and five clubs.
Cedric threw in six clubs and six hearts.
Lou threw his pair of eight. Hearts and diamonds.
I threw in a pair of kings. Diamonds and spades.
"Ooh… someone is impatient," Cedric teased.
Am I being impatient? Should I throw in a lower pair of cards? But I no longer have lower pairs of cards. I just dropped the one higher than the cards of my opponent.
Zyren says passed. And we all looked at him.
Cedric looked at his cards and scratched his head.
"Passed."
"Passed," Lou said, too. And he looks irritated.
Now, I'm in control of the game.
I lay three jacks. Clubs. Spades. Diamonds.
Again, it is a high combination of cards. The only way to beat that is if someone has three aces or three twos.
I am confident that the three twos are not in the hands of anyone. But the three aces are something I needed to anticipate.
"Passed."
"Passed!"
"Passed."
It is still my turn to drop another set of cards.
I think they expect another pair from me. But I only lay five spades on the table.
Lou seemed happy, and so did Cedric.
It was like they were telling me that now I am being nice.
Zyren lay eight spades.
Cedric dropped the ten of spades.
And Lou dropped her Jack of Spades.
I think Lou wanted to gain back his control of the game.
I still have the Queen of Clubs, so I dropped it.
Zyren covers it with the two spades. We are all shocked.
There it is, the first highest number.
Now, we are all waiting for the three of them.
Will someone dare beat Zyren's card?
There was a moment of silence before I heard Cedric and Lou say the word passed.
Now, it was up to me.
But should I dare?
"Passed," I said.
Zyren smiled at me.
"Good girl," Zyren said before holding five pieces of cards and laying them on the table. The three of us look at it.
Three seven. Spades. Hearts. Clubs. Followed by two nine. Diamonds and spades.
None of us are holding five pieces of cards that could beat that.
So again, Zyren is in control.
It was like we were in the palm of his hands.
And we are all waiting for who will defy our fate.
Again, he dropped a pair of cards. Two queens. Diamonds and spades. If no one beats his cards, and the last two cards he turned out to be another pair with higher or lower numbers, we are all doomed.
"Passed," Lou said as if accepting defeat. "Why is he always so good at this?"
"Damn it," Cedric said. "Passed! I will never play this game again."
I dropped my pair of cards. Two diamonds. Two Clubs.
I did not look at everyone even though I knew each froze while staring at me.
"Jesus Christ! You had those!" Cedric said.
"Why, you little faker…" Lou seemed shocked and mad at the same time.
"Passed," Zyren said casually.
Of course, no one can beat the cards that I just dropped.
It was a given.
But I also only have two cards left, just like with Zyren.
But it was not a pair. The control I gained might end when I dropped a single card.
Six spades.
It was unexpected. I know.
Zyren laid down his ten diamonds.
I gasped.
We're the same! He was also not holding a pair!
Cedric does not seem happy because of his cards. The one he lay down is the ace of hearts. But Cedric does not seem confident. Even without reading our thoughts, he knew the outcome already.
Lou passed.
And I was so relieved when I lay the last card in my hand.
It was the ace of diamonds.
I won.
Zyren threw in his last card, the two hearts. He could have won if he dropped that first. But the agreement was that whoever discarded all of their cards first would be the one who would win.
"Okay, then. Tell us what you want," Zyren said.
But I could not move, and I could not breathe properly.
I guess this is what it felt like to be lucky.
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