Chapter 35: Deception

Ashura gave us each a cup of tea. I drank it slowly as it's hot. There was only silence.

"I thought the high council was going with you to Dark Peak." I said.

"Unfortunately, they returned to the council when there is something else."

"Then if we didn't' made it here in time, you'll be going to face Mustaz all alone." Doyle said.

Ashura nodded. "I'm ready to face anything." The blue and short-haired Ashura replied sternly without any hesitation.

I sighed. She always says that. "But now we're here."

"Good. The more the merrier." She doesn't sound merrier at all. "Take a rest. We'll move tomorrow."

Ashura stood at the balcony which faced the northern pass to the Land of Dark. She sighed. She didn't want Kim to appear at all. She wanted to face Mustaz alone.

Doyle walked to her. "You are not asleep."

"Yet." She corrected him. "I see you found Aron."

"Yeah. She's nice."

"Did you forget me at all?"

"Not really."

"I thought Aron's the one you should be with."

"Yes, but—"

"But what?"

"I—"

"You don't like her?"

"I don't like her."

Aron overheard the whole conversation while she was awake to get a glass of water, especially the part 'I don't like her'. Tears flowed down from her eyes. She couldn't believe Doyle would say that. He lied to her. He doesn't like her at all. He still likes Ashura. She doesn't want to continue hearing the conversation that would hurt her deeply.

She clamped her hand over her mouth to stop her from crying. But streams of tears still flowed down her reddish cheeks. She squatted on the ground, sobbing quietly. She wanted to go out and slap Doyle in his face but she couldn't. She loves him. But he doesn't.

He lied to her. Lies. Deception. All those things he told her how he loves her, were all lies. She was deceived. She was so naïve to think that Doyle really forgotten Ashura for her. She was dumb, stupid, idiot. Doyle still likes Ashura, not her. Only Ashura Raven, but never Aron Cameo. Her heart felt like being stabbed by sharp knives. Her heart was broken. She was in sorrow.

She continued to sob silently without waking her friends.

"I don't like her." Doyle exclaimed. "I love her."

Ashura didn't say anything.

"She let me know how life is. Her warm and cheerful self always makes me felt so happy. And her smile always warmed my heart. She was nice, very nice. Everyone's her friend. I couldn't keep my eyes of her. She's everything to me. She's my life. I love her a lot."

"Then?"

"You're right Ashura. I did found the one I really love."

Ashura smiled. "Good. That's what I wanted to hear. But you should tell that to the one you really concerned of, not me."

"Yeah, I should. I'll tell her first thing in the morning."

"I need sleep. Good night." Ashura left. Doyle was still standing there, wondering of the confession he was going to make for Aron. The huge moon shined brightly, giving him all its light and confidence. He will tell her.

"Rise and shine, people. We're burning daylight!" Ashura shouted. Her shouting awakened me. I rose from my bed, pulling away the blanket. Zak, who slept on the other bed with Doyle, also awake. "Morning already?"

"Take your breakfast and we will move," Ashura ordered. She handed us plates of omelets. Zak gobbled I up quick while I took my time. Doyle was pacing in front of us, searching for something. It annoyed me.

"What in the world are you doing?" I asked. I hope he stopped doing that.

"Has anyone seen Aron?" he asked. He was worried of her.

"She's probably gone out to take some fresh air." Zak replied.

"Ashura did you seen her? You're the earliest to wake."

"Sorry, I haven't." he looked worrier.

I sighed. I placed the plate on the table and get off the bed but then I slipped. My butt hit the ground very hard. "Ouch..."

"Are you alright?" Zak helped me up. I touched my butt.

"Not dead yet." I took the thing that slipped me. It was an envelope for all of us. I opened it and there was a letter with Aron's writing.

"Look, Aron's letter!" I said. Doyle and Ashura gathered around. I read it out loud.

Dear friends,

If you're reading this letter, I had probably on my way back to my kingdom, Cameo. For the reasons I left for Cameo without any notifications, they were simple;

I had left Cameo for a very long time. It is now time for me to return and took over the throne. I couldn't expect my chimeras to rule Cameo forever.

The people of Cameo need me more than you do.

Lately, I found out something that is considered peculiar. I had found out that I don't deserve to be with Doyle anymore. I felt that there's a distance between the both of us. I'm not that good for him. I don't deserve him at all. I realized that my heart is kept on telling me that—I might not like him anymore. I don't know. I'm very confused. But there's one thing for sure is that I'm not good for him. He should like another girl that's 10 times better than me, like Lady Ashura. It's not going to work out between us at all, Doyle. It never will.

Well, I got to take the train back to Cameo. I'm afraid I couldn't join you in this mission anymore. But I wish for your success in your mission on defeating Mustaz. I also wish that Doyle and Ashura would be a great pair. Please forgive me of my foolish actions.

Yours truly,

Aron Cameo

Of Cameo.

Signed on 18 October.

My heart filled with sorrow when the letter was at its end. Why would Aron just leave us like that? Why? She wouldn't just leave us like that. Tears rolled down my cheeks. I sobbed in Zak's arms.

Doyle sat on the bed, staring into blankness. Drops of tears oozed out from his eyes. Why would Aron just leave me like that? Why would she say we would never work out? Why? Why?

"I'll go and find her." Doyle said. "I have to find her."

"We'll have to wait for sunset." Ashura said.

"I don't have time! I NEED to find her!!!"

"You can only leave Magica when the sun was on the horizon."

"I DON"T CARE! I NEED TO FIND HER! DON"T YOU HAVE ANOTHER WAY?" he shouted in anger.

"Shouting is going to do any good! Just calm down, will you?" I shouted back at him.

"Then what do you suggest? I'm not going to sit here and do nothing and let Aron just wander outside!"

"Uncle Doyle just calm down! Kim has a lot of bright ideas, right?"

I shook my head. "What? Are you going to sit here and wait till sunset? She's my girlfriend! You're not caring her much because she's not Zak!"

"What? How can you say that? She's my best friend! Do you think I'm really going to sit here and do nothing?"

"Stop quarreling, both of you!" Ashura yelled from the bottom of her throat. "Quarreling isn't going to do anything! Right now, we have to calm down and think of a plan!" I sat on the bed, trying to calm down. So is Doyle.

"I got a plan. I can use the teleporting spell to teleport you three to Cameo but I need something from Cameo so that the plan would work well."

Zak took my sabre to Ashura. "This belonged to Cameo."

"Good." She took the sword and muttered a few words. Then a portal appeared in front of them. "This portals leads to Cameo. Return in within 24 hours. Go!"

Doyle jumped into the portal, followed by me and Zak. The next thing I knew I was on the white and sandy beaches of Cameo.