As Xol's heart slowly filled with hatred, resentment, and a thick, almost suffocating bitterness, Morgan reappeared at his side without warning. Both of them remained silent for a few seconds that felt eternal, a heavy, loaded silence, until it was Morgan who finally broke it.
-What happened over there?
( Said Morgan, in a calm tone, almost too calm for the tension hanging in the air )
Xol didn't respond. He didn't turn his head, he didn't say a single word. His silence spoke for him, but Morgan cautiously insisted once more.
-Who was that figure you called mother?
That question pierced his chest like a sharpened blade. Xol clenched his teeth and, with a rough gesture full of irritation, replied.
-Nobody… she is nobody.
( Xol replied, annoyed )
-Was she your mother? Did you fight with her?
( Said Morgan calmly )
Xol stood up abruptly, the movement fueled by rage. He turned and faced Morgan, his eyes burning, shouting without holding back.
-Fuck! I said she's nobody! She's not my mother! SHE'S NOT ANYMORE!
( Said Xol with resentment )
Then he moved away from Morgan and turned his back on him. He didn't want him to see him like this, didn't want anyone to witness what was about to break inside him.
-Listen… I don't know what happened between you and her, but you shouldn't act like this. Maybe… maybe she had a reason for doing all this…
( Said Morgan, trying to calm Xol )
But those words only sparked the fire further. Xol's skin bristled with fury. He spun around violently and screamed right in Morgan's face, spitting every word.
-A reason? A REASON!? She screwed us both over! Now neither you nor I can use the only means by which we're still alive! And all for what? For giving those two bitches what they deserved? WHAT KIND OF MOTHER abandons her child to his fate, with nothing but a fucking sermon?!
( Said Xol aggressively )
-She betrayed me… she abandoned me… she is not my mother. No. SHE IS NOT.
( Said Xol maliciously )
-And now that I think about it… it's all her fault. If she hadn't done that to me back then… I wouldn't be here. I… I'd be with the others, at the very top. Yes… it's her fault.
( Said Xol, slowly descending into madness )
Morgan watched him with growing concern. Xol seemed to be losing himself in his own hatred, until suddenly, an abrupt silence fell between them.
-If only… she were dea—
Xol, in a low voice, was about to utter a wish. A dark, poisonous wish. But he was cut off instantly.
Morgan violently grabbed him by the shoulder, spun him around, and punched him straight in the face. Despite not being physically present, Xol felt the impact with full force and fell to the ground. He looked up and saw Morgan crying with rage, trembling, his restrained fury overflowing through his eyes.
-Never… NEVER say that.
Morgan crouched down, grabbed him by the clothes, and scolded him again, his voice broken yet firm.
-Hey, bastard… I don't know what kind of problems you've had with your mother, but never, NEVER, should you wish for something like that. We don't understand what goes on in our mothers' minds, or why they do what they do, but they always… always believe it's for our own good. So stop acting like a damn idiot and start thinking about why she did what she did. Try to understand her reasons, her feelings.
Filled with rage, Xol stood up and struck Morgan back, making him stagger slightly before screaming at him with contempt.
-For you, you fucking coward, it's easy to say that. I don't know if you remember, but I live inside you, and I've seen what your mother was like with you. How could you understand, if your mother never abandoned you, never betrayed you? She was always there for you, coddling you like a damn baby. Mine took everything from me and left me to my fate in this fucking hell!
Morgan didn't hesitate. He landed another heavy punch.
-But ask yourself why! ASK YOURSELF WHY, DAMN IT! You can still see her. You can still fix things with her.
( Said Morgan with fury )
He grabbed Xol by the clothes once more and lowered his head, beginning to cry.
-You can still see her… hear her. I can't anymore. I will never see mine again. I will never see her face again, never hear her voice again, never hear her sing to me when I couldn't sleep, nor feel the warmth of her arms when I had a bad day. Do you know what I would give to see her just one more time? Just one… one time.
( Said Morgan, completely devastated )
-And here you are, wishing that yours would die, even though you can still see her and hear her. That… that is something I can't allow. I simply can't.
( Said Morgan through sobs )
-So don't be an idiot. Be grateful for what you still have. Think about how to make peace with her, understand her… and if necessary, forgive her. Take advantage of the fact that you still can.
( Said Morgan, wiping away his tears )
-Despite everything… she is your mother. And nothing, no one, will ever change that. So never wish for something like that again. Do you understand?
Xol remained silent. He looked at Morgan's pain, real and raw. Until now, he had believed he was fine, that he had accepted this new life. But that wasn't true. He still missed his old life. He was still suffering. It still hurt… his mother.
For the first time, that young man's words made him hesitate. For the first time, Xol questioned whether perhaps… he had done something wrong.
End of the chapter.
Next chapter: leave it to me.