Broken

[Nox]

Nox took the wallet Sage had bought for Cain and pulled the contact app from it and installed it on his wallet. He was letting a hacker behind his protection - he understood the implication. But he needed to talk to Sage. Sage had answers. He might have everything. Nox sent Sage a quick message on the app he had installed and hoped the hacker got it and understood. "Need to talk to you."

Nox gave Cain back the wallet and didn't follow anyone into the dinning room, instead he looked for Pavlo who was busy preparing their rooms. Nox found him and asked "Which one? I'm sure it's perfectly acceptable."


Pavlo lead Nox to a room. "Master Cruz is next door, and Master Cain across from you. Miss Rachel was staying across from Cruz." That begged a whole lot of questions which Nox left alone as he closed the room designated to him.

It wasn't a hotel, but it sure felt like one to Nox. Staying in someone else's home even for one night felt like he was just visiting. But this wasn't a house call. Dorian wanted Nox to stay until he was able to make it home. Nox couldn't imagine the things that Dorian was having to do. But to Nox it was clear that Cruz's father had chosen a path in defiance of the Atharim. Nox wondered if his own parents would have done the same, or would they have tried to kill him. Nox thought the latter was probably the case - Bryan Durante was not a soft man, he was born and breed to be Atharim. He was their tool - their product. His mother might have tried to stop him from hurting her babies, but Nox could see his father doing the deed anyway. Nox got lost in memories.

They permeated his mind with sorrow and loss. His world had shattered that day - the day his mother died. Everything he'd every dreamt of was gone in one horrible moment. The vision of his mother's death was seared into the back of his eyes. The blood gushing everywhere from wounds so deep he could see the bone beneath.

So mired in his thoughts Nox barely heard his wallet come to life. It flickered at first. Then the holoscreen switched on without any interaction at all. The visage of some 1980's pop culture reference flicked before him before it resolved into the 1's and 0's of a boy who had grown into a man. The avatar's mouth moved with each word, "You wanted to talk to me?"


Nox rubbed his eyes and sat up as he pulled the wallet closer. "You've grown up. Not the same dorky kid I remember."


The digital version of Sage laughed, "And you aren't so annoying."
But the laughter died quickly as Sage looked at Nox, his expression changed. "You look like shit."


Nox sighed as he rubbed his eyes again. "Lost in thought."


"Not good thoughts?"
Sage asked. "Are you thinking about Aurora?"
Sage's voice sounded almost angry to Nox.

Nox didn't let it bother him. "Among other things."


"Do you even miss her?"
Sage was clearly angry now.

Nox looked at the boy who'd taken Aurora's virginity from her. Nox wondered if he even knew what that had meant to his sister. But he didn't voice it. He wasn't angry with Sage - Aurora was a big girl she could protect her self. She was a fucking reborn god. What little good that had done her with Deigo De La Cruz. Nox only nodded and sighed fighting back the tears that were about to fall. "I miss her everyday."


Nox stood up and walked over to the window and drew the filmy curtains away and stared out. The view into Dorian's back yard was exquisite. The only thing missing was a bunch of half naked bodies sitting pool side then the image of billionaire playboy would be real. It was Moscow, but the backyard was anything but what he'd have expected of a Moscow villa - palm trees that probably cost thousands to maintain in this cold weather. "Can you show me the last time you saw her, Sage?"


Nox didn't even know a date, or time or anything else that could possibly help his sister's friend find the last image of his sister living. It was quiet in the room as Nox stared out into the backyard watching the wind blow across the top of the crystal blue water of the in ground pool.

"You don't want to know, not really, do you?"
Sage asked in the silence of the room and Nox nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of the other man's voice. It felt like he was right there in the room with him instead of across many miles of land and water.

"Show me, Sage."
Nox turned around and the image of Sage's 1's and 0's faded into a security camera footage. It took Nox a few moments to see what was happening. To understand exactly what he'd asked for. There was a camera outside the house looking into the lake and over the drive way, but it was the small figures leaving the house that was the focal point of the scene - a man - he barely recognized in his tiny digital presence on his holoscreen carrying a limp body.

Nox drew his fingers across the screen and enlarged and zoomed into the area. He watched as a half life size Diego carried his sister's lifeless form to the edge of the forest before he vanished into the thick greenery. Nox replayed the short snippet of footage again. Nox fell to his knees and could feel the tears falling down his cheeks. He'd failed her.

The screen flickered and Nox collapsed back onto the floor against the wall. The visage of Sage came over the holoscreen again. "I can show you more."
His voice was tinged with it's own sadness and sense of loss.

Nox nodded. "Show me all of it. Everything you have."
The next words came out barely a whisper, "Watch with me, please."


(( Cain modded with permission ))


Edited by Nox, Sep 1 2016, 12:25 PM.