"You’ll be alright. Just pay a visit then leave," Emman assured as he hugged Andrew, who reciprocated the gesture as well.
It was Andrew’s mother’s death anniversary. He never once visited all of his mother's death anniversaries, but Emman encouraged him to do so. "She was still your mother no matter what she did," Emman had once told him.
The two have been a couple for three years. They already know each other too well. Emman knows everything about what happened to Andrew’s mother and even what his father did. Andrew also admitted that he had once lost his mind and was still taking medications. Andrew told him everything. There was no secret he hid from Emman, and the latter accepted it all. Emman knew how hard it was for Andrew to face his father or even visit his late mom, whom he hated for leaving them. But for Emman, it is better than having no parents at all. And also, he thought, Andrew can never move forward until he faced everything.
But little did he know... it would be his greatest mistake.
Emman pulled away from Andrew. "If anything happens..." he then gently patted Andrew on the head. "Runaway."
Andrew smiled. He wanted to take Emman with him, but the latter refused to do so when he had once asked him. For Emman, it was better for Andrew to face his fear alone. A person will never know if he or she has already moved on until they learn to stand on their own feet. He might be cold in that way, but Andrew perfectly understands what Emman wants to convey in that manner. He doesn't want Andrew to rely on him that much and become dependent on his comfort.

"Alright... Go, you'll be late for practice. The captain will be angry again," Andrew muttered.
"You know he won’t get mad at me," Emman grinned.
"Psh… Sometimes I wonder if the captain likes you," Andrew sighed with an annoyed look on his face.
"Stupid," Emman responded as he bummed Andrew's forehead with his fist. "You go first, text me alright?"
Andrew nodded. He then leaned forward and pecked Emman on his lips. A smile curved on his face as he stared at him once more. Emman then slightly nodded at him, gesturing for him to go. Andrew trudged away from him, leaving Emman watching him disappear in the distance.
------
Andrew and Andrea slowly kneeled on their knees and bowed down together in front of their mother’s tomb. They did it twice and after that; they stood on the side and watched their dad do the same.
Andrew stared intently at his dad. He felt baffled. How could a man still shamelessly show his face in front of someone whom he indirectly killed? Even though he already knew the actual personality of his father, he still could not fully comprehend that there was someone like his father living in the world. A ruthless person who does not care about the lives of others; a selfish person who can do anything, even taking someone's life, to get what he wants.
"Shameless," Andrew whispered as he frowned. He gazed at his dad with disgust, but his attention was pulled towards Andrea, who suddenly gripped and tugged his hand.
"Are you going to leave after this?" Andrea asked as she stared at Andrew with her watery eyes. She then pouted at him.

Andrea is already seven years old and, just like Andrew, she also inherited their mother’s brown hair. Her black set of eyes and her tall stature are just like their father. She was only seven years old, but she was about to reach Andrew in height. Her face is as gentle as their mother’s; which Andrew had unfortunately forgotten because of his nightmares.

He can meet with Andrea sometimes outside the mansion, but he could not spend more time with her as she was also immediately taken home by their father's secretary. Even if he wanted to be with her for a long time, their father would not agree. That will only happen if Andrew goes home or if he takes Andrea with him, which isn't possible in the meantime.
Andrew kneeled on his one knee and cupped Andrea’s cheek. "I'm sorry. But I promise we'll hang out when I'm not busy. We'll visit the amusement park. How's that?"
Andrea smiled and hugged his older brother tightly. She doesn’t know the real reason Andrew isn't living with them. All she knew was that Andrew had to live near the school where he's attending.
"Andrew."

Andrew pulled from his younger sister and turned his head towards his father. He then faced Andrea and patted his head. "I’ll just talk to Dad," he muttered as he curved his lips upward.

Andrea nodded in response. Andrew immediately stood up and followed his father. His dad walked towards a tree far away from Andrea and their guards. When his dad stopped, Andrew did as well. He bowed down as to not look at his father’s face. He resented him too much to even look at him in the eye.
"I thought you already forgotten that you have a family," his dad muttered abrasively.
Andrew clenched his fist. It wasn’t on his plan to argue with his father, but he couldn't help but get annoyed with him.

"I know I have a younger sister," he responded.
"Huh… You are still a disrespectful brat who wanted to be independent," his dad hissed with a mock.
"Respect is earned. It’s not something I should give just because of some blood-related connection."

Maybe it's because he's been harboring too much begrudge against him for a long time or because he doesn't recognize him as a father anymore, that it gives him the guts to answer him back. He used to be afraid of his father. Now he feels he could fight back. He doesn't care anymore if he'll get mad at him.
"So that’s the reason you’re here. To insult your father?"
"I’m not here to insult you. I’m here to stop mom from digging her own grave and get you."
"You son of a-"
Andrew looked up at his father and glared at him. It was about to slap him.
"If you don’t want your son to cause your downfall, you’re not letting that dirty hand of yours touch me," he said audaciously.
His dad’s hand stopped in mid-air and looked at Andrew with amusement. He then laughed loudly. That was too menacing to listen to. Andrew couldn’t understand why his dad reacted that way. At any rate, it pissed him even more.
"Your guts are just the same as mine. You sure are my son."
"I won’t take that as a compliment. I’m leaving," Andrew muttered as he shifted his body, leaning forward to leave.
"I heard you have a boyfriend."
Andrew halted on his track. He felt his weight on his feet as if he was being nailed down. He turned to face his dad, only to see his minacious smile at him. Sweat suddenly trickled down from his head down to his neck. He knew what that smile was.
"Y-You checked on me," Andrew muttered apprehensively.
His dad smiled widely as he waved his hand dismissively. "No, no, no. Don’t sound as if I’m a bad person. I’m just a protective father."
Andrew felt his heart hammered a thousand times. ‘Not Emman’, he shouted in his mind. If there’s one thing he feared the most, it was for his dad to harm anyone he loves. He's afraid that his dad will hurt Andrea, that's why he stayed quiet for years. He feared Emman might get involved in his affairs as well. That’s why he was reluctant before. But it was too late for him to regret it. He never thought his dad would give some of his precious time to go check on him.
"Leave him alone."
"Of course I will," his dad muttered, walking closer to him.

Andrew wanted to run away, but his body won’t move on its own. He thought he no longer fears his father, but his anxiety and fear seemed to return to him, awakening from the inside and pulling him in. He is still being held on the neck by his dad, no matter how he tries to escape from his grasp. His dad leaned down closer to his right ear and, with his dad’s right hand, he touched Andrew’s right shoulder.

"I will just give you fatherly advice," his dad whispered. "Hold on tightly to the things you have. Don’t let anyone take them away from you. And if you feel someone’s going to take them away… Removed them so they will never exist, just like what I did for your mom." He then pulled away from Andrew’s ear. He leaned down to face Andrew and gazed into his eyes as if putting a curse on him. "You are my blood, Andrew. You are my son after all."
His dad pulled away and trudged away from him, leaving Andrew staring at nowhere. His mind went blank. His bright-nature colored eyes were slowly getting darker, just like a forest in the dark. What Allen had seen from Andrew when the latter was still in the mansion was Andrew’s outer persona, getting sucked into his own body, slowly changing him into someone Allen had feared.

Andrew’s trauma engulfed him once more… and it changed him completely.