Offered to the Triplet Alphas

Chapter-74. Awakening

[Ezra]

"I knew I'd find you here," I breathed. My footsteps echoed as I stepped closer to the bar counter in Asher's penthouse.

The chandelier above cast a soft, golden glow that mingled with the darkness, creating an ambiance where one could drown and forget oneself in the haze of gin and smoke.

And as always, Asher sat alone at the borders of light and darkness, not to forget but to be forgotten.

Asher placed down the empty goblet on the cold marble countertop. As he reached out to pour more black wine, I picked up the wine bottle.

"Will it be ok if I pour the wine for you?" I asked.

Asher's eyes flickered towards me, blinked once in a brief acknowledgment before they drifted back to the sea of skyscrapers beyond the glass walls. The twinkling lights of the city reflected in his eyes, while his own remained blank. Sitting beside him, I poured him the wine.

"Mind if I join you?" I asked.

He slid his goblet towards me.

I peered at the faint glint of light from the chandelier dancing on the surface of the wine.

I smiled, curling my fingers around the stem of the goblet, lifted it in my hand, and placed it in front of him.

"I don't need your wine, Asher. I can join you by pouring another for myself," I said, serving myself wine in another goblet.

Asher hadn't changed at all, yet I wish I could say the Asher sitting beside me was the same as before.

Over the years, I had watched Asher fade with each sip of wine and puffs of cigarette, as though witnessing a star's death. I couldn't stop it, couldn't interfere with it. All I could do was watch as the child grew up and assumed that there were no more stars left in his eyes to dim - to die.

I was wrong.

There was still something left inside him, something that had rekindled the day his eyes found an angel. Something was saved that day, something that was probably dying today.

I had noticed all the changes in him ever since he saw Xanthea and I chose to ignore them. But something about him had changed so drastically tonight that there was no way I could let him be on his own. Something about him felt so off that I forgot how angry I was when I got here. All the questions I wanted to ask him had been summarized into a few words - 'are you ok?'

Asher took a small sip, and I followed him. Both of us peered outside the glass wall, taking in how big our pack actually was.

sweet; it interfered with the bitterness of

should have healed within seconds, but it seemed as though he didn't want them to heal. As though he

the red clouds glowed on the

took another sip of

she to you?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "She's not just

took another

goblet in one go

but you don't have to anymore. You're not alone in this curse. Raven and I are with you," I said. "Whether we like it or not, we're in this together. If we overcome this curse, we do it together; if we succumb, we do it together. This burden isn't yours to bear

He still didn't reply.

my eyes and let

***

but then again, will there ever be a right

couldn't even remember when Asher silently withdrew himself, when we brothers separated and drifted apart. But I know it happened when

understanding him, all we did was ignore and abandon him. I might be one of the reasons he doesn't open up, so I know I don't have any right to ask him to do

my own childhood are a mere blur of events in my

Asher's

the same level

mean the standard our father had set for the three of us. It was the level he expected the sons of the demon lord, Eireal

and even the punishments we received

how we were raised, I realize we were more like raw materials being molded into a refined product whose only purpose was

attached and loving nor too cold and distant. She was the perfect balance, fulfilling the

always the loudest one in the room, doing his best to stand out. He loved

from the sidelines, as if trying to dissolve into the background. While

for Asher and even that bare minimum came rarely from our

have a feeling that I might have loved being close to my mother since I still faintly remember the peace and

punishments became harsher. It was because the three of us were meant to

always did just enough to meet and satisfy father's expectations and I barely touched the safety line. Raven did much more than expected and it seemed as though had become

expectations were shattered on the

was the day when Asher's immortality genes were

celebrate it, father threw

world, declaring him as 'my son, my blood, my pride, my heir'. Raven kept

cry, throwing a tantrum in front of everyone at the party. But before he could get father's attention, mother swept him in her

stayed and witnessed Asher become the center of attraction. Asher handled the attention just as deftly as he had handled the neglect. He neither looked happy nor disturbed. He behaved like a perfect prince was expected to

harsh word to use, but there could be no other word to describe what Raven felt whenever father chose Asher over