"We were very happy in the USA. We had loving parents, Noah and I grew up to be loving and caring. But the day of the fire, they acted weird. Somehow, they kept hinting or...I don't know signals...that they might die today...I can't describe that day clearly...." Dylan says quietly as James nods.

"The fire broke out and mom helped us to escape from the cellar. She went back inside to get dad but never came back. I was crying and shouting at Noah to let me go inside and save them but Noah went instead. He came back unconscious with another man carrying him, whose right side of the face was burnt. Something changed Noah from that day. He did not only come out with a scar. He came out with a lot of secrets."

"I remember that we were taken by this man whose face was burnt. He never mentioned his name but I think he was Harvey. I could hear a woman screaming his name and saying not to mess with the kid's lives. I think....it...was my mom...." James tries to console Dylan.

"That man never spoke to us. Within a week of the fire, we came to Deltora. Luckily, there was an orphanage that sheltered us till we came of our age. Noah got a job and I worked part-time, earning enough money to rent a place and then start our YouTube channel. Whenever we would run out of funds, William and Logan would help us saying their dad's money should be used for some good work."

"But it's funny," Dylan turns to James, "I don't have memories of my parents or the week after the fire with that Harvey guy. The only flashbacks I get are of the fire. Whenever I would pester Noah to tell me about it, he would say it was better for me to not remember those painful memories. But today, he himself....." Dylan's voice turns small.

James lifts his chin a little and pecks his forehead, "You were brave Dylan. And even brave people need some time-out."

"The reason why Noah reminded me of the fire was that he wanted to remind me that he is here to protect me. That's why he quoted mom's poem." Dylan thinks.

"Your mom was a poet? Now I understand where you get those genes." James jokes.

Dylan smiles widely, hiding his blush, "Yeah. But sadly I only remember that one." He pouts a little but James is there to cheer him up.

"Don't worry baby bear. Now that I am here, we will do everything that needs to be done." Dylan also nods with enthusiasm.

"What about you? Are you okay?" Dylan asks with concern in his eyes. He felt guilty about how he made a fuss over his problems when James's father had just died.

"Yeah. Kind of. I mean the emptiness will always be there. But I bet he doesn't want me to mourn." James smiles, indicating that he was genuinely fine.

"And the letter? What about that? And the death date? You seemed so confident about it on the phone." Dylan bombards him with questions and James just chuckles.

"Easy there petal, I'll answer all your questions."

FLASHBACK

"He was the one who gave you Big Sir's letter." The cook replies.

"Oh...that short guy? Anyways, just send me the details of the agency." James walks to his room.

"Yes, sir."

After getting the address, James goes to the agency to talk to them but no progress. They said they never even saw a person like that in their office. It was strange!

He came back home and started searching through his dad's room. Thankfully, it wasn't cleaned yet because James had ordered them. The 'so-called letter' that the butler had given him was a fake and he had to prove it. He knew that his dad would never keep anything important in his room or even in the house. It must be in his bank locker! But he had to find the keycard for the bank.

He rummages through the books, the lower drawers, the table shelves, everything but no clue. He ducked under the bed and found a bottle of medicine. He thought all his medicines were kept in the kitchen cabinet so how come one was found here? He sensed some foul play and collected it as evidence.

He then goes to his father's office which would usually be locked but surprisingly it was open. No one had the key to his office and it would only open with Arthur's fingerprint. It was all very strange! He looks through the office, the papers. The office desk had a lower cabinet which was password protected.

James punches his birth year and it opened. There was an envelope with James's name handwritten on it. He opens it and there falls out a keycard along with a letter.

"Bingo!" James explained. But wasn't it all too easy? He knows his father will make it difficult for James to find something that.

He opens the letter and he smirks. His dad would never make it easy for James!

"The more there is, the less you see."

James continued to think about what this could mean. He had seen this quote somewhere, somewhere. He just can't pinpoint where.

It suddenly clicks in his mind and he rushes to the bank with the keycard. The receptionist asks for the password and James hesitantly replies,

"Castle of Nale."

The receptionist bowed again and showed him the way to the lockers, making small talk.

"We are sorry to hear about Arthur Sir. He was here just a few days ago. He wanted to make some changes to his locker. He even told us that his son would come for the safe." The receptionist says in her sweet voice.

"May I know when he came, the exact date?" James asked politely.

"Sure sir. You can look into your locker and I will bring the register. We do a computerized and manual registering to reduce the risk of discrepancies." The receptionist points at the locker. It had 'Arthur Reed' written on it.

"Thank you." James bows as the receptionist goes to bring the register.

The nostalgia hit James. He had come once to the bank when his dad showed him everything that he owned. It was all in this locker. He opens it with the keycard and inside was the safe. The key to the safe was given by the receptionist when he said the password.

How did James know the password? The same quote was written on the entrance of the Castle of Nale.

As he opened the safe, he found a small pendant, property papers, a diary in bad condition and a letter, addressed to James.

He knew that was the real letter.

And he wasn't ready for it.

FLASHBACK ENDS

"So? What was written in the letter?" Dylan asks in curiosity.

"I.......I couldn't....read....it...alone..." James chokes a little. Dylan suddenly gets an idea and takes the letter from him.

"Why don't we read it together?" Dylan gives him a breathtaking smile and James just melts into it. He gives a warm smile along with his nod.

Dylan opens the letter carefully, making sure there are no creases to James's dad's last words.

To James,

I always thought that holding on, was worth the pain it takes. I used to think about losing things, I'd lose a part of me too. But I understood it isn't worth your while. Sometimes the thing you're fighting for isn't worth the cost. And not everything you ever lose is bound to be a loss. There was a reason why I was so adamant about you demolishing the castle. But now, on my deathbed, I have let go of things. I have to let you pave your own way.

I remember what my dad used to say 'The most beautiful stories always start with wreckage'. You will now understand the labyrinth you have got yourself into. The beautiful story has already started. Theirs started a lifetime ago, still in the shadows. But yours doesn't need to be that way. Afraid not, I will always keep an eye on you. When no one else chooses to stay, I will, I will.

Time is a fickle thing. You can be with someone for years and never know what real love is. But then fall in love truly and completely after weeks spent with someone who literally redefines what it means to be happy. Love doesn't always fit into a timeframe. But time also breaks more hearts than love.

The truth is everyone is going to hurt you; you just have to find the ones worth suffering for. Love is a necessary tragedy but promise me you'll smile of its memory. If the hurt comes so will happiness and if your happiness lies with him, then be it. If you truly love someone, you don't give up easily. You were given a heart strong enough to fight your battles, rare enough to love tirelessly. The reason you are different is that you love fiercely and too deeply. This is why you were always strange.

Make sure to use your time with him wisely. The stories your grandfather told you finally paid off. Keep an eye on your enemies and don't turn your back even for a second. This heavy silence of the uncertainty of my life is weighing me down son, I didn't know what to say then, I still don't. I am just tired.

Don't mourn me.

Arthur

Dylan keeps the letter down, with tears sparkling in his eyes but when he looks at James, he was crying a river. Dylan hugs him from the side, patting his head as James sobs.

"I told you, he wouldn't want me to mourn him." James forms his words through his sobs.

"But that's what you are doing right now," Dylan whispers in his ears. James chuckles a little, wiping his tears.

"Funny thing, I could never hide anything from him. He would always read me like an open book. That's why he talked about you." James looks at Dylan who was staring at him with a confused expression.

"One reason that I was coming here was the Castle but my decision to join your group was you. I told you I am your biggest fan. Somehow my dad knew I wouldn't demolish the castle. And somehow he knew we both will fall in love." James gives a cute smile.

"Hey! I don't love you okay! I just like you. In a moderate amount." Dylan jokes.

"We will see about that." James smirks and continues, "And the day my dad kept these in the locker was 5 days before his death. The register had that date."

"You remember the medicine bottle I found under his bed?"

Dylan nods and James answers, "I gave it for a check and guess what? It was a medicine that would accelerate his disease to a point that it would be incurable but painless. Whoever did it thought that he was being human. And I know it was the butler. The agency confirmed they never sent a butler."

"Or the butler was hired by someone else," Dylan says and James nods.

"Maybe. We have to be sure."

He takes out the pendant and shows it to Dylan.

"Wow! This is so beautiful." Dylan stares at the pendant which had an emerald blue stone with a thin silver chain.

"Do you like it? This was in the safe. I don't know what is it for but it was important enough to be kept in the safe." James says. "Do you want it?"

"Me? No, no. This was given by your dad to you. You should keep it." Dylan declines.

"But I want to keep it close to my heart."

Dylan feels butterflies in his stomach when he hears this. His cheeks were flushed.

"You are so cheesy." Dylan hits his arm playfully.

"What, really! If Noah wants something, he would come after me, not his small brother. So it is much safer with you. And it will look better on your neck than mine." James smiles at him. Dylan thinks a bit before giving him a nod of approval.

"Should I put it on you?" Dylan nods enthusiastically; feeling overwhelmed and turns around, allowing James to put it around his neck.

"This is not only the last gift of my dad but a promise. A promise from me to you that after all of this is over, I will make you the happiest person." James holds his hands and kisses them.

Dylan pecks his lips lightly and says,

"I am happy now."

"You are what? It was Clive's voice which startled them.