Chapter 62: Chapter 62

It was a staring competition, and no one was backing down. Dakar's look was filled with fear, anger, worry, confusion, shock and horror. And Camper felt really downtrodden because of it. His best friend had totally changed from that day he disappeared over five decades ago, and he had succeeded in hiding everything behind a strong facade. How did he manage to stay within a shell for so long?

Dakar finally looked away from Camper, tugged the cigar on a small ashtray beside him and placed his head on the wheel with his eyes closed.

“Dakar,” Camper called gently. His friend stayed that way for the next one minute. Then he looked up with red eyes, moist eyes.

“If you easily found out, then others would know too. Has it been that obvious? Avril, she must be in trouble if someone else already figured this out.” He blurted out hastily. Then his face stilled as if he remembered something horrific.

“They paid people to hurt her. Could it be that she's already their target? Oh my God! No, this isn't happening,” he rasped and moved the car into the street.

“Calm down you! Just calm down. Stop the car,” Camper said with a hand pressed on his shoulder.

“No, you don't understand. Fiorella is in danger,” Dakar argued and drove on.

“No, she's not. At least not yet. Would you calm down and listen to me, Prince Dakar?”

Dakar took a deep breath and slowed down the car.

“What?”

“Stop the car, Prince.”

He stopped the car and gulped down. He was panicking on the inside but tried hard to hide it. To seek comfort, he grabbed the burning cigar and stuck it between his lips. A groan escaped his mouth as he took one hell of a drag and he began to cough as he tried blowing the smoke out. Camper looked ridiculously at him, then pulled out the bottle of water in the car, opened it and handed it to his friend. Dakar gulped it down and rested his head on the seat, breathing deeply and eyes closed.

“No one has read that letter. It took me a lot of time and observation to even notice you have something like that. Only a person who has free access to your room would get it,” Camper explained.

“And...I don't think people have realized she was with you on the island. No one would even think that except if they're super close to you, and her.”

Dakar jerked his head towards his friend.

“And her?” he questioned.

“Yes. You're thinking what I'm thinking too. Verona would have long realized.”

“She would have read her mind. But I...I made her think Avril was just a suspect in knowing me.”

“That babe is smart. Trust me, she knows fully that you both knew each other from the island.”

“What am I going to do? You know how dangerous and evil this kingdom can be. If anyone realizes who she truly is to me, she's doomed. They'll take her, force her full memories out by subjecting her to mental torture, try to get secrets about me back then and use it against me and the throne. We have blood and power thirsty people here!” he nagged and banged his hands on the wheel.

“I told her a lot of things. Everything I hadn't shared with anybody. If those secrets get out ...” he trailed off and palmed his face.

“Things like what?” Camper asked and Dakar snorted.

“Don't even try to hide anything further. From today, you would tell me everything...I mean everything that happened to you. I already made my theories but I need confirmation first. I want to be able to help you, Dakar. Let me in on what is going on with you. We're best friends, yet you don't give me the chance to have your back,” it was Camper's turn to rant.

There was silence for a few minutes.

“Now, answer me. Give me an example of what you told Avril back at the island that you don't want out.”

“Ñiraka,” Dakar said and smoked.

“What happened to her?”

“She's my cousin. Her mother, Anthena is my mother's blood sister.”

Camper's eyes widened and his jaw dropped open, that a bird could fly in comfortably without touching his teeth.

“Ñi-Ñiraka?”

Dakar nodded and smiled sadly.

“You mean, all those time you were...”

“I cannot seem to get that guilt of my mind. Whenever I see her, I remember that I'm a forbidden moron and the anger and hate for everything just makes me want to make her disappeared,” Dakar explained the reason behind his vulgar display towards Ñiraka always.

“How did you know this?”

“Mother told me. Same reason she always hated Ñiraka.”

“How come no one knows the Luna had a sister? And doesn't Ñiraka know?”

“It was a huge secret between my mother and her sister. Her sister is a sorceress, The Eternal Witch Of The North, and had blackmailed Ñiraka's father into lying and living with her. They had a child, and she released them both. Nobleman Adolphus has no idea she was my mother's sister. And he doesn't even tell anyone, including Ñiraka, who her true mother is.”

Camper gawked at Dakar at this new piece of news. It was shocking. So shocking.

“I pity Ñiraka. She has no idea. And when she comes to know, God, it would be very drastic on her.”

“Camper, please do not let any other soul know about this. No one else.”

Camper nodded and exhaled.

“You have my word, Dakar. I would tell no soul about the things I just came to know.”

Dakar trusted Camper immediately. He tapped him on the shoulder in appreciation.

“What do you intend to do about Avril?” Camper inquired.

“I don't know. I can't reveal me to her yet, until she's strong enough to withstand this world of ours. And I can only help her by getting closer to her. Help her get stronger and train her. Only after then I can tell her, then get a cure for this curse once and for all.”

Camper raised a brow questioningly. He was getting what he wanted to hear already. He had always known Dakar was not totally free from that curse. But he wanted to hear him say it. So he had devised a strategy to just make his friend talk, after showing him that he knew enough already. That way, Dakar would think he already knows a lot—why hide little from him again?

“The curse. It's not fully broken. Dojo is still here. Still in my head. Still tormenting me,” Dakar answered bitterly.

“All these time, you've been suffering?” Camper asked with sympathy.

His friend gave a short, dry laugh.

“Life is messed up, isn't it?”

“What are you going to do? How can we break this curse permanently?” Camper asked worriedly.