Kieran abandoned everything he planned for his day. He's hoping the man was mistaken. "Caelum will come back to me. He said he'll be at the office " He said while fighting back tears.
He rushed into the car. He's driving like he has nothing to lose. He gets to the address and starts screaming downstairs. He's broken. He breaks down and starts crying. It felt like his whole world just paused and gradually collapsed.
The doctor came out. "I'm Dr. Davis—" he's interrupted by Kieran. "Please, where's Caelum? WHERE'S MY CAELUM!" He began yelling and crying again. The doctor let him cry a bit then walked him in.
He walks in only to see a body .
That THING wasn't Caelum. It couldn't be. The body on the table wasn't a human anymore, just blackened bones remained.
Kieran's knees buckled. "No, no, never! That's not him!"
His chain and ring—charred but unmistakable.
Kieran slowly looked at his shaken hand... It can't be him. "He was here yesterday" he kept repeating.
But it was.
He identified the body, and it was in his custody. Something felt off about this.
He tried to call Caelum's mom but there was no information about her. Kieran began searching for his family to plan a befitting burial. It's the only thing he could do to take his mind off everything, but nothing worked. He still silently cried alone. This burden was too heavy. As soon as he thought he had someone who would stay.
Kieran hurriedly drove to his office.
He checked Caelum's file at the office to find his past experiences and offices he had worked. His smile on the passport photograph made Kieran burst out crying. "How did this happen?" he kept asking.
He had worked at an organization in the past. Kieran prepared to leave. He drove there while listening to Caelum's favorite playlist be had seen on his phone.
When he arrived, they weren't friendly—neither was he. Caelum's past boss.
He walked in and let them know what was happening, and they didn't seem to care less.
"Attend his funeral. That's all?"
Kieran was outraged. Why aren't they sad? What kind of people did Caelum work for? He sent the date he had in mind to them and began preparation to lay him to rest.
After a stressful day, he prepared to leave . All the activities helped him take his mind off the truth—he was gone and wasn't coming back.
"I thought you'd never leave." Tears rolled down his glittering eyes, as he remembered his last moments with Caelum. "I should have held you tighter" he cried.
He got back home. The house, dark and silent.
He had his bath but Caelum's presence was there. In the kitchen, the same. In the bathroom, it was there. It was heavier in the bedroom. Kieran was going crazy. He couldn't take it. He cried to sleep. Clinged to his pillow, crying out Caelum's name. He thought he had ran mad.
He got to the office the next morning and officially informed the workers about Caelum's death. They were shocked.
"He was too happy to kill himself" Ness said.
Kieran thought the same. "Why would he kill himself when he said I make him happy again?"
Kieran said while tearing up again. He let the staff know he'd be unable to attend to any office work and handed over the company to his secretary for a few months. He needed the break more than anything.
He kept feeling Caelum's presence around the office. He drove home while listening to the playlist Caelum made while they went on a business trip.
"I'll be home soon, my sweet...
"You miss me so much, I'll be back...
"You looked amazing today, babe.
Look that good for me tomorrow..."
"I'll be here forever." The song was driving Kieran crazy.
He lied.
There was no tomorrow.
He wasn't staying forever—Kieran thought.
On his easy back, he decided to get drunk.
"Let's get drunk" he said after a deep sigh.
He got the same drink he had the a few nights ago with Caelum from the bar. He needed it.
He got home drunk. No one to help him to the door this time. He crawls inside his house—their house—and no one is inside. He gets so drunk, hallucination kicks in. Either that or Kieran had already gone crazy.
He sees Caelum sitting on his couch. He struggles to get to him but can't touch him. Like a distant memory.
"Why did you leave me?" Kieran asks. Tears effortlessly roll down his cheeks but Caelum holds him and says something... it's distant. Kieran doesn't hear what he says before Caelum walks away.
"Don't go!" Kieran yells, but it's too late. He was only a fragment of his imagination. Kieran falls asleep on the couch, unable to reach his room.
He feels a warm touch while he sleeps, and he hears, "I'll never leave you. Never! No matter what they threaten to do to me, I'll never leave you. Not even in death." Kieran jumps out of sleep. What was that? he thought. It was Caelum's voice. Who are they? Was it murder? Did they kill him? He was enraged and confused.
Kieran was still handsome, no doubt, but he was looking worn out now. He still hadn't cut his hair. He wasn't working out anymore. He wasn't eating, and he was on medication to manage his mental health.
Kieran felt like he had lost everything... he had lost everything. He felt like there was nothing else. Kieran was sitting there alone with nothing once more. He was an abandoned child once more.
He thought more about his dream and decided to go to the police, but they were heartless about it.
It was going to be a dead end as Kieran had nothing linking it to murder, but he couldn't bring himself to believe.
He got to the station and mentioned his dream.
The officers burst out laughing.
"A dream, Mr. Kieran? Have you been drinking?" all the officers laughed—except one. He was standing at the back, and he was still, avoiding eye contact.
What is he feeling? Guilt? Recognition? Every time Kieran turned to look at him, he looked away hurriedly.
He knows something, Kieran thought.
What happened at the station was very embarrassing.
How could they laugh?
Kieran decided to find clues himself. It would be hard, but very much possible. He had only gone to Caelum's house once. It was time to retrace his steps around the house and find clues to bring justice to Caelum.