Galaxy: The Prodigal's Return
Jayken walked down the corridor, excited to be hearing the voices echoing around the corner. He knew who one of those voices belonged to.
He missed her.
He had missed her dearly all this time.
His heart beats faster in anticipation as he turned the corner, a wide smile plastered on his face.
Then he froze.
Kye.
He was laughing along with her.
And his arms were around her.
Then their eyes met. His laughter faded away, his smile transitioned into a cold smirk. "Hello, Jayken.”
The anger simmering beneath the surface remained so for now as Jayken struggled hard to keep his cool. The memories, the fury, the rage came rolling back, hammering its way through the mists that was a time long ago. He tried to hold all of this back.
And he was rapidly failing, his clenched fists visibly shaking. “What are you doing here?” he growled.
Jo’s face quickly puzzled into confusion. “You guys knew each other?” She looked at Jayken.
Jayken flicked his hardened gaze towards Jo. “You brought him here?”
“Yeah,” came the answer, still unsure of what is going on.
Jayken looked back at Kye, that cold smirk still on his face. “The thought of you and Tristan makes me sick," he started, his voice low. "But the thought of you and him…” he breathed that out slowly, the feeling under his neck getting hotter all the time.
I need to get away from here.
Jayken turned and began to stalk away. Kye called out to him, the smirk completely gone. “Jayken!” When Jayken didn’t stop, he turned to Jo, “I’ll be right back.” He started after him.
Jo tilted her head, her confusion clear for the world to see.
“Jayken!”
“What do you want, Kye?” Jayken hissed, suddenly stopping and swiveling on his right heel at the same time. His body faced the corridor sideways, but his eyes were fixed on Kye.
“Jay, chill man,” said Kye, slowing to a stop. The anger in Jayken's eyes burned him, so he pretended to look downwards as if to size him up. “What’s the matter?”
“What’s the matter?!” The incredulity on Jayken’s tone rose. “You know full well what’s the matter.”
“Jay, I don’t unders…”
“You made me tell your lie,” Jayken's voice lowered to nothing more than a hiss. He clenched his teeth the entire time, tempted to spit out the ground enamel at Kye. “You made me tell your lie, and now Dallas is dead! And for what?” he flailed his arms. “For what?! An empty worldship that’s not even fully operational!”
“You think Dallas died for nothing?” Kye raised his voice, no longer willing to be polite. “He died for you, he died for me, he died for these punks here you call your friends. He died for the war!” He stopped to catch his breath, loudly inhaling and exhaling them. “It was a good sacrifice.”
Kye didn’t see Jayken’s fist as it flew towards the side of his face, catching him straight on the eyebrow. Neither did he truly realise what happened as he was flung, shoulder first, into the opposite wall.
What he did realise, however, was that he was in a lot of pain.
But that was only after he realised that he couldn't see properly as the blood trickled into his left eye.
“HE WAS MY FRIEND!” Jayken roared, loud enough for Jo to reach and cover both her ears. “NOT A LAMB WAITING TO BE SACRIFICED!”
Kye felt the blood as it trickled down his chin. His lower lip was busted open as well. He felt for it with the tips of his fingers, and examined it, before glancing up to Jayken, meeting him squarely in the eye. “Is this how you treat your friends?”
“You just remember you are not my friend.”
Kye sighed. “Well…” he began, trying to piece together the correct train of thought that won’t have Jayken ramming into him again. He gave up, and let the truth find its way. “I’m sorry you feel that way. I wish I didn’t have to lie to you. But I did have to.” Pause. “You wouldn’t have helped my otherwise.”
“And I’ll never help you again,” Jayken responded, his voice full of venom. “You can count on that. Even if you were dying of thirst on the Salikh One, I wouldn’t even spit on you.” And with that, he looked up to Jo for a couple of seconds, before stalking off.
“Jayken,” Kye started, just before Jayken turned the corridor. When he didn’t stop, he raised his voice. “Jayken!” When he still didn’t stop, Kye forgot all about his pain, and became defiant. “That’s right, Jayken. Walk away. Walk away!”
Jayken disappeared around the corridor.
“The GREAT JAYKEN WESTLEY!”
He missed her.
He had missed her dearly all this time.
His heart beats faster in anticipation as he turned the corner, a wide smile plastered on his face.
Then he froze.
Kye.
He was laughing along with her.
And his arms were around her.
Then their eyes met. His laughter faded away, his smile transitioned into a cold smirk. "Hello, Jayken.”
The anger simmering beneath the surface remained so for now as Jayken struggled hard to keep his cool. The memories, the fury, the rage came rolling back, hammering its way through the mists that was a time long ago. He tried to hold all of this back.
And he was rapidly failing, his clenched fists visibly shaking. “What are you doing here?” he growled.
Jo’s face quickly puzzled into confusion. “You guys knew each other?” She looked at Jayken.
Jayken flicked his hardened gaze towards Jo. “You brought him here?”
“Yeah,” came the answer, still unsure of what is going on.
Jayken looked back at Kye, that cold smirk still on his face. “The thought of you and Tristan makes me sick," he started, his voice low. "But the thought of you and him…” he breathed that out slowly, the feeling under his neck getting hotter all the time.
I need to get away from here.
Jayken turned and began to stalk away. Kye called out to him, the smirk completely gone. “Jayken!” When Jayken didn’t stop, he turned to Jo, “I’ll be right back.” He started after him.
Jo tilted her head, her confusion clear for the world to see.
“Jayken!”
“What do you want, Kye?” Jayken hissed, suddenly stopping and swiveling on his right heel at the same time. His body faced the corridor sideways, but his eyes were fixed on Kye.
“Jay, chill man,” said Kye, slowing to a stop. The anger in Jayken's eyes burned him, so he pretended to look downwards as if to size him up. “What’s the matter?”
“What’s the matter?!” The incredulity on Jayken’s tone rose. “You know full well what’s the matter.”
“Jay, I don’t unders…”
“You made me tell your lie,” Jayken's voice lowered to nothing more than a hiss. He clenched his teeth the entire time, tempted to spit out the ground enamel at Kye. “You made me tell your lie, and now Dallas is dead! And for what?” he flailed his arms. “For what?! An empty worldship that’s not even fully operational!”
“You think Dallas died for nothing?” Kye raised his voice, no longer willing to be polite. “He died for you, he died for me, he died for these punks here you call your friends. He died for the war!” He stopped to catch his breath, loudly inhaling and exhaling them. “It was a good sacrifice.”
Kye didn’t see Jayken’s fist as it flew towards the side of his face, catching him straight on the eyebrow. Neither did he truly realise what happened as he was flung, shoulder first, into the opposite wall.
What he did realise, however, was that he was in a lot of pain.
But that was only after he realised that he couldn't see properly as the blood trickled into his left eye.
“HE WAS MY FRIEND!” Jayken roared, loud enough for Jo to reach and cover both her ears. “NOT A LAMB WAITING TO BE SACRIFICED!”
Kye felt the blood as it trickled down his chin. His lower lip was busted open as well. He felt for it with the tips of his fingers, and examined it, before glancing up to Jayken, meeting him squarely in the eye. “Is this how you treat your friends?”
“You just remember you are not my friend.”
Kye sighed. “Well…” he began, trying to piece together the correct train of thought that won’t have Jayken ramming into him again. He gave up, and let the truth find its way. “I’m sorry you feel that way. I wish I didn’t have to lie to you. But I did have to.” Pause. “You wouldn’t have helped my otherwise.”
“And I’ll never help you again,” Jayken responded, his voice full of venom. “You can count on that. Even if you were dying of thirst on the Salikh One, I wouldn’t even spit on you.” And with that, he looked up to Jo for a couple of seconds, before stalking off.
“Jayken,” Kye started, just before Jayken turned the corridor. When he didn’t stop, he raised his voice. “Jayken!” When he still didn’t stop, Kye forgot all about his pain, and became defiant. “That’s right, Jayken. Walk away. Walk away!”
Jayken disappeared around the corridor.
“The GREAT JAYKEN WESTLEY!”
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