Felix knelt down to reach his daughter. "Where's your mom, Renata?" Revi did not answer his question, but remained silent. However, Felix tried to wait for an answer.
Renata could not get out of the shackles of the past. After she closed his eyes, her mother disappeared. Memories come back and forth. If she only knew that it was the last time she would be with Velo, she would have spent the day with her. Because of Madreign, she had a wound that was difficult to heal.
Felix looked at Ender, hoping the young man would tell him where Velo was. The young man could not look at her. Like Revi, it remembers what happened yesterday. He was just afraid of losing Revi, like losing his mother when he was a child. He didn't think that because of him, Revi would also lose a mother. He became a coward, and this is the consequence.
Last night, Renata kept screaming. Rain and thunder accompanied his grief. As a result, they cannot sleep. Fritz and Leones were sleeping on the corner and Dion was picked up by his father when Revi calmed down. When Vida and Ender noticed that she had calmed down, they entered the room. They saw Renata sound asleep, probably tired. Next to it, Stellan was asleep while sitting in the chair. And the water he gave to Revi had been reduced.
When Renata woke up, Stellan was not beside her. The first thing she did was to cry. Starting this day, perhaps she can’t sleep without remembering what happened to her beloved mother.
Vida was beside her, so when she realized Revi was crying, she gave her a handkerchief.
Even though Revi had already wiped away the tears, those tears continued to fall. It only stopped when she heard the voices of her friend outside her chamber. For her, when they saw that she was weak they would only lose hope and would not allow her to leave the island. When they despair, they will become slaves and those on the throne will remain above, as they drown in sorrow and misery.
When Renata came back into reality, she sighed. "Sheʼs gone, Dad."
Felix was stunned. He lowered his gaze and stood up. Heʼs already expecting this answer since he saw his daughter alone and sad, but the impact of her words still hit Felix that hard. He held his daughterʼs hand and turned around. "Letʼs go."
Renata didnʼt even ask where they were going. It confused Ender, but instead of asking, he let them go away and approached Vida. Itʼs not his business after all. After what happened, he doesnʼt have the guts to face his uncle.
Felix and Revi were riding the carriage. Felix was driving while his daughter was just staring outside the window, living in silence. The havoc Madreign brought in the island caused her trauma and never-ending nightmares. Every single detail of what happened, especially the blood and corpses, flashes in her mind.
Time passed, they reached New Order. Reviʼs jaw dropped as she saw its palace. Itʼs her first time to see New Orderʼs palace. Although, she saw the illustrations in her fatherʼs newspaper, so she is already familiar with the place.
Felix held her hand and brought her inside Deumitriʼs office.
"Glad you came here." Deumitri groaned as he stood up. He approached Felix and his daughter. Deumitri looked at Revi. An image flashed in his mind. "She got her hair and eye color on you, but her face looks like Velo." Felix was stunned when he heard his wifeʼs name. The head minister doesnʼt know yet.
Deumitri started to walk around in his office without even uttering a single word. He stopped in front of a painting. "Your clan never failed to amaze me. I hope this kid wonʼt fail too." He looked at the little girl. He just sees her as a midget who can do nothing yet, not as the last heir of the Viglianco clan.
Ever since heʼs young, he had great admiration for the Vigliancos whom he also called fallen angels. When he saw the family membersʼ gifts from the gods, he was amazed and started to admire them.
Felix sighed. "I changed my mind. After what happened, I donʼt think we can make it." Felix has no energy. He lost his hopes after knowing that his wife was gone. Atolon canʼt win against Madreign. The victors have an army and things that are useful to war, while them, they just have soldiers.
On the other hand, Renata was confused. She doesnʼt know what the elders were talking about, but what Deumitri said next made her eyes widened. "I guess, Iʼll write another letter to inform the other ministers. After this, no one is allowed to go outside the island." Deumitri went to his table and was about to write a letter.
Reviʼs eyes were bloodshot. "Dad. . ." She gazed at her father. ". . .are you chosen? Will you be the next person to go outside Atolon?"
Felix stayed silent. He didnʼt even bother to look at his child. So the head minister was the one to answer her question, "yes, Renata. But he is not the only one we are about to send outside. Yesterday, we decided to send your family to Madreign. In that case, the chosenʼs survival rate will increase. There is a higher chance to succeed in the mission when heʼs together with his trusted persons. And, your dad agreed."
Revi smiled. "Is that true, Dad?"
Felix nodded. "But that wonʼt happen. I changed my mind. No one is going outside this island." For the first time, he gazed at his daughter. Heʼs holding his tears. He needs to abandon what Revi wants for their sake. He felt sorry for his daughter.
Revi was dumbfounded. "But why?! Itʼs an opportunity, Dad!" she exclaimed.
Deumitri just watched them yell at each other. He knows that Felix can handle Revi. Thereʼs no point at stopping them. Revu will understand soon. Much better if Felix will discipline his daughter.
"Itʼs not an opportunity, Revi! Itʼs entering the door of death!" He clenched his jaw and looked away. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth.
Revi calmed herself and sighed. "They knew nothing, Dad. It wonʼt be dangerous."She smiled a bit, trying to convince her father while her eyes are still bloodshot. She took a step forward and caressed Felixʼs arm.
It annoyed him. He turned and glared at her. "It is! Why would they try to invade this island if they knew nothing, huh?! We better retreat instead of suffering outside!" After hearing what Felix said, Dimitri canʼt speak. He wants to stop the two because it looks like itʼs too much. At any time, Felix could hurt Revi. But Deumitri did nothing because for him, he must respect Vigliancos.
Revi grinded her teeth. "How could you give up without even trying?!"
Felix kneeled and held Reviʼs shoulders tightly. "Just accept the fact that you wonʼt achieve your dreams, Renata! You canʼt go outside!"
Renata freed herself from her fatherʼs grip. She stepped backwards. "Why are you like that, Father?! Is it because youʼre a coward, too?!"
Felix stood up. "I am your father, Renata! Who are you to answer me with those words?!"
"I am not talking to you as your daughter! I'm. . ." Revi breathed heavily. "Iʼm talking to you as a child! I am a child of Atolon and I have dreams for myself and for this island! No matter what you do, you canʼt stop me from taking steps to achieve my dreams! Iʼll go outside even if it means death! Father . . . I am free."
Silence reigned in the room after Reviʼs voice echoed in the room.
"You lost yourself. . ." Tears fell from her eyes while looking at her father. ". . .after I said that sheʼs gone, Dad."Felix cried as he heard his daughterʼs words. "I . . . shall avenge my mom."
Deumitru stood up and slowly approached Revi. He looked at her with sadness. "People are dying. What motivates you to continue?"
Revi wiped her tears and faced the head minister. "We are humans too. We shall emerge and fight for our freedom. We are not giving them viruses to isolate ourselves on this shitty island. We have rights and we deserve the world. In these moments of despair, someone shall stand to lead us to freedom." She chased her breath. "If we lose, then we shall do not the better, but the best next time. To defeat the wicked victors, we must fight."
The two elders stayed silent. Deumitri spoke, "is that so?" He turned around and approached the painting. "Would you dedicate your heart to Atolon?"
"No," she answered. This shocked Felix. "I will devote my heart to freedom."
The head minister sighed. He grabbed a paper and a pen, and wrote something. He stood uo and showed it. "Writing this letter means you are free. You are free to choose the path you want to take. You can stay here and you can go outside. Tge decision will be yours, Renata. Thatʼs how things work for you right?"
~*~
"I'm sorry. I didnʼt protect her. I broke my promise," said Felix.
Deumitri sighed. "I canʼt believe that Velo died, Felix." He lowered his gaze and reminisced his lifeʼs history.
Way back year 773, Velo and Deumitri started to become friends. They had a great friendship actually, but Deumitri was completely lost in Veloʼs eyes. He never confessed because he knew that she canʼt reciprocate his feelings. Heʼs afraid that he will lost his beloved in just a blink of an eye. Years had passed, the fire in his heart intensifies. But one day came, Felix entered their life and captured Veloʼs heart. Heʼs hurt but because of his admiration and respect to the Vigliancos, he let himself watch Velo and Felix to tie the knot. After the fall, he decided to walk on other paths instead of messing the Viglianco Familyʼs life. Heʼs already contented with the promise of Felix, to protect her.
"What I canʼt believe. . ." Felix clenched his jaw. ". . .is that Madreign ambushed my town."
Deumitri looked at his front. There is a garden, and not so far away, there is Felixʼs daugther, Renata, whoʼs playing with a butterfly. "Do you think Velo is the butterfly?" he asked.
Felix shook his head. "Humans canʼt turn into animals after they die. Itʼs just a legend in Tatius Mythology, but I believe that the gods can turn themselves into animals or in any other form."
Deumitri nodded. He watched Revi play then something flashed in his mind. "I remember, when I was young, thereʼs a little girl running away with fruits. She stole the fruits from the store," he said.
Felix raised his eyebrow. "Youʼre looking at my daughter. Whatʼs the matter?"
"I remember the girl in her. Itʼs something that I canʼt explain." He flipped his hair and sighed. "I followed that girl in the underground and found out that her mother is sick. I went back and tried to ignore it but I felt pity. So when I saw the girl again, I gave her money. Seeing her smile made me happy." He facepalmed. "But bandits stole the money and killed her. The next day, her mother died."
A moment of silence between the two. Deumitri broke the silence, "even inside this island, cruelty wonʼt stop raging."
To be continued . . .