warning!!! This chapter contains bullying, readers should read with caution.
The mocking laughs of male students echo from the classroom into the hallway.
While a student sits on the floor as another pours a pack of milk over his head surrounded by four extra male.
"Who the fuck does this bastard think he is?" one of the four boys who is resting on the wall says.
"Because we've been watching you doesn't mean you should go beyond the boundaries we have set." Another among the four boys chime in.
"I've been letting you be, since you are new but it seems you don't know your place. What makes you think you could disrupting the whole of the school's best student board?" The boy pouring the milk asks.
"So you think pouring milk over my head will make me less intelligent? I scoff, "no wonder you're dull. You being the best student of this school is only by chance, so stop talking as if you have the brains to be called the best student, Leo."
Leo's kick lands on my stomach as I attempt to stand.
"Ugh," the sound escapes my lips as the sipping pain spreads across my body, sending me crouching down my hands around clutching my waist.
"This dirty piece of shit keeps blabbing. When I talk, I don't utter a sound. The annoyance in Leo's voice echoes throughout the class. "What a joke, when he first arrived at the school I thought he was someone useful, from a good family. I never thought he was nothing but an orphan." An orphan." He repeats. "Aaahhhh" he exclaims in frustration "Nothing. But. A. Common. Orphan. Is. Cha-llen-ging. Me. In. This-s. School." He says, kicking me continuously.
"Leo, com'on, stop, you're doing too much, what if a teacher comes?" One of the boys asks.
"They will do nothing!" he states.
"But your image will be contaminated by rumours. Let him go." he adds.
Leo steps back, crouches, and says, "This is a warning, know your place, peasant." with that he walks off.
After they leave, I sit upright, my back on the wall, legs stretch, breathing heavily.
So does he think this will stop me from studying more? And a peasant. Me?
"You're nothing, Elias."
Father's voice comes rushing in like floods. I was six at the time. When Gabriel called me into his office. Liach was away on a mission. When I got inside, he sat on a chair close to the window, each of his sleeves up. A piece of cloth in one hand, a gun in the other. Cleaning it.
"Why do you keep gallivanting in my house, are you forgetting your place?" My body shook at the magnitude of his voice. "You are to be as quiet as a corpse. It seems you are taking Liach grace as your. Let me tell you something real quick and make sure to hold onto it till the day you die." He dropped the gun he was cleaning. "You are not in my register. No one knows you exist. You are a stain—one your sister tries too hard to protect. Gabriel's smile was thin, cold. "You think love will save you? If Liach falls, you will fall too. Alone. Forgotten." Gabriel leaned closer, one finger under my chin. "Do not weigh her down. Do not make me regret letting you breathe, peasant."
"Are you ok?" A soft voice asks. Snatching from my thoughts.
Who's this and do you want?
"Yeah, I'm fine, just need to catch my breath." I lift my head to see the owner of the voice.
"My name is Noah." He stretches his hand towards me.
I never asked. Can you go away.
"I'm Elias." I didn't take his hands.
"I know. I sit across from you." He points.
Okay.
"Do you want water?" He offers, suddenly standing in my path.
"No. Thanks though."
"Oh, okay." He fidgets with his hands. "I'm Noah, so you know."
"You already told me. You don't need to introduce yourself again."
I sincerely hope this weirdo doesn't cling to me.
But quite the opposite happened.
Ever since that day, Noah has been following me around, invading my space, sometimes asking sudden and unrelatable questions. Most times, I want to shout at him to leave me alone.
But he isn't only annoying, He's smart, obviously not a dead weight and sometimes he's tolerable.
"Elias, what do you think of these?" He asked, showing me a math equation.
"The answer is wrong but not entirely, from the beginning to the point you move the x factor is correct but after that you did rubbish."
He scratched his head frantically. "Huh! How do I go about this?"
"Move close, I will show you how to do it."
"Really! Thanks."
Why are you acting surprised? Isn't that why you showed me in the first place?
"Why don't we go eat something before we continue? It's been more than an hour since we've been studying."
"You go, I've got something to do. But buy me some snacks when you are coming back." I handed him some money.
"You sure?"
"Yes."
"Ok." He left.
I sit by the window, leaning my head against the cool glass. Staring at the note on my desk. When Liach flashes into my mind.
She hadn't been staying at home in days: this day it's either she comes late or leaves early sometime in the middle of the night. We also don't talk much: our calls are shorter now, her voice tighter.
I feel it. She's out there again. In danger. Alone.
"Again."
And I hate it.
I have to call Dave when I get home.
The silence in my room is heavier than usual tonight. The world outside, simmers, in the distance are the hums of traffic and life, but in here? Nothing. Only the too-loud beat of my own heart.
Lia has been so busy with work that we hardly see each other these past days: before I wake up every morning there's food and a letter on the table, and whenever I try to stay awake to wait for her I find myself on my bed the next day, knowing she must have carried me. I know this isn't any original work because Gabriel won't allow it. And whatever it is Lia is working on, it's always dangerous, this one won't be any different.
I have to find out. So I will be able to help her.
I won't weigh her down. I'll help her. I'll be useful this time.
I scroll through my contact for Dave. Tightening my hand around my phone, before bringing it to my ears. I need to know. Not what father wants, but what Liach is doing. For her. For us.
As the phone buzzes once. Twice. I press my eyes shut, my heart thudding.
Then Dave answers, in a tired voice.
"Elias? It's late." The sound of keyboard clicks faint in the background. "Everything alright?"
"Yes, everything is fine. I pause. "I need an update. On my sister." My voice is low. Her schedule. What she's working on." I say it like a question.
Nothing came through for a moment, except the hums of the lines. "Elias… your sister won't like you asking about this. She's... particular about her ops."
"I know. I know, Dave. But please!. Just— I need to know if she's safe. If I can do anything, what If she doesn't come back in time…from a mission?" My voice cracks. "What if something bad happens to her? I need to understand what she's getting into. If she gets into trouble, if she doesn't check in after a mission… I need to know where to start looking or maybe contact you. I want to know how to help. I need to be prepared."
Dave let out a long, worn-out sigh. "Oh Elias," he pauses for a long time. "You Cisco kids... stubborn to the core." Then he sighs "She's fine. For now. But you're right to worry."
Good I thought
"Her target?" I push further.
"Elias—"
"Please."
Another pause.
"Look, I can't give you everything, but... her current primary target. It's De Luna. Sinveer De Luna. Dave's voice is low now. "She's dancing with the devil, kid. And that devil likes to dance back. I know you know what that means."
My stomach clenches. "Yes, I do. Thank you, Dave." I whisper. "And Dave—if she doesn't report in on time, you'll call me. Please."
"Yeah. You have my word. But don't go acting reckless. Liach can handle this, Okay."
"I know."
"Go to sleep."
"Yes, Goodnight."
I hung up.
Later, after getting back from school, when the evening clouds begin to paint the sky, my phone buzzes. It is a group call from Maya and Hilda.
Elias!" Maya's voice cuts through. "We've been trying to get hold of Lia! She's not answering her usual numbers. Is everything okay? How is she?"
Hilda chimed in, "Yeah, we're getting worried. Is she working too hard?"
"She's fine," my voice steady. "Just buried in work. You know how she gets. High-priority stuff."
"She won't even answer our texts," Hilda's voice adds.
"Oh, okay," Maya sounds relieved. "Well, tell her we miss her."
"I will." A thought sparked. "Actually, her birthday is coming up soon, right?"
"It is!" both girls chorus.
"Oh my god, Elias, yes!" Hilda shrieks. "I completely forgot, with everything going on! What are we going to do?"
"I was thinking," I start, a genuine smile finally touching my lips for the first time in days. "I was thinking…maybe I could arrange something. A small surprise. If you're able to come to Italy…with all her busy schedules? She'll be thrilled"
"A surprise? To Italy?" Hilda gasps, then giggles. "Oh, Elias, you are brilliant! We are so in! This is going to be amazing! And I'd finally get to see you again"
"Perfect," I say, a dangerous warmth spreading through me. Amazing. A surprise. Maybe, just maybe, this time, I could help Lia without her knowing. Without father knowing. I have to.