Chapter 34: The Promise
It was a brilliant red, hovering above a building in—
Lucien squinted his eyes, gazing at the name of the city.
—Thalen City.
’Would you look at that?’
It was one of those cities close to the sea, where water powered almost everything.
And the building Raphael was currently located at was an orphanage named Jintial Orphanage.
Talk about unpleasant memories.
Now, still looking at the map, Lucien’s gaze strayed away from Raphael’s red signal, all the way to...
His. The green signal, floating in the dark sections of Mariva, was isolated from the rest of the normal, functioning society.
"Shit."
So far. So, so far.
Lucien massaged his forehead, letting out an uneasy sigh.
He could already see the journey ahead. And needless to say, it was not going to be an easy one.
But Lucien resolved himself, smiling.
He had a plan.
Unhurriedly, he willed the map away, tracing his way back to Mikky and Amira.
’Let us rest for tonight,’ he thought. ’Tomorrow our journey begins.’
He gazed at his camo-watch. The one that once belonged to a Sultra.
And he smiled.
’What a bold idea.’
The moment he arrived next to the kids, the previous giggles and quiet murmurs that’d been incessantly echoing through the building paused.
Lucien stood calmly, hands in pockets. Still dressed in his all-black outfit, the moonlight cast a haloed glow upon him as his emerald gaze fixed on the children, who both regarded him with wide eyes.
Amira had a slight crease on her brows. Her expression was not a fond one. Her narrowed pair of amethyst eyes dug into Lucien’s skull, scrutinizing him, as if telling him to step back.
While Mikky, on the other hand, was smiling nervously.
Lucien stared at Mikky for a while, raising a brow as if to ask, ’Well?’
Mikky shrugged, scratching the back of his black hair innocently as he mouthed: ’She doesn’t like you.’
That broke Lucien’s heart.
But it was understandable. It was...
Lucien smiled, warm gaze now settling on Amira as he crouched slightly and spoke:
"I told you my name earlier, right?" Lucien outstretched a palm toward Amira, who shivered a bit, inching back slightly. It almost made Lucien hesitate. "It’ll only be fair if you tell me yours, right?"
Lucien’s smile was warm, and his emerald gaze held every depth of sincerity as he looked into Amira’s amethyst eyes.
Those eyes of hers seemed to widen as she heard his words. But they quickly returned to normal as she cleared her throat.
"...ra."
Lucien cocked a brow, tilting his head, a friendly smile touching his lips.
"Come on. You can do better. I didn’t hear you."
"...Mira."
Lucien held his ear, feigning ignorance.
"Hm?"
The girl smiled a little, then sighed.
"Amira. I’m Amira."
Her accent was warm, her voice soft and childish. Even the pronunciation of her own name was off, carrying a tinge of that childish flair.
But it was enough of an answer for Lucien.
Nodding, he regarded his outstretched hand.
Amira gazed at it.
Mikky stared at Luci blankly, probably wondering what the lean man was up to now.
After a second of awkward silence, Lucien spoke up, chuckling:
"Come on. A handshake."
Amira’s eyes widened, and Lucien saw her gulp.
"A handshake?" She asked, voice low. "Why?"
"I want to congratulate you, Amira," Lucien said. "You have passed the hardest phase of your life. The end of your long nightmare has come. Now," Lucien smiled, "every day’s going to be an adventure. I’m inviting you to our team."
Lucien gazed at Mikky, who smiled and nodded back at him.
"To be our teammate. Our family. I know all that you’ve been through, and I won’t act like I don’t. But I want you to move on. You don’t even need to trust me. But I can assure you, I will never harm you. And I will never let any harm be done to you again. This I swear."
Amira’s expression was a mixture of shock, perplexity, and confusion. Was it Lucien’s words that confused her? Or was it the meaning of his words?
Still, the girl visibly steeled herself, asking:
"What about... that place? What about the people there? There were other kids my age, we were a–"
"They’re all safe now, Amira." Lucien smiled. This one lie pricked at his heart. But it was necessary, he knew. One day, he would tell her the truth. One day. "And so are you."
Lucien gazed at Mikky, who gently held Amira’s hand, grasping it.
She gazed at Mikky, and Mikky nodded at her.
"Fried rice forever."
Amira chuckled at that.
Lucien raised a brow. When did the boy learn how to make a joke like that? It was funny, though.
"So what do you say?" Lucien asked her.
Amira was smiling now. That radiant, bright, sunny smile on dry cheeks. It fit her perfectly. It was beautiful.
Lucien would have to make sure those cheeks get chubby soon. Her smile would be even better.
Amira finally put her palm on Lucien’s.
And Lucien grasped it softly, feeling the callouses and the roughness of the girl’s palm. But it was soft and child-like.
This was a child to be loved.
Amira nodded.
"Okay." Her smile widened. "Anything... anywhere is better than that... place," she said. "And thank you for rescuing me."
Seeing her smile warmed his heart.
But Lucien stood upright, releasing her hand. He patted her purple hair.
"We’re going to be navigating a really dirty world, you two. But trust me. You’ll both be safe. In fact, it’ll be an adventure for us." He gazed down at Amira, watching her smile. "But I must say, Amira, that smile of yours is beautiful. Don’t lose it. Don’t let it get buried by the storms of this dirty world."
Tilting her head as if pondering on his words, she smiled even brighter, teeth showing.
Lucien chuckled, very sure she didn’t completely understand his words.
Well, it was the sentimentality that counted.
He clapped his palms together, and the sound echoed loudly, causing the kids to quiver slightly.
"Now! First thing tomorrow morning, we’re heading out. We’ll find somewhere I can cook, where we can wash up, change and then we’ll begin our journey."
"Ohh!" Mikky cheered, raising an arm dramatically. Did the kid learn these things from Lector?
"..."
Amira remained silent.
"Now, before we sleep, Mikky, I’ll tell our dear Amira here a little story about you and me."
Mikky’s hands immediately dropped, his expression turning sour.
"...Luci?" he called in a low voice.
"Yes?"
"Is it the orphanage story?"
"Yup. It’s definitely the orphanage story."
"No!!!!!"
Mikky jumped up immediately, chasing Lucien around the room, trying to get him not to tell that story.
Lucien just laughed all the way, and Amira giggled as she watched their little shenanigans.
And like that, filled with a scent of merriment and newfound happiness, the night slowly faded away.