YOU'RE ALIVE

Arianna ran forward when she saw Yago floating over a foggy river. He was half naked, and wounds covered his body. He wasn't moving and his eyes were tightly close. The view broke her heart making her legs lose their strength. She slumped to the ground and begun sobbing.

"Yago... You lied to me. You said you'll come back to me..." she said as she heartbreakingly cried out loud. It was then that she heard a soft whisper, as if blown with the wind.

"I will keep my promise! I'll find a way to be with you! Wait for me, Rian!"

Arianna turned to look again at the man, but he was already slowly being immersed in cold water. She called his name again and again until he was completely submerged in the river but she never heard his voice again.

"Rian... Rian..."

Beside her, Carl was shaking Riana's shoulder. "We're about to land."

Arianna was still sleepy but she forced herself to wake up. So.... it was all a dream. She was unable to sleep well last night and so she slept soundly on the plane. She wasn't still clear on where they're heading to but she knew her father was trying to distract her.

When Arianna's plane landed, she thought her father would take her to a hotel. Surprisingly, they travelled a few hours more from the city to the suburbs and only stopped when their car entered a villa.

"I'll take you to your room first. I'll take you to your mother after you've rested enough." Carl said as they were walking along the hallway.

Arianna was confused but she didn't ask anything. Did his father move her mother's ashes here? It wasn't far fetched though, as her mother was born in this country. A few of her mother's relatives live here.

Carl took Arianna to a room and had someone unpack her clothes and arrange everything in the closet. The room was huge and stylish but she can't appreciate anything at the moment. Her heart was empty and she felt lonely. She took out her phone and sent Tiger a message.

"Find out where Yago is."

"Honey..."

Dianna turned her head when she heard the endearment. It was the first time Carl addressed her that way.

"You're back so soon!" she commented smiling.

Carl walked towards the bed Dianna was at and lied down beside her. He then hugged her tightly as he closed his eyes.

"I missed you so much." he mumbled.

"Tired?" she asked.

Carl only made a small sound as confirmation. He's indeed tired physically and mentally.

Dianna watched as Carl cuddled up next to her. She wondered why Carl was suddenly being very nice to her right now. He used to be very cold. Even their marriage was done only for Arianna's sake, as they both wanted to give their daughter a complete family. Although she was already used to this husband's aloofness, she still felt blissful having him by her side.

Dianna stretched her arm and caressed Carl's hair. He was the love of her youth. She didn't know why she was unable to forget this man even after those years.

As Dianna was playing with his hair, Carl suddenly opened his eyes and then stared at her.

"Dianna... can we start all over again?" Carl whispered and then kissed her forehead. He didn't wait for her reply as he closed his eyes again.

It could have started as guilt, but now he can feel a strong desire to please his wife and make her happy. She had suffered a lot because of him. She raised their child alone for him, and almost died because of him. She was such a great woman. Abandoning her was the most idiotic thing he did in his life. He had chosen to marry a monster while detesting an amazing woman. Whenever he thinks about it, he feels like beating himself up...

"If I could go back to the past and pass a message to my younger self, I'll tell him to stay with you forever or else he better just kill himself." he whispered...

Dianna just smiled in amusement.

She didn't know Carl could be this childish, too.

***

Inside Arianna's room, the girl was unable to rest properly. She's been thinking about things and her heart continued feeling troubled. She wanted to see Yago so much. Remembering Yago's appearance in her dream, she really wished she could be with him again.

Suddenly her mobile phone rang. It was Tiger. She cancelled the call as she didn't want to talk to anyone. She just pressed an icon and composed a message.

Arianna: Did you find anything.

Tiger: ....

Tiger didn't send a reply, instead, he forwarded an image. It was a photo of a tombstone. In it, the name

Santiago dela Vega was engraved.

Arianna's heart felt bitter. But she continued sending another message.

Arianna: Where did you find this?

Tiger: Sir Vier's assistant sent it to us. We are unable to contact Mr. Vier as he just finished undergoing a surgery.

That was it. It's confirmed now. Yago's gone. He died to save his brother. He loved that brother very much, but she would never forgive him!

Arianna tightened her grip on her phone as she stared at the photo. All of a sudden, the door was pushed open. A woman sitting on a wheel chair entered the room with her father. She stared at the woman as she furrowed her brows.

"Arianna, we were knocking but you weren't answering. How are you?" she heard her father asked as he push the wheel chair from behind.

"Who are you?" she asked while staring at the person with her father.

The woman in front of her has beautiful features, but what has startled her was her close resemblance with her mother.

"Yanyan... Do you not recognize me anymore?"

When Arianna heard her voice, she instantly recognized her. She covered her mouth in shock as he walked closer to the woman. She stood there in shock for some moment before she kneel down in front of her.

"Mom.... Is it really you? You're alive?" she exclaimed and then cried on her lap. "Mommy, I missed you so much!"

Seeing her cry, Dianna begun patting her head. "Don't cry..." she said. And then she looked around the room as if searching for someone, "Yanyan, Where's your brother? Didn't Yago come with you?"

When Arianna heard that, her body stiffened. Dianna hit a sore spot. It made Arianna cry out louder.