Chapter IX

The chandelier slowly dims over the next few hours till bringing night. Hannah still in bed and Rahat retiring for the night, Sao, Yuda, Naaji, Akuma, and Rose sit around with each other in the main room. The dimming of the light dims their moods – the mural masked in dark – no sense of freedom remains asides from their voices flowing from their mouths, but no one wants to talk. Now prisoners they think to themselves what went wrong. The original four had planned to make a change across the world, good change, change that would flip frowns and bloom flowers from barren ash. Instead, two kids damned as weapons forced to watch a town slaughtered in front of them by regular people who wanted change, good change, change that would flip frowns and bloom flowers from barren sand, all to be kidnapped, dismembered, and exposed as weak, too weak to save someone, let alone themselves. And, now, a returning relative desperate to tear them apart will by will and hope by hope. Their dream becomes more like a dream with each thought. It's not real.

Two, abandoned and outcasted, forced to hang onto dream after dream, born with no power to dream for themselves. Their hope, their idol, burning down their homes with a mother's smile. They are imprisoned too, but even past the mural they are imprisoned in a land overstretching so that the eyes tire and shut.

Worst of, perhaps, a princess. A princess lesser than any peasant from her kingdom. A father cursing her life at his burnt final breath, a mother who had fled before caring about the product of their labour, her life has forced her into being constantly pitied by the world. The phrase "I'm sorry" has lost meaning. Sorry for what, teasing her with the possibility of a better path she had missed. Would her father still be alive? Would her mother still be alive? Would she be respected and admired?

'I'm going to retire for the night,' Rose bows before swiftly leaving to bed.

Naaji asks about the sleeping arrangements, which Sao explains that Hannah, Rahat, and Rose have already taken rooms and that he can either take the fourth, or sleep with a blanket on the floor in Rahat's room. After consideration, Naaji takes a blanket and leaves.

Sao, Yuda, and Akuma sit silently with each other.

Looking at his two father-figures, his two guardians, Akuma opens his mouth to speak, but decides otherwise. His attempt to speak goes unnoticed.

Yawning, Yuda's arms stretch out before slumping beside his legs.

'You can take the last room, Yuda, if you're tired,' Akuma offers.

'Don't be stupid, I can't let you sleep in here, it's freezing.'

'No, it's fine. I'll take a blanket and sleep on the floor in Hannah's room.'

'You're still at risk. We still need to fix your arm.'

'It's fine.'

'What if someone comes in at night?'

'We're prisoners.'

'Yeah, but they seem to have caught wind of your talent. I'm sure they're waiting for a chance to take both you and Hannah. What would we do then? If you and Hannah went missing… if I let either one of you get taken again… I couldn't live with myself if that happened.'

'Yuda, it's fine,' Sao interjects. 'You're tired and not thinking calmly. I think you need the rest.'

Yuda tries protesting the idea but he gives and retires to sleep, leaving Sao and Akuma alone.

After a moment of silence, Akuma asks, 'Do you think I'll ever meet my parents?'

'Where has this come from?'

'Well, they asked about my parents earlier, and I know you were lying, it's just that, you looked so hesitant.'

'I was just gathering my thoughts.'

'Is that why asked me to get Hannah some water?'

'No, I was just concerned that she had gone to bed so soon. I know she sleeps a lot, but she's been quiet ever since we arrived.'

'She looked off in that room with all the businesspeople. Did something happen to her before?'

'What do you mean she looked off?'

'She froze and was holding the bottom of your sleeve.'

'Was she?' disappointment shrouds over Sao.

'Yeah, that's why I'm wondering whether something happened to her before, with businesspeople.'

'I'm not sure.'

'How did you meet Hannah? I've never thought about it before, but she was there when I first met you. How long have you known her?'

'I met her not long before I met you.'

'Was she like me?'

'In what way?'

'Well you took me with you because I was alone.'

'I didn't,' Sao chuckles. 'Taking you was all Hannah's choice, I just decided to keep you along.'

'Oh, I thought you told her to do that.'

'No, not at all. It was all her.'

'Was she like me then? Alone?'

'Yeah, I guess she was.'

'Really? Are you looking for her family as well?'

'She has never asked.'

'Why not? Doesn't she want to see them again?'

'You'll have to ask her that.'

'I'd die to see my parents.'

'Don't say things like that.'

'I mean it, I'd die. D-I-E, die!'

'Akuma!' Sao's tone raises, but remembering that everyone had gone to sleep, his tone settles. 'Don't ever say that.'

'Why? I'm telling the truth.'

'That should never be the truth. Don't talk about death until you understand it.'

'Understand it? I don't know if you remember, but I was with you when all those people died, Rose's father, Fajr, all of Rahat and Naaji's friends. My entire village died right behind me. Even if they didn't want me in their hearts, they still gave me a home!'

'If you understood it then you wouldn't have said what you said!'

'It's because I understand that I said what I said!'

'Enough! I'm not listening to another word.'

'You still haven't answered me!'

'About what?'

'How did you meet Hannah?'

'I don't remember.'

'You're lying!'

'What's going on?' Hannah asks, walking into the main room in a white dressing gown matching her hair.

'Oh, nothing,' Sao answers, looking at himself judgingly.

'How did you meet Sao?' Akuma asks with meteor eyes.

'What? That's a bit sudden.'

'I need to know!'

'Why? Why now suddenly?'

'You've been acting weird ever since you saw those businesspeople. What happened to you?'

'Nothing happened. I met Sao randomly one day and he took me in when I had nowhere else to stay.'

'You're lying! Both of you!' Akuma stands in frustration, sending Hannah back a few paces. 'Why are you hiding it from me? Do you think I'm not mature enough yet? I've seen people die, I've never seen my parents, they could be dead. I risked my life to save you. Hannah, please, tell me what happened?'

They stare at each other in silence, Akuma's heaving breaths breaking begging for an answer.

Hannah sighs and responds, 'Nothing happened. And that's it,' before returning to her bed.

'I'll check on her,' says Sao, going to check on Hannah, leaving Akuma alone in the dark.

Checking through the door, Hannah appears asleep, her head turned away, so Sao returns to Akuma, who has fallen asleep on the sofa. Sao grabs the last blanket and gently floats it over Akuma, as it drifts down onto his chest, embracing him for the night.