Reason To Live

"You made the right decision."

Lalin clenched her hands into a fist inside the side pockets of her jacket.

"I'll know if it's the right decision when the time comes."

Briare chuckled dryly. "You're too cynical for your age. Hopefully, you get to enjoy your youth as you stay with us."

Lalin halted her steps and glared at Briare who was walking on her right.

"I'm going to stay with you?"

Briare met her doubtful look and smiled.

"I'm sad that you didn't seem to like the idea of that. But don't worry," he said, stopping her from speaking what was on her mind.

"When I said you're going to stay with us, I mean it as someone would stay with you and act as your guardian while being trained—"

"Trained?" She cocked her brows at him. "I did not come here to join the military or whatever. I came here to find out who killed my aunt and why?"

Briare looked at Iris with a blank expression and in a somber tone asked. "And how are you going to do something about your aunt's killer if you don't know what to do and how to protect yourself? In the place where I'm going to take you, you are going to learn how to protect yourself in the future, so that when I come for you, you can kill me if you want to."

Lalin was taken aback by what Briare had said. But the talk of killing did not faze her. She was more curious about the fact that Briare was thinking of her killing him.

"Why would I kill you?" She asked as she could not contain her curiosity. "I mean, I don't like you but I don't think my dislike does not equate to wanting to see you dead."

Briare chuckled. "Well, you don't know what will happen in the future. Your enemy now could be your friend in the future and vice versa."

"You're an odd one, you know that?" She said, shrugging his words off. She did not care about friends or enemies. She could not afford to have both, not now when she found out from her aunt's letter that someone was after her and had caught up.

But Briare was right. She needed to learn to protect herself and most especially, she needed the money. Her and her aunt's money. She needed them for her to continue living the life that she has. She was thinking that she wasn't going to change schools until she finished high school.

The reason for that was, in her current school, she had already built an image and a background. She knew all the teachers and the rules of the school and the students.

She knew who to avoid and who she had to kiss ass. She would not like to be in another school where she had to be interviewed and had to take time to get to know all the students and teachers.

In her current school, she could just continue blending in and not trying to be the center of any unwanted attention. Besides, she had her friends there.

In whatever place Briare was going to take her, she had no plan to make friends or enemies there. She was just going for the money and to satiate her curiosity.

"It is why we need good friends that could watch our back. Someone we could trust. "

"Trust is something that I don't do," she retorted with a sneer.

"Believe me, Lalin. In the world where I'm going to take you, it is important to have friends, to have family that you can trust in times of need."

Lalin did not reply. She just exhaled a deep breath, throwing her gaze outside the car's window.

They had been traveling for about forty minutes and she was tired from being vigilant. If Briare and his driver would do something to her, now is the best time.

She no longer cares. For at that moment, with all the thought of killing, Lalin realized that she did not have a reason for living, except for taking revenge for the death of her aunt. The only family member she had after her mother left this world because of cancer.

"Lalin, there is more to life. You'll find other reasons to stay in this world as you continue living it. "

Lalin's head snapped in Briare's direction.

"You can read minds as well?" She asked, mockingly.

"No, Lalin," he stares at her with an unreadable expression on his face. "I don't have to read your mind. Your face says it all. You have the look of someone who has no will to live."

Lalin clenched her hands and returned her gaze outside the speeding car. She chewed on her lower lip to stop the tears from spilling from the corner of her eyes that heated up with what Briare said.

It was true. She wasn't so motivated to live. It was one of the reasons why she agreed to come with Briare. She just gave herself the reason that it was for the money.

However, this morning, after barely getting a good sleep, she woke up feeling alone and empty. Hence, she called Briare and told him that she was ready to meet him and she agreed to what he said last night.

"Don't talk to me as if you know what I'm going through. You don't know me. You don't know anything about my family," she said in between clenched teeth, anger boiling in her chest.

Briare exhaled a soft breath and leaned back on the backrest. He watched Lalin from the corner of his eyes.

He waited for her to somehow get through the turmoil of emotions in her chest before he said.

"I know you, Lalin. More than you thought I know about you. Your mother knew me and she had asked me to watch over you before she died.

But your aunt was a stubborn woman. She insisted that you don't need to know about us. That she could take care of you on her own. That your mother's decision to let us know about your existence was a mistake caused by all the medicine she had to take due to her illness.

We know about you, Lalin. We wanted to step forward and take care of you but we respect your aunt's choice.

With what happened to her, I feel a bit guilty. But believe me, Lalin. I know you.