-do your part, and that's it!-

-3 years earlier-

"It was a beautiful melody that you played before."

My mother whispered to me during dinner time.

"Thank you, mother"

I answered her with a smile. She hadn't spent much time outside these days due to her sickness. So, I bet she listened to me while I practiced piano at noon.

"What are you guys speaking of?"

The big, tough, low voice came from the head of the table. My father spoke up and wanted to join our little conversation. 

"I listened to Zephyra playing piano today. It was wonderful."

My mother answered with a beautiful smile.

"What a shame I was not here."

He said.

"Well darling, you must work, but you have often listened to Elena... Zephyra, do you still have a piano lesson from Mr. Kiote?"

The head lady joined in as well.

"Yes, ma'am."

I answered with a respectful voice.

"So, I think it's quite the same melody as Elena learned 4 years ago."

The head lady spoke arrogantly and put a fork on the beef on her plate.

The conversation made the other siblings look at me. Elena smiled a little in the corner of her mouth like her mother, used her elbow to touch Medora, and chuckled a bit. Her two brothers just glanced at me and continued eating their dinner. Serena, as always, ignored everything and only focused on herself, but her brother Achlys looked at me with concern or pity or whatever it was, which I ignored as the father did.

"I would like to be an audience."

Achlys broke the silence, and I looked at him after he said it.

"I would like to listen again, even if it was played before."

My mother supported Achlys with a bit of sarcasm. The head lady looked at my mother unpleasantly.

"How about after we finish our dinner?"

My father concluded the answer.

"Yes, sir."

I answered.

The awkward situation was normal to all of us as individuals. After dinner, we all discussed what had happened to their lives during the day, like schools, activities, jobs, and so on. Except my mother and I were having a silent dinner. We had the best food experience, as always, because we had time to taste and be grateful for every piece we put into our mouths.

Then, It was time to be a tiny performer for the family. I sat at the black grand piano in the living room that could contain a hundred of the grand pianos. I wasn't nervous. I've never been nervous in front of these people, only for my mother. I looked at her face, and she was smiling. Seeing her red eyes and distinguishing them made me feel a little joy. I had her eyes, but only half up and half down, which were light grey, almost white like my father's. Then I started to play the longing melody mixed with a little bit of joy that I had heard before from our old village in the mountains. 

I finished two minutes of the music I had played for them. My mother stood up and tried to balance her body due to her unwell body. She clapped for me with a happy smile on her face. Then I stood up for the audience and only looked at my mother. I smiled at her fully. Then I glanced at Achlys because his intent eyes glared at me as he stood up. Then Serena stood up next and clapped for me like three times.

"That was amazing. I've never heard your daughter played like this, Veronica."

Serena spoke her mind ignorantly. Serena and Achlys never called her a mother or even the head lady. 

"Pst."

The head lady pushed her long, blonde golden hair to her back and glared at my mother.

After that, Serena walked to her room with the other siblings. The head lady got up and put her arm around my father's arm to lift him.

"It's time to sleep, honey."

She said to him while he was walking away. He turned his face to me and my mother.

I walked to my mother before she was going to step her foot.

"How was it?"

I asked excitedly.

"You remembered the melody of our old town."

"Yes, mother."

"But you were like 4 or 5 years old back then."

"Well, they played too much, so it stuck in my head."

I answered her, and we had a little laugh together.

Then, the tall guy with black hair and light grey eyes walked toward us.

"I'm glad.."

"..?"

My mother tilted her head with confusion. As usual, I looked at him and waited for his words, but he was not good at speaking. Well, only when he was with me. He was pretty fluent in his words regarding work discussions, scolding someone, or giving lessons when I did something wrong or unpleasant in his eyes. But other than that, he was speechless, especially when we were together, the three of us, me, my mother, and him. But I got used to it, and I had some kind of patience for him. It seemed to me he had a lot of words in his chest that couldn't come out, only necessary.

"I'm glad that I asked you to play. You play beautifully."

Achlys finally opened his mouth.

"Thank you, Achlys."

I said back to him.

"It was beautiful, wasn't it? You should wait for the new one she is writing about. it's..."

My mother said.

"I don't think.. there's a chance for that."

I interrupted.

"Why?"

He asked that instant.

"Yeah, why, sweetheart?"

My mother supported him.

"..."

If I answered honestly, because of the head lady, she would never let me play again after this performance. And there wasn't any time that he was free from school and work. And why did I have to perform for him anyway? The song I had been trying to write to play was for my mother.

"He's busy,"

I answered.

"I have free time after dinner."

"..."

"And the audience is me, and Lady Catalina are enough, right?"

His explanation cleared the thoughts that I was secretly thinking. He knew that the head lady wouldn't be pleased if I played, and the other siblings probably weren't as well.

"If we have a chance."

I answered vaguely because I wouldn't say I liked the promise that I couldn't do it.

"Hehehe."

My mother laughed lightly, and her pale skin started to show a little colour.

"I send you to bed, Mother, so goodnight, Mr. Achlys."

"Goodnight, Achlys."

My mother said to him,

"Goodnight and sleep well, Lady Catalina."

He said goodbye for a night and watched us walk upstairs.

I sent her to bed, and she kissed me on the forehead before going to my room. After I washed myself, I jumped into the bed, which was full of books. Then I pulled up the book that I had been hanging last night. 

The thing was, this mansion was full of shit. I had been hanging out and trying to play my part right because of my mother. My father, the most powerful of them all, lost to a golden-haired lady who was arrogant and pushed herself on the pedestal. It wasn't wrong with that, but the statue would be truly beautiful and truly respectful if it wasn't forced to be. I saw them differently after I noticed almost everything they had done to my mother. The maids who the head lady ordered to take care of my mother were not intently or heartily watching over her. And the personal or the head butler who had been taking care of her since we came here was doing his full potential to help but not his best because of the head lady of the house. How could a person potentially do their duties when they were always afraid of the outcomes? The workers who worked under the Stygian's name knew their lives could end anytime. The harsh honesty, but it was customary to them or us since I was one of them, was the Stygian's business. 

They hold their business high and must do anything to keep it going, not just that, but to keep it powerful. The society of this land is full of dark business, for example, casinos, gambling, clubs, weapons transfer, drugs, and tons of illegal stuff. But how it was so highly looked up to by many people because of the access. Only a few people or populations are on this land. They must be powerful and wealthy enough to step inside this society. And not do wrong in the eyes of the outside law or ordinary rules outside the city. We have our policies, regulations, and rules, which no one can break. The rule breakers, intentionally or not, will end their lives according to the condition written on the rightful paper by the Authorities. The official name of this land is Sovereign Land/City, and local citizens call the city because it's easier and the main town for all business and chaos.

Therefore, many powerful people and families try to be on top, intruding on each other's business or property by killing and shredding some blood, which is normal. Unfortunately, but gladfully, I was in that situation just once when I was ten years old. Some intruders broke into the mansion and tried to kill my father, but he wasn't there. My mother was in her room, and I studied in the hall with my first teacher. She was killed by one of them in front of my eyes. Achlys and his bodyguard came to save me from the killer. The night was terrible. My mother and I were saved. After that accident, I tended to study by myself in my room if the same circumstances happened again, so I only heard the gun shooting and lived my life like nothing happened. 5 years later, I had been learning to fight harder and harder. Nobody knew about this; only my mentors and others wanted to know.

For all those reasons, I had tried my ass off to be more knowledgeable than I could possibly be in every aspect. I needed to protect my mother. I needed to defend myself because I knew no one could save us, not even my father, who invited my mother to live under his roof. Being invisible to all those eyes and focusing on my goal was the best and only option. My goal was to leave this shit hole with my mother.

And suddenly, the storm was more aggressive for me and hit my entire body. The doctor who had been checking up on her had told my father that she was truly sick; she had an illness that was difficult to cure. 

At the dining table, the seat next to me was empty; my old, silent, perfect time wasn't there because my mother was resting on her bed alone with her butler, who couldn't do anything but watch and breathe.

"Excuse me."

I interrupted their conversation.

"That was rude."

The head lady spoke up.

"Where are you going? You haven't finished your dish."

My father said to me,

"I'm not hungry. I'm going to see my mother."

I answered him and got up.

"Sit. I have something to speak to you."

My father ordered me, and they stopped their actions and looked at me. I obeyed his command and looked at him without a blink. I've never been scared of him, only pity him. The way people in this family and all the workers obeyed him obediently because of fears. I couldn't do the same or act in that way—the head down, the shaking voice, the fearful behaviour. I only tried to do my part by listening and doing what he said when he asked for it.

"Your mother, we must move her to the Flower House in the spring area."

My father spoke up.

What the?

"What do you mean by we?"

I asked.

"!!!"

My question startled them all, but I could see the head lady trying not to shout at me so badly.

"Doctor suggested, of course."

The head lady answered for him.

"Because of her sickness or because of what?"

I asked with a bit of a shaking voice, but I tried my best to keep calm. 

"Her sickness can not be spread in this mansion, and it's better for us and also your mother to recover and rest fully in the good condition environment."

The head lady explained, raising her eyebrows a bit because of my tone of voice.

But I didn't look at her for the answer. I turned my eyes to my father at the head of the table. The silent dinner was for everyone; they were all looking at me and watching my reactions.

"I'll go with her."

I answered.

The head lady was quite pleased by my answer.

"No, you won't."

The head of the house finally spoke his words.

"Then who is going to take care of her?"

I asked.

"Doctor and the butler."

"It's better if I am the one who takes care of her."

I tried to explain.

"Hm, darling?"

The head of the lady called her husband lightly.

"She needs to recover, and you are just a kid. How? What knowledge do you have that could help her?"

He asked with an upset face in his voice.

That… I stared at him hard. I knew I didn't have a specific field for this, but how could he be so cruel?

"Was I the only one who tried my best here?"

I started to lose my shit.

"Manner!!"

The head lady raised her voice.

And everyone was more silent than ever. Serena rested her back on the back of the chair. Achlys joined his hands together, watching, and four of them just sat straight like stones.

"Zephyra..."

And the low, beautiful voice of my mother called me from behind. The butler was holding her while she was walking. Her face was ashen from yesterday.

"Mother, you should rest."

I got up immediately and rushed to hold her arms.

"You should listen to your father, Zephyra."

She said with her low energy.

"I'll go to the Flower House, and she will stay here as you said."

My mother looked at my father.

"What is the purpose of staying here anyway, Mother?"

I asked openly. How could I live without my mother and worry about her every single day?

"!!!"

My father got up aggressively and walked toward me.

Now, everyone sat straight and looked at us, including Serena.

"You are my daughter. Your purpose is to finish school and let your mother recover."

"I homeschooled, and I can study anywhere."

I answered and looked straight at his eyes.

"Be quiet!"

He shouted.

"!!" 

My mother was startled and pulled back my clothes so I could back down from the big man in front of me.

"Then you go to real school."

He found the way.

"What?"

The head lady and her kids were mumbling.

"You listen to me...your mother is sick...she needs to recover, and your job is to be silent. You will live here and go to school, and you can not visit her until she's fine. Do your part, and that's it!"

"What!?" 

I raised my voice.

I clenched my fists hard, and then my mum touched my wrist.

"Why can't I visit her!?"

Now, I raised my voice even louder.

"Slap!"

And then his big palm hit me on the right side of my face.

"!!!"

"Zephyra!!"

My mother shouted my name with her full lungs and held my face up to see.

"Father."

Achlys got up and called him with his upsetting face.

"..."

She looked at me with her eyes full of tears. I looked at her while I was hurt, hurt that I knew my near future life would be like. I had to live without her by my side and had to live here in this fucking mansion. And I knew the answer by looking at her eyes.

"Yes, mother"

I surrendered.

"Then excuse me. I would like to send my mother to her bed."

I turned to the head of the family and looked at him with eyes full of nothingness. He would not see any tears from my eyes, at least not because of his doings.

"..."

He did not answer, and everybody was still shocked. I decided to turn my back at him and hold my mother back to her room with the butler.

After I put her in her bed and tucked her in, I looked at her tiny body through the blanket. Then, her tiny left hand grabbed my hand and held it softly.

"Zephyra…my sweetheart, are you hurt?"

She asked.

"No, mother."

I said back.

"Everything will be alright. It's a good thing that I can have some fresh air and a new perspective..."

"Yes, mother."

"I'll be okay, I'll get better."

"I know you will because you're not under the cruel mansion here."

"Zephyra, you'll be okay as well. You go to school. You study whatever they teach. You are a clever girl. You'll learn fast, and soon enough, you'll graduate, and then you can finally live your life."

".. I'll study… study whatever that can help you, Mother."

"..hehe."

She laughed softly.

"I'll learn biology. I'll learn about herbs and all the sciences, everything, and try to discover the cure for you, so… please, you have to wait for me."

"You can do it. You are my intelligent daughter."

She tried to raise her hand to touch my face.

"You said that because I am the only daughter you have."

I said it back and bent my body for her so she could touch my cheek.

"Of course, you are my only one."

She said with a smile. 

"Good night mother, I love you."

"I love you."

I was heading to my room when I saw the body standing in front of my doors. He noticed me and walked toward me before I grabbed my doorknob.

But this time, I didn't have the energy to wait for his mouth to open. I twisted my doorknob, and before I pushed the heavy, big door inside, he grabbed my wrist and offered something in his palm to me.

"..."

I looked down to see it was an ointment.

"The ointment."

Achlys spoke softly with his low voice.

"Thanks, but I don't need it."

I tried to push the door again.

"Your cheek needs it...just put it on before you sleep. It doesn't take that much time."

"*Sigh."

I sighed softly, but he heard it. I took the ointment from his hand and was free from his tough arm.