Chapter 3: Bad News

Chapter 3: Bad News

Kaivan sat on the rickety chair in the middle of the simple house that had become his hiding place this time. The wooden walls of the house appeared decayed but sturdy enough to conceal Frankenstein, the creation that had changed his life's course.

Kaivan's body still felt heavy, the scars from the explosion in the 'Frankenstein tragedy' had not fully healed. His gaze was vacant, following the rhythm of the hissing gas rising from the muddy earth, as if the Earth itself was groaning. It reminded him of the dark decision he had made.

This village used to be a place full of life. People worked in the fields, children played in the yard, and laughter was often heard from the villagers. They would fill their nights with the young people.

However, human greed for natural resources had destroyed everything. Hot mud and toxic gas flowed uncontrollably, forcing the villagers to leave, and leaving the village as a dangerous, silent graveyard.

Footsteps were heard approaching from outside. The door creaked open, revealing Kaivan's aide standing there, bringing in cold air. He stepped in and approached Kaivan with a serious expression and cautious steps.

"Do you feel better, sir?" he asked, his voice soft.

Kaivan didn't respond immediately. His eyes remained vacant, staring at the floor, but his body tensed as the aide continued.

"Andin... she's very worried about you, sir. Are you sure you don't want to contact her?"

That question pierced Kaivan. He slowly turned, his gaze sharp.

"Are you planning to endanger Andin... and kill me?" he asked firmly, but his voice gradually softened, revealing deep mistrust.

The aide fell silent, looking down without a word. Kaivan's eyes were filled with fear that slowly transformed into suppressed anger. The atmosphere between them became tense.

A single tear fell from Kaivan's eye without him realizing, soaking the scar on his cheek. "So this is what pain feels like," he muttered softly, barely audible. The pain was not from the wounds he had suffered, but from the longing that always lingered.

Thoughts of Andin slowly crept into his mind.

Kaivan realized that his decision to hide Frankenstein and disappear with the victims of that tragedy had made him seem to disappear along with them.

He couldn't let Andin get involved in this, even if it meant sacrificing their relationship.

The aide spoke again, trying to shift the conversation. "Lila Navarro is continuing her investigation well. You don't need to worry. She's very cautious with every step."

Kaivan took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "Is she alone?" he asked.

"No, sir," the aide replied. "She's found a trustworthy companion. That person isn't one of 'them'. Maybe an old loyal acquaintance."

Hearing this, Kaivan felt slightly relieved. Though still fragile, hope began to grow within him. He wanted to recover quickly, leave his hiding place, and help Lila.

But the calm didn't last long. The door suddenly opened loudly, and another aide rushed in, his face tense.

"Sir... Lila Navarro... has passed away," he said, his voice trembling.

Kaivan's mind seemed to race; moments ago, he had felt calm, but suddenly. The words echoed in his head, tearing apart the hope that had just begun to grow.

Kaivan froze, staring at his aide with a face full of disbelief. "Say it again," he urged, his voice shaking, a mix of anger and fear.

The two aides exchanged glances, hesitant, but eventually, the one delivering the bad news repeated in a stutter, "Lila Navarro... has passed away."

Kaivan gripped the armrest of the chair, trying to stand even though his body resisted. Every muscle screamed in pain, but the guilt hurt even more. He almost fell several times, but with burning determination, he dragged himself toward the aide who delivered the news. With a flushed face, he yelled, "What did you do?! Didn't I order you to protect Lila?! Can't you be trusted?!"

The aide just looked down, unable to reply. No words were enough to calm Kaivan's rage. They knew that any excuse or explanation would only worsen the situation.

Kaivan lost control even further. His breath became frantic, his eyes wild. The sudden loss mixed with guilt destroyed him from within. He swung his arm across the table near him, knocking everything off it.

However, before Kaivan completely lost control, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed from the dark corner of the room. From the shadows, Frankenstein emerged, his steps firm and confident. Quickly, he approached Kaivan and caught him in a tight embrace.

"Kaivan," Frankenstein's voice was flat, yet firm. "You've just undergone a complicated operation. Your wounds could reopen if you move like this." Frankenstein reminded him. But that wasn't enough to calm Kaivan's anger. Frankenstein continued. "Calm down. Death in humans is not something strange. It happens often."

Kaivan fell silent, not because Frankenstein's embrace gave him comfort, but because those words pierced his feelings. The embrace felt stiff, cold, like a machine that didn't understand warmth. He looked at Frankenstein, unable to believe his words.

"Frankenstein..." Kaivan whispered, his breath still ragged. "You don't understand. You'll never understand what death means to humans. This isn't just something that 'happens often.'"

Kaivan closed his eyes for a moment, trying to regain control of himself. In his heart, he realized that Frankenstein was just a creation, an artificial man. For him, death might just be a fact, not an immeasurable emotional wound.

Frankenstein stared at Kaivan in silence. "I... don't know how to feel loss," Frankenstein's voice was hesitant, softer. "But I know... you are hurting. Don't destroy yourself."

Kaivan took a deep breath, slowly releasing Frankenstein's grip. His breath was still shallow, but gradually, his mind began to piece together the shards of anger and grief that were churning inside him.

"I should have acted faster," he whispered. "I gave her too much information that she shouldn't have kept on her own." But it was all too late.

His eyes turned back to the two aides, still frozen in place. "Tell me exactly what happened to Lila. Don't leave out any details. Understood?"

The two aides nodded quickly, ready to carry out Kaivan's orders, which this time sounded calmer but far more intimidating.

---

"Andin Navarro, I bring bad news. Your mother, Lila Navarro, has passed away."

Andin stared at the man, furrowing his brows and not blinking. Unconsciously, Andin took a step back. His body trembled, as if hoping what he had just heard wasn't really what it sounded like.

"No... it can't be." His voice was soft, barely audible. The man responded with a slow nod, as if answering all the doubts and denials Andin had shown.

Andin shook his head, trying to brush off the words he had just heard. He forced a smile occasionally, thinking that this must just be a bad joke. But the man's gaze didn't change, serious and burdened.

For a moment, Andin's mind stopped functioning. He was still trying to process, deny it, and a second later, Andin snapped out of his shock, realizing that the man was not some hallucination appearing in the morning. The voice was real. The words were real. Lila, his mother, was gone forever.

For a moment he stood still, Lila's voice seemed to echo, not just a faint whisper, but the warm laughter from every night, the gentle touch on his hair as he slept at his desk, or the smiles they shared at every opportunity.

"Andin, the world may be cruel, but you must be stronger…" Now, that voice sounded so distant, like a memory from a place beyond reach.

"Everything will be fine…"

"Just focus on your studies, let me handle everything…"

"I'll stay here, you must work hard so one day..."

"You've grown, haven't you? Time flies so fast…"

Andin snapped back, startled. The reality slowly hit him. So quickly, not giving him a second chance.

He looked around, searching for something—anything—that could offer him protection. A corner to hide from the suddenly cruel reality. But in the midst of the busy morning, there was nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide.

His body suddenly weakened, his vision blurred. Andin kept spinning around, as if still holding onto hope, looking for refuge from a life that always tested his limits. But in the end, this time, for the first time, there was no refuge, no place to hide, he collapsed helplessly.

The tears he had kept locked away for the silent nights could no longer be controlled. His sobs broke out loudly, so hard that people around him started looking with curiosity and pity.

Andin cried, as if possessed, not only for the loss of his mother but for all the pain, loneliness, and fear he had kept inside.

Andin screamed loudly, not in words but in a cry searching for answers. A scream that conveyed his feelings, a scream full of anger, regret, and sadness.

In that moment, all of his feelings erupted, all the emotions he had kept to himself rebelling to be shown. He seemed to rage, not at the man who brought the bad news, but at the world that never gave him a break. A world that forced him to stay strong, a world that demanded him to pretend, a world that took everything he had.

At the peak of his sadness, as he was about to lose his breath, almost driving him mad, Andin's lips trembled, forming one name that felt foreign yet so necessary. "Kaivan…" Andin called him in a hoarse, strained voice, as if the figure was truly there by his side, giving him strength. He could imagine Kaivan's warm hand on his shoulder, the calm voice that comforted him amid the storm.

But it was just an illusion. Even Kaivan, the only one who ever made him feel not alone, had disappeared, no one knew where. No news, no signs. There was no place left to turn. No one to rely on.

But still, even as his cries broke out, even as he seemed to thrash, not a single sound answered the big question in his heart: Why did this happen? Why did his mother have to leave?

Andin fell silent, sobbing amid the passing footsteps. The world kept moving, while he remained trapped, alone in emptiness.

---