The Promise

Weeks later, as Valerya confidently strode into the Volyrt prison, she almost smiled. She could taste victory on her lips. Breaking into the Volyrt prison was an empire law so great, it was barely registered as a written law. Because no one dared. It was worse than suicide.

If she had ever dreamt she would break an empire law in her life, she would have woken up from the nightmare. And here she was, living the nightmare. She had broken so many laws and betrayed the empire so many times in the last few months that if anyone had wind of half the things she had done, she would be killed on the spot.

She kept going deeper in the crypt, easily passing through because of her fake volyrt uniform, and the bracelet she had previously stolen from the soldier, which served as a pass. In the crypts, the number of the inmate within a particular cell was written at the very top. As she searched for the cell Lilliban was kept, she recounted when Lilliban became the most important person in her life.

It was about twelve years before when they were a normal family. Her, Lilliban, mom and dad. Their parents were eccentric at best, but they loved them regardless. The last memory she had of her parents was the most potent one. It started out as a normal day, but she and Lilliban were woken up by their father, who summoned them downstairs.

He had sat them down, and talked to them, words Valerya didn't really understand, but which made sense after Davys told her about the previous president's projects with the vireots. Her mother was silent throughout the meeting. She was always silent, always choosing the comforts of her pen or crayon over human company.

He told his children that he and their mother had something important they were to do that day, after which, they would all be free.

"Free, Daddy? What do you mean?" Lilliban had asked.

"It means I and your mother would take you both and we'll go very far away from here, princess," their father had replied.

"I don't want to go. I'll miss my friends," Lilliban whined as she began to cry.

"Shhh. There, there, princess," their father comforted as he held Lilliban against his chest.

"What's this about, Dad?" a seventeen-year-old Valerya had asked.

He looked at her solemnly and blurted, "I and your mother are quitting our jobs as scientists today. We've come to realize that the organization no longer represents our core values."

"Are you insane? You have two daughters. How would we survive if both our parents were out of jobs?" Valerya asked.

"And Daddy, you've not bought me the new bicycle you promised," Lilliban cried.

"Just know, my daughters, that whatever I and your mother do, we have your best interests at heart. If we don't do this now, years from now, you won't be able to look us in the eye. And I would rather die than see shame in the eyes of my daughters," their father responded. Then, he let Lilliban go and kissed both his daughters on their foreheads.

"I love you girls," he said as he held their mother's hand, and led her out of the door.

"I adore you both," Valerya thought she heard her mother say before the door slammed shut behind them.

That was the last time she saw her parents.

The next day, a presidential guard appeared and informed both girls of their parents' demise. He said they had been killed in active service to the empire, so their family would be well compensated. At the same time, the man explained that their parents were doing super-secret work for the empire, so their names would have to be struck off the record. It hadn't made sense then, but now, Valerya could see it was a big, bright, red flag.

She was over the legal age, so she was asked if she wanted to be the guardian for her sister, or if Lilliban should be sent to a foster home. Lilliban held Valerya's waist tightly at the question.

Valerya consented immediately to be the legal guardian for her sister, and they were left alone in the house. Their parents' absence left a scar on Valerya, but it completely traumatized her sister, who was particularly attached to their father.

For years after the incident, on several occasions, Valerya caught Lilliban crying herself to sleep or heard her screaming in the middle of the night. She was not the same naïve girl she once was. Valerya knew that was the reason she spoiled her sister silly, and indulged her indiscretions. Perhaps, she should have been firmer with her. Maybe they wouldn't be in this position if she had been.

One night, when Lilliban was eleven, she had hidden under the table, terrified of the darkness. Valerya didn't say anything, she only sidled up beside her sister and held her tightly.

"I would always protect you, Lilliban," Valerya had said.

"Promise?"

"I promise. It's just you and me against the world…"

Valerya pulled the red hood more over her face and wiped her eyes. She found that she cried more frequently these days. She was surprised that no soldier stopped her. They probably couldn't fathom why anyone would want to break into the crypt. A few months ago, she wouldn't have been able to fathom it herself.

After what seemed like hours, she finally made it to the area that had the number 12342280. She scanned the protector with her bracelet, and the door swung open. Lilliban was lying on the floor, with her back to the door, facing the wall. Her hair was matted with dirt and blood. She looked as thin and pale as a skeleton. There was a faint smell coming from her like she had not bathed in some days.

Valerya held her sister and turned her body towards her. For the rest of her life, that scene was forever imprinted in her memory. Lilliban's body, dead cold. Her eyes were wide open in fright, and her throat was slit. She was dead.

Valerya silently screamed, horrified. She couldn't move, couldn't breathe. She was too late. From the looks of it, Lilliban had been killed very recently. Her life was now so bad, she couldn't even mourn her sister loudly, because she would be caught and killed. She cradled her sister to her body and cried, desperately sad.

"They would pay, Lilli. I swear it, all of them would pay," she vowed.