CHAPTER ONE

Zilayefa sat beside her father's bedside, her eyes fixed on his frail body. His breath shallow and frail, his skin pale and the wrinkles on his face showing the pain and hardship he has endured through out his life. She took his hand, feeling the warmth seep out of his fingers.

"Father..." she whispered, tears escaping her beautiful Hazel eyes. "Don't leave us."

Her siblings, Ryan, Bryan, Richard and Bernard, who are quadruplets are all surrounding their father, each holding a part of their father's cloth. They look so hopeless in this small dimly lit room. Their eyes were wide with fear, their faces streaked with tears.

Zilayefa's father, Agele, opened his eyes, his gaze locking onto hers. He gave her a faint smile.

"Zilayefa..." he whispered, his voice barely audible. "Care for your mother, your siblings... and yourself."

Zilayefa's grip on his hand tightened. "Hush father, save your strength ."

Agele's eyes drifted closed, his chest rising once more before falling still. Zilayefa felt a pang in her heart, as if it had been ripped apart.

She wailed for her lose and so did her siblings, they wailed and mourned their father.

She looked at her siblings, who stared back at her with tears in their eyes. Zilayefa took a deep breath, steeling herself for the responsibility that now rested on her shoulders.

"We'll be fine, we have mama," she said, trying to sound brave. "We'll take care of each other."

As she hugged her siblings, Zilayefa's mind wandered to her mother, who was working as a maid at the Duke's castle . She hadn't been home in months, and Zilayefa wondered when she would return.

The room fell silent, except for the occasional sniffle from the quadruplets. Zilayefa's eyes wandered around the small, cluttered space. The fire had burned down to embers, casting flickering shadows on the walls.

She gently released her siblings and stood up, her eyes adjusting to the dim light. The room was a mess, with clothes scattered everywhere and dirty dishes piled up in the corner.

Zilayefa took a deep breath and began to tidy up, trying to distract herself from the grief that threatened to overwhelm her. Her siblings watched her, their eyes wide with uncertainty.

As she worked, Zilayefa's thoughts turned to the future. How would they survive without their father's income? Would their mother be able to provide for them?

The questions swirled in her mind, but Zilayefa pushed them aside, focusing on the task at hand. She finished tidying up and began to prepare a simple meal for her siblings.

As they ate, Zilayefa tried to reassure them, telling stories about their father's bravery and kindness. The quadruplets listened, their eyes wide with wonder.

But as the night wore on, Zilayefa's anxiety grew. She knew that their mother would return soon, and with her, the reality of their situation would become clear.

Her father's lifeless body still lay on the bed, she covered him with a blanket. Tomorrow she'll find a way to bury her father because she is sure they can not wait for their mother to return and they don't have the money to place the body in a mortuary.

As the fire burned down to ashes, Zilayefa settled her siblings into bed, trying to comfort them as they drifted off to sleep.

She sat beside them, her eyes fixed on the darkness outside the window. The world seemed vast and cruel, and Zilayefa felt inferior and vulnerable.

But as she looked at her siblings, she knew that she had to be strong. For them, she would face whatever challenges lay ahead.

The night wore on, the silence broken only by the occasional creak of the old wooden house. Zilayefa sat vigilant, her heart heavy with grief and her spirit determined to persevere.

As the first light of dawn crept over the horizon, Zilayefa finally allowed herself to rest, her eyes closing as she drifted into a restless sleep.

As she is drifting to slumber, she can feel her Azura.

Who knows what tomorrow have for them