Chapter 7 : Clara's Memories

Jennifer's threat echoed in Clara's head. None of those with her made any comments about it; each simply went their own way. As for Luna, she accompanied Clara to the room where Jenny was sleeping.

The following morning, Clara was already awake, lying on the simple white bed, staring at the ceiling as she recalled the conversation from last night, particularly with Jennifer, Ron's deputy.

Last night had been overwhelmingly chaotic for Clara. She had been chased, nearly killed, almost lost her little sister, and finally received a threat from the deputy of the man who saved her. All of this had drained her, leaving her silent with the others, speaking no words and keeping to herself.

Jenny was still sleeping beside her. Clara turned her head to look at her sister, recalling how exhausted and terrified she had been the previous night. For a moment, Clara felt weak, as though she had failed to shield her sister from all of this. But her chain of thoughts was interrupted when the room's automatic door opened.

"Good morning, Clara. You're already awake, I see," Luna greeted with a smile.

"Ah, good morning, Miss Luna," Clara replied with a smile as well.

In the room, there was a single bed fixed to the wall with supports underneath, a small table, and a hanging clock. The clock read 7:30 in the morning, though Clara had already been awake for an hour.

"How are you today? I hope the bed wasn't uncomfortable for you," Luna asked cheerfully.

"Don't worry about it. This bed is far better for me than sleeping among rubble and on a rocky floor that breaks one's back," Clara said as she adjusted to sit at the edge of the bed, leaving her sister still lying down.

"Your lives must have been difficult. May I ask you to share your story?" Luna asked with curiosity and a hint of concern.

"Of course, I don't mind," Clara replied.

Luna was relieved by Clara's response. She took a few more steps toward her, sitting beside her, and gently stroked little Jenny's cheek, who was still fast asleep, showing signs of exhaustion from the previous night.

"The poor girl fell asleep immediately after the men brought her here. They guarded the room with such nervous and exaggerated seriousness—they have a soft spot for cute things, haha," Luna joked.

"Yes, it's been tough times, especially for her. It always has been," Clara said, her eyes narrowing as she uttered the last part.

Luna could already sense that the two sisters had been through a lot. She didn't want to delve into what could be painful for them but needed to learn as much as possible about them to figure out how best to help. So, she waited for Clara to speak. Clara remained quiet for a bit, then took a deep breath and let it out.

"Our mother left us and joined the central government forces when I was 11, and Jenny was only one. I barely managed to provide for my sister and give her what she needed to survive," Clara said in a voice laced with bitterness as she recalled her experiences.

"From one place to another, I always tried to reach safe areas just to ensure Jenny's safety. I never felt at ease!" Tears welled up in her eyes, and her voice grew constricted as she spoke.

"Clara..." Luna tried to console Clara, who was already shaken and trembling in her place.

"Mom just left us! She didn't even give Jenny a name. I was the one who named her!" Clara burst out, tears streaming down her face.

"Yesterday... Jenny almost died. I couldn't even ensure her safety. If only... if only he hadn't been late... I mean... that man..." She began to lose control, finding it hard to form words.

Luna didn't interrupt or comment. She simply listened to Clara's words, filled with pain and bitterness. Every tear that fell from Clara's eyes told the story of the suffering she had endured. Luna glanced quickly at little Jenny, who was stirring slightly, indicating she was about to wake up.

"It's okay, Clara. What's happened has happened, and we are the children of the present. You're both safe here. There's no need to dwell on what has happened to you," Luna said, extending a hand to gently wipe away Clara's tears with her thumb.

"The commander is strong and dependable. Trust him, and I assure you that everything will be fine. And we're here with you too—we're your new family," Luna added in a soft voice, her smile warming the heart of anyone who looked at her.

Clara listened to Luna's comforting, understanding words. She felt relieved as Luna reassured her that this place was safe and that the people here... were her family now.

Clara wiped her tears and composed herself. She took a few deep breaths and smiled at Luna.

"Thank you for listening to me and comforting me. I really appreciate it. This is the first time I've had the chance to express my feelings to someone who cares, so... I couldn't hold myself back and said a lot—probably most of it was nonsense. Ah... sorry, I'm not very good at expressing myself," Clara said, a blush appearing on her cheeks.

"Hehe~ You're even more beautiful when you're shy, Clara~ You look so adorable," Luna teased as she playfully patted Clara's head.

Clara felt embarrassed by the situation. She had never had a conversation where she could let out the feelings and emotions inside her. Luna's kindness made Clara feel mentally at ease. Her shoulders relaxed as she realized she was now in a safe place that could be called home.

"May I ask... can I learn more about the revolution, the rebels, and... these things?" Clara asked with curiosity.

"Certainly. This revolution isn't new—it has been ongoing for about 23 years. It was started by the Slovak revolutionary Edward Schrawn, who emigrated from his home country of Slovakia to England, and specifically came to the city of Ginor, known as the city with the least restrictions on illegal immigration," Luna began explaining.

"The commander Schrawn was, from what I heard, 25 years old when he arrived in Ginor. He started the revolution two years after settling in the city, and it has continued to this day."

"It's said that he declared the revolution because he felt that people no longer had the right to a decent life—or, to be precise, that the common people didn't. Meanwhile, the wealthy and those in power lived their comfortable lives far from the chaos of the world. He wanted to promote equality, dismantle classism, and prioritize human value over robots and artificial intelligence, which are now considered everything in the world."

Clara listened intently to Luna's words, feeling something stir within her toward Commander Schrawn—a sense that what Edward Schrawn had done was the right thing. She was inspired just from Luna's words and, in that same moment, wished to meet him. The revolution he started served the oppressed, and both Clara and Jenny were among them. All of this was running through Clara's mind as Luna continued to explain.

"The revolution is organized despite how it may seem. It originally consisted of 10 rebel squads, but it didn't last long. Three of those squads—the Fourth, Eighth, and Tenth—were wiped out. Other squads suffered heavy casualties, which forced the rebel leaders to merge their forces to ensure the revolution's survival. The Second Squad merged with the Third, the Fifth with the Seventh, and the Sixth with the Ninth. Can you guess how many squads they became?" Luna concluded with a question, smiling.

"Huh? I... actually, I... umm, I'm not good at math, so... I don't know," Clara admitted, her embarrassment nearly suffocating her.

"What? Really? Didn't you go to school, Clara?" Luna asked in astonishment.

"No... my mom never took me to school. I barely learned to speak enough to communicate. I can't read, write, or even do math, but despite that, I try to find ways to teach my sister Jenny," Clara explained, her voice tinged with bitterness and frustration.

Luna felt even more sympathy for Clara. Clara was a girl who had taken on responsibilities far beyond her years at a young age, leaving her no time for learning or studying. All she had done was try to survive. Luna placed her hand gently on Clara's shoulder; her touch was so kind that it helped Clara relax once again.

"It's okay, Clara. Being uneducated isn't something to be embarrassed about. If it suits you, I'll personally teach you how to read and write," Luna offered with warmth and kindness.

"What? No, you don't have to do that. You already have enough responsibilities to deal with. You won't gain anything from teaching me," Clara said, her self-denial evident in her words.

"What are you talking about, girl? Teaching you is part of my responsibilities—I'm a teacher, after all," Luna declared with a broad smile, a playful wink... and a sincere tone.

"Really? You're a teacher? And... you'll do that? You'll teach me?" Clara felt deeply moved by Luna's words; it was clear she was on the verge of tears.

Luna smiled at Clara in response, and from that alone, Clara knew Luna was sincere with her. For the first time, she felt that she would achieve one of her desires—something she had been deprived of due to the harsh life she lived. Her tears were about to fall again, but Jenny had other plans.

"Good morning, sister~," Jenny said in a sweet, soft voice.

"J-Jenny?" Clara was surprised when she heard her little sister.

"Oh my~ It seems the little princess has woken up already~," Luna said jokingly, her eyes captivated by Jenny's cuteness.

The atmosphere in the room shifted as Jenny woke up. She moved to sit in Clara's lap while Luna gently stroked her cheek. Jenny let out a faint purring sound, almost like a little kitten, which brought joy to both Clara and Luna.

"Sister, that monster was killed, right?" Jenny was referring to the robotic dog that had been chasing them the previous night.

"Yes, the silver-haired man killed it. Umm... I forgot his name," Clara replied, reassuring her sister as she gently stroked her head.

"His name is Ron Herald, the leader of the Seventh Squad. He's the brave knight who saved you, little princess~," Luna continued to play with Jenny.

At that moment, Clara remembered someone—Ron Herald, the man who had saved her. She also recalled Jennifer's threat from the previous night. Clara didn't want to dwell on it too much; her thoughts were preoccupied with Ron.

"Umm, by the way... where is Ron? I-I mean, Commander Ron," Clara stammered slightly as she spoke.

"Oh, regarding Ron, he has a meeting he needs to attend—a meeting of the revolutionary leaders. It's the thing we in the Seventh Squad hate the most," Luna's tone shifted to irritation as she began talking about Ron.

Jenny remained silent and didn't say anything. She didn't understand all these complex terms, and even Clara barely grasped what was being said to her. But at that moment, Clara realized that this leaders' meeting was something very important for the revolution. The name Edward Schrawn, the leader of the revolution, echoed in her mind.

"Will he go and meet the leader of the revolution? I mean... Mr. Schrawn," Clara stammered again. She was afraid of saying something wrong, which made her stutter frequently.

"Well, actually, no. The leader of the revolution, Edward Schrawn, passed away three years ago," Luna's eyes narrowed as she spoke about the matter.

"Huh? The leader... is dead?" Clara was shocked by Luna's statement.

"As for Ron... he has a bad memory connected to Commander Schrawn—a memory that was the reason Ron's personality became what it is today."

To be continued...