Chapter 11. Utmost curiosity

MAN wearing black gothic steampunk and a leader knee-high boots standing in front of the gate, his head is covered with a cloak, and his face is covered with half plague mask, which makes it hard for Hera to identify his identity aside from his completely black eyes. She couldn't move when their eyes met, and the man's presence was dreadful that she almost forgot to blink for a couple of seconds.

Swallowing hard for the second time, she did want to deter her concentration and veered in another direction. Still, she lingered and scanned as the man made no sign of moving from his position nor making any attempt to speak, which seemed impossible to determine his purpose. Hera's brain was screeching at her and telling her to look away, but she found herself unable to.

'Who are you?' she queried in her mind but disregarded it instantly until she closed the window and walked fast onto her bed to unruffle herself from that unpleasant situation; she still could not erase that ghostly figure out of her senses.

After a while, Hera stood up and went back to the window. The man wasn't there anymore; only the gate now remained closed.

'What did I just see? A killer or what?'

That thought made her tremble. She stepped back and lay in bed until sleep began tugging her eyelids.



BROKEN glass of whiskey scattered on the floor like broken diamonds, and its content had spilled on the nosing stair onto the riser. Cayden was standing in front of the baluster made of limestone beige; he recalled how Hera rejected him and how the man claimed to be Hera's lover, which increased his animosity.

The scent of the alcohol lingered on his breath for a moment. He stood there, not moving an inch, as his eyes stared down into an empty glass, glimpsing everything that once was in it all over again. He felt his whole body shake with sobs but refused to break down completely.

Cayden thought he could handle being rejected, but it's apparent that he's not, specifically from Hera, with whom he was so deeply in love; he was certain she wouldn't reject him. She would have loved him back; he wanted desperately to be her lover and build a wonderful life. But his anticipation is shattered by the fact that Hera refused his favor.

"Cayden? What happened here?!" his mother approached him with concern and a little bit of shock.

He glared at her. "That bloody bastard!"

Cayden was fuming like a fire. Remembering the scenario made him even more enraged. He was humiliated and hurt, for it was the first time he had ever been in disgrace in the eyes of many while being rejected by the woman he truly loved; he didn't even believe Darth's assertion.

"Please, settle down, dear," his mother tried to comfort him.

"I can not forgive him! How dare he intrude on us?! And then, to humiliate me by claiming as Hera's lover..."

He didn't want to speak anymore because it would only accelerate his anger, so he stopped himself, trying not to lose control until another presence suddenly appeared. The tension between them dissipated just as fast. It's his father.

"What the hell is going on here?" his father inquired as he scanned the floor. He didn't seem surprised but could detect the subtle traces of anger radiating from Cayden. "I know you are upset, Cayden. But this is not the right way to deal with it."

"And how exactly would you advise me on this, father?"

Silence lingered for a moment until his parents' eyes met, and there was an understanding that they both wanted their son to calm down.

"This isn't what you deserve," his father replied sternly, which bestowed Cayden somehow bravery. "Aren't you supposed to find a way instead of that?"

It was his turn to silence.

After some quiet moments, Cayden replied. "I beg your pardon," he mumbled under his breath.

He looked into his mother, then drifted to his father's eyes and realized that it was the first time his father had a better way to sort this matter.

"How many times do I have to tell you this, Cayden? Whatever you desire must be yours without question," his father stated. His voice was deep and powerful, and commanding Cayden believed his words to be true. "Your relationship with Hera is a complicated one, yes, but as your father, I won't allow this to ensue because, in the City of Renenxia, no one has the right to disgrace our name."

Feeling startled, Cayden was speechless, but his father's words gave him a sense of warmth and relief. He knew that what his father was saying was true. He knows very well that his parents were tenacious and robust individuals who always stood for whatever they wanted. They were also thoughtful and intelligent enough to know how to deal with problems when they arose.

"Listen to your father. He knows very well what to do, dear," her mother clarified.

"So, you're going to help me, then?"

His father nodded. "Of course. I will take care of it, my son."

"Gramercy, father."

"Just don't get involved with anyone else. And don't tell this to anyone outside there," his father ordered.

"Deal."

He smiled, pleased with the idea, although he wasn't confident what exactly it was until his father spoke the following words, which gave him an indescribable anxiety.

"I'll give them the reward they deserve, my son." his father laughed in delight as if he was pleased with his plan.

Cayden wondered why his father would be so thrilled about the prospect of Hera getting punished.

"But, what do you mean by 'they'?" he asked. "You mean whoever it is who did this? Including that stupid man?"

A wicked smile emerged on his father's face, causing Cayden's stomach to twist uncomfortably. "There's a lot of options, my son. I will apprise you later of all the alternatives we've got to choose from."

The statement frankly bestowed him a bad feeling, especially when he saw how his father's eyes gleamed with eagerness until he spun around, leaving him with nothing but one question that he couldn't fathom.