16 Is This Too Much To Ask?

Agatha hugged Kiba from behind to denote he was no longer alone in this world.

She thought perhaps his parents had a reason for discarding him in slums, but she couldn't think of any reason that would justify the act.

No! There was nothing in this world that could justify discarding a child in a slum. The slums were the true hell on Earth.

After the arrival of Evolution Comet in the year 1900, the era of mutants started. The new era was crueler than the previous era as far as the people at the bottom of society were concerned. The governments around the world started taking poor people for experiments as they tried to study the mutation around the world. Conditions of poor only got worse as the entire resources were spent on decoding the secrets of Evolution with them being forced to become a slave for the powerful mutant.

While the formation of the World Government in the year 1935 did stop the atrocities on the poor in the open; the truth was even the World Government sacrificed more than a million people in their experiments. It was in the guise of employment overseas or mining incidents which would be used to justify the mass disappearance of people.

In the present year 2024, the weak and poor were forced to live in the slums with next to zero support from the World Government or any other organization. 

"I'm sorry for what you have suffered but you are no longer alone," Agatha said while continuing to hug him from behind. She could feel his tears on her hands.

Kiba left her hug and turned towards her. He took a deep breath to calm his emotions.

"A few minutes ago, I couldn't stop hugging you but now you are the same as me," Kiba said with his signature flirtatious smile.

Agatha responded with a smile. Her smile was more beautiful than any flower he has seen.

"If you continue to smile like this then I won't be able to control myself," Kiba said while thinking it felt good to open his heart with someone.

It was the first time he has shared his past with anyone in his identity as 'Kiba'. The only woman who knew he has other identity was Eva but even she wasn't aware of his past.

He felt something familiar from her when she hugged him but then he thought it was just his excitement for having someone who cared about him.

The words Agatha has spoken has planted a seed in his heart. They might be just plain words but for him, they were special.

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"Agatha, if you want to leave... I will help you," Kiba said.

"Leave? Where would I go then?" Agatha asked.

"Anywhere you want to go," Kiba replied.

"Kiba, this prison is better than the freedom elsewhere. There were compromises I had to make but I have also benefited," Agatha said with a sigh.

"It is your choice... I just want you to have freedom." Kiba stated his intent.

"Kiba, you need to learn that the choices we have are not really choices. The freedom you think of doesn't exist in this world; not even for the strongest in this world. The strong worry about losing their strength and dreading the enemies that would take advantage of their weakness. I don't even need to talk about weak who are ruled by the strong."

Kiba was talking about her marriage when he said she could 'leave'. The marriage was a compromise between two rivaled factions for stability. In the current era, rarely someone from a strong background was forced to marry against their will. Agatha was one of the rare ones who didn't have any say in her own marriage. The same applied to Jack who was her husband. This was why their marriage was full of troubles.

Before marriage, she thought of running away but then her friend reminded her of the conditions in the world. How could she survive in the world after offending her family and her future in-laws? They might not kill her but making her life into hell wasn't impossible.

Even if they didn't, she knew she couldn't handle the dull lifestyle outside. She enjoyed the rich lifestyle she had. Her very backing became a chain for her. She couldn't escape from the clutches of the vanity.

"True freedom is an illusion... You just need to learn it, my friend," Agatha added.

"Illusion?" Kiba thought of her words. It was not like he didn't know how freedom was a lie sold by the government to fool people but now being addressed as Illusion still startled him.

"There is no true freedom but only Illusion unless you can gain eternal life and break out of the shackles which bind us," Agatha concluded.

"I guess you might be right. Still, I would rather spend my life chasing realistic dreams instead of illusory eternal life," Kiba replied.

He believed the present mattered more than the future. Future was illusory just like true freedom and eternal life. Why spend the entire life chasing after an illusion?

"Realistic dreams? What are your dreams?" Agatha was curious.

She really wanted to know what could attract a man more than power and eternal life. For a person from a slum, the dreams of power and eternal life were even more alluring.

"I dream of simple pleasures of life and not something grand," Kiba replied with a smile.

"Just tell me, no matter how simple they are," Agatha requested.

"I dream of enjoying every phase of my life whether it is as a student or as a professional or an old man waiting for his death.

"My dream is to taste the best delicacies, drink every fine liquor, and making love with the most beautiful women out there. I want to enjoy the vanity which only the rich could afford. And lastly, I dream of stealing others' wife for an affair while their husbands die of envy and shame! "

Agatha: ".........."

"Is this too much to ask?"

Agatha: "..........................."