Bond

Located far away from the hustle and bustle of Sumeru City is a large estate surrounded by multiple bodyguards belonging to the Homayani Family.

The two-storey estate was largely constructed using stone, with the exception of the roof, similar to how the typical house within Sumeru City is. Stained glass is installed on both the first and second floor, with a variety of plants and all kinds of different decorative patterns as its motif.

While the estate itself is quite large, the well-maintained garden in front of it does not lose in terms of scale. With stone pathways not unlike the one found within the city of Sumeru, the garden is filled with plants of all kinds.

Shrubbery with several yellow daisies growing within them, a small tree with which a giant blue flower grow from, the assortment of lotuses surrounding the fountain in the center of the garden, and of course, the highlight of the entire garden would be the Padisarah growing in practically all corners of the garden.

Though the real Padisarah has gone extinct, recently a cultivar of Padisarah was brought back through the use of the special fertilizer distributed by the Akademiya, the Anihitian Blessing.

Within one of the rooms located on the second floor is a boy and a girl sitting next to each other in front of the window overlooking the garden. Placed on the table in front of them are plates of all kinds of snacks alongside two cups filled with a now lukewarm tea.

"Try reading this passage."

Currently, the boy was pointing at a certain line within the book titled 'Sumeru Wildlife' that the girl was reading.

"Let's see… the sum… Sumpter Beast? Are gentle-hearted… creatures, and are indis… indispe… uh…."

"Indispensable."

"Right. Indispensable elements of… pro… production? And trans… portation. Transportation."

Above the passage the girl was reading is an illustration of a large four-legged creature covered with shaggy hair all the way down to its eyes and a pair of horns.

"Good." Smiling at the brunette's progress, the black-haired boy smiled before patting her head, careful to avoid messing with the gold crown adorning her hair. "You're doing great, Dunyarzad. It won't be long before you can fluently read."

"Hehe, this is all thanks to you, Kismet."

"No need to thank me, Dunyarzad." Hearing the praise coming from his friend, Kismet couldn't help but smile, happy that he can be of help to her. "We're friends, after all!"

Reaching towards a piece of Baklava on the plate, Dunyarzad slightly pulls the sleeve of her purple-white dress before eagerly taking a bite.

"Careful."

"A owh."

"And don't talk while you're eating."

As promised, Zaryab Pahlavi did visit the Homayani family with his grandson, but he ended up bringing basically the entire family instead, not that his friend would mind. Besides, it's better for Irfaan to have some sort of connection to them, given how wealthy they are.

Thankfully, their family basically became fast friends. Despite being part of the upper crust of society, the Homayani family has been nothing but kind towards them, with not a single trace of arrogance or disdain. Something that is unfortunately a common behavior from the typical high born.

The heir of the Homayani, Darius, spent a lot of his first meeting talking with Irfaan about his time within the Akademiya. Darius, at some point in his life, wanted to join the Akademiya but was unable to escape his duty of maintaining the prosperity of the Homayani family.

Not that he minded, of course. After all, with an affluent family like this alongside a wife and a beautiful daughter, he is more than satisfied.

Aisha, meanwhile, can be found in one of the gazebo in the Homayani's garden alongside Farah. The two of them would spend most of their time discussing mundane things, though their shared love for flowers ended up occupying most of their conversations. Taking a stroll in the garden became something of a routine for whenever she visited.

Although their family managed to get along well with each other, Dunyarzad was a different story.

She was shy, borderline reclusive even. She tried her best to avoid other's company unless she needed to be there. The first time they met, she simply greeted them with a barely audible voice before running off to her room.

It was a miracle that Kismet was even able to coax her to be his friend.

Several visits and a lot of persistence later, he was finally able to have a proper conversation with Dunyarzad. And from there, their friendship builds up into what it is today.

"Thanks for always coming to visit me, Kismet."

"My father is always willing to take me here so it's no trouble at all." Thinking of his father's rather eager expression every time they visit, Kismet couldn't help but sigh before continuing in a low tone. "Probably trying to 'persuade' your father to lend him some research funds again, as if grandfather hadn't already given him some."

"What was that?"

"Nothing, don't worry about it."

After managing to pass one of his thesis into the review stage, Irfaan has officially graduated from being a student, becoming a trainee Dashtur.

Ever since then, he has been smiling a lot more, probably because he can now focus solely on his research, giving him some form of freedom he was not granted with when he was still a student.

"Are your parents still being overprotective?"

Munching on the last bit of the Baklava, she swallowed before answering "Sigh. They are." Though Dunyarzad looked a bit down at the remainder, the gloom disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by a bright smile directed towards her friend. "But they've been a lot more lenient lately. They even let me walk around the garden!"

"That's great!"

"Mhm!" Grabbing another piece of the sweet pastry, she took a big bite and swallowed them, leaving some crumbs on her mouth. "Everything looks so beautiful up close! Especially the Padisarahs!"

Seeing her friend gushing about her experiencing the outside world, even if it's only limited to the garden, brings a smile to his face.

The effects of Eleazar are starting to become more and more apparent on Dunyarzad, and her parents, though they mean well, have become more and more controlling over her life, doing everything they can to not let her outside for fear of her getting hurt.

Because of that, other than Kismet, she doesn't really have any other friends.

While other families with ties to the Homayanis have tried to introduce their sons and daughters to Dunyarzad, she found their personalities detestable, which her parents quickly picked up on. Any further attempts to do so from other families were now met with polite rejection.

Though her life hasn't been easy, she's trying her best to live her life to the fullest.

"Anyway, Kismet!"

"Yes?"

"How is your life in Sumeru? Have you made any more friends?"

"Why would I? Aren't you enough?"

"Kismet!" With her mouth widening in disbelief, she grabbed her friend's shoulder and stared into his eyes, her seriousness in full display. "Don't say things like that! Having more friends is good for you!"

"I mean, that's debatable–"

"Kismet." Feeling the grip on his shoulders tighten, he couldn't help but feel intimidated by the girl in front of him. "Aside from visiting me, have you gone outside of your house at all?"

"...well… about that…."

Raising an eyebrow at the black-haired boy, the nervous tone of his voice is all the answer she needs. "Let me guess, too busy reading about astrology again?"

"In my defense, it was a very interesting read."

"Kismet…."

"Look, I tried, okay? But I just can't stand them."

When her mother accompanied him to a gathering of sorts to socialize more with the children in the city, Kismet didn't even manage to last half an hour before begging her mother to take him back home.

"They're so loud and hyperactive, Dunyarzad. All the shouting, running, and pushing around, I just can't deal with it all. Why can't they just be quiet and read something?"

"Not everyone is like us, Kismet."

Sighing in frustration, Kismet grabbed a piece of the now cold Pita Pocket from the table before munching on it sullenly.

Seeing his sulking friend, Dunyarzad can only shake her head in exasperation. Despite how mature he was at times, she is once again reminded that, just like her, he too is still a young child "Honestly, Kismet, at least try to find someone to spend your time with in the city? Surely it can't be that hard to–"

Suddenly, Dunyarzad's hand started to shake and she ended up dropping the last half-eaten pastry into the carpet.

Seeing the brunette's condition, Kismet hurriedly put down his food and picked up one of the napkins on the table before scooping up the food Dunyarzad dropped. After making sure not a crumb was left behind, he gently wiped her mouth and grabbed her hand before gently caressing it, hoping that it'd somehow make it stop. The rough texture of her hardened skin is a reminder of the disease that his dear friend is born with.

Not long after, the shaking stopped and Dunyarzad let out a sigh of relief. "I'm okay now, Kismet."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, it's just a bit numb right now, nothing new."

The fact that his friend had to get used to something like this is something that never fails to break his heart.

"Do you want to lie down?"

"No. Just… hug me? Please?"

"Of course. Come here."

Patting his lap and spreading his arms wide open, the brunette didn't waste any time and jumped into the warm embrace of the boy.

No matter how hard she tried to ignore her own condition, having her illness flare up at times reminded her of how bleak her future is. Scale-like scabs that would spread all over her body, sudden loss of control of her limbs, but the scariest thing to the little girl would be the fact that there's currently no cure for Eleazar.

Why does she have to be born like this? Why can't she be normal like the other kids?

Burying her face deeper into the soft gray robe of the black-haired boy, she wanted to scream at the unfairness of the world.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Despite the relatively lively atmosphere within the dining room, Kismet couldn't shake the events that transpired this evening out of his head.

It wasn't the first time that he was present to see Dunyarzad's illness flaring up, but it's certainly the first time he ever saw her break down because of it.

The idea that he, at any time, could lose his best friend and that there's nothing he could do to stop it is scary.

Shaking his head out of his depressing thoughts, he lifts the cutlery in his hand and starts to cut into the roast chicken in front of him.

Yet the thought of Dunyarzad, currently alone in her room, no longer breathing would not leave his mind.

"...the flowers… did you see the one…"

"...the business is… no complication so far…"

"...smart one, he is… when he's old enough…"

The clicking of glass and cutlery against the plate; the rhythmic ticking of the clock hung atop the wall; the sound of chatter coming from his and Dunyarzad's parents; it felt as if the cacophony of sound inside the room are merging into a single discordant melody with the sole purpose of driving him insane.

Dunyarzad

'Dunyarzad…'

"Did Dunyarzad not come with you, Kismet?"

Click!

The sound of his cutlery being dropped into the now empty plate brought him back to reality.

Raising his head, his golden eyes meeting the brown orbs of the current head of the Homayani family. Looking closer at his expression, it's quite apparent that, despite the kind smile on his face, a trace of worry can be found beneath it.

Clearing his throat, Kismet carefully aligned the cutlery parallel to each other on his plate. "She's in her room right now. Her illness was acting up and she said she would like to rest for a bit."

"I see."

A sigh escaped from Darius, the smile on his face gone, replaced by a barely noticeable frown and scrunched eyebrows.

Looking towards his wife, he could see that she had a sad expression on her face.

Thanks to Kismet's attempt at befriending their daughter, alongside the advice given by Irfaan on the many times that the Pahlavi family visited them, the firm control the two of them placed upon their daughter started to loosen.

Though not as much as Irfaan would suggest time and time again, it was a massive improvement compared to how it was before.

Unfortunately, what's done is done. Darius and Farah's relationship with their daughter became somewhat strained.

It was nothing too bad. They still talked to each other, treated each other nicely, things like that. On the surface, nothing seems wrong. But deep down, they knew that their daughter's resentment towards them, no matter how small it might be, had created a rift between them that would be hard to close.

Though they do the things they did out of their desire to protect her, a child like her wouldn't see it that way.

In hindsight, they probably could've done things in a much less forceful manner.

But there's no use in crying over spilt milk.

Brushing her wavy brown hair behind her ear, Farah gave the black-haired boy a smile. "Kismet, there's an extract made out of Nilotpala Lotus in the medicine room next door. Can you please take it to Dunyarzard and have her drink it? The alchemist is still there, so you can just ask him for it."

"Okay."

Looking towards his parents for permission, Irfaan and Aisha gave him a smile and nodded their heads.

Excusing himself from the table, Kismet exited the dining room, leaving the adults inside to continue their conversation before making his way next door.

The moment he entered, he was assaulted by the pungent smell of herbs.

"How can I help you, young master?"

The alchemist, who was just writing something into the notebook, looked up to greet the black-haired boy.

"Mrs. Farah told me to pick up some Nilotpala Lotus extract?"

"I see." Closing the notebook, the alchemist stood up from his seat before heading towards a shelf that had several glass tubes lined up, each with different colors. "The young miss' Eleazar must've acted up again, huh?"

"Yes, just this evening."

Nodding his head, the alchemist grabbed a tube filled with light green liquid before handing it to Kismet. "Here you go, young master. Make sure the young lady drinks every single drop, okay?"

"Okay."

Making sure he had a firm grip over the glass tube, Kismet bade the alchemist farewell before making his way up the spiral staircase towards Dunyarzad's room.

Finding the door with several dried flowers of Padisarah attached into it, Kismet knocks on the door, waiting for the brunette to respond.

"Dunyarzad, it's me."

"...come in."

Once he had her permission, he opened the door before making her way towards her friend.

Sitting on the edge of her canopy bed is Dunyarzad, dressed in a light blue frilly nightgown. With her eyes glued to the carpet, she absentmindedly swings both of her legs back and forth.

Crouching in front of the girl, Kismet waves the glass tube in front of her eyes to see. "Your mother wants you to drink this."

Focusing on the light green liquid inside, she couldn't help but furrow her brows. "Ugh, do I have to?"

"Yes."

Popping open the cap, he brings the tube closer to her. "Come on, it couldn't be as bad as the medicine you take every morning."

"...I hate that you're right."

Leaning her head back, she opened her mouth, pinching her nose in the hopes of making it taste less unpleasant.

After carefully pouring the medicine so that she wouldn't choke, Kismet walked towards the napkin placed on the table they were in previously before wiping Dunyazard's mouth, all while the girl was complaining at how bitter the taste is.

"There. Now get some rest, okay? I'll see you tomorrow."

"Wait."

Before he could make his way towards the door, Dunyazard held onto his robe tightly. "Can you stay?"

Seeing the pleading look she's giving him, Kismet turned around before sitting himself next to her on the bed.

The moment he did so, Dunyazard wrapped her arm around his shoulder before pulling him close, laying her head on top of his left shoulder, which Kismet reciprocated by wrapping his arm around her waist.

"I'm scared, Kismet."

Feeling the shaking frame of the girl next to her, he laid his head on top of hers, hoping that it would help calm her down somewhat.

"Me too, Dunyarzad. Me too."

For a while, the two of them held each other tight. One of them is afraid that he might lose his friend forever, while the other is scared of the fact that her life could end at any moment, and there's nothing she could do to stop it.

The frustration that's been building inside of her eventually burst into a fresh set of tears streaming down her face.

"Sniff… why… why do I have to be like this, Kismet?"

As much as he wanted to give her an answer, he couldn't. Because nothing he says will ever erase the fear she has of her condition.

"Do… sniff… do the archons hate me? Is that why?"

Disregarding how wet his robe is getting from the tears coming nonstop from Dunyarzad, Kismet only held her as close as he possibly could.

At this moment in time, this is all that he can do for her, no matter how much he wished he could do more.