Welcome home

If I want to be my best self, I have to make an effort to achieve it.

The next day, I purposedly wake up early to go alone on the cliff. The sword won't bend for me so I should bend myself to make the best out of it.

The way up is still foggy and I can hear the noises of those nocturnal animals as I climb up. I have my sword with me so I am not afraid of the danger that could possibly be given to me.

I know I am still an amateur when it comes to defense, but I am not when it comes to offense.

I've spent my time developing that skill because I know that there will come a time where only I can save myself. Luther will obviously not sacrifice his mafia to fight for me. He may even just laugh out loud at my death just like what he did when mom is dying that night.

I will not be like my mom who died without fighting for her life. I will make sure blood will spill out of those people's bodies. I won't stay still.

I reached the top, and immediately, the wind caressed my body when I removed my jacket. I did a moment of exhaling and inhaling for something. I opened my gray eyes as soon as my soul is fed by an intense hunger for something.

And unlike mom, I am not afraid to be stained by their blood. I am Aesha Roxinne Flinn and I am coming for them.

I craned my neck and immediately pulled the sword out. I bended my knees and moved my feet for an offensive stance. My eyes darted at my reflection on the blade and my eyes goes sinister at the sight of it.

Something is definitely wrong with my lips. I am smiling, but it doesn't go well with my eyes.

A colder gush of wind gushed on me but the wrath I am seething roasted it all.

I visualized that woman's face... in front of me. She seemed alive and she is giving me her wildest familiar smile. Something flickered in my eyes and it pulled out all of the demons I am hiding inside. Holding the sword tighter, every slice I reeled, held all my frenzy and nurtured roars from a dark tragedy that seemed to happen just yesterday.

Long done, but still penetrating inside me.

It was savage, horrifying.

I've spent all my hours, slicing and cutting her savagely, until she got removed in front of me because a figure of a man replaced her position.

"You are early,"

That is when I realized the sun is already a bit up and I've lost track of time because I am blindly seeing what I wanted to see. It is also then that I realized I am having strained breathing. I tamed anything different on me as I watch him watch me.

I bowed at him as a sign of respect. "I needed to do something about my skills in sword,"

His weighty eyes lingered on me. His eyes reflected how he is disappointed about an idea.

"Your aura earlier is not an aura of a woman who wants to develop her defense. " he stated, alerting me how he know my bulls. His jaw clenched, disturbed by something.

"Don't wait until it consumes all of you. Aesha, you are heading a dangerous trail,"

I... got stunned.

"That is-"

We were disturbed when both our phones vibrated. Instead of continuing what I am supposed to say, my focus went on my phone. I received a text message. It says there that Remus is summoning all the mafia members to the center for an important announcement. I returned my sight to Rene only to find him watching my expression.

"Should we go-"

"We are not going there," he declared, disregarding the text. He yanked his phone on a healthier land with thick grasses.

I shut my lips, following his firm decision. I do not also want to encounter that man anyway.

"Let's continue your training,"

I stepped back, made a defensive stance and we trained again until the sun goes down.

New cuts were added and yesterday's wounds worsened as it was stretched repeatedly at my movements. I glanced at the dripping blood in my right arm that is also making its way to my sword.

I made a huge mistake protecting the other arm. He deceived me. His eyes are on the left arm earlier but he swung his sword into the other direction, slicing the right arm when I left it unprotected. I even almost drop my sword on the ground.

"Eyes don't really tell all like they say. Protect anything, do not be deceived," he mentioned.

I renewed my hold on the sword even with the excruciating pain I am feeling in my right arm now. I covered it with my palm to stop its bleeding for a while and closed my eyes when my tight hold made it sting more.

Rene straightened his back and asked me if I wanted to continue. I said yes. I am not gonna complain about the way he is teaching me. I can see that I am learning faster with this method.

More realistic, more learnings.

More wounds, more determination to improve my defense.

This is nothing compared to those past wounds I've experienced. At the end of the training, as usual, he'll still shake his head of disappointment.

I've reached the center past 6 and all eyes are immediately set on me when I entered the gate, specifically on my appearance. Their eyes lingered on my cuts, the stains of blood in my body, my clothes, and my sword. I've also noticed that some of the greatest warriors and fighters of the mafia who resides somewhere else are also here.

Thomas, who's been trained by Rene is here. I thought he also do not want this place? That is what he said the last time we fought with each other because of Luther.

Miana, another woman that this mafia has, is an expert on physical battles and tricking enemies. We've also fought before because of her obvious resentment towards me. I almost had her head off, too bad I am pulled away by German.

Other vigilantes eyed me, making me curious on what is up today.

Deither is also watching me intently from his position, on the roof.

The scandalous girl, who I still do not know the name, is surprisingly not glaring at me. But when I met her eyes, she rolled it on me.

I know this isn't the first time they've seen someone this bloody, so why are they all looking at me? Isn't this a normal scenario?

And why are they crowding the arena?

Curious, I stopped by to look at what made them gather here. They moved on the side as I walk between. My eyes darkened on what is laid in front of me. On the ground is a huge white cloth and it has my name on it.

It says:

Welcome home, Aesha.

The letters are written with blood and I grimaced looking at how the word home is ugly written. Like it is mocking the word at me. Like the one who made this knew that it isn't a home for me.

I turned around and roamed my eyes on the crowd. Someone here is definitely behind it. Because if not, how would it be here in front of me, in front of us, inside the mafia territory, where the security is so tight? I met all their eyes and I saw how different someone's gaze is. I stared more at the scandalous girl and she blinked at my cold stare.

My wounded arms hurt again so I tore my eyes off her and glanced at it. The drips of blood earlier have dried up but it is bleeding new ones again. I didn't know that as soon as I look up again, I'll be seeing furious eyes.

Remus's jaw is repeatedly clenched looking at the cloth, then back at the whole of me.

"We have something important to talk about," he said, his voice authoritative and jarring before he turned his back on me like he is a ticking bomb.

I roamed my eyes on those who are watching us. I silently proceeded to walk after him, not because I am being submissive, but because I do not want people to gawk at us like we are some sort of intriguing show.

I caught Rex and Vien's concerned eyes as soon as they got off Rex's car. They are about to walk near me but stopped when Remus turned to them.

Did they look for me?

What do they think of me? A weakling?

I felt rebellion in Rex's eyes so I immediately withdrew my eyes at them. That guy might counter this man again. Heck, I do not want to have a love triangle scene here. There is definitely no love in between.

He led me to the large office on the fourth floor. The one near the clinic. As soon as he locked the door, he immediately lashed at me.

"Where are you from?"

"Somewhere"

His eyes darkened at my worthless answer, in contrast to my calm orbs. He is obviously controlling his tone, but the hidden irritation couldn't escape my ears.

I remained looking at him though, unbothered by his rage.

"Have you seen that?" he continued, pertaining to my welcome banner down there.

"Are we stating the obvious here?" I said, rubbish again to intensify his foul mood.

I saw how the veins on his neck appear, stressed at the way I talk.

What? Is that a big deal? That is a simple welcome banner. It didn't say "I will kill you Aesha", or, "Die Aesha".

But of course, I know it falls on that too. I am just more troubled by this man in front of me, who looks so affected by it.

"Can you provide me good answers?! I am doing my best to ask you properly!" he exploded.

I continued looking at him blankly. Rejecting the other reason in my mind of why he is acting this way now.

Why is this man heating up? Shouldn't he be happy because someone is after my life now? He won't be troubled later on about my move to make this mafia down. So why does it seem otherwise? There are lots of people down there waiting to be crowned as mafia reaper. I can't be only their option for the role.

"Are you angry at the trouble I am bringing the mafia now? Were you angry because of that?" I taunted, stating the possible reason for his outburst. Shifting the direction of our nonsense conversation to a sensible one.

I saw how his expression change because of my statement. His forehead creased, understanding what I just said. We spent the next minutes in silence, him calming himself from his previous rage and I, doing my best to give a usual empty glare.

"I texted you yesterday and I am also here yesterday. You are not here. You also didn't reply to my texts." he complained at me.

I kept my mouth shut because I have nothing in response to that. How should I even respond to that? I tore my eyes at his worried eyes, suddenly in fear of something.

"About that night-" he started again but I cut him off.

"That shouldn't have happened."

"I was-"

"Shut up." I firmly said, stopping all this nonsense now.

He stopped.

His sigh is all I kept hearing as I focus my attention on the open window. He said we have to talk about something important. Minutes of silence passed again, so I decided to put an end to this stupid setup and remove myself out of this room where he is in.

"Thanks for the useless chitchat but I don't buy the worry, love." I uttered and proceeded to pass through him, but he gripped on my arm in the middle of my steps, stopping me from walking out.

I saw how his eyes travel on my cuts, pausing to the largest cut on my right arm. His eyes then stayed on it.

"Where do you get these?" he said, eyes not tearing on my skin. I sensed him adjust his hold on me, his hand moving to a less wounded area.

"None of your business?" I bluntly said and pulled my arm on his gentle hold. I felt the cut hurt more because of my forceful pull. I clenched my fist to fight the pain.

His eyes fired up again at my answer and my rude move. He starts to move closer to me so I swung my sword in front of him and pressed it on his chest as a warning.

"Move and I would dig this sword deeper" I warned him, pushing the blade more on his chest.

I saw how my sword create a cut on his suit. But my eyes widened more when he suddenly held the blade with his hand, closer to his body, just to move closer to me.

I frowned when I saw how it cutted in his palm. He continued doing it, and in panic, I withdrew my sword out of his hand.

It's too late to realize that he is holding into it firmly and that it would cut deeper and longer because of my sudden withdrawal.

My eyes flew to it first before his eyes move to glance at it.

His brow furrowed at the sight.

I dropped my sword and closed the distance between us, just to take a good look at his bleeding palm.

"I told you not to move! Didn't thought you could be this stupid! May I see?!" I irritatedly said, abruptly grabbing his large palm to see how deep it cut him.

I was startled for a moment when he swiftly snaked his other arm on my waist in between my worries. But I quickly recovered and elbowed him when I realized what he is doing, especially when I caught an idiotic smile escape his lips.

I made a safe distance between us. I am swinging my sword at him and he still thought of playing around?!

I picked and let him face my sword again, and right now I do not care on what cut I could possibly bring him if he'll do that stunt on me again. I am serious when I said to myself that I need to distance away from him.

"My trouble is my concern, stop meddling in my fucking way," I firmly stated before turning my back on him to exit by the window.

He is going to be one of my troubles someday, not like he isn't now.

And, do they really leave this window open like this?