Cascade

It was all perfect even with the abrupt change of the set date for the plan, everything was perfect, there were no holes in the plan. Yuhan have always been careful and his judgements were always right. That's what Garen thought from what the group knew of Yuhan.

"The bombing will not be big, it will not reach the children, not even a strand."

"It would give us a few years to halt the verse's operation. If we're lucky, not just the other levels but, also our high school level would also be forced to shut down." Yuhan was confident.

Garen did think so too, it was quite simple but, it was surely perfect. After witnessing the bombing of the new primary and junior high school building, parents would surely not want to send their children to such a place, ever again. The college level that the verse is opening would also receive animosity from the public, I mean, who would want their soon-accomplished omegas, betas, specially alphas, to die in another possible bombing. It was a little shallow thinking on Garen's part.

Yuhan Verse cuts the ribbon to announce the official opening of the other levels. Many parents and chilldren witnessed such a grand event on a large screen at the grand gymnasium and it was even put live on the television. As the security watch was even more strict on that very day compared to what they expected, Garen and Liliane were instructed to stay on their space and they could only witness everything happen on the flashing screen. Just as Yuhan was to reach for the bow of the ribbon that he have cut, it was exactly also that very moment that all the new building explodes synchronizingly into a dreadful rhythm, even more powerful than what was in the plan, and every channel that was broadcasting it live, was cut off.

"YUHAN!!!" Liliane cries out, her eyes glowed in such a sorrowful blue.

The explosion was quite strong, it never hurt any parent and child but, of course, It is not the same for those who were there in those very building.

Garen tries to reach Raiji through a call.

"Raiji, is Yuhan alright?!? Isn't it supposed to be a series of small bombing?!? Why is it different?!?" Garen was praying so hard that his eyes are only deceiving him.

[Get out of there, evacuate.] Raiji instructed and ended the call.

Garen held Liliane's hand and two exits their space, activating every alarm in the hallway. All students starts to escapes from the building as the alarm plays loudly all over the building.

[50]

[35]

[20]

[5]

All students were able to escape in time, and the building was blown all over, torturing the ears of all the witnesses. Garen witnessed everything, Liliane by her side.

Garen could feel Liliane's heart, trembling, shaking in worry. Garen can't even begin to imagine her feeling right now. Yuhan was the first person that Liliane called as her own family. Garen wished to be there, hoping that he could've used what he have to save Yuhan but, Garen is utterly useless and was naive. Garen felt shivers as he remembers the time that Yuhan went to see him during yesterday's training and tested him, it sent shivers to his spine as he starts to realize that they already lost Yuhan by that time. It needs a life to be waken up sometimes, unfortunately, it costs Yuhan's, a remarkable alpha.

Garen's bracelet beeps twice and it lit up to play an audio. There, it was Yuhan's voice, more emotional than the voice that always showed dislike towards Garen.

[Kid...]

[Protect my little sister.]

Yuhan says and Liliane shrieks as her heart wrenched in an extremely twisted pain. She starts breathing heavily, panting, hyperventilating, as if she wants to breath her life out, hoping that it wasn't real, hoping to call out Yuhan's name but, her mind was too shocked, gone blank that she doesn't even remember how to utter the most simplest vowels. Garen could only place Liliane within his arms, embracing her with his pheromones, the scent of ocean breeze, painting a scenery of the sun, slowly sinking on the horrizon, filling the sky with a crimson and golden hue, reminding Liliane of Yuhan's eyes.

"Lili... Breathe... Please..." Garen could feel extreme pain in his heart as he witness his dearest suffer so much in life.

To Garen's relief, Liliane starts to breath more calmly and she could finally make out her words.

"Garen... I... No... This is just a nightmare... Right?..." Liliane asks as if pleading for an answer she wish to hear.

Garen didn't want to give Liliane any false hope. Such a strong explosion, even a strong alpha like Yuhan could not escape it. They'd be lucky for any remains to be found. Garen couldn't lie nor be blunt, he could only hug her, who mourns by instinct. After some time, Liliane dried her soul from crying, she rise from Garen's embrace, her soul, being reflected in her eye, turned to numb and weary.

"Garen..." She calls out to his name, desperately clinging on to it, a soul who lost one light and is desperately holding on to the one that's left.

"Lili, I promise you anything." Garen says.

"I never even got to apologize to him..."

"I... I've only ever make a pile of regrets..." Liliane mutters, her words were breaking along with her heart.

Garen felt extremely pathetic, helpless, and afraid to pick out his words, fearing that it would become a needle that would pierce Liliane's heart. He could only ever kneel down to her and hold both of her hands as he let her blue eyes that glows in missery, meets with his own, his golden eyes that was slowly radiating fury.

"Lili..." He mutters as he cherishingly held her hands.

Remembering what they had to go through, all because of this twisted world that is blindedly obsessed with power. Playing gods and creating abominations, they alternate humans from its nature. The power worships themselves and it found a way to enslave those that are below them. Liliane was forced to awaken at such a young age, treated with such abuse for being in the lowest class of the heirarchy. How the teachers isolated her, how their peers also bullied her for what she became, a child could not do such a cruel thing, it is the adult that sets an example for it to be mimic.

For someone so hurt by this world, learning to treasure a person would mean a lot. Garen could acknowledge that Liliane and Yuhan were close in a special way. Yuhan took Liliane as his own sister, Liliane also took Yuhan as her older brother. He won't dare to replace what they had but, Garen realized that the moment that Yuhan went to see and tested him for the last time, Yuhan was already left with no choice but, to leave Liliane and her protection, to Garen.

"Lili, I will make sure to make things correct."

"I swear, from the bottom of my heart, I'll make it so no more child would have to suffer."

Garen says and Liliane looks upon him, the pain in her heart was well-painted in her eyes, still trying to comprehend that she lost the only brother she have got in the whole world.

[FLASHING NEWS]

[Yuhan Verse, the eldest son of the Verse have died due to being caught in a series of bombing during the new opening of the all-level buildings. Ten people are killed on the spot, the high school students who flee in time from their own building are safe and unharmed.]

[The Verse compensates all victims and is saying that they shall investigate this matter thoroughly. The students are safely brought back to their own family. Many parents are still furious and is urging the Verse to no longer re-instate the academy project.]

[Many students are standing against the parents' desire-]

"Garen..." Liliane mutters his name as she stares blankly on the flashing screen.

"Yes?..." Garen responds as he painfully gazes at Liliane's empty eyes.

"Yuhan is killed." Liliane mutters.

Garen could only silently sigh as he sees her beloved Liliane's current state, mourning, denying, she's barely healed, barely holding on to her broken pieces, and now, she's shattered even more.

"I'll kill the verse." Liliane says and Garen embraces her deeply within his arms, desperately trying to hold back his tears.

"You don't need to, I'll do it all for you." Garen whispers softly, hoping to bring any sort of comfort to her but, she's too numb to comprehend love and to feel it.