Chapter 4 - A Vow

Dreamland

"Happy Birthday, my dearest brother!" 19 years old Yelena happily wished her brother as she gave him a gift which was nicely wrapped.​​

Marvin Arista opened the gift with excitement and finds an expensive black leather jacket in it. "Wow! You knows me the best. Thanks, my little angel!" He gently pats Yelena on the head.

"But brother, do you know why I chose this jacket?" Yelena asked her brother.

"Why?"

"Apart from your military uniform, you look the best when you wear a leather jacket. Did you know? When I saw you in your uniform, I always feel so proud. I'm so proud that my brother is a good Army Officer." Yelena exclaimed with a proud smile.

The smile on Marvin's face slowly faded away. Then he shifted his gaze from his sister to their mesmerizing surroundings. "Yelena, do you think Belden is so beautiful? From now on, I want to spend my birthday here every year."

"Then let's do that. We will come here in Belden each year on your birthday."

* * * * *

"Brother." Yelena mumbled on her sleep as tears rolled down at the side of her face. She slowly opened her eyes and realized that she was sleeping at a hotel room in Belden.

Her flight landed at around 1 in the afternoon. After she checked in at the same hotel room which she used to booked whenever she traveled to Belden, all she did was sleeping. This room was the same hotel room where she stayed with her brother 6 years ago.

Yelena glanced at the clock and realized that it was already midnight. She slept for 10 whole hours! May be her body really needs rest. Being a Special Force Captain was not easy.

She abruptly sat on her bed. Then her dream came to her mind. She felt a pain in her heart as if it was stabbed by a knife. She was not fine at all!

She searched her bag and take out a photo which she took with her brother the last time they were together there. The siblings were all smiles in the picture.

She recalled the last time she was there with her brother whom she loved the most in this world. She was so happy, without knowing that it will be the last time! Then she recalled the day her brother died.

Marvin was participating in a survival training organised for newly commissioned Army Officers as he was a newly commissioned Lieutenant of the Silveren Army. The training took place in the mountains.

The next thing Yelena heard was that her brother fell off the cliff and died. There was no one who witnessed the scene. After some investigation, it was concluded that it was an accident. Everyone believed it, but not Yelena. She was the one who knows Marvin the best as their parents were always busy with their work and rarely had time for them.

Months before he died, Marvin changed so much. He used to be very carefree and lively, but those attitudes were gone. He rarely talk nor laugh; he always want to be alone and he lose all his appetite. Even when Yelena asked him if there was anything wrong, he would always smile and said that everything was fine. But Yelena never finds the smile convincing. Then the accident happened.

Yelena finds the whole thing suspicious. She cannot believed that it was an accident. Besides Marvin was very adventurous. It was impossible for him to be that careless.

During that time, Marvin spend most of his time in the army. So Yelena came to a conclusion that there might be something wrong with his work. But she don't know what it was. Then she made up her mind. She must join the army in order to find out the reason.

The day she made up her mind to join the army to investigate her brother's death, became the very day Yelena changed from a dutiful and obedient daughter to a willful and arrogant one.

She don't care about her parents opposition. They never really care about her anyway. Even when her brother was struggling, they were too busy to even notice it! So why should she care about their opinions?

Yelena wondered how unpredictable life was. During her childhood, just the thought of joining the army never crossed her mind. She was set to study business and inherit her mother's company. But now, she had become one of the most reputable female Military Officers throughout the country. Even two days ago, she was on a dangerous mission, betting her own life! But now, she finds herself at a luxurious hotel in one of the most beautiful countries of the world.

If she knew that her older brother would passed away just like that, she will surely try her best to make more memories with him. If she knew that this place will be the last place where they would traveled together, she will surely make more efforts to make her brother happy! She regretted all the time. But there was nothing she could do now.

She hated herself for being such a weakling at that time. If she was not so fragile, will her brother be able to share his worries with her?

The moment she desperately hold on to her brother's cold and lifeless body, she made a vow that she will never be weak again.

During her past two years in the army, she didn't sit still. She gathered all informations related to her brother. Though the informations she gathered so far were not enough, she already knew that some of her suspicions were right. She would stop at nothing to reveal the truth.

Her brother was always the one who looked after her. He was the one who always protected and shielded her. Now her time had come and she will surely sought justice for her late brother.

Yelena glanced at the picture on her hands once again. "Just a while, brother. Wait for just a while. Then I'll make sure that all the people who wronged you will pay for their sins."