Chapter 212 - The Memory

[Flashback]

"Mom...Dad...Why are we leaving Puglia in such a hush tonight? It's...not even been long since we came to this town... The people here...the ambiance...everything was so pleasant. Then... Why do we...need to leave again?" 

Before stepping inside the car standing under the cloudy yet murky night sky, 16 years old highschooler Eva queried both Eleana and Stevan who were busy loading several boxes of their packed stuff inside the car. From their facial eloquence, they seemed very intense and palpitated. 

For a few seconds, Eleana halted at her question and stood still lowering her eyes down. Stevan sneaked a quick glance at her and touched her shoulder to comfort her gently, "get inside the car first, honey. You...sit with Eva in the back." 

Closing the car boot after finishing uploading their packed cartons, he slowly walked towards Eva and knelt down before her on the ground. Gawking at her father curiously, she blinked her eyes a few times before he softly patted her head with his broad, warm hand. 

"We will go to a far better town than this one..my princess. I am sorry...but...we can't stay at any place for...a long period. But...I do believe, one day, we don't have to keep moving elsewhere anymore and leave our lives together peacefully at a quiet, warm place." He whispered and stood upon the ground taking a deep sigh out. With his hand gesture, he indicated Eleana to get inside the car quickly along with Eva. 

Frowning her face, she obediently followed her mother in the back seat. Exhaling a small sigh, she curiously asked her mother, "what about Clara and Felix, mom?"

"We still had some packings to finish and...Clara assured us to finish it for us. Felix and Clara will catch up with us soon in a cab so, we thought of heading out first along with you, honey." She mumbled in a timid voice, holding a small smile on her roseate lips. Though she was trying to smile before her, Eva could understand it evidently, both her parents were strongly bothered with something inside. 

Stevan was driving the car quite fast heading straight towards the desolated Bella Cino street. It was around past evening with the hooting sound of owls growing much intense around them. Eleana was consistently checking both the window sides putting her arm around Eva, embracing her softly. Through the front mirror of the car, she precisely noticed that her father was scowling his face, seeming a bit restless.

"Mom...Dad...why do you both seem so worried? I-Is something wrong?" Unable to suppress her impertinence, she murmured out the question quite bluntly peeping both at them. Hearing her query, an anticipated silence of a few minutes persisted inside the car which even made the situation very dense. 

"Mom--"

"Eva," before she could interpret, Eleana tugged her closer inside her embrace and placed a soft peck on her forehead tossing a sad smile. "You made our family complete. After Felix was born...we were eagerly longing for a daughter and our prayers were answered when the deities gave you to us. You are very...precious to us...honey." She caressed her hair, conversing her words in a sullen voice.

Suddenly, a tinge of unknown fear aroused inside her heart as she witnessed her sad wide smile. Groping her arm tightly, she impatiently glanced at her father once who seemed to be looking at Eva through the glass with that similar kind of morose grin like her mother. It was evident that they were indeed concealing something from her which made her even more curious. 

"Wh-Why do both of your smiles seem so sad to me? Mom...Dad...has something happened? Are you really hiding something from me, mom?" Knitting her brows, she sounded a bit fearful. 

Eleana stroked her black shimmering hair with her fingertips and slowly tapped her hand while she was holding onto her tightly. "Honey, I think...I should say this to you now... No matter what happens ahead...always do remember your mom and dad will be always watching over you... Everything we did was to always protect our dear children from evil eyes and...though we were helpless about it... 

But...If...If someday in your life a time comes when you have to become a stronger version of yourself to protect the one you love...don't be afraid and go for it. That's what your dad and I have done for our children as well as for ourselves. Don't ever feel sorry for yourself. Remember, you are our precious angel who blessed us with our happiness, and...we really desired to stay with you until the very last.

Wherever you will go...we believe you will only bring happiness with you. I am sure of it." Her deep voice shivered a little as if she was trying to hold a surge of tears inside her throat, smiling at her with her dreary eyes. 

Apprehending her melancholic voice, a dreadful thought of suspicion aroused inside her heart leaving her speechless for a few seconds. Clenching her mom's warm hand, she mumbled out in a quivered pitch, "wh-why does it...seems like a goodbye...to me? Mom...we are only going to another town to start a new life, right? You...You both have promised to stay with me always! Then...why does it sounded so sad? Wh-What's happening..." Impatiently shifting her gaze towards her father, she stammered out, "da-dad? Why are you s-silent? We...We are just changing the to-town again, right? W-We are alw-always gonna stay together...right?" 

Holding a pair of tearful eyes, he turned his head around to peek a glance at Eva and widened his smile on his pale face, "of course...princess. No matter...where we are...we will be always together. We...are a beautiful family...after all." His dubious low voice was clouded with a dismal look in his gaze. 

"Wh-What? Why are you both---"

Her panic-stricken voice trailed off suddenly as she noticed a few shadow-like creatures were surpassing their car from both sides on that desolated street! Those creepy creatures seemed like certain animal figures intentionally following them around from the dark forest located on both sides. 

"WHAT'S THESE!?" Shuddered in fear, Eva screamed out aloud sneaking a glance at that spooky figures.

Enlarging her pupils in horror, Eleana immediately groped her tightly in her embrace. She was trembling in fear and murmured out perplexedly, "do-don't worry honey...I will protect you...with my own life--" 

Before she could finish her words suddenly, a herd of those shadow-like creatures jumped before their car meticulously. "SHITTT!! NOOO!" Yelling out aloud in fright, Stevan tried to pull off the brakes to halt the running motion.

CRASH!! SCREEECCCHHHH!

But with the unexpected commotion created, in the flick of a second, the entire car lost its balance and flipped over the ground with Eleana wrapping Eva in her arms shielding her till the very end. 

....

Sitting on a giant rock beside the whirling sound of waves drifting to the shore, Eva was reminiscing the last painful memories of that fateful night when her parents met their dreadful destiny. Shedding tears all alone, she was lowering down her eyes sobbing bitterly.

"It was all an attempted execution! It was all planned...that night...fuck...

Both of you...were aware of your approaching dread... Yet...Why I couldn't realize it earlier! Even in your last moments..you wanted to spend it with me till your end...But...All of you betrayed me! Why didn't you keep your promise...hic...Why couldn't I realize your fears at that moment...Why! Hic..." Mumbling on her own she slowly lifted her teary eyes up to glance at the starry sky, gritting her jowls in angst. 

"What am I gonna do now? All I am left within this world now...is him... How...How can I let Zeus do the same thing after...what happened to us? Our...Our beautiful family shattered to pieces...I lost...all of you... So how can let him love me... Tell me at least! What should I do...Mom? Dad!? Why did you all leave me here!?" Whining out her complaints, she was wrecked down in tears, clenching her chest which was aching with tremendous sharp agony.

.

"If someday in your life... a time comes when you have to become a stronger version of yourself to protect the one you love...don't be afraid and go for it. Remember, never feel sorry for yourself. You are...our precious one."

.

All of a sudden, her mother's last words flashed upon her mind while she was mourning hard shutting her eyes tight. Slowly, she lifted her tear-soaked chin up. Taking a heavy sigh out, wiping her teary eyes she gasped out a huff of air looking at the dark horizon with a blank gaze.

Clenching her fist, her lips trembled as she mumbled, "I...finally understand what you asked me...mom.

Dad abandoned his own pack...to protect us above all.

On that night...you shielded me with your body, mom enduring the severe injury alone.

I...failed to protect Felix...but...now... I...have to protect Zeus, no matter what...

I won't sit still this time... I...must avenge your deaths too... Mom...Dad...Felix... There is no time being a weakling..." She scrunched her gaze holding a dense look in her puffy eyes.