Dear Sabir,
I hope this letter finds its way to you. I know it’s been years since you last heard from me, and you probably have a lot of questions. I owe you an explanation.
Life in The Limbo was unbearable. I was so young myself, barely more than a child, and suddenly I had to play the role of a parent. I felt overwhelmed and trapped. I know it’s no excuse, but I was scared. I made a selfish decision to leave and find a new life in Havana. I found a man who loves me and offered me a way out.
I hated myself for abandoning you. Every day, guilt and regret ate away at me. Part of me resented you, unfairly, for the burden I felt I was carrying. But now, looking back, I see how wrong I was. You were just a kid who needed love and support.
I’m so sorry, Sabir. If I could turn back time, I would have stayed and fought for us. But life doesn’t give us second chances. Havana isn’t the paradise I thought it would be. It’s lonely, and I miss you every day.
I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.
Love,
Cynthia
---
Sabir clung to the paper with a tight grip as he read it. Tears fell on the grainy piece of paper, coating Cynthia's last farewells in dark circular stains. Cassius watched him, unphased. He contemplated whether to say something, but before he could, Sabir broke the silence.
"There's more, isn't there? More letters. Give me them now," Sabir cried, springing from his chair and leaning towards Cassius' side of the desk. His hands banged against the table with a thump.
Cassius hesitated, then drew out another envelope from the same drawer next to him. It was identical to the one Sabir had just read, with the same neat handwriting as before. Sabir grabbed it with desperation, his vision blurry.
---
Dear Sabir,
There’s so much I need to say. I found a new life here in Havana, one filled with comforts and security. But those comforts came at the cost of losing you. I met a man who saved me from my struggle, and with his family's influence, I’ve managed to live comfortably.
But none of that matters without you. I thought running away would free me from my responsibilities, but it only made me realize how much you mean to me. I was wrong to leave you, and I’m so deeply sorry. I wish I could have been stronger for you.
Havana is not the paradise I imagined. It’s a place of loneliness, and despite the comforts, I feel empty. My lover has promised me happiness, but it’s a hollow promise without you.
Please, Sabir, don’t think less of me. I was weak and made terrible choices. But you have always been special. You have the strength and resilience to succeed in anything you do. Find your path, make your own way in this world.
With all my love,
Cynthia
---
Sabir's hands trembled as he finished reading the second letter. He looked up at Cassius, his eyes a storm of emotions—anger, sorrow, confusion. Cassius remained silent, understanding the turmoil raging within Sabir.
“There’s one more,” Cassius said quietly, reaching into the drawer again and pulling out another envelope. He handed it to Sabir, who took it with shaking hands.
---
Dear Sabir,
This is the last letter I will write to you. By the time you read this, I hope you have found some peace in knowing the truth. My life in Havana has been a mixed blessing. I am safe and secure, but my heart aches for the family I left behind.
I’ve learned that running away from my problems didn’t solve anything. It only created more pain, especially for you. You deserved better from me, and I failed you. I hope one day you can forgive me, not for my sake, but for yours. Holding onto anger and resentment will only hold you back.
I will try not to make the same mistakes again. My new family comes with new struggles, and I'm not particularly safe with them either. Their family is dangerous, but I was promised I'd be safe. I want to become the person you always idolized me to be.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
Remember the good times we had, even if they were few. Remember the strength you have inside you. You are capable of so much, Sabir. Don’t let my mistakes define your future. Create your own path, and live the life you deserve. Hate me if you wish.
With all the love I can give,
Cynthia
---
Sabir read the final letter slowly, absorbing every word. When he finished, he sat back in his chair, the weight of Cynthia's words pressing down on him. He felt a mix of relief and sadness, a bittersweet closure to a chapter of his life.
Cassius finally spoke, his voice gentle. “What will you do now?”
Sabir looked up, determination shining through his tears. “Finding my own way? That's some bullshit she told herself to make herself feel better. I don't care about any of that anymore. Right now, all I want is to find out who killed her.”
Cassius nodded. “There’s something else you need to know. I was debating whether to tell you, but seeing your mindset, you might be able to help.”
Sabir nodded, taking a deep breath. He carefully folded the letters and placed them back in the envelopes. “Well, what is it?”
“There was another person in that car crash, specifically in your sister's car,” Cassius said.
“That lover she mentioned in the letter, it was him, maybe?”
“No, you see, the person in the car with Cynthia Quinn is a registered citizen,” Cassius said. From his desk, he slid a brown document with a paperclip toward Sabir.
It had a photo of a little girl with a toothy grin and cyan hair. Her face looked eerily similar to his own, and they shared the same golden eyes. Sabir noticed on the document it was a medical report. The name of the patient read “Mia Quinn.”
“Who is she?”
Cassius sighed. “From what I gathered from the letters, at some point, Cynthia had a baby with her lover. This is all speculation, however, as creating a timeline of all of this is very difficult since the letters aren't dated.”
“Wait, you're telling me Cynthia had a kid, and this is her?” Sabir questioned while picking up the document to view the photo of the child.
“That's right. She's your niece, Sabir,” Cassius confirmed.
“Okay, this is great. Where's the kid? She might know something. It says here she's five years old. She might be able to give us a clue.”
“That's the issue, kid. It was reported that she was in the hospital. She was checked out and was ready to go. But she had no other legal guardian. There's no father in her documents.”
“So your guess is that the kid's father was the guy in the letters. So then, why isn't he in any of the paperwork?”
“I don't know. Your guess is as good as mine. Anyway, with no guardian, the kid was left alone in the hospital unattended. A government agent was on its way to deal with the orphan. More than likely, she would've been killed.”
Sabir's eyes widened. “What the hell? Why would you kill a kid?”
“Orphans are the state's problem. The government would have to look after her, which meant spending the credits they love to hoard. So they kill them,” Cassius said, unphased.
Sabir's stomach churned at the revelation. “That's messed up. They're just kids.”
“What can you do? It's what the government orders, and it's not like any of the nobles care about orphans. It's a problem beneath them.”
“Wait, you said ‘would've’ been killed. Then what happened to her?”
“She disappeared. The hospital didn't know anything about it, or so they said over the phone anyway.”
“The phone? You didn't go there in person to investigate?”
“It was a dubious lead, and going hunting for a kid wasn't worth my time.”
Sabir grabbed Cassius by the shoulders. “A kid goes missing, and all you care about is it being a dubious lead? Why did you look for me then?”
“I prioritized looking for you because you were older. You probably knew more about your sister and might have been able to lead me to the triads. Turns out you didn't know anything. Maybe I was better off looking for the kid,” Cassius said, annoyed while being shaken by Sabir.
Sabir couldn't hold it in any longer. Rage began to boil over. With his fists clenched, he swung at Cassius's face.
Just before the moment of impact, his arm was frozen in place. Shadows began wrapping around his arm. Tendril-like, they wrapped around his whole body, leaving him unable to move.
“Relax, it was a mistake on my part. I'm not some detective. I'm The Hound. All I'm good for is hunting and killing. What we know now is what's important. Chasing after the kid might be worthwhile.”
At first, Sabir struggled against the restraints made of shadows, but after exerting all the force he could muster, he could do nothing and his anger simmered.
Noticing he had calmed down, Cassius released his shadows, causing Sabir to drop to the wooden floor.
Sabir, in heavy breaths, brought out a single word. “The lover… the lover, who is he. We don't know anything about him, yet we know she had a lover that took Cynthia in?”
Cassius's eyes widened in realization. He went over to the third letter Sabir had read. “Your sister said her new family is dangerous. This could be a lead. Perhaps she fell in love with an enemy of The Triads, and to get back at him, they killed his lover.”
Sabir caught his breath and stood back up, looking up towards Cassius. “So, Cynthia's lover wrapped her into his dangerous lifestyle, causing her to die.” Sabir clenched his fists in anger. Vengeance was the only thing on his mind. Whether it be The Triads or someone else, he would make them pay.
Cassius continued, “If Cynthia's lover had connections, powerful enemies might have targeted her. This means we have two objectives: find the lover and locate Mia Quinn. They might be our only links to unraveling this mystery.”
Sabir nodded, his resolve hardening. “The father and daughter huh. So where do we start?”