"Dad, what do you do?" Minka holds her homework assignment in her little hands while looking upward to her father.
"What do you mean?" Trazyn replies, turning his attention toward his daughter as she asks him.
"Ms.Lynine asked us to do an interview for parent's jobs... Can you do it with me?" Minka blinks her big innocent eyes.
"I don't see why not..." he answers with a gentle smile. He got up from where he sat beside the fireplace with some reading material nearby and came near his daughter: "Well... you see, dad is a trader..." he starts by answering. "So my job is finding things and selling things and making lots of money! Sometimes I get customers that come buy and sell stuff too!"
Minka writes the answer down in her note book and asks the second question: "Does your work help people?"
"Yeah, in fact a lot of people find my service wanting." Trazyn said while having a proud look on his face: "And sometimes I even have to pay extra if I need to go find more supplies to bring to others who need them. Of course, from time to time, I do collect some interesting gadgets. Like a collector of some sorts."
Minka tilts her head upon hearing these words: "A collector?" she asked him.
"A collector is a person that... acquires things and keeps it to themselves." Trazyn patiently explains it to his daughter.
Minka writes down the answer that her father gave her: "Third question... What does your work bring for yourself?"
"Well..." For one instant he actually didn't think of an answer: "I really don't know how to put this into words but... I met your mother while doing my work... So I guess it brings me the most important treasures in the galaxy." He gently pats Minka's head.
While Minka was writing down her answer, Monika came back from work: "Honey!" She drops her bag and hugs Trazyn tightly.
"Mom, can I ask you some questions for my homework?" Minka looks at her parents in a curious way.
Monika released Trazyn and crouched in front of Minka: "Of course dear, mom would do anything for you." She then takes out a piece of chocolate from her back pocket: "Mommy got you some treats!" The little girl smiles happily as she eats the chocolates right there. Monika also smiled after seeing her daughter's reaction.
After Minka finished the chocolate, she sat next to Monika and asked the questions again. Unlike her father Monika's answers are more straightforward and Minka can understand it instantly: "Thanks mom!" Minka then puts her note book back in her backpack.
"Minky, did you make any friends?" Monika asks while brushing Minka's hair.
"No..." A troubled look appeared on the little girl's face: "People just don't want to talk to me..."
"How can that be? You are the sweetest!" Monika said while patting the top of her head: "Why wouldn't they like talking to such a cutie pie?"
"They say that Terras are the bad people of society." Minka replies in a low voice. "Is that true...?"
"No!" Trazyn answered before Monika could step in: "That is not entirely correct... Your mother is a good person, aunt Nova is also a good person. Everyone you know is good... they are wrong."
Monika looked at Trazyn with a smile, but quickly turned her attention toward her daughter and answered with a gentle smile: "Everyone has their own opinions but what matters is how we deal with those who think something about us."
"What should i do?" Minka asked.
"Do nothing..." Trazyn says: "It's important to believe in yourself! When someone tells you that you are no good, or evil, it's because they don't understand you! Dad was kinda like you once, the people surrounding me are just too stupid to see what I do and see the value that I bring."
"Honey... maybe we shouldn't project ourselves onto Minky..." Monika gently patted her husband on his shoulder. She then continued her thought aloud as she held her daughter's hand tightly: "Minky... I know it will be hard but...you need to decide who is your friend or not...I am pretty sure that one day, you will be surrounded by the people that care about you. I promise you that."
In the middle of the night, Minka opens her eyes and sees Viola is sleeping on the next bed: "People that care about me..." She got up and was about to take a walk.
"Minka...i want to squeeze your cheeks..." Viola said while turning to another direction on the bed. Then the sound of snoring came again.
Hear this, instead of feeling disgust. Minka actually had a smile of happiness on her face. She pulled the blanket over Viola's body and tucked her in properly before leaving the room.
She walks out of the hotel and walks around for a while before deciding to sit on a bench nearby. It's still early in the morning, so there's not a lot of people on the street. It gave her a chance to think about things peacefully.
"You seem to have a lot of free time... Do you mind if I sit here?"
Minka looks up and sees Sannet, who looks as refreshed as usual. Minka nods silently and scoot aside so that she can sit down on the bench. The two girls sat there quietly for a few minutes.
"Sannet... do you know anything about this Legend guy?" Minka asked while looking down on the ground.
Sannet stares at Minka for a moment and says with a low voice: "I do... but it's not something that I want to tell you...You should ask your mom...Something is better to be heard not from me."
Minka looks away and nods, she knows that when it comes to Sannet, no amount of prying can help her find the answers. But she still kept wondering if there is something she can do to change Sannet's mind.
"Dad used to tell me that he had a really amazing friend before." Minka spoke up again after a long silence: "He said that a friend of his stayed with him for a long while before going away to do some important job... It's sad that I didn't get a chance to meet that person before he or she left."
Sannet glanced at Minka for a moment but continued to look forward: "So? What makes you think that I would know more about him?" She asked with a flat voice.
"Because..."Minka paused, and took a deep breath before speaking: "I think that 'friend' was you..."
Sannet let out a heavy sigh: "You are a dumbass." She then got up and walked away.
"Sannet..." Minka called out but she did not look back at Minka at all. She just continues walking away, ignoring Minka's call.
Minka stands up and runs after Sannet: "Please stop!" She yells at Sannet: "I want to understand you..."
"Why would I want someone like you to understand me? Get over yourself." Sannet said, her tone of voice is flat but she does not slow her pace at all: "You are just a princess of a dying family. I don't want your pity or sympathy."
"Is that what you think of me?" Minka stops in her tracks, standing right in front of Sannet: "After all we've been through together, is that all you think of me? Am I not your friend?"
"You are not my friend... you are a nuisance. Just shut up and leave me alone." Sannet said while walking past Minka, who was still in shock of what she heard. But Sannet stopped for a moment and said: "It's not that I hate you or anything. I just don't want you to involve yourself with my problems... because it's my burden...and I'm fine with that." Sannet then turned around and continued walking away.
Minka stood there for a long time, but when she saw Sannet turn around a corner, she finally reacted. She picked up her pace and ran after Sannet, reaching the end of the corner. But when she looked around, Sannet was no longer there. Out of distress, Minka swung her fist at the nearby wall, with a loud cracking sound, an imprint of her fist appeared on the wall.
Minka clenched her fist tightly, she felt something that she never felt before... It's a burning sensation. It was as if her heart was burning inside her body... and her fists clenched tighter as she tried to stop the burning sensation. Is this anger? Or frustration? Or is it something else? She tried to open her fists but it's so painful that she couldn't open them at all. The pain is not physical but emotional. Minka felt as if she was suffocating, she felt as if something was weighing on her body.
"Minka!" Someone suddenly pulled Minka from behind and grabbed her hands: "What are you doing?!"
Minka looked up and saw Viola standing in front of her with a worried look on her face: "Viola...I..." Minka felt that she was about to cry but she was holding back all her emotions and managed to get out a sentence: "Viola...I..."
Viola pulled Minka into a tight hug: "It's okay...it's okay..." She said softly: "It's alright...we will figure it out together."
"Viola..." Minka sobbed into Viola's chest: "I don't know what I'm supposed to do..."
"Don't worry...everything will be fine..." Viola gently rubs Minka's back.
"I don't know who i am anymore..." Minka said with tears flowing down from her eyes: "Everything I've ever known are all... lies. I don't know what I am..."
"You are Minka Terra...that's who you are. Your parents love you so much, they raised you so well...and I know that even if they lied to you about something, it's because they are trying to shield you from something that would bring you harm." Viola said, trying to comfort Minka.
"Shielding me... from the past?" Minka pulled away from the hug to wipe away her tears: "I think I've got something..."
"What did you get?" Viola asked.
"That man, Alex Cohen, said that someone also called Minka once existed years before I was born." Minka said: "I think there's something more behind this..."
"What do you mean?" Viola tilted her head, clearly not getting what Minka meant by this.
"I mean, if there was a Minka in the past, there's a big possibility that my dad would know about her. And if Sannet and dad were close friends..." Minka paused for a moment, looking at Viola in the eyes: "There must be something more behind this..."
"You sure you want to listen the words of a clearly ill obsessed man?" Viola raised her eyebrows.
"Before I can use my psychic power... I had a vision, someone who is also Minka said that there was another 'Minka' in this world." Minka explained: "So... there must be some kind of connection between these two. I know all of this sounds like I made it up... but I honestly can see some sort of connection between this."
"Okay...what do you want to do then?" Viola asked.
"I need to find my mom, I have to ask her about this." Minka said confidently: "And we need to ask her about the Legend anyways... so Lea and Sannet would also have no problem with this."
"What if your mom doesn't want to tell you?" Viola asked.
"She has to..." Minka said with a serious face: "Because we are going after the truth that she left behind. She has the responsibility to do so."
"Fine then." Viola nodded: "You lead and I'll follow."
Minka nods and proceeded to go back to the hotel room to inform Leanna and Sannet about what they decided. Viola stayed there for a while, sitting on the bench and looking up at the sky. She let out a sigh and lit up a cigarette. She had no idea what is coming next but she was prepared for anything. The only thing that she hopes is that nothing will happen to her friends. After all... this world has a lot of dark history, some are meant to be buried and some are buried for good reasons. But whatever the reason behind all of this, there will always be a consequence for everyone involved.
Not after long till morning, they packed their stuff to their car. Since it is almost time for the guild's exam, they have no choice but to head back to the capital city. The four girls agreed on staying together as a team. They drove all the way back to the city in silence. The only sound that can be heard in the car is from the engine and the wheels spinning against the asphalt road. Viola is sitting beside Minka, who is staring at her phone screen the entire time. She is looking for clues about her mom's whereabouts but she still got nothing. After around half of a day of driving, they went back to the starting point: "The exam will take place in two days. I will see you people then." Sannet takes her bag from the back and then leaves after bidding farewell.
"Well, I'm going home. What about you two?" Viola asked Leanna and Minka.
"Home as well, I mean my dad already knows I escaped the camp for this..." Minka sighed.
"What about you Lea?" Viola asks.
"Well...I was thinking about going back to the camp. I didn't really tell mother about this."Leanna said while bringing the bag to her shoulder: "If somehow she knew, I am sure she will be disappointed in me again..."
"Hey, why don't you come with me?" Viola offers.
"Thank you for the offer...but i don't think it's a good idea to go with you." Leanna said softly: "I don't want to cause any trouble for you guys..."
"Nonsense! We will have plenty of fun! Also you get to meet my cute little sis." Viola said as she leaned over to hug Leanna.
"Ow, you are hurting my neck." Leanna said as she struggled from Viola's hug: "Fine! I will come."
"Minka, come join us!" Viola said while releasing Leanna from her embrace.
"Uhm..." Minka hesitates but finally decides to go home: "I also have a little sister to take care of... she probably misses me a lot."
"Okay then! Let's meet in two days again!" Viola said happily: "See you later!" Viola waves her arms wildly while seeing Minka walking away. Leanna also waves goodbye to her and turns around to see Viola doing the same gesture. She giggled and then walked over to Viola. The two girls then drove their car back to Viola's house.
When they arrived, a small but modest house was just down by the road, there's nothing special about it. But it looks rather comforting. Viola walks out from the car and Leanna follows after her. Viola then unlocked the door and opened it: "Welcome to my humble abode!" Viola said as she walked in with Leanna following right behind her.
"Sis?" A voice of a little girl came from upstairs, Viola looked up to see her little sister descending down the stairs with a big grin on her face. She is wearing a yellow nightgown and her snow white hair is tied into two pony tails on both sides of her head.
Viola drops her things on the floor and goes to immediately hug her little sister: "Hey there, baby! I missed you so much!" She said while picking up the girl into her arms.
"Hi sis! I missed you too." The girl said while wrapping her tiny arms around Viola's neck: "Where have you been all this time?"
"Working, making big money as well!" Viola then gently let down her little sister on the floor: "Lea, this is my little sister. Clara."
"Hello." Leanna said with a smile on her face.
"Hello! I am Clara!" The girl said happily while taking Leanna's hand: "Come play with me!" She said while pulling Leanna upstairs. But then Viola stopped her before she could.
"Clara, let our guest drop her stuff here first alright? Then we will all play with you upstairs." Viola said calmly while looking into her little sister's pink coloured eye.
"Okey." The little girl nodded obediently.
Viola smiles and proceeds to show Leanna to her room: "Here's your room. Feel free to use it anytime you're here."
"Thank you...for everything." Leanna said while looking around the room. There's a bed on one side with a closet near the door. There are also two nightstands with lamps on top.
"This place is so... cozy." Leanna said while looking around.
"Well...it's my first time having guests over so...I have no idea what else to tell you." Viola scratched her head.
"I don't mean that..." Leanna paused for a moment: "I mean... it feels so nice here..." She looked back at Viola with a smile on her face.
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"Alright, alright, stop hitting me." Viola pushes Leanna away playfully: "Get your stuff out and change clothes."
"Okay." Leanna nods and starts unloading her things. She wore the clothes that she was wearing before leaving home and placed her bags at the corner. Viola opened the door and knocked on Leanna's room before entering: "Do you want something to eat? I'm hungry."
"Sure... anything is fine with me." Leanna replied while putting away some clothes into the closet: "I will come and help."
"Thanks...Let me make a call." Viola said while picking up the phone: "Hi, i would like a package 352 please. And with some fresh baby carrots."
Leanna tilts her head upon hearing the order but decides not to pry any further. Viola put down the phone and proceeded to wash her hands: "It should be here in ten minutes or so. If you were wondering, it is a food delivery center that basically is like a supermarket but will deliver to your house."
"I see." Leanna nodded while taking out the utensils and putting them on the table: "It will be nice to have some baby carrots in my meals."
"Yeah, they are good for your health." Viola said as she prepared some tea for both of them. "My little sister loves them so much." She then turns to look at Leanna, who is now sitting down on the chair. "Say... I have a question."
"Yes?" Leanna looked up and saw Viola putting down two cups on the table: "What is it?"
Viola hesitated for a moment before continuing: "What do you want to do after all this is done?"
Leanna thought for a moment before she answered: "I really don't know... Maybe be an official conscript and rank up over the years like my mother?"
"Hmm..." Viola nods as she stirs the tea: "That sounds good. Being an officer in the military would definitely give you a higher salary than what you have now. But I wonder if you will still enjoy it..."
"Maybe..." Leanna nodded slowly: "I really don't know what else to do. The imperial army is all I know..."
"That's true." Viola took a sip of her tea: "I guess all you have to do is keep thinking about the future."
"Can I ask you about something?" Leanna asked while sipping from her teacup: "What's the story of Clara?"
"Ah, yes...She's just a little sister I took care of for a while. I'm not sure what her real name is or who she really is." Viola answered with a slight frown on her face: "I found her years ago during one of my deployments. I rescued her from a collapsing building and took her in."
"Oh...I see." Leanna nodded: "Did she... have parents?"
Viola was silent for a moment before she answered: "I'm not sure. Maybe they are still alive or maybe they're dead... I don't know..."
"I see...Sorry for asking a weird question." Leanna apologized.
"It's okay... It's not like you're my lover or anything." Viola jokingly said, and Leanna blushed when she heard it.
The slight awkwardness is suddenly broken by the door ring bell. Viola then walks over to the door and picks up a plastic bag and a small box. She put it down on the table and opened it up. Inside, there are several types of food ingredients and of course a pack of baby carrots that smell like they were freshly picked. Viola grabs one baby carrot and bites into it: "Yummy~" She cheered while biting into the vegetable.
"I will prepare them." Leanna takes out the ingredients and starts cooking it with Viola's help. Viola slices the ingredients into small pieces and washed it off while Leanna cooked them. The two girls worked in unison, slicing the ingredients and washing them until they were all ready to cook. The kitchen became quite loud when they were cooking, with both of them talking about various topics. They talked about their family members, their friends, their favorite foods and more. They also talked about the food that they eat, especially Clara's favorite dish, which is boiled rice with baby carrot in it. It was simple but delicious.
Not after long, they finished cooking and Viola called Clara down from upstairs. Clara happily comes down and sits down on her chair, waiting for her meal to be served. Viola then brought out two more plates and sat down in front of her little sister: "Here is your meal, baby girl." She said as she passed the plate over to Clara.
"Thanks sis!" Clara happily thanked Viola, then she turned her head to look at Leanna: "You too!"
"Oh no... I didn't do anything. It was all your big sis's work." Leanna replied nervously.
"Oh nonsense, you cooked everything so well. You have a lot of tricks up your sleeves." Viola said while smiling at Leanna.
"Stop it...It's embarrassing when you compliment me like that..." Leanna blushed and hid her face behind the napkin.
Viola giggled and shook her head as she enjoyed the sight of Leanna's reactions. Clara was eating happily, making happy noises as she tasted each different dish on her plate. It was a feast fit for a princess. After she was done, she immediately went back upstairs to play with her toys, leaving the two girls alone in the kitchen. Two of them finished doing her dishes rather quickly and sat on the sofa.
"She really loves food, huh?" Leanna giggled as she saw Clara went upstairs happily: "We should get her more food ingredients sometime."
"She would be delighted to hear that." Viola nods: "So what do you want to do next? "
Leanna thought for a moment before answering: "Can we go somewhere? I haven't seen a lot of things around here."
"Yeah sure! We can go to the shopping district and pick some stuff!" Viola agreed: "I think Clara will be happy if we bring her something nice."
Leanna nodded, not saying anything else. They then drove their car into the nearby shopping district. Three of them go into a store that has a lot of cute xeno toys, which Clara seems to love. They took their time to look around and buy the toys that Clara wanted to have. Clara seems really happy about this, but at the same time, she keeps complaining about how much money they spend for this.
"It's ok, big sis go out to earn big money just so you can get whatever you want." Viola said while petting Clara's head: "You are my baby sister, so I will take care of you no matter what."
Clara happily nods and smiles. After a little bit more shopping, Viola asked Leanna to go get some drinks while she escorted Clara out from the store. Leanna nodded and walked away. Soon, she came back with some soft drinks in her hand. When she returned to the store, she noticed that Clara and Viola were not inside. She stood there for a while before finally deciding to call them.
"Sis?" A voice suddenly called Leanna from behind: "What are you doing?"
Leanna shivered a little bit when she heard that voice: "Big bro?" Leanna turned around and saw her older brother, Miller.
"It's been a while, huh?" Miller said as he looked down on his sister: "You haven't changed much." He paused for a moment before continuing: "What are you doing here?"
"That's what i want to ask, aren't you supposed to be with dad half planet away?" Leanna asks while looking at Miller.
"Dad is busy with some business so he told me to come back for a few days to check out you and mom, apparently... you are not in the military camp at the moment." Miller said with a hint of disappointment on his face.
"I-I'm sorry... I am not supposed to be here..." Leanna lowered her head.
"You don't have to apologize. Dad should be the one to apologize to you." Miller said, trying to console his sister: "Come with me, I'll bring you back home."
Leanna shook her head slowly: "No, I have some important business to attend to."
"I'll wait with you until they are done with it, so there's no need to hurry."
"No! I- I mean- I don't want to bother you..." Leanna said nervously while looking at her brother: "I'm going back to camp, see you later!" She quickly turned around and tried to walk away but Miller held her shoulder with one hand.
"Lea? Is there something you are not telling me?" He then glanced at the bag on her hand: "Why are there three drinks?"
"N-no there is nothing! Just let me go!" Leanna stammers while trying to get away from Miller's grasp.
"Hey hey!" Viola's voice came from behind Leanna: "Get your hand off of her! Do you know her mother is Nova Terra?!" She grabs Miller's hand and tries to pull it away from Leanna's shoulder.
"Who are you?" Miller glares at Viola, who is not scared of Miller at all.
"I'm Viola, and who are you?" Viola glared back.
Miller glances at her for a while before shrugging his shoulders and letting go of Leanna: "I am Miller Terra, Lea's older brother." He answers calmly.
"You are her brother? And you are publicly bullying her? What is wrong with you?" Viola grabs Leanna's shoulder and walks away. Leanna glances at Miller for a while before following Viola. Viola led Leanna away, ignoring her brother completely. They sat down on a bench nearby and watched Clara play around in a playground.
"Thanks for that..." Leanna said with a weak smile: "Sorry for all of this."
"I didn't do it for thanks." Viola shook her head: "I just didn't like it when someone bullies my friends." She paused for a moment before continuing: "Is he always like this?"
"Not exactly, but I feel like he has some difficulties knowing when to act differently..." Leanna said while looking away.
"So that man is basically a rock?" Viola said while shaking her head: "No wonder you never talk about him before."
Miller then came over with a hot drink in his hand: "Can I sit next to you guys?" He asked calmly.
Just before Viola says some mean stuff towards him, Leanna nods beforehand and lets him sit.
"So who are you? And what is your relationship with my sister?" Miller asks as he sips the coffee from the cup.
Viola paused for a moment, then looked at Leanna for an answer. Leanna quickly answered: "We are friends, and we are about to do the guild entrance exam soon."
Miller nods slowly: "You seem to be on good terms with my little sister, I'm glad." He then continued to look around: "I never seen this part of the city before... It's nice here." He commented.
"So... why did you come here, exactly?" Leanna asked with a confused face.
Miller sips his coffee for a while before answering: "I want to buy something nice for you, mom and Max." He then looked at Leanna: "But since you are here..."He took out a really beautiful gemstone necklace from his front pocket.
Leanna blushed a little bit: "That's so nice of you... But I didn't do anything to deserve this."
"You are my little sister, of course you deserve it." Miller answered calmly: "I mean... if you don't want it... I can just throw it away later."
"No!" Leanna answered immediately: "I mean...it's really beautiful... this must've been expensive."
"Not from the depth of where I came from, this gem is everywhere." Miller shrugged his shoulders and proceeded to give it to his sister: "Here, try it on."
Leanna nodded and took the necklace from Miller. She put it on and smiled at her brother: "Thank you... I really like it." She said happily.
"I am glad you like it." Miller smiles.
Viola glanced at Leanna and smiled as well: "I am sure your mother would love it as well."
"Oh, I got something she would like." He takes out a frying pan from the bag where he was carrying it: "I know she loves this thing." He said as he showed it to his sister.
"Yeah, mom would like this. What did you get for Max?" Leanna tilts her head curiously.
"Just some new chew toys, he ran out of those things really quickly." He answers calmly as he puts the bag down next to him.
Leanna giggles at his answer: "He loves to chew on anything that he sees."
"Mill... can you not tell mom or dad that i am back in town?" She suddenly asked.
Miller thinks for a moment before answering: "Sure.." He paused for a moment before continuing: "Why?" He asks curiously.
Leanna hesitated for a moment but still managed to tell him: "I don't want them to worry about me...or feel disappointed."
"Mom and dad would feel disappointed in you?" He asked with a slight frown on his face.
"No, I mean..." She tried to explain but Miller already understood the meaning behind her words.
"I see..." He pauses for a moment: "You don't need to worry about it. Mom and dad would not feel disappointed in you, trust me on this." He said as he put his hand on Leanna's shoulder: "I know that they would never treat you as a failure or a disappointment at all."He then stood up: "It was nice to meeting with you lots." He said while waving his hand. Then he is off to home. Viola and Leanna watch him leave before turning their attention toward Clara.
"You are very lucky to have a big brother like him." Viola said as she lit a cigarette: "He seems really nice."
"I guess I just spent too little time with him recently to remember how he was... he's a rock for sure but... he's also very thoughtful." Leanna nodded: "Yeah... He is really nice."
Viola giggles and shakes her head: "No wonder you are like this."
Leanna tilted her head upon hearing this: "What do you mean?"
"You are so cute and kind." Viola replied with a gentle smile on her face: "You are always thinking of others and trying to see the best in people."
Leanna blushed a little bit: "T-thanks, I guess..." She stuttered nervously.
Viola giggled and nodded: "We should go home now." She stood up and carried Clara up to her arms. Clara hugged her big sister tightly as they walked back home. Leanna decided to carry the bag with the toys inside. They got home around twenty minutes later, and Clara immediately went into her room to play with her new toys.
"How did you like the night out of the Viola family?" Viola asked Leanna with a smile on her face.
"It was fun..." Leanna answered with a smile: "I really liked hanging out with your two." She added.
"I'm glad." Viola said as she sat down on the sofa. Leanna sat beside her. Viola then turned her attention toward Leanna and asked: "Do you think your brother is lying to you about something?"
Leanna thought for a moment before answering: "I guess... i don't know... it felt like he was hiding something but he wouldn't tell me... I don't know how to explain it." She replied while tilting her head.
"Yeah... that sounds weird." Viola nods in agreement: "Maybe he was not really hiding something from you, he just... has something in mind but doesn't want to share it with you?"
"I don't know..." Leanna answered while looking away.
"Do you want to know what I think?" Viola asks as she turns Leanna's head to face her.
Leanna blushed slightly upon hearing this and nodded in silence.
Viola giggles and smiles at Leanna: "I was just messing with you honestly." She said while gently stroking Leanna's hair: "It's okay to just enjoy what you got now."
Leanna looks away while feeling embarrassed, and Viola could not help but laugh. After laughing for a while, Viola suddenly realizes that she is petting Leanna like she would pet her own dog or cat. "Oh sorry about this..." Viola stopped immediately, and Leanna turned her head toward Viola again.
"It's okay... I don't mind at all." Leanna said with a smile.
"You know... you act differently when you are with each of us." Viola commented while staring into Leanna's eyes.
Leanna's eyes widened slightly upon hearing that: "How so?" She asks curiously.
"When you are with me, you act all coy and innocent... but when you are with your brother you're like a scared little kitten. Then when it comes to Minka and Sannet, it's another story." Viola explains calmly while tilting her head: "I guess I don't need to explain how you act around them?" She asked.
Leanna blushed upon hearing this: "I-I...i don't even realize this." She looked away nervously.
"It's okay." Viola shakes her head: "I don't mind at all... in fact, I like it when you act differently with each of us." She said as she looked straight into Leanna's eyes: "Just let go of any stress you have in you, relax and be yourself."
Leanna blushes even more after hearing this: "I-I will try." She said,
"It's getting late now... should we just sleep?" Viola asks.
Leanna nodded slowly: "Not together, I am not Minka." She smiles in a sly way.
Viola giggles: "Goodnight then."
Minka arrived home soon after she bid farewell to everyone else. She unlocked the door and went inside quietly, but was stopped by her dad.
"Dad..." She said nervously.
"Minky? I didn't know you were coming back." Trazyn said while standing up from his chair to embrace his daughter.
"We are taking a small break... then we are attending the guild exam." Minka said as she hugged Trazyn back.
"Guild huh? Now that's my daughter!" He said with a proud look on his face: "Where are the others?"
Minka broke from the hug and replied: "They decided to rest until the day." She then looks around: "Where is Emilia?"
"She's working on some reports... don't worry." Trazyn answered while sitting back down on the chair: "She should be home soon."
"Dad, do you know where mom is?" Minka asked with a worried tone.
"I have no idea... It's been a while since she left us, I have no idea what she is doing." Trazyn said with a frown on his face: "Why are you so concerned about her anyways?"
"I miss her... she didn't even call for such a long time." Minka said while lowering her head.
"She will be back eventually. Don't worry about it. I will be here." Trazyn said with a comforting voice: "Besides... I miss your mom so much as well... but you know, work is work."
"Yeah..." Minka nods. She then goes to her room to put away her stuff. After that, she went downstairs to watch some TV. Trazyn sat down beside her and started asking about all the things she did recently.
"So... you escaped the camp... with Viola, Sannet and Leanna?" Trazyn asked after a long silence.
"Uhmm..." Minka tried to think of an excuse.
"No need to hide it." Trazyn said while stroking Minka's hair.
"Yeah...we did." Minka nodded: "I just feel... lost and confused about everything."
"It's okay...dad did more than escaping camps when I was your age." Trazyn said as he continued stroking Minka's hair.
Minka blushed at this comment: "Dad, what did you do when you were my age?"
"Well..." Trazyn thought for a moment: "I did many things, actually." He said while shaking his head: "But most of them were very illegal. Like taking something that wasn't mine and trading it for some fun gadgets."
Minka giggled at this: "That sounds awfully like what you do right now."
"Hey, dad did everything you see legally." Trazyn said while shaking his head.
Minka shakes her head as well and the two of them laugh for a while. The rest of the day was quite peaceful, Minka spent time watching some cartoons with her dad until Emilia finally came home: "Daddy? Sis!" Emilia ran into the living room after she saw the spare shoes near the doorway.
"Hey there, Emi!." Minka said while hugging Emilia: "Did you grow taller?"
"Yeah! By two centimeters!" Emilia answers happily.
"Oh really? That's good, right dad?" Minka asked.
Trazyn smiles and nods: "Yeah...she's growing up so fast."
"She will be as tall as me someday." Minka said proudly.
"Don't be too over confident, Minky." Trazyn shook his head: "Maybe she will be taller than you."
"You are such a downer, dad." Minka pouts.
"Well... I am your dad, so I am supposed to be the negative one." Trazyn said with a chuckle.
Minka chuckles and playfully hits her dad on his arm. Emilia is going to have an early day tomorrow, so she decided to go to bed first. Minka and Trazyn stayed up late in the living room to watch some news and comedy shows. Minka then starts feeling a bit tired so she leans on her father's shoulder and begins snoozing. Trazyn then picked Minka up and carried her to her room. He gently placed her on the bed and tucked her in before leaving.
"Sannet... Please don't leave..." Minka said as she dreamt.
After hearing this, Trazyn's body became stiff for a mere second then he left and closed the door gently. He went out of the door and headed into a corner where he could not be seen. Then green light covering all over his body and he teleported to where Sannet lives. The green light is actually an energy signal of teleportation, and it is hard to notice unless you know what you are looking for. When the green light faded, Trazyn was now standing in front of Sannet's apartment. He then knocks on the door and waits.
Sannet opened the door and frowned upon seeing who was at her door. "What do you want?" She asks.
"May I come in?" Trazyn asked while bowing his head.
"Fine, whatever." Sannet rolled her eyes. She opened the door wide open and let Trazyn into her house. Trazyn walks in with his usual arrogant posture and the door closed.
"What is this about?" Sannet asked.
"You have no idea why I came here?" He asks with a grin on his face.
"I got no fucking clue..." Sannet sighed: "What do you want?" She repeated her question.
"What did you do to Minka that made her upset?" Trazyn asks calmly.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Sannet glares at him: "Why do you care about it anyways? Aren't you supposed to be busy with your archeology stuff?"
"Sannet? I am asking as a friend. Not a worrying father that saw his dearest daughter muttering your name while she's sleeping." Trazyn answered while glaring back at Sannet.
"So now you're using our friendship as an excuse?" Sannet rolled her eyes: "Please... go back to your precious museum. Hell, build another mega corporation. I don't really care."
"Sannet, what did you do to Minka?" Trazyn asked with a serious face.
"Nothing." Sannet replied coldly: "Why the fuck does it matter to you anyways?" She added.
"Sannet! She's my daughter. Everything we've done until this point was for her!" Trazyn said angrily: "I gave you a really easy mission to let her quit the army. Which she did, but not at the expense of you hurting my child."
"If you think I hurt your precious child, then why didn't you just lock her away in your vault instead of having me look after her?" Sannet said with a grin on her face.
Trazyn glares at her before sighing: "You were my only friend, and I trust you so much with this."
Sannet shakes her head and scoffs at this: "Yeah...friend." She said sarcastically: "More like a puppet and her master."
"That's enough Sannet. You made her very upset, now you're making me upset as well. What do you want me to do to make you change your mind? Do you want me to give you everything I have? Would you be happy if I did that? " He asked as he kept his serious expression.
"Just get the fuck out of my house." Sannet said while turning her back to him.
Trazyn pins Sannet on the wall with one hand: "You've changed... Where's the Sannet who cares about others? Who cares about Minka and not doing anything bad to her? Where is the Sannet who keeps a promise she made?" He asked.
"Let go of me." Sannet said coldly: "I've changed and I don't care what you want to say to me. I just want you to get the fuck out of my house." She added.
"I gave you a choice all those years ago. And this is what I get for being nice?" Trazyn shook his head: "I should have locked you in the vault instead." He added angrily.
"Yeah? What are you going to do now? Torture me? Kill me? You're getting a little bit ahead of yourself." Sannet said with a grin: "You have also changed. You are not worthy of me to call you Sire." She added with a cold voice.
"Enough." Trazyn releases Sannet and starts walking toward the door. But before he opened the door, he turned around: "Please take better care of Minka for me." Then he left, leaving Sannet behind.
Sannet stood there, looking at the closed door and sighing. She then walked to the bathroom to take a shower and clean herself up. As the water was flowing down to her body, she felt a chill on her back. She shivered for a moment, and decided to continue bathing.
"Minka..." Sannet muttered as she thought of the girl's face: "What have you done to me?" She added with a sad tone. After a long time, she stepped out of the shower and wiped herself dry. Then she went to bed, still wondering what happened to her.
Minka's dreams suddenly woke her up and she found herself sitting on the bed, staring into space. She is not sure what happened just now. She felt like someone was calling out for her, but she could not hear it clearly. She looked at the clear night sky and decided to go back to bed: "Mom... where are you?" She mutters while she slowly closes her eyes.