As the old, stylish Beetle made its way down the road, its rattling and shaking seemed to be in sync with the beating of Kevin Si's heart. He sat in the passenger seat, dressed in his usual professorial attire. Meanwhile, Luis Heim II sat beside him in the driver's seat, his hands gripping the wheel tightly as if he were navigating the bumpy terrain.
In the back, Gaith Isaad slept soundly, blissfully unaware of the world around him. The car seemed to be the only source of movement on the otherwise still road.
Their faces showed signs of discomfort and strain from the constant shaking of the car, particularly the brown-wavy-haired grown man (Kevin) in the passenger seat. His face had turned pale, and his visible saliva betrayed his unease. The teenage boy with black hair, which had some gray (Luis), displayed a similar but less severe reaction. Even the child's (Gaith) sleeping expression hinted at discomfort.
"Did we really need to do this every time we go somewhere together?" Kevin asked, struggling to keep from throwing up.
The teenager replied bluntly, "Yes, of course, Brother Kevin. Isn't this how the four of you used to travel together when going somewhere in the past? You all used this car, right?"
"Yes, that's how Riyan, Dion, your father, and I used to travel, but back then, Dion could still ride inside the car with us," Kevin responded, annoyed by the teenager's innocent response, "So we actually rode in the car!" he continued.
"And Luis, why don't you just buy a new car that's large enough for that muscle-brain to fit in?" Kevin added, still staring at the dizzying view through the car's window.
"What a weirdo. Someone who can kill a human being without blinking an eye cares so much about an old car that even the original owner would have given up on long ago," Kevin thought to himself as he stared out the window.
"No matter what you say, I would never buy a new car, and by the way, stop thinking something that foolish," Luis said firmly.
Kevin was shocked, even though that kind of thing often happened, "What a monster," he thought, "how can someone read another person's thoughts like that?"
"And just to reiterate," Luis interrupted Kevin's thoughts, "I'm not reading people's minds. I simply observe their facial expressions and gestures to draw conclusions about what they're thinking."
Kevin grinned in annoyance before giving Luis a fake smile, "Sure, you're the best," he said sarcastically.
Luis responded with arrogance, full of himself. His eyebrows rose as he proudly declared, "Of course I am."
Although Kevin didn't utter any words, his expression spoke volumes as he turned his face to the window. One could almost imagine him thinking, "Aaaaaaaaaaaaarrghh! Why did they have to be like this - the child and the father with their same personalities?"
Luis saw Kevin's expression but simply smiled silently, enjoying the ride to the child's maternal—Emily's household.
Dok! Dok! Dok!
The sound of knocking.
"Hey, Dion! Can you hear me?" Kevin shouted from inside the car.
The towering-built man with spiky hair responded loudly from under the car, "What?" causing the vehicle to vibrate.
"Could you run faster?"
"Huh, what? I thought ya hated something like this!" Dion exclaimed.
"Luis!" Kevin interjected in annoyance.
"Ahhh— Sure!" Dion responded, realizing what Kevin was experiencing. "Buckle up!"
Dion, who was carrying the old car on his back, took a deep breath before preparing to move faster. Luckily, the streets were quiet as it was already late at night. He ran with ease, not thinking about anything.
Despite the late hour, some people witnessed Dion's amazing feat and became frightened. It was not the first time such a phenomenon had occurred, but it never failed to inspire fear in those who saw it. They called it the "Modern Atlas," a reference to the Greek God Atlas, who famously carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. Even though it was a familiar sight to some, the sight of a man carrying a car on his back was still awe-inspiring and terrifying.
As Dion ran, the people inside the car jiggled up and down, their faces becoming paler. On the other hand, Dion smiled with joy as he felt the wind rushing past him.
*
After arriving at the front gate of Emily's household, Luis and Kevin quickly left the car, unable to handle their dizziness. Kevin, in particular, was the first to throw up beside the fence of the house, causing it to become stained.
"That's disgusting!" Luis responded, leaning his hands on the fence beside him.
"Wuarghh! Shut up—" Before he could retort properly, Kevin opened his mouth and angrily shouted as he heard the sound of Luis swallowing, "You're even more disgusting than me!"
Luis grinned at him, "Well, at least I swallowed it and didn't throw up, so I'm cleaner than you, aren't I?"
"Ahh, up to you!" Kevin said, giving up the argument as he realized it wasn't worth debating.
Luis put his hands on his waist and laughed, feeling victorious in the argument.
Dion, who had just retrieved Gaith's sleeping body from the car, looked at them with disdain, "Ya weaklings," he scoffed, "Can't even handle a little shake."
Luis and Kevin turned their gazes toward Dion, feeling humiliated by his gaze. Their facial expressions became wrinkled as their eyes were slanted.
"What? Even a child didn't throw up like both of ya!" Dion exclaimed, lifting Gaith's body high as if he was a championship belt, "Look!"
The duo stared at Gaith and noticed that the child had the same expression as them. Together, they shouted, "Are you blind? Look at his face, pale as a ghost!" They pointed their finger at Dion.
Dion was confused by their reaction, "Heeh, don't make excuses," he turned Gaith's body around and looked at him. But the moment those words were spoken, Gaith showed signs of vomiting. Dion reflected a quick flash of light, turned Gaith's body forward, and extended his hand.
"Buargghhh!" Gaith threw a lot of smelt liquid.
Dion sighed in frustration, "What the hell is wrong with this generation?" he said, "They're so weak!"
"Weak, my ass! You're the monster here!" Kevin retorted.
"I think I should buy a new car after this!" Luis said, feeling embarrassed and frustrated by Dion's comment.
"You should do that sooner, brother!"
"Yeah!"
Both Luis and Kevin were at a loss for words as they stared at Dion.
"Stop looking at me like that!" Dion shouted uncomfortably, feeling the disinterested looks from the other two, "You want to fight me, ha?"
As they were switching gazes, a guard in a red and blue uniform approached them, looking upset, "Hey, who do you all think you guys are? How dare you dirty Emily's household property!" he exclaimed.
The guard's voice successfully caught the attention of the trio, who instantly stared at him, "Huh?" The trio sighed in dissatisfaction.
The guard's voice was thick with arrogance as he bounced his gold baton in his hands, the metal gleaming in the moonlight, "Huh, what?" he sneered at the trio, "Do you even know who you're dealing with? This is Emily's household, and this family has power and influence that you couldn't possibly imagine," he added, his tone dripping with superiority.
Luis waved his hand in response to the anger emanating from Dion.
Dion nodded and sighed, "I leave it to ya!" he whispered, relinquishing control to Luis and Kevin.
"What are you guys whispering about?" The guard shouted, pointing his gold baton at the trio.
Luis smiled and began to explain, "Hey there, sir. We just delivered a family member to this household," he explained.
The guard was skeptical, "That's a lie! All of the family members are in the hospital right now!" he retorted.
Kevin stepped forward and spoke up, "Look, we're not lying. Just take a look at the child we delivered," he said firmly.
Dion held up Gaith's face to the guard, hoping to convince him of their honesty.
The guard hesitated for a moment, but after taking a closer look at Gaith's face, he recognized him.
"Oh, okay. You can leave him there," he said with a sigh, pointing to the small buildings beside the gate of Emily's household.
Luis quickly denied the guard's idea, "Ah, not that building, sir. I want this boy to enter that one," he said, pointing to a larger building behind the gate.
"That building?" the guard asked, looking skeptical before bursting into laughter, "Hahahahahahah! Are you guys stupid?" he exclaimed, his tone mocking and derisive.
The guard's laughter only served to fuel the trio's anger. "Madness Professor, take care of Gaith for a while!" Dion said, offering to let Kevin hold onto the child.
Kevin held the child in his arms and walked behind Dion as he began to dance in a strange and erratic manner, his movements wild and uncontrolled. Luis followed closely behind the trio.
The guard's eyebrows shot up as he demanded an explanation, "What in the world do you think you're doing?" he barked, frustration lacing his voice. He reached for a device on his belt, holding it up for emphasis, "Just so you're aware, I can call for backup with the press of a button. You guys don't want to mess with me."
But the trio ignored the warning, and Dion continued his dance. Every move sent a gust of wind that grew stronger with each passing moment.
The guard's fear mounted as he reached for the backup button, but Dion swiftly intervened. With a crack like lightning, he whipped his hand and unleashed a hurricane-force wind that flapped the guard's uniform like a flag and gave him an impromptu facelift. Although the wind didn't physically harm the guard, he lost the ability to stand up.
The guard groaned, struggling to regain his balance as he clutched at a nearby railing. He glared at the trio, his face contorted, "You're all—" he began to shout, but his words caught in his throat when he saw the figure that had appeared before him.
Luis stepped forward, his voice low and menacing, "Keep your mouth shut if you want to see another light tomorrow."
Instantly, the guard nodded in agreement.
"And as you know, we're not bad people," Luis added, seeking confirmation from the guard.
The guard nodded again, recognizing the trio.
"So open the gate, or we'll break it down," Luis warned, his voice firm and unwavering.
The guard shook his head, his loose pants flapping as he hurried to open the gate.
Luis and Kevin shared a look of terror as they observed how Luis's tongue could strike fear into the hearts of anyone who dared to cross him.
"Sometimes I wonder if he's really a teenager or a seasoned politician!" Kevin satirized, earning a chuckle from Dion, "I mean, the guy's got more experience than most politicians twice his age," he added with a grin.
Dion smirked in response, "Well, you should remember whose son he is," he said slyly, causing Kevin to shudder as he recalled Luis's father and his formidable reputation.
**
The trio arrived at the main entrance of the large building, but Luis and Kevin were struggling with nausea once again.
They had been carried on Dion's back for the long distance between the gate and the main building, and the physical strain had taken its toll. The gate was quite far from the building; it would have taken 30 minutes to walk there on foot.
"Do you have to carry us every time?" Kevin asked, feeling uncomfortable, "hey Dion!" But there was no answer from Dion, who proceeded to press the bell at the main entrance.
That only made Kevin more frustrated, "Hey! Can you answer me?" he exclaimed, his tone growing angrier.
As Kevin continued to express his frustration with Dion, the main entrance suddenly opened. A girl of the same age as Luis was standing there, dressed modestly in clothes that looked cheaper than what wealthy people would wear.
She appeared to have just woken up from sleep, with her disheveled appearance and drool on the corner of her mouth.
The trio stared at her, and Luis peeked inside, checking her out. He couldn't help but notice a thin blanket lying on the floor as well.
"So, that's how it is!" Luis thought.
"Well, for starters, may salvation be yours," Luis said, bowing his head slightly as he spoke.
Kevin and Dion followed him afterward.
The girl did the same thing, "May salvation be yours as well, Mr. Luis, Mr. Kevin, and Mr. Dion," she replied politely.
"Lady Beretta, do you already know the purpose of our visit?" Dion asked.
Beretta nodded, "Yes, there's a big chance you're here to deliver the young master over there," she replied, pointing to Gaith, who was sleeping on Dion's shoulder.
The three bowed slightly.
"As you might expect, Lady Beretta," Luis replied as he snapped his fingers.
Dion then handed Gaith's sleeping body to Beretta, "Thank you," she said, "I'll take it from here."
Before leaving Gaith with Beretta, the trio patted his head. Dion went first, saying, "Take care, boy!" Kevin followed, adding, "Stay strong, kiddo!" Finally, it was Luis's turn. "Remember, we're always here for you," he said reassuringly.
As they took a few steps away from the building, Dion suddenly turned back. Fortunately, Lady Beretta was still looking at them.
Dion bowed his head, a rare sight even for Kevin and Luis. They were stunned as they watched him.
Dion took a deep breath and shouted, his voice filled with emotion, "Lady Beretta! I have never bowed down to anyone before, and this would be the first and the last time that I would bow my head to a human ever again!"
He took another deep breath and then shouted again, "So please hear my wish! Please... Please take care of the boy for us—no, Lady Aisyah! Your sister who is also his mother ..."
As Dion continued, his heart was hurting. He realized that he could only hope for another person to take care of his sworn brother's son, but what else could he do? The people that Gaith had chosen were some of the worst human beings, who had even killed their savior.
"Deep down in my soul, I cannot put my trust in those people," Dion continued, clenching his fists, "they have lost their way, and their souls are tainted. The only thing I can think of that still has a pure soul is you."
"Please, I beg of you," Dion pleaded as tears streamed down his face. He looked up at Lady Beretta with desperation in his eyes. "Watch over him and keep him safe."
As they watched Dion pour his heart out, Kevin and Luis were moved to join him. They bowed down before Lady Beretta in unison.
"Please," they shouted together, "do this for us! Take care of Gaith, give him the love of family!"
Their voices echoed through the empty streets, filled with desperation and hope. They knew that Lady Beretta was their last hope of keeping Gaith in a warm and loving family environment, at least to some extent.
Their screams were enough to vibrate Lady Beretta's morals, although she would have done the same even if they hadn't pleaded with her. Lady Beretta was Lady Aisyah's sister, born from a different father. She also faced hatred and discrimination from the rest of the family. Lady Aisyah was the only one who had supported her and given her warmth. Lady Beretta was determined to do the same for Gaith, even if it would cost her life.
Despite her usual shyness, Lady Beretta found herself shouting in response to their words. "In the name of God," she said firmly, "I will take care Gaith Isaad, the son of my sister and also the son of your foster brother Riyan Isaad."
~~To be continued~~