Rio...
He was no different from other children...
In fact, he was perhaps the most ordinary of them all.
A child born... without ever being granted the chance to dream.
But before he became that way,
let us return for a moment to the very beginning...
In the state of Azurania...
The rain was pouring heavily, as if the sky were emptying its entire heart all at once.
Lightning tore through the clouds, branching out like the roots of trees, and a pale white light flashed for a fraction of a second before vanishing, leaving behind an even heavier darkness.
Asya walked out of the pharmacy, wrapping her coat tightly around her body, trying in vain to shield herself from the downpour.
She muttered in annoyance:
"What is with this weather today..."
She stood at the door, staring at the wet street, hesitating to take even a single step forward.
Suddenly...
The rain stopped falling above her head.
She slowly raised her gaze to find a black umbrella blocking the sky from her,
And a calm voice said:
"Go ahead... I don't need it."
She turned quickly, her eyes landing on a tall young man. His features were serene, his gaze steady, and he was handsome. His muscles appeared toned and lean rather than loud and overly bulky. His facial structure carried a wolf-like sharpness, appearing to be in his twenties, standing at a height of about 185 cm.
Flustered for a moment, she said shyly:
"Thank you..."
She took the umbrella and walked quickly toward her car, as if fleeing from something she did not comprehend. She sat behind the steering wheel, closed the door, then placed her hand on her chest, murmuring:
"What was that...?"
She felt a wave of bashfulness and intense attraction.
She suddenly shook her head:
"Pull yourself together, Asya... it's just an umbrella!"
She inserted the key and tried to ignite the car...
But it didn't start.
Once... twice... a third time...
Then she slammed the steering wheel in frustration:
"Damn you, stupid car!"
She rested her head against the wheel in despair, not knowing what to do.
Outside, Rayan was watching the scene from afar, a faint smile gracing his face.
"Is she arguing with her car...?"
He hesitated for a moment, then sighed and walked over to her. He knocked on the window.
Asya gasped in terror. She opened the door quickly while scrambling backward:
"Take all the money! But please, just leave me alone!"
Rayan froze for a second... then laughed softly:
"Calm down... I only wanted to help."
Asya stopped, looking at him properly...
Then she gasped:
"You... the umbrella guy!"
An embarrassing silence prevailed for a few seconds. She quickly held out the umbrella:
"Here you go, I almost forgot..."
Rayan smiled:
"Keep it... consider it a gift."
She paused for a moment.
"A gift...?"
"Today...?"
She whispered to herself:
"But... today is my birthday... Is it possible he knows it's my birthday today? No, no, that's impossible. I don't know any relatives with that kind of good looks."
She spaced out.
"Miss?"
She didn't notice.
"Miss?"
Suddenly, thunder roared powerfully, and she shrieked:
"Mom!"
She immediately slapped her hand over her mouth, her face turning crimson with embarrassment.
Rayan turned his face away, stifling a laugh so he wouldn't humiliate her. Controlling himself, he turned back to her and said:
"Do you need help?"
She sighed and said:
"Yes... my car won't start."
Rayan bent down to inspect the engine, starting to work in silence. Asya watched him covertly, every now and then trying to say something... only to hold back.
After a few minutes, the car finally sparked to life.
Rayan wiped his hands and said:
"It's done... but I think I deserve some water at least."
She nodded quickly:
"Of course!"
She went to the back and grabbed a bottle of water... but then she stopped. A mischievous smile appeared on her face.
She whispered to herself:
"They say drinking from the same bottle... is an indirect kiss..."
She stifled a giggle:
"An excellent idea."
A sarcastic voice answered her:
"Indeed, an excellent idea."
She froze.
She raised her head at an agonizingly slow pace...
"Was I thinking out loud?"
"Yes, you were thinking out loud."
She covered her face instantly:
"I want to dissolve into thin air..."
Rayan laughed:
"It's fine... I liked your plan."
She looked at him bashfully, trying to keep her composure.
He stopped laughing, looking at her with a different kind of calmness this time. Asya grew nervous under his gaze:
"What?"
He said it while wearing a slight smile:
"Just... I wonder how people fail to notice your beauty."
She stammered:
"What do you mean?"
"I mean... you are not ordinary."
She remained silent, not knowing how to reply.
Rayan completed his thought with:
"I wonder why the moon isn't ashamed of your beauty? And what increases my bewilderment is how it doesn't ask why you aren't the moon instead of it."
Rayan was not wrong at all when he saw her as more beautiful than the moon. She was a girl with flawless, pale skin like that of a vampire, rose-pink hair, and vivid red eyes. Her height was around 178 cm, giving her the captivating, beautiful, and confident presence of a fashion model.
She said softly:
"Thank you...?"
Then she paused, waiting.
He smiled:
"Rayan."
"Thank you, Rayan."
From that exact moment... everything began.
They got to know each other, and Rayan asked for her phone number to stay in touch.
A text message... then another...
A late-night phone call...
A shared laugh... a minor argument... then an apology.
Asya found herself smiling whenever she saw his name,
And Rayan... would prolong the conversation just to hear her voice more.
They spoke for hours, day and night, and whenever they went out, their happiness was incomplete without the other.
But behind all of that...
There was something he had not told her.
Days passed...
And one night, he spoke to her in a serious voice:
"I want to marry you."
She fell silent.
It wasn't a difficult question... rather, it was a terrifying one.
But she remembered how she felt with him... the safety she couldn't quite explain...
"I agree."
A year passed.
A simple year... but it was an entire universe to them.
And on a quiet day, she told him:
"I am pregnant."
He couldn't process it for a moment... then he laughed, and then he wept.
"Really...?"
But...
The joy was not meant to be complete.
Inside the operating room...
After nine months had passed and the moment of labor arrived.
Rayan sat, pressing his hands together, his eyes never leaving the door. They were taking far too long. Each passing minute felt like an hour.
The beeping of the machines... the frantic footsteps of the doctors... the heavy silence. Everything indicated that the procedure was not going well.
"Please... be okay..."
Hours passed.
Then the door opened. The doctor came out... carrying a small infant.
Rayan stood up rapidly, his eyes gleaming:
"My son...?"
Rayan began to gaze at him, a warm, grandfatherly-tier fatherly tenderness spreading across his face. He felt overwhelming happiness because he had finally become a father.
Out of his sheer excitement, he gave him a name right on the spot:
"Rio!"
"Your name will be Rio."
But the doctor did not smile. His hesitation was clear; he did not want to shatter Rayan's bliss.
Rayan noticed this and said to him:
"What's wrong? And how is Asya?"
The doctor wanted to say something but hesitated deeply, falling silent for a moment. Rayan insisted that he speak.
After a while, the doctor spoke and said:
"We are sorry... we couldn't save her. She is gone."
Everything ground to a halt.
For several minutes, Rayan froze in his tracks. He didn't understand.
"What...?"
"Your wife... has passed away."
The words crashed down upon him like bullets.
He took his child into his arms... and walked out walking incredibly slowly, his back hunched from the crushing grief bearing down on him. He wasn't even capable of walking normally anymore. His legs could no longer support him.
He didn't weep out loud...
But anyone who saw him could feel that something deep inside him had shattered.
At times, as he walked, he would collapse to the ground. He would remain there for a long time, remembering every happy moment between him and Asya.
The most precious thing he owned was gone. His wife... his partner in life.
His mind fell silent, and his heart closed its doors to suppress the sorrow within, refusing to let out the emotions that would cause his complete collapse.
Outside...
There were eyes watching him.
Rayan noticed this and stood back up on his feet firmly while holding his baby.
Suddenly, a group of gang members surrounded him. A man stepped forward slowly:
"Didn't I tell you... we would kill you on the happiest day of your life?"
Rayan slowly raised his eyes toward him.
"You were wrong... this is the worst day of my life."
He looked down at his infant.
"And the best."
The man did not reply; instead, the weapon was aimed directly at him.
In that defining moment... he thought.
Should he run?
Should he fight?
Should he live... for the sake of this child?
But his heart was empty... shattered... helpless. He asked himself:
What if he grows up carrying my sorrow? What if I become the reason for his brokenness...?
Everything inside me is already destroyed. I might take out my anger on the child; I might raise him poorly out of accumulated grief. I might not be able to handle the responsibility alone. I might be cruel to him.
Rayan feared and dreaded that he would discharge his hoard of negative emotions onto his child and pass his sorrow to him. Therefore, he closed his eyes for a brief moment.
"Forgive me..."
The sound of the gunshot severed everything. He fell.
The infant was laid on his back right next to Rayan. Rayan looked at him with profound sorrow. His son was crying, mourning the departure of his father.
Rayan looked toward the sky and exhaled slowly, filled with exhaustion:
"I am coming to you, Asya."
But... before he slipped away entirely... his consciousness returned to him for a final split second.
He looked at his child. A gaze entirely full of disappointment in himself, blame, and self-reproach. Tears welled in his eyes, and a single question repeated in his mind:
What have I done...?
He realized his sin too late.
He had caused a child to live completely alone, without a father or a mother, without anyone to defend him, care for him, or heal him. He had abandoned a part of himself.
He wanted to apologize to Rio but was unable to; his throat had filled with blood. He wanted to scream... to return... to fix everything...
But time was up. His body went still, as if everything had ended.
Rayan extended his hand to feel his son one last time. He placed his hand on the baby's head, stroking it gently to soothe him. Rio calmed down slightly and laughed; he felt a sense of security.
Rayan smiled at him while slowly closing his eyes. He spoke to himself, saying:
Please, Rio, forgive me... I am sorry that I was your father and made you live without anyone from the very start. Everything is because of me, so blame me when you grow up... Upbraid my soul as much as you wish; I will accept everything as long as it empties your anger and lets you rest... But please, live a happy life. Do not look back.
Rio was looking at his father intently and joyfully, as if trying to memorize his features forever.
And so...
Rio was born...
And lost everything... at the exact same moment.
His dwelling became an orphanage instead of the home where he was meant to live with his father and mother.
To be continued...