by Rana Demiriz
I shrugged. “Okay.”
“You don’t seem surprised at all.”
“I think I got used to being the center of everything by now,” I said bitterly.
He laughed in return, but it wasn’t joyful. There was a long pause. I used the opportunity to turn my back to Rio and take off my robe. To prevent revealing my nighty too much, I rushed to get in my bed.
“Do you still miss them?” he asked. It took me a few seconds to get who he meant: My father and my treacherous mother. I thought about it for a moment.
“Yes.”
“Despite everything?”
“Rio, look. I just found out about everything this morning, okay? I don’t know what to think of this yet.”
He was determined to puzzle my mind. I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I was really exhausted.
“Your mother made some huge mistakes, Mia. We are all paying for her sins.”
All of us? Paying? What did Rio have anything to do with my mom? I suppose things were even more complicated than I thought. “What do you mean by ‘we’? You and?”
“Me and…” His sentence was cut short by my yawning. “You’re exhausted, Mia. Just go to sleep.” I stared at deep inside his eyes, which had tingling lights inside.
“You and who else?” I said persistently.
“I will tell you more tomorrow.”
“Promise me that you will do just that!” I couldn’t believe I said that. I was acting like a little child. I was talking nonsense because of the exhaustion.
He smiled and whispered. “Scout’s honor.” It was the last thing I heard before I let myself into sleep’s arms.
CHAPTER 8
I had the same nightmare again. I was running in the same desert. Alejandro was the same, Alejandro. Even his clothes were the same as the last time. I looked around. It was almost pitch black. I could hardly breathe while running, but this time, Rio wasn’t there to help me.
This time I was all alone. “Mia, wake up! Come on!”
It took me a little while to get back to real life after the horrible darkness. The voice that brought me back to reality belonged to Rio, who was kneeling beside me.
At first, I couldn’t make up my mind, but then I remembered the nightmare. I straightened up in a rush, and my blanket slid down to my lap, but I didn’t have time to worry about it. “I-I-I saw him again…” I mumbled with fear. I pulled my knees to my chest. This way, I was able to cover my neckline, and I needed to hug myself. I needed this right now. This time the darkness almost swallowed me for good. It was even worse than before.
“Mia, just try to calm down, okay?” Rio said soothingly.
“I… I can’t,” I said mumbling.
“You’re one of the strongest women I’ve ever met, Mia; you can do it.” When I gave him a look of disbelief, he grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me slightly. “Pull yourself together, Mia! Don’t let him beat you down with fear.”
He told me not to be afraid, but he didn’t tell me the most important thing. The kind of thing that your mother tells you when you wake up in the middle of the night with fear. I started shaking with fear. “Tell me it was just a nightmare.”
He turned his eyes away for a moment, and then he looked at me. “I can’t lie to you.”
I raised my head. “Damn it, Rio! You come here and get in our lives, and after all the things that have happened, you can’t even tell me that this was not just a dream.”
“I’m sorry…”
“You should be,” I said, scolding him.
We both fell silent. I checked my watch. It was six am just like the last time I woke up from my nightmare. Sophia and Lana must’ve been out of the house by now. They leave the house as early as possible to go to work, and they had to work even on Sundays. On the other hand, Carmela’s only off day was Sunday.
Rio got up and looked at my eyes like he was expecting me to start asking questions. I didn’t say anything. He lowered his gaze. I guess he was feeling a bit offended because of our argument. He went to the bathroom to take a shower. I took advantage of him being in the shower and got dressed swiftly. I made my bed and then went down to the living room. I saw Aida there. She was watching Sophia reporting the morning news. She must have gone on the air while I was getting dressed.
Aida saw me. “Mia, you can’t get away! Come here right now and tell me what happened.”
I grunted as I sat down. “Here comes the interrogation,” I muttered. Right at that time, Carmela appeared at the door. She ran to me. “I didn’t miss anything, right?” she asked Aida. “You too?” I asked sarcastically.
“No, she was just about to start,” Aida said.
“There is no way I can escape this, right?” I hopelessly asked. They shook their head as a no and grinned mischievously.
“What happened, Mia? Tell us everything.”
“Aren’t you afraid of what’s going to happen next? How can you even be this relaxed?” I asked to change the topic.
“Of course, we're afraid.” She seemed more serious now. Just like I wanted.
“Then act like so. I don’t like these kinds of implications.” I said with a serious tone.
“So, did he tell you why he came?” asked Carmela.
“No,” I said.
“So he didn’t say anything? I can’t believe it! He was constantly talking about that he came for you, Mia. Didn’t he tell you why?”
I sighed and just said, “No.”
“Hey! Where do you think you’re going?” said Carmela.
“Well, someone needs to prepare breakfast.” She nodded and kept talking to Aida. No one was going to help me out, I guess. I was all alone, which meant that finally, I could have some time to think.
I went to the kitchen. I pushed the button on the coffee maker, and I started taking out the ingredients from the cupboard to make some pancakes. I was trying to put together the pieces in my mind, but none of them was making any sense. Then I thought about the things I’ve meant to ask Rio. There were just so many that I didn’t even know where to start.
Maybe I could use my talent to try and sense something. Anything. This feeling of despair was killing me. I closed my eyes, but all I could feel was a tingling sensation in the air by the kitchen door. Someone was coming. I opened my eyes and saw Rio’s perfectly handsome face.
“Wow! Azurite powers at work, eh?” he said. I wondered how he figured it out. My eyes must have changed color again. “What did you try to feel?” he asked.
“Nothing in particular,” I said.
He didn’t object. “Okay, then.”
I didn’t answer. I tried to take four plates from the cream-colored cupboard. I was just about to put the plates on the table when I felt a sharp pain on my injured arm, and as if that was not enough, I sprained my ankle. In a blink of an eye, I found myself in Rio’s arms. Well, I was not precisely in his arms, but he managed to get a hold of me right before I fell. His face was so close to mine that I could smell his sweet breath. He grinned. “You had better be careful,” he said after looking at my arm, which was responsible for everything.
“Y-y-yeah I guess,” I mumbled, and my cheeks started burning up.
“You’re blushing,” he said, still smiling.
“Am I?” I turned my eyes away.
“Yes, it’s adorable. A change from the usual cranky and unhappy attitude of yours...” he was still grinning.
Cranky and unhappy?
We heard giggling by the door, so we both straightened up. Rio took his hands off of my arm, and I took a step back to put the plates on the table. That way, I could hide my face from both the girls and Rio. I didn’t know how I looked like, but I could bet that the girls would find it pretty funny.
I heard Aida and Carmela enter the kitchen.
“How are you two beautiful ladies this morning,” said Rio smiling sweetly.
Rio was radiating a childish yet charming aura. Aida seemed like she could faint any moment, and Carmela’s breath was taken. If
I hadn’t seen Alejandro, maybe I would've been more impressed by Rio. I wasn't saying that I was not impressed, just not as much as the girls were. When the girls sat down for breakfast, Rio and I were the only ones standing up. It was time to protect my sisters. I leaned into Rio's ear. “Please, stop doing this. You can do all you want to impress me, but not the girls,” I whispered.
He frowned. His smile faltered. “What are you talking about?” he said.
“The charming smile and the never-ending compliments,” I said, annoyed.
“Oh, I see,” he was grinning from ear to ear. “Why do you want me to stop? Are you jealous?” He continued.
“No! Of course, I’m not. The thing is that Aida is only seventeen so she is a bit… too young for you. Also, Carmela and Sophia are about to get married, so keep it down a notch.”
“How about you?” he said, raising one eyebrow. I avoided his question. “Please don’t drag my sisters into this mess. I know that there will be a war.”
He stiffened when he heard me say ‘war.’ His smile faded, and he seemed like he was going through a lot of emotions all at once. He sat down on the table without saying another word. We were eating our breakfast in silence when the street door was opened. I nearly jumped out of my skin.
“Delicious smells reach all the way to the streets. I wouldn’t say no to a Sunday breakfast,” said Sophia, who just walked into the room.
I frowned. “Weren’t you on the TV just now? How did you make it home so fast?”
“They re-broadcasted what we shot yesterday. We made another shoot this morning.”
She pulled a chair near to Aida and sat down. She took some pancakes from the plate and dug in. Carmela started chatting. She was telling my college adventures to Rio, and he was listening to her like it was the most important topic in the world. I raised my head to look at Sophia as she dropped her fork. Her body was stiffened, and her eyes were started turning Azurite blue.
“What’s going on?” I froze.
“Carmen is talking to Julia,” Sophia shared what she saw, when Rio head Julia’s name, his jaw tensed.
“What is she saying?” he asked.
“They are talking about the Master of Darkness.”
Rio stood up and clenched his fists.
“Can you hear what they're saying?” I yelled.
“I don’t know. That’s all I can see.” Sophia said in a monotonous voice, still in a trance.
“Damn it, damn it!” Rio said through clenched teeth.
“What’s happening?” I exclaimed.
“He is getting ready to attack,” Rio said.
“Attack? But why?” I asked confusedly.
“I can’t say that right here,” he apologetically gazed at my sisters. Sophia stood up. She took Carmela’s arm, and they left the kitchen. Aida reluctantly followed them.
I turned to him, “Why does he want to attack us, Rio?”
“He is coming for you.” His eyes held anger. I'd never seen him in such a dire state.
“But why me?” I asked.
His fists were clenched on his sides. “Mia, I can’t tell you that. But maybe I can show you.”
The Master of Darkness was coming. Alejandro was coming. I had to do something before it was all too late. “What are we going to do?” I asked anxiously.
“Don’t be afraid, Mia.”
“How can you say that? For Godsake, Rio! He is coming, and you’re just standing there, telling me not to be afraid.” I said desperately.
“You don’t need to worry because I’m here for you, Mia. Did you forget?” he said soothingly.
I gave him a penetrating look. “Can you stop him?” I yelled.
He was listening to me in utter silence. I let my innermost fears to come out.
“They can’t die! Not because of me… This can’t happen. I can’t be the reason for their death. I just can’t.”
I collapsed on the floor and started crying uncontrollably. Then I found myself decorating Rio’s cotton shirt with my tears. We were in the middle of the kitchen, leaning on the cream-colored cupboards, and I was crying on the shoulders of a man whom I barely knew, overwhelmed by my fear and responsibility I felt for my sisters. What I was going through was not easy. I was tired of constantly trying to be strong. The more I felt terrible about letting myself go like this, the more I cried. Meanwhile, Rio was still holding me in his arms without any complaints.
When my sobbing calmed down a bit, I sniffed. “I’m so sorry, Rio.”
He put my hair behind my ear. “Don’t be,” he said.
“How can you be so sure that he is coming for me?”
I was crying again. “Don’t be afraid, Mia. You’re much stronger than you give yourself credit for.”
“I’m not strong, but he is, and he is on his way here right now,” I repeated. I needed to say it out loud, actually to believe what I say.
“Calm down, Mia. He might be the Master of Darkness, but I am…” He paused and took a deep breath. “I guess it’s time to tell you about everything. But you can’t speak of this to anyone else, do you understand?" he said. He sounded more serious than his usual self. I turned my head to meet his eyes, and only then asked the most important question I had.
“Who are you, Rio? Who are you really?”
“I am…” he said. I held my breath and waited for his answer, still in his arms.
“I am the Master of Light.”
CHAPTER 9
I didn't remember how long I kept crying in his arms. I was overwhelmed by the intensity of my emotions. Even though Rio had disagreed with me, I still wasn’t feeling strong… Now, in addition to everything that I had to go through, I also had to deal with the ‘Master of Light.’ How could I drag my sisters into a war which they didn’t even deserve? We were just all slapped in the face by the secrets of our past, and while we were torn apart by an emotional hurricane. This was not only about my sisters but also about the Azurites and even the human race… How could I do such a thing? It would be total selfishness. I was not the center of the world. I couldn’t be the one to determine the fate of humanity! But I guess I didn’t have the luxury to object.
“Tell me what you’re thinking,” said Rio, after I stopped crying.
I was buried so deep inside my thoughts that I forgot that I was still in Rio’s arms, leaning on the cupboard. Rio had kept his silence. He seemed to be content with this situation. I jerked away. I shook off his hand in a sudden movement and straightened up.
“Your silence is killing me,” he said, ignoring my change of heart.
“Are you the reason why Julia left with Carmen?” I asked.
“Yes, that’s true,” he answered.
“What did you do to them, anyway?” I was surprised. After all, wasn't he supposed to represent 'Light'? Goodness and purity. What could he possibly have done to them?
“I am the Master of Light, which means that I’m subjective by nature, and so is Alejandro. Zathefs, on the other hand, are completely neutral, as you know. That’s the reason why they defy us.”
“Yes, I know.” I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at him since all he has done so far was telling me things that I already know.
“And, of course, there is another reason why they don’t like me.”
“You’re being cryptic again…” I said, frowning.
“Don’t say that. You’ve already learned too much about me. Probably more than anyone else.”
I gave him a look that basically meant C’mon. “I want to ask you something,” I said.
“Of course, ask whatever you like.” His face was unreadable.
“How did this all happen? I mean, how did you become the Master of Light, and how did Alejandro end up as the Master of Darkness? What’s the root of this story?” I asked.
“It’s hard for me to explain,” he said.
“A curse? A blessing? Or a punishment maybe?” I asked.
“I guess you could say that it’s a curse, but I assure you that it’
s not a blessing. Even though I work for the benefit of the good, it feels more like a punishment than anything.” He was looking tired.
I frowned. “A punishment for what? What did you do to deserve this?”
He leaned back and took a deep breath. “We didn’t do anything. It was all my mother’s fault.”
“What? What did she do?”
Everything was slowly fitting together. Rio's mother, Alejandro, me and the punishment. Everything was connected.
“Wait a second. Did I misunderstand? What does your mother have anything to do with Alejandro?”
“Alejandro is my brother. We are siblings.”
I must have missed that part. “What?” I was so shocked I could barely speak.
Rio turned eyes away in sorrow. “The curse is our mother’s fault.”
“Oh, god! Is this some kind of a test?” He kept silent for a while. He turned his eyes to me again and lifted his head. Just when he opened his lips to talk, I interrupted him. “Please make some sense,” I said, beggingly.
“I'd like that, but isn’t what we’re going through beyond sense? Even our existence is nothing but a logical error,” he said.
“I guess you’re right.” I felt defeated. “If I didn’t exist, none of these would have happened,” I said.
“If you’re going to start blaming yourself again, there are many people in line already,” Rio said.
“Like who? I need to blame someone.”
“Not just someone, some people.”
I shrugged. “Whatever.”
“Our parents, your aunts, Alejandro and other Zathefs…”
“Well, that’s a hell of a list you got there,” I said.
“As I said, you are the least guilty of them all. Your only fault was to be born.” He seemed genuinely concerned about me.
I thought about what he said for a moment. He said, ‘our parents’. Does it mean that his father and my mother were...? Was Rio’s dad was the same man; my mother sacrificed everything for?
I almost jumped out of my skin with the thought that Rio might've been the missing kid of Alejandro’s mother. I suddenly stood up with shock and stared at Rio’s confused face. He got up too.