Chapter 4

May 2015.

In her room, Fathia sat surrounded by many textbooks. In two days, she would be facing her class advancement exams to the next level: eleventh grade. Don't ask how nervous she was, but Fathia always remembered, she could get through it. Sebastian always sent her encouraging messages even though they were separated by distance. Sebastian mentioned that he had business in BonnaFenture.

She had only one request to God, that He always protect Sebastian. Somehow, she trusted Sebastian's hand holding hers more than her uncle's or aunt's, who were, in fact, family. Sebastian himself eventually limited Fathia's interactions, for reasons unknown. Fathia was used to following all her father's wishes, fulfilling her mother's hopes. She emulated her older sister's good behavior and kept the smile of her role model, a smile as vast as the ocean, constantly blooming.

The silence that usually greeted Fathia felt different this time. And not to mention, the rumbling sound of thunder made her startle repeatedly. The lightning only added to the sudden tension that gripped her.

"Naomi," Fathia called out after she gathered the courage to open her bedroom door. Usually, the middle-aged woman would rush to her side. Fathia's voice would surely echo throughout the house. There was only Naomi, Jack, and Dennis here. The three of them always remained faithful, guarding and watching over Fathia in this large house.

"Naomi," she called again. "Argh!" Fathia immediately ducked as the thunder was deafening. She felt something was off. Then came the sound of a door slamming and breaking glass. This made her stand up straight.

She was incredibly frightened. She thought something must have happened in her house. But what? She just needed Naomi or Johan or Dennis. But where were they all? Terrifying thoughts began to dominate Fathia's mind, causing her to hesitate in checking the source of the noise.

A dark figure started to manifest itself from her balcony area. Fathia remembered, the glass door on her balcony. Did the loud noise come from there? She abandoned her intention because the dark figure was becoming clearer in her sight. Heavy footsteps were approaching. She thought she should just run. As far away as possible, for whatever reason. And one thing, to find Naomi, whose whereabouts she now didn't know.

She didn't care if her steps skipped two or three stairs, occasionally gripping onto the stair railing. Her brain commanded her not to look, but she glanced briefly.

"THERE! She's there!"

Fathia didn't know how many people were on the upper floor, trying to chase her as she was now at the bottom of the stairs. Crying in fear, her legs continued moving, trying to dodge a group of people who she was sure were coming down the stairs.

"Naomi! Mr. Jack!" She didn't care anymore if the people could clearly follow her from her voice. "HELP!!!"

And it's true, the footsteps were right behind her. The voices were answering each other clearly in Fathia's ears. She was panting heavily, her eyes darting around searching for the three people who were always by her side. The tremors throughout her body were beyond control. She was lucky that she still had the strength to keep running.

The lightning revealed itself again. Its thunderous sound was deafening, making Fathia scream in fear. And the climax was when suddenly, all the lights in her house went out completely. Leaving only lightning flashes that added an immensely tense feeling, gripping her.

Fathia felt like she couldn't go on much longer, as she ran to evade the pursuit behind her. She kept running, had to run because if she gave up, who knows what fate would await her. Her heart was racing, imagining all sorts of terrible things. She hastily pushed those thoughts away, though it was very difficult. Her lungs were working extra hard, and her heart raced even faster. Especially her leg muscles that she no longer felt, stumbling over various objects in the garden. Not to mention the pain she felt from scratches, for whatever reason.

She kept running.

Until...

"LET GO!!! LET GO!!! HELP!!!"

She struggled with all her might, not caring which part was hit by a blow or a kick. She used her last ounce of strength to defend herself. And in a sudden movement, Fathia's chin was pulled closer to the figure that caught her.

"It's me. Are you okay?"

Truly, there was nothing she desired more than to meet Sebastian's firm black eyes. Immediately, she hugged the man who was now holding her.

"My car is over there," Sebastian pointed to the back garden. "Thank God, I'm not late."

Fathia nodded. Her tears had been falling since earlier. They hid in the tall grass by the fence before reaching Felice's rose garden. "I was so scared," she quivered.

"Can you still walk? We need to move quickly before they find us."

Fathia's nod was quick. What Sebastian said was true. And in one swift motion, Sebastian was up, pulling her up to start running again. Fathia pushed aside the pain that was starting to course through her. Her hope was pinned on Sebastian's black sedan. The car that could take her far away from whoever these people were who might be pursuing them now.

"They're there!"

Suddenly, Fathia turned her head. The masked men were moving quickly, like lions chasing their prey. Sebastian's grip on her tightened even more. Until he reached Sebastian's car door, she yanked it open and got inside, but one sound froze her.

The sound of a gunshot aimed at her.

"Fathia! Hurry!"

No doubt, that command acted like a magnet. Pulling her to sit down and fasten her seat belt immediately. Even from inside the car, the gunshot sound was still loud. And with one sharp jerk on the gas pedal, the car sped away so quickly. Fathia was truly fortunate to escape whatever they were after. Were they thieves?

What Fathia never expected was that the gunshot hit Sebastian's arm. And when Fathia realized it, she screamed in horror. "Sebastian!"

"It's okay. Don't panic. The important thing is to get away from them first." Sebastian glanced over, but a grimace was clearly etched on his face. The hot bullet that hit him made him lose a bit of control. But the image of Alvin, earnestly asking him to take care of Fathia, as well as Felice, emerged in his mind. Giving him added strength.

"Call Uncle Ronald right away. My phone is in my jacket pocket. Get it quickly!"

Trembling, Fathia followed Sebastian's order.

"The password is Felice's birthday."

Don't ask about the tremor at the tips of her fingers when she touched Sebastian's phone. It wasn't because it was the first time she held something that she considered someone else's privacy. No. Her fear was dominating her thoughts. She was afraid that Sebastian was losing a lot of blood.

"Sebastian, the password is wrong," Fathia exclaimed in frustration. She had tried twice, and if the third time failed, she could render the phone useless.

"Ah, I forgot. It's your birth year backwards."