(A/N: A part of the chapter heavily relies on events mentioned in Chapter 39 and Chapter 104. You might wish to give those chapters a quick re-read in order to have a better experience while reading this chapter ^_^ )
City Heart Hospital.
Cleo lied on a bed, violently kicking around. A few moments later, he stopped his movements and serenity took over him. But the peace didn’t last long as he started laughing crazily in just a minute.
Laughter, Sobbing, Violent actions and then peace. He was lost in a loop without any end.
Outside, Kyla gazed at the activities of her son through a glass screen. A doctor was standing beside her, with his focus on medical reports in his hands.
"Doctor, what has happened to him?" Kyla asked with tears falling down her eyes.
"I don’t know for sure," The doctor answered with a sigh, "But most likely something has harmed his very consciousness. I have never seen this type of neural oscillations in my entire life."
Kyla was crestfallen by the words.
If even the doctor was saying such thing then just what was the possibility of him recovering?
"The part of the brain which makes his personality is not damaged, " The doctor contemplated in his heart. He didn’t say the words aloud since he didn’t wish her to feel more depressed, "So most likely he knows the behavior of his body but yet the only thing he could do is suffer."
The doctor looked at Cleo with pity. He wouldn’t wish such a state even for his most hated enemy.
"Kyla, we would find a cure so don’t worry," The doctor tried to pacify her. He wished he has lied earlier but as a doctor, he couldn’t. Now all he could do was offer her false hope.
"Thank you," Kyla sat down on a bench.
A few minutes later~
Patrick entered the ward. He glanced at the patient room with complicated emotions on his face.
"Patrick, where were you?" Kyla asked.
"I was trying to find what happened to our son," Patrick sat beside her, "I didn’t learn what I wanted but I discovered something...I wish I hadn’t."
"What do you mean?" Kyla was startled.
Just what has he discovered for him to say such a thing?!
"Kyla, our son..." Patrick closed his eyes. He didn’t wish to share his findings but he felt he has to share otherwise Kyla would forever be haunted by the state of her son.
Perhaps she would be depressed for a few weeks after she learned the truth but at least, it would be better than eternal torture of love.
Sometimes bitterness was far better than unconditional love.
"He was collaborating with revolutionaries...in order to have me and Felicity killed," Patrick broke down into tears.
Kyla felt her world shatter into pieces. Darkness of despair took over her...
----
Kiba stood outside the ward. He retraced his vision and let out a sigh.
"It is always the innocents who suffer the most," Kiba turned around and teleported away.
----
Inside a penthouse somwhere in the city.
Eva walked out of the washroom in a bathrobe while drying her hairs with a towel. She sat down on the bed and took out a pack of cigarettes from a drawer.
She lit a cigarette and turned towards the balcony. The light from the rising sun entered the room in a beautiful fashion.
She exhaled a thick plume of smoke from her lips as she enjoyed the sunrise.
Swoosh~!
"Hmm?" Eva looked back and saw rays of white light converging into a humanoid figure, "It has been a long time since you came here, Kiba."
"Yeah," Kiba sat down on a chair. He titled his head back and sighed.
Eva was startled by his behavior. In all the times she has known him, he has never displayed such odd behavior.
Even in the worst situations, he would find a way to lighten the mood with humor. Yet today he looked depressed.
"What happened?" Eva asked. She knew about the explosions in the city but not the specifics of the casualty.
"Nothing really," Kiba shook his head and gazed at her.
She was sitting with her legs crossed and holding a cigarette in her manicured hand. The red nail polish glinted as she brought the cigarette to her glossy lips.
"Like what you see?" Eva asked in a teasing manner. She crunched the cigarette butt and threw it away.
Kiba didn’t say anything and just smiled.
"You are smiling but yet you are dejected," Eva took a cigarette and lighter in her hand before walking towards him.
Her walking manner was filled with seductiveness and Kiba couldn’t help but gulp down.
"Wanna smoke?" Eva leaned over him and asked.
"Why not," Kiba took the cigarette and held it over his lips.
"That’s the spirit," Eva lit the cigarette and sat on top of him.
Kiba took a long puff before blowing a cone of smoke.
"Well, save some for me," Eva took the cigarette away from him.
Her fingers gripped onto the cigarette before she pressed it firmly between her lips. She took a small puff and blew it out like a breeze.
Her other hand wandered over his thighs before arriving on his cock. He was rock hard and she felt him growing further at her touch.
"You seem to be having fun," Eva threw the cigarette on the floor. She closed her face onto his and their lips meet.
The kiss intensified as her wet tongue barged in his mouth. He retaliated and their tongues wrapped around, lost in the taste of each other.
"Ready for the real fun?" Eva asked as their lips parted.
"Always," Kiba brushed her brown hair away from her neck and kissed on her soft skin before moving down.
His hands slipped inside her robe to free her...
---------
An hour later~
The two were lying on the bed covered by a blanket. Kiba looked at the ceiling for a long time before closing his eyes.
"I’m all ears if you ever want to talk," Eva traced a finger over his chest, "And I’m sure that’s the reason you are here."
Kiba turned towards her and explained her the chain of events.
"I see," Eva understood his dilemma.
"When I was in the slums, I have seen many parents selling their children to organ harvesters and brothels. I also have seen many children trading their parents for resources," Kiba leaned his back on the headboard, "But at least that was understandable. The slum dwellers were economically deprived so they have to find means to live."
"You are wondering why Cleo did what he did despite having everything?" Eva asked.
"Yes," Kiba nodded, "He has a life which was envied by most people in the world."
"He desired more," Eva answered with a sigh, "You already know how we humans have evolved through thousands of years. The desire to surpass each other and climb to the top is the reason we were able to reach where we are now."
"But sacrificing his family? That was wrong," Kiba said.
"Well, my dear," Eva looked him in the eyes, "We are hypocrites if we ever discuss what is right and wrong."
Kiba was tongue tied for a moment. He then started laughing.
"You are correct," Kiba leaned close to her, "My emotions made me forget something so basic."
"Just like how beauty is in the eye of the beholder," Eva brushed her lips with his for a moment before continuing, "So is the right and wrong."
Neither of them believed in the concept of right and wrong. The right for one could be wrong for another.
The very obvious example would be his dreams. Most men would definitely agree that they were wrong and evil.
But he believed the opposite!
"And I’m the last person you should ever expect to have filial piety and other family virtues," Eva left the bed, "You already know I would celebrate the day my father dies."
Kiba nodded in agreement. He didn’t know the entire story, but he was aware she hated Hank even though she never let the world knew it.
"I would just tell you one thing," Eva covered herself with a robe, "Maybe it carries the answer you are looking for."
"Oh?" Kiba listened with interest.
"The concept of lovely families might hold true in the lower sections of society," Eva took a deep breath before continuing, "But as you arrive in the higher society, most times this concept is just unrealistic expectations."
The families in the higher society look envy-worthy from outside due to the glamor involved, but they had their own problems.
This has been true even before the age of evolution. Fratricide, patricide, mariticide and even filicide were never rare words throughout the history.
Many wars in the ancient past were the result of internal conflict in a family. The desire for political and financial supremacy often lead to wars.
Most times, the battles were fought in secret through poisons and seduction. It wasn’t strange for a rival to kill his/her family member through poison and blame it on an outside force. Nor was it rare for luring the opponent through seduction.
No ideal family ever existed in the past and the same went for the present.
"The era has changed but the nature of us humans is same," Eva sat besides him, "I’m sure you already know what I told you from long ago."
"...." Kiba didn’t reply.
"It is just that you were oblivious since the victim was your loved one," Eva sighed and shook her head, "Wisdoms are always like this. They seem obvious but we only learn after we suffer."
"....."
"Forget what happened in the last one day and move on," Eva took his chin in her hand, "Spend your energy on more important things like banging chicks."
Kiba looked at her and smiled.
"Thank you," Kiba kissed her on lips, "You truly are the best."
"Stop being cheeky," Eva moved away from him.
"I couldn’t help myself," Kiba said as rays of white light enveloped him.
Eva looked on as he teleported away.
"Haah~ I need to check my contacts to find information on nanites," Eva opened her cell phone, "Perhaps this could help him in curing Felicity."
-------------
Dream Rise House.
Kiba transformed into Zed and took a bath. He then chose a white shirt and black pant from the wardobe.
[[Sir, would you like to have breakfast?]] Claudia enquired.
"Yes, I’m starved," Zed adjusted his hairs before walking down.
[[The breakfast is waiting for you.]]
"You are amazing," Zed entered the living hall. The mist from the waterfall rejuvenated the hall with fresh air.
Zed sat across a black table where the breakfast dishes were already placed.
Zed munched down on herbed egg-potato while he thought of a decison he took years ago.
"Claudia."
[[Sir?]]
"You were right," Zed leaned back with his eyes on the waterfall.
[[You are stating the obvious, sir. I have always been right.]]
"Haha," Zed scratched the back of his head awkardly.
[[Anyways, which topic you are referring now?]]
"About the words you said on the past," Zed answered in a low voice, "Why focus on the past when you have the present."
[[That’s...]]
Claudia obviously knew when she spoke the words. It was just that the subject of this topic was a taboo.
"I have always believed we should live in present instead of wasting time for an illusory future," Zed left the chair, "But yet for all these years, I was binded by my past."
[[....]]
"I used to get offended on anyone cursing me as a bastard just because it reminded me of the caretaker," Zed paused for a moment before continuing, "I killed him over a decade ago but yet his influence lived till this moment."
Zed felt refreshed. It was like his body was freed from invisible shackles.
"Simiarly, I was blinded by my hatred for mother and father," Zed said as he thought of the nights where he wished them ill. He has hoped they would die in a paniful manner for leaving him in the hands of the caretaker.
He didn’t knew whether his hatred was justified or not. But now he felt it was childish of him to hate them to such an extent.
"Looking back, I joined the academy due to my hatred for them," Zed has a self-depricating smile on his face, "I thought I could show them the success I have enjoyed without their help."
[[...]]
Claudia was obviously aware how he fulfilled his fourth dream by joining the academy. Of course, he never felt any happiness since this dream was founded on anger. This was why he decided to leave the academy but then he met Felicity and everything changed for better.
"I don’t know why they abanonded me," Zed shook his head, "Maybe in the past it mattered... No, it actually mattered. It still does to some extent.
"Otherwise I wouldn’t have ordered you to find me the background of the caretaker," Zed stepped in front of the waterfall, "It was just that I fooled myself into beliving that everything was to take revenge on those who tried to kill me."
[[Sir...]]
"Haha, don’t worry," Zed laughed, "I am fine now."
[[...]]
"Claudia."
[[Yes?]]
"Stop your search on the caretaker," Zed commanded with a smile, "Let the past be past."
[[Understood, sir. I’m glad you think as such.]]
"I often worry you," Zed shook his head with a smile.
[[It is my duty to worry about you.]]
"Still I must have been troublesome, right?" Zed took a handful of water from the waterfall.
[[Yes, you were. Very troublesome, if I may add.]]
"...You don’t have to be so honest in your answer."
[[Can I ask something, sir?]]
"Sure."
[[Do you no longer care about killing those who tried to murder you after your birth?]]
"Actually, I do care," Zed sipped in the water, "After all, if I don’t care then I would be breaking the only rule in my life."
[[...Yes.]]
"Rest assured, Claudia," Zed closed his eyes, "I would never waste my time nor your efforts to seek them. Life is far too precious to waste on elements of distant past."
[[....]]
"If the fate willed it and I come to know about them through other means, only then I would make my move," Zed clarified further.
If he never came to know about them in his life, it was still fine with him. He wouldn’t be breaking his rule nor would he be struck in his ancient past.
"Time has come for me to move on," Zed opened his eyes with a new determination.