Chapter 2

Iris 

I laid down in between my parents all in the dried and fresh blood holding their hands all together in with my both palms. My reckless tears kept on trailing down soaking my cheeks and the white-collar of the school uniform I was wearing. I placed my hand again on my mother's womb. And there slept my brother, Maxim peacefully in my mother's womb away from me. My mother was pregnant with her four-month-old child. 

My parents might love him more than me as he got them together even when he wasn't born. He didn't even get the chance to see the first Sun that I had planned when my mom told me about him. I didn't get the chance to see my little brother growing in front of me. I had so much plan jotted down when my father told me I am going to get a little brother. A small baby. I made a few cards for him but never have I thought I would be watching him dying even before sparing a glance at this world.

"Mom....."

"Dad......." 

My earth-shattering scream made the house tremble along with every single part of my body. 

"No, I can't stay like this. I have to do something." I told myself while gazing towards the ceiling while lying in between two dead bodies. I managed to push myself up from the bloody floor. My skirt was drenched in red and so did my hands and legs. Those were of my parents' blood and I looked at their motionless silent bodies. 

I knelt again in front of my parents taking both hands in me. I closed my eyes and took a sharp breath before uttering the lifelong promise I made myself. 

"I promise to give you the exact or more painful death that you have given my parents. I promise to make you go through the same hell you put me in. I, Iris Yuri Ivanov vow to abolish your name and existence forever from this earth even if it costs me my life."

I kissed them on their forehead before standing up from the floor. Walking back towards my room I found a small backpack on my bed. Without wasting a single time I opened that backpack and found my essential clothes, documents, and a few dollars and euros.

"Did they know about the attack? Why my bag is packed here?"

I asked myself those questions and eventually understood that my parents wanted to run away from this place but the reason wasn't known to me. 

I slid the bag on my back and walked to my father's room. It was the same as before as the commotion only took place downstairs. I opened my dad's wardrobe to look into.

There were his shirts, suits all packed up. I inhaled sharply to have the last ounce of my parents' lingering smell. His favorite cologne was there too which I grabbed and slid in my backpack. My handmade cards were kept safely in his wardrobe which I used to give him on his every birthday since I started painting and crafting.  

My eyes kept on looking for the hidden safe behind those hanging jackets and suits.

Long ago he told me that one day if I ever feel threatened by an external force, I need to open this to protect myself. There would be always something for me but he had never told me what. I didn't know why did he say that. I didn't know why my parents were killed but he was my hero and my protector. I bet no one can take his place. 

Today I opened that safe and my world spun immediately. There was a small gun and a silver-colored knife whose handle was beautifully carved with a small stone. At the end of the handle, there was a blue dazzling stone that reminded me of my father's obsession with Blue Sapphire gems. I had never found him using a gun or knife then how came such things arrive in my dad's wardrobe? My mind froze with different negative thoughts. 

"Is he someone bad?" My mind scoffed.

"No, he can't be. He is the best father of this world." I retorted back in my mind brushing my fingers on those cold metals. I held the gun and it felt heavy. I didn't know how to use that. I had never seen a gun in real life except in a movie. I placed that in my bag and grabbed the knife. 

"Yuri". 

My father's name was carved on the handle of the knife in cursive. I rubbed my finger on the letters to feel him more in my heart when my cheeks got soaked again with hot salty water droplets. 

"Don't cry in a tough situation. It can block your mind sweetheart. And once you are done with crying, never cry for the same old reason." I remembered my father saying that when I got hurt in school while playing soccer. He always told me to be strong and I always thought I didn't need to be as long as my father was with me. I still couldn't believe that he had left me alone in this world. 

"I am not as strong as you dad." I kept on crying while sliding the knife back in its holder to put it back in my backpack. I walked to my mom's wardrobe which was just placed beside my dad's. Memories flashed in my mind when I used to hide in her closet and she used to find me easily. My mother loved me more than her life. She left me alone in this world to survive. I cursed myself for being late. I cursed myself to not be dead with my parents because without them I had nothing. I had no one to rely on. I had no roof to shelter me. I had no strong arms to pick me up when I would fall. 

I was barely fourteen and I did know nothing about the real reason for my parents' death. Why does God have to be so cruel? My small fairy tale family crushed down just in a few hours and I couldn't do anything but weep. I was lost when I thought to go away from here. I became an orphan. I became a street child just after my parents' death. Iris Yuri Ivanov just became a homeless and parentless child. 

My hands touched every single material and element that came in my path to gather up my memories with this house. I had spent fourteen years in this house and I had to leave this house now as per my dad's last words. Someone might come to harm me for sure. His words kept on banging my head until I decided to leave the house and the locality. But where would I go? I had no extended family or relatives who could help me or shelter me. My dad had no one from his side. I hadn't heard about my mother's family. I was all alone pampered and loved by my dad and mom.

I took the family photo from the wall and kept it in my backpack. It was everything for me. There was one pendant around my neck which had my parents' picture I clutched that tightly while walking past my parents' lifeless body. The rifle was lying beside my dad's body which shook my equilibrium badly. I can't imagine my father killing someone. But today I felt if he could kill everyone who dared to take my brother and mother away along with him, I would have been the happiest daughter in this world. 

"Goodbye, dad. Goodbye, mom. I am sorry that I couldn't arrange your cremation. But I promise I would make him rot in hell. I would make sure he doesn't get a funeral."

I couldn't arrange their funeral. I promised to arrange everything once I would finish the man who killed my father and mother along with my unborn brother. I thought to report to the police but I knew I would be stuck in their custody and would never get the chance to kill the man behind all these. I wanted to kill him with my bare hands. I want to finish everything that had been started by him.

I took the only working phone of my house and simply dialed an emergency number before leaving the house. I knew cops would come and they would take care of the situation. When I would come back finishing him off, I would surrender myself by accepting the crimes that I would commit. I had nothing to do in life apart from running for my vengeance.

I glanced for the one last time at my father's face. His face held no pain at that time. It looked like he was sleeping peacefully. How could he sleep when his daughter had become restless. I felt like jumping on him again by pulling him in my lap to cry over the situation.

"Dad...." I couldn't control myself and threw myself on my father again. His body lost all the heat and that cold skin sent chills through my spine.

"Don't leave me, dad." I cried like mad even after knowing he would never open his blue eyes that looked like some deep ocean full of secrets. My father held secrets and that I had understood just then. Those guns and bloody mess had already made me face the reality. He was murdered by someone powerful but why? 

I had never seen him hurting someone or killing any. I had never seen him fighting except once when a boy bullied me. He punched the boy's father and that uncle's nose was broken.

"Who would save me if someone again bullies me?" I whispered hugging his body tightly before leaving them peacefully. 

"You should be there with me dad." I cried while standing up from the floor kissing his forehead again. 

"Mom... You shouldn't have left me. Who would feed me, mom? I don't know anything." My cries filled the air again but all I could feel was emptiness. There was no hand extended to wipe my tears to pat my head. I lost everything just in a blink of an eye. 

I knew I was pampered by them. I was given heaven on earth but after today, I was awarded loneliness, insecurities, and fear. I knew those who killed my parents would come for me and before they come to take me away, I had to kill him. I knew it would not bring my parents back but the one who took away my happiness can't live peacefully from then.

Newfound tears rolled out of my eyes when I moved out of the house all drenched in blood, sweat, and my sorrows. I remembered the last name my father uttered when I was asking for where to go or who had made all this. One name popped up in my mind what was hammered inside my head with so much hatred.

"Bratva..... I vow to kill you and avenge my parents' death."