[3]

February 14, 2015.

Usually, on every 14th of February, when Fathia woke up in the morning, she would always do so with a smile on her face. She would greet everyone in the house, even the gardener, with a warm "good morning." She had a special prayer as she grew older each year, including today when she turned sixteen. But along with her birthday, the sadness of losing her parents and her sister lingered for eight months. The wound of that loss was still wide open. The excitement of welcoming her birthday had vanished. Often, a cloud of melancholy surrounded her, and if she suddenly remembered her mother, Fathia would burst into tears and hold tightly onto the family portrait.

Just like today. It was cloudy when she woke up. She directed her steps towards her parents' bedroom. Everything was still the same. Nothing had changed. She remembered that when she felt scared during the night, she would sneak into their room. Even now, she still continued that habit even after changing into her school uniform.

No matter how grown up a child is, they will always remain a child in their parents' eyes.

But before she could fully enter the room, Naomi's voice stopped her steps.

"Mr. Sebastian is in the living room," she said, and Fathia unknowingly smiled. Since the day the will was read, only Sebastian had always been there for her. He visited her during dinner, asked about her school, watched movies together in his private theater, and on weekends, they went swimming.

It was delightful to have someone by her side during sad times. And sometimes, they would console each other as Sebastian often reminisced about Felice.

"Yes, Felice really loves red roses. She says they're so seductive. But I think they're beautiful in color but can hurt people," Fathia complained one day as they strolled through the backyard.

Sebastian's response was just a chuckle. "But what Felice said is true. Red is... seductive."

As Fathia didn't quite understand, she continued walking until she arrived at one of her favorite collections: lilies.

"Here, this is Fathia's favorite," she said cheerfully. Sebastian had guessed that this teenage girl liked soft and gentle things. A typical girl who didn't complicate her life, a lover of household activities and all its warmth. Quite different from Felice, who liked outdoor activities, exploring herself with a head held high. Brave. Determined. And one thing Sebastian always remembered: beautiful and seductive. A perfect combination to describe Felice Leah Claire.

"Non, you're even smiling." The red hue on the young lady's face made Naomi feel grateful. Everyone present here was truly grateful to Sebastian. This man who rarely spoke could at least make the young lady happy. "Mr. Sebastian is waiting."

"Oh, right." Fathia hurriedly ran towards the living room. But before she turned around, she made Naomi look puzzled. "Am I not a complete mess?"

Naomi smiled. "No. Miss Fathia always looks beautiful."

Fathia chuckled and continued running. "Sebastian!"

She exclaimed happily once she was sure the man was indeed there. Sebastian stood behind her, wearing formal attire, looking a bit stiff but Fathia liked it.

When Sebastian turned, he was not ready for what Fathia would do. The girl jumped into him, luckily, he didn't fall over to the carpet as he held his ground. "Fathia," he scolded, but his words were cut short.

"Sorry," Fathia said, slightly bowing her head since she was now taller than Sebastian. "I thought you forgot today."

Sebastian shook his head slightly. "Impossible. For the past week, I've been constantly reminded to come home today."

Fathia's laughter slipped into Sebastian's heart unconsciously. She patted him on the cheek, making Sebastian feel a sudden warmth. It gave him the courage to touch the girl, fix her long hair, and tuck it behind her ear, whispering, "Happy birthday, Princess Fathia. Wish you all the best."

"Thank you."

"What does Fathia want for a gift?" Sebastian slightly adjusted Fathia's position so she could feel comfortable, but it seemed that Fathia didn't care. She chose to cling to him like a koala.

"I don't need anything. I just want to go to the cemetery with you, Sebastian. That's more than enough." Fathia hesitantly touched the tip of Sebastian's temple, feeling no resistance, she gently traced it there. "Also, we can celebrate Felice's birthday. You know, our birthdays are on the same day?"

In his closed eyes, Sebastian nodded. How could he forget today? "With my pleasure, Princess."

Then Sebastian began to lower Fathia, but she refused. Making Sebastian furrow his brows. "What's wrong?"

What Sebastian wasn't prepared for was the moment when Fathia's small lips, always rosy like pink roses, kissed him in a flash.

"Thank you for being such a caring brother to Fathia."

***

Mei 2015.

In her room, Fathia sat surrounded by many textbooks. In two days, she would face her final exams to move up to the eleventh grade. She was nervous, but she always remembered that she could get through it. Sebastian always encouraged her, even though they were separated by distance. He said he had some business in BonnaFenture.

There was only one request she made to God: to always protect Sebastian. For some reason, she trusted holding Sebastian's hand more than her uncles or aunts, who were, after all, family. Sebastian himself eventually restricted Fathia's social circle, and she wasn't sure why. Fathia was used to following everything her father wanted, fulfilling her mother's wishes, emulating her sister's good behavior, and making the biggest smile as wide as the ocean to the woman she looked up to.

The usual silence that greeted Fathia in Clara felt different today. Not to mention the rumbling thunder that startled her repeatedly. The lightning added to the sudden tension.

"Aunt Naomi," Fathia called out as she gathered the courage to open her bedroom door. Normally, the middle-aged woman would come to her immediately. Fathia's voice would echo throughout the house. Only Naomi, Johan, and Dennis were there, faithfully guarding and watching over Fathia in this large mansion.

"Aunt," she called out again. "Argh!" Fathia immediately cowered as the thunder roared loudly. Something felt off. Then the sound of a slamming door and breaking glass echoed through the house, making her stand up.

Fear overwhelmed her. She thought something had happened in her house. But what? She just needed Naomi or Johan or Dennis. But where were they? Terrifying images filled Fathia's mind, making her hesitate before venturing downstairs to check the source of the noise.

A dark figure began to emerge from the balcony area. Fathia remembered there was a glass door to the balcony. Did the loud noise come from there? She abandoned her plan when the dark figure approached, her steps growing heavier and closer. Fathia thought of running as far as possible, for whatever reason. She also wanted to find Naomi, who seemed to have disappeared.

Ignoring the fact that whoever was chasing her could easily follow her footsteps, Fathia called out, "Aunt Naomi! Mr. Johan! Help!" She didn't care anymore if they could track her through her voice. "Help!"

As expected, the sound of footsteps echoed right behind her. Fathia's breath was getting heavier, and her eyes darted around looking for the three people who were always by her side. Panic took hold of her whole body, and she was grateful to still have the strength to keep running.

The thunderstorm intensified, and the sound of thunder reverberated through her ears, making Fathia scream in fear. To make matters worse, all the lights in the house suddenly went out, leaving only the lightning as an eerie and terrifying companion.

Fathia felt like she couldn't go any further, as she kept running to escape the footsteps chasing her from behind. She kept running until...

"Let go! Let go! Help!"

She struggled with all her strength, not caring which part of her hit and kicked. She needed to fight back to defend herself. And then, in an instant, her chin was pulled towards the figure that caught her.

"It's me. Are you okay?"

There was nothing she wanted more than to see Sebastian's firm black eyes. She immediately embraced the man who was now hugging her.

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

Fathia nodded. Tears had been streaming down her face since earlier. They took cover in the tall grass near the fence before they could reach Felice's rose garden. "I'm scared," she whispered, trembling.

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

Fathia nodded again, quickly. What Sebastian said was true. And in one swift motion, Sebastian stood up and pulled her to run again. Fathia ignored the pain that began to spread through her body. Her hope was in Sebastian's black car. The car that could take her away from whoever might be chasing them.

"They're over there!"

Suddenly, Fathia turned around. The masked men swiftly moved like lions chasing their prey. Sebastian tightened his grip on Fathia's hand. As she reached Sebastian's car door, she quickly opened it and got inside, but a single sound froze her.

The sound of a gunshot aimed at her.

"Fathia! Hurry!"

Without hesitation, the command acted like a magnet, pulling her to sit and fasten her seat belt. Even from inside the car, the sound of gunshots remained loud and clear. With one press on the gas pedal, the car sped away. Fathia was truly fortunate, escaping from 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 escape from them first." Sebastian turned his head, but the grimace on his face was evident. The hot bullet that struck him had caused him to lose some control. However, the image of Alvin, who pleaded with him to protect Fathia, as well as Felice, emerged, giving him extra strength.

"Call Uncle Ronald immediately. My phone is in my jacket pocket. Grab it quickly!"

Trembling, Fathia followed Sebastian's instructions.

"The password is Felice's birthday."

Don't ask about the tremor in her fingertips as she touched Sebastian's phone. It wasn't because it was the first time she held something she considered someone else's privacy, not just Clara's. No. Fear had taken over her senses. She was afraid that Sebastian was losing a lot of blood.

"Sebastian, the password is incorrect," Fathia exclaimed in frustration. She had tried twice already, and if she failed for the third time, the phone would become meaningless.

"Oh, I forgot. It's your birth year followed by your birth date."