Chapter 1

She only asked to be free. 

She stay because they begging to, because they want her to manage the conflict that no one can resolve but her, their only daughter that only desire was to explore the world. She thought that was it, that maybe she can stay for just a year. But this is what they thought about resolving things, the engagement with the Coplete heir!

She work extra-hard to better fulfill her responsibility, because she thought doing paper works is her only way to put the end of this captivity. But for her parents who she thought will also understand what it is she wanted, destroyed the hope she just barely make to herself.

She heard a knock, and not long after, a gentle but crack voice of her mother, begging her to be more understanding.

“Maleya,” she called her name without the ounce of emotions, “I know you despise our decisions, but it's for your own good...”

For her own good? She can't help but to cover her ears, she don't want more lies coming from her. She never despise them though, only disappointment. But the funny parts, they don't even know about it.

“Sometimes,” her mother continued, “a sacrifice of one's personal desire is needed for everyone's freedom and happiness.The town's need peace, and we, also need it...”

She know how her mother resist to broke her voice behind the glass door, but she don't know what to do, she's mess up. She don't even know if it is better to cry or to be strong. And let what happened be a reminder of her submission.

“Please...be strong, my daughter.” 

She didn't want to face her mother. No. She don't want her mother to feel bad, seeing her in a mess. She very well known what drives their decision and that's wrecking her heart.

“I-I'm sleepy,” she said unable to continued avoiding her. She cried to herself the next moment. She's tired everything, but what can the like of her cab do? 

She can't just give up.

She want to give up actually, but she don't have the courage to leave her parents in despair of losing the great fortune because of her selfishness. Lose their only hope to prevent what happened in the past to be avoided now in the present.

She must to be more selfless for that to achieve...and better if to lose the desire to explore the land before the town. 

Her bestfriend words echoed out before she even close her eyes to accept everything, like trying once again to wake her up, not to the nonsense she have thought about, but to the other version of reality that she never ever tried to see,

“You have a choice, Leya,” she said, “Only if you open your eyes.” 

What her bestfriend said bring light for her eye's to see, but before she could ever react, she continued as if not being too unusual anymore. 

“Only if you know what really happened before the rivalry a century ago, the real story behind gracefulness and elegancy of our family and that...that Coplete.” 

Mariya knows then that she have to take her best friends words, seriously. But why it feels like it become harder as she thought for more choices just to be free?

***

“I-It's your fault!” the echoed voice accompanied by pain and agonize wrecked Maleya's heart. 

“It's your fault...” 

It was the day she have lose choices but to stay in town. Changes is inevitable, but how she wish that it's not like the way she had as of the moment? So lose and as if everything is not the same anymore, a change that cannot be undone.

“Y-your brother... He s-suffered because of you... You're selfish,” the echoed continued wreck her, the echo from a familiar voice, keep repeated and tormented her. “H-he'll never comeback...m-my poor son...” 

The memories with her brother flash before her eyes. Like fate that not gonna erase nor be vanished just because it's cruel.

“Sis!” A soft voice coming from a boy, brightened by peace that a breeze of winds can offer, filled the field of flowers.

“Ward!” She face him with bothered expression in face. “You're here again. Aren't you afraid you'll caught?” She sighed when he only look away. “I thought you're grounded. Grown up will freak out for sure if they happened to know where you are escaping from your body guards!” 

He only giggled. “Are you that surprise? I can now do whatever I want, sis,” he look so please this time, but something in his eyes he tried to hide, a pain and fear for something that he never want others to notice, especially his sister. 

“But I love to be here, to where you are, sis. And this place you love?” he confidently stood. “I'll makes sure it will be more beautiful and grand... and be free for us to wander someday!” 

He smile brightly to the thought, and as the sun shine closely in his innocent face, he said hopefully for tomorrow. 

“I love to be here, to be with you...in this place that only we can find the freedom-” he look down after clearing his throat, “-even it is for a brief moment.”

***

Her heart broke silently at that memory. Everytime she look back, she realize she never paid attention to everything about his brother. She don't know what's inside his head, what's his dream. Or that place is part of it? She don't want to remember that place anymore.

But the thought of him can only bring sadness and regrets. She tormented by the memories that will never be happened once again. Because like they said, it was her fault...

If only she stay and not tried to slip away from the start.

The cried of her Mother only remained in the closed and suffocated room, voice continue blamed her, her ungrateful daughter, for not be able to stay and for being selfish all this year.

She have nothing to do but to stare blankly at empty urn. Nothing is there, but the way everyone, the Soner, are in grief, she have no way to understand but looked back at the bright smile of a boy beside the Urn. She remember the place that he captured at that moment, saying he become more resourceful to not be caught leaving to the Slump.

Only if he died peacefully, only if not tortured or something that keep repeating in her memory, and only if she have the idea of where his ashes are, his body...

She could have accept it somehow.

The grief and fear only she could grasp for all the year in the town, engraved in her mind, in her heart, the memory and feeling of peace and freedom that will never turn to life again. 

No one have tried to know what she feel that day, why she hate herself knowing what happened, but only she got from them is regrets for not be able to discipline her as a Soner that should have obedient.

“I'm sorry,” she said without weigh of emotions in her voice. Deep inside her as she look deeply to his smile was the promise to stay and to know the reason of why he was there...dying.

***

Giving up, from that day, have never cross her mind. 

Until it involve everyone...

“WIll you give up without even trying?” Reina keep the cool and sighed, trying to lecture a colleague, an acquintance or a one-sided friendship. But her cool deplated, “Hey, Maleya! I know...and of course I'm surprise as hell, that you're the future Mistress of this company I'm working my whole life?! But can't I advise a friend when she's needed it?”

She blinked a moment. “What do you mean, 'working the whole life'? Aren't you just work because I'm here?” she asked, half bothered. “And f-friend..?”

Reina, however, trying not to be affected by the ignorance. She knows that it is impossible to befriend a Soner, but it is Maleya that she know a year now, not a Soner that she only know a moment ago because of a damn headline that the Spotlight, the company she working with, brightly expose at the highest part of the Building.

But she burst like thunder as she realized it's really one-sided feeling of friendship. She said a words without thinking and cannot be undone. 

“Did you just...turned down this poor thing?!” she sounds so hurt and disappointment. “Woah! You, cruel!”

“Whom turned down whom?” Lusho, the butler and a Soner guard interuppted the conversation. He work secretly to guard the Soner.

On other hand, Maleya is preoccupied to the memory that gives her discomfort than being greatful that she haven't notice the two. It's been disturbing for her since she wake up the next morning.

“Calm down, Reina,” Lusho said, smirk; “It's me, don't be freak by my out-of-this-world look..” He laughed like mad when Reina can only stared blankly while she panted hardly. He continued, “The whole building almost cracked open with your thunderous scream, so I dare to stop you before someone will notice who we have right now.” He stole a glance to Maleya that happened to be drawn by the massive regrets and fears.

“What are you talking about?!” Reina laughed mockingly and pointed her so-called filthy finger to Lusho's face. “Out-of-this-world look? Where?”

“Well, blind as ever!” Lusho face her and pity her lack of admiration. Reina flamed in anger upon hearing his response. Before he burned by the her wratg, he continued with a funny face, “Also as I said, I'm here to stop you, and that thunderous voice that tainted this precious room. Anyway,” he face Maleya with a smile, not minding Reina's reaction and shock to his ignorance. “Congrats for the-” 

“You, idiot!” Reina ejected and slap his face to red. “You're idiotness is overrated, Lusho! Can't you read the environment? It's suck!”

Bothered and confused, he gently caress his face that as if slap by a rocky-like fist, it scattered in redness. 

“What's with you, Reina?” he said in amusement but he make a painful face, and groaned, “You're being... sadistic.”

“Idiot never ask,” only Reina can uttered under her breathe.

But before they even notice, Maleya disappeared and find her way to the place that she long forgotten. She may keep discarded the feeling that place bring, but she have to be tormented more to wake up in her sleep. She haven't know it, but staying isn't at all punishment...if she's not facing the reality that she keep in herself.

“Just wait, Ward,” she slowly whispered behind her breathed. No one have notice as she walk like a commoner in town, not that she care about. But she's glad that she keep herself hidden in a green hood, it may looks rag from outside, but she know her passion better. 

But as she getting nearer and nearer, the memory have gotten much clearer..and the pain brought upon. 

Maleya remember how his brother makes a hopeful face as he looked the silent and steady woods of the Slump, said under his bright smile a words that she regrets to forget, “I love it in here! I can find peace with you Sis! That's why... I'll makes sure it will be more beautiful and grand and be free for us to wander someday,” he said with too much of aspiration.

The slump, she realize it's not free at all... His brother wishes to see and feel have long forgotten. The place that as steady and peaceful before have been surrounded with unsighty, misery and pain. 

 “Wherever you are” she whisper as tears flows like river, “keep guiding me brother...until I makes sure to fulfill your promise for me. Your promise that I'll makes sure to finally alive!”

“Be happy and be free, sis,” he said, the ghost of his aspiration only the thing that come alive. “Be free!”