Aida
Yu sat opposite me, nursing the hot mug of cocoa I had made for him, I nursed mine, eying him, still not believing that he is sitting before me. His posture as graceful and still like he is carved from jade.
. "The Top Ten Levels," he says face thunderous, a faraway look in his eyes. As he relives a memory. "Growing up there… it was difficult," he takes a sip of his cocoa. "It's hard surviving assassination attempts, sometimes I wished I haven't stepped out of the bottom-dark. "I wished I had grabbed your hand and run off with you, instead of trying to be a hero, I wished I never knew of my heritage,"
"You know how we've always wished that we were never born in the bottom-dark. Of days cursing down spiral-well for the hand fate's dealt us. Now I wish I could go back to that. My world is one of abundance, where the struggles were not for survival, but for the perfection of everything. To be an heir-born is to embody perfection, to be a creature of profound treachery"
It was a stark contrast to the cramped confines of my apartment, the chipped teacups on the table, the worn rug beneath our feet. I have always thought the Top levels were a Mecca of sorts. But seeing the haunting look on Yu's face makes me glad that I wasn't one of the people up there. There's a quiet sincerity In Yu's eyes, a sharp torment. When he finally fell silent, the weight of his words hung in the air, a tangible reminder of the different paths life had laid before us. I take a large gulp of my cocoa, and set the half full mug down on the table, closing the distance between us.
"Kenger caught me stealing in his kitchen. After escaping from the guards, I moved from one place to another, not staying for long just like you taught me " I said, the memory of his gruff kindness still a warm blanket.
"No way, Kenger. I didn't know that he has a tender bone in his body."
"I thought that too, it was too good to be true, the Kenger we know will kick anyone out, not wanting to be saddled with anyone's problem. So, the next day I stole some food from the kitchen and runs off, before he could kick me out."
"Good move," Yu grins, downing his cocoa and sets it on the table. He takes my hand in his.
"The next day I woke up to find him frowning over me, he slung over his shoulders and took me back and ordered me not to leave. And so, it was decided that I was a permanent fixture in his life."
"The universe works in mysterious ways." Yu smiles running a hand in my hair.
"Kenger… he wasn't a man of grand pronouncements or gentle gestures," I explained, picturing his weathered face. "His kindness was in the steady work he gave me, the roof over my head, the food on my plate."
"Then there was Madam Krea," I said, a hint of distaste coloring my voice. "I hope she isn't dead in that bombing, in the last five hours I have got to know her more than I ever did years back, we do what we do to survive, some were born to learn how to survive, and some were born survivors. And that bony crone is one."
"How did you get past clearance?"
"I saved up and found a smuggler, it was a risk I was willing to take, I know things could go sideways, it did but I escaped them, some weren't so fortunate."
"The cog systems."
"I'm glad that you escape that fate, frankly I don't know why such things are allowed to happen? "
The weight of the day, the emotional toll of revisiting these memories, began to weigh on me. I yawn and stretch. My eyelids felt leaden, and a comfortable lethargy crawls into my bones. The gentle rhythm of Yu's breathing stirring the hair on my head, a soothing presence, a contrast to the turbulent currents of my thoughts. Without realizing it, my head began to drop, my chin dips towards my chest.
The edges of the room distorted the sounds of the city outside disappearing into a distant thrum. Yu scoops me up in his arms and deposit me on my bed, the mattress dips beneath me, the familiar scent of my own worn blankets enveloping me in a cocoon of comfort. Through the hazy veil of sleep, I felt a light touch on my forehead, a fleeting warmth that lingered like a promise. I drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep, revisiting memories made of dust and bone.