Agatha hugged Kiba from behind, signifying that he was no longer alone in this world.
She thought that perhaps his parents had a reason for abandoning him in the slums, but she couldn't conceive of any justification for such an act.
No! There was nothing in this world that could justify abandoning a child in a slum. The slums were the true hell on Earth.
After the arrival of the Evolution Comet in the year 1900, the era of mutants began. This new era was crueler than the previous one, especially for those at the bottom of society. Governments worldwide started using poor people for experiments as they tried to study mutations around the world. Conditions for the poor only worsened as resources were depleted in decoding the secrets of Evolution, leaving them forced to become slaves for the powerful mutants.
While the formation of the World Government in the year 1935 did put an end to the open atrocities against the poor, the truth remained that even the World Government sacrificed over a million people in their experiments. These were often disguised as overseas employment or mining accidents, used to justify the mass disappearance of people.
In the present year 2024, the weak and poor were forced to live in the slums with almost no support from the World Government or any other organization.
"I'm sorry for what you have suffered, but you are no longer alone," Agatha said while continuing to hug him from behind. She could feel his tears on her hands.
Kiba left her embrace and turned towards her, taking a deep breath to calm his emotions.
"A few minutes ago, I couldn't stop hugging you, but now you are the same as me," Kiba said with his signature flirtatious smile.
Agatha responded with a smile. Her smile was more beautiful than any flower he had ever seen.
"If you continue to smile like this, then I won't be able to control myself," Kiba said, feeling relieved to open his heart to someone.
It was the first time he had shared his past with anyone in his identity as 'Kiba'. The only woman who knew about his other identity was Eva, but even she wasn't aware of his past.
He felt something familiar from her when she hugged him, but then he thought it was just his excitement about having someone who cared about him.
The words Agatha had spoken planted a seed in his heart. They might have been plain words, but to him, they were special.
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"Agatha, if you want to leave, I will help you," Kiba said.
"Leave? Where would I go then?" Agatha asked.
"Anywhere you want to go," Kiba replied.
"Kiba, this 'prison' is better than the freedom elsewhere. There were compromises I had to make, but I have also benefited," Agatha said with a sigh.
"It is your choice... I just want you to have freedom," Kiba stated his intent.
"Kiba, you need to learn that the choices we have are not really choices. The freedom you think of doesn't exist in this world; not even for the strongest. The strong worry about losing their strength and dread the enemies that would take advantage of their weakness. I don't even need to talk about the weak, who are ruled by the strong."
Kiba was talking about her marriage when he said she could 'leave'. The marriage was a compromise between two rival factions for stability. In the current era, rarely did someone from a strong background get forced into marriage against their will. Agatha was one of the rare ones who didn't have any say in her own marriage. The same applied to Jack, her husband. This was why their marriage was full of troubles.
Before marriage, she had thought of running away, but then her friend reminded her of the conditions in the world. How could she survive in the world after offending her family and her future in-laws? They might not kill her, but making her life a living hell wasn't impossible.
Even if they didn't, she knew she couldn't handle the dull lifestyle outside. She enjoyed the rich lifestyle she had. Her very backing became a chain for her. She couldn't escape from the clutches of vanity.
"True freedom is an illusion... You just need to learn it, my friend," Agatha added.
"Illusion?" Kiba pondered her words. It was not like he didn't know how freedom was a lie sold by the government to fool people, but now being addressed as an illusion still startled him.
"There is no true freedom but only illusion, unless you can gain eternal life and break out of the shackles which bind us," Agatha concluded.
"I guess you might be right. Still, I would rather spend my life chasing realistic dreams instead of illusory eternal life," Kiba replied.
He believed the present mattered more than the future. The future was illusory, just like true freedom and eternal life. Why spend an entire life chasing after an illusion?
"Realistic dreams? What are your dreams?" Agatha was curious.
She really wanted to know what could attract a man more than power and eternal life. For a person from a slum, dreams of power and eternal life were even more alluring.
"I dream of simple pleasures of life and not something grand," Kiba replied with a smile.
"Just tell me, no matter how simple they are," Agatha requested.
"I dream of enjoying every phase of my life, whether as a student or as a professional or an old man waiting for his death.
"My dream is to taste the best delicacies, drink every fine liquor, and make love with the most beautiful women out there. I want to enjoy the vanity that only the rich could afford. And lastly, I dream of stealing others' wives for an affair while their husbands die of envy and shame!"
Agatha: "......."
"Is this too much to ask?"
Agatha: "..............."