"Are you tired living like this?"
What... that voice...?
"Come with me, and I promise you a life full of everything you desired."
It's Lucian's voice. Why am I hearing it?
"Do you want that?"
"Yes! I want it!" Then it's her voice. It sounded hoarse and a bit... childish.
"Then follow me, I'll save you from your sufferings."
I see, this is the conversation we had when I met Lucian for the first time.
"This will never be enough to kill me!"
And then there's blood.
Antonnete suddenly jolt up from her sleep, she was sweating hard and her breathing was frantic, she could hear the loud thumping of her heart. And suddenly remembering cutting her arm, she instinctually gripped her right arm using her left hand, and realize that her arm was still there.
... wait... it's not quite right to say it that way.
It felt... cold.
It's only an artificial arm.
Well... an artificial arm, Antonette thought, her eyes dimmed a little as she carress the artificial arm. Then her eyes caught an IV line attached to the vein in her arm. She looked around and realize she was in her room, as her eyes swept around the place, her eyes caught a figure leaning beside the door.
The room was dim lit, but looking at the familiar built of the man, she already knows who it is.
"You're awake."
"Yeah." Antonette replied as she adjust her seat, and leans on the bed rest as she close her eyes. "What are you doing here? How's Reid and your... sister?"
"Reid's in his room. He was still asleep after I flushed out all the poison in his body. What I did last night just delay the poison."
"Hmm, good." Antonette replied coldly, but she was relief that Reid is okay. For a moment, she thought that Reid will end up the same as her.
"Nicolette was in one of the guests room. She was in a state of coma after I removed the chip in her brain. The AI chip in her brain crashed because of the intensity of her emotions last night, thus damaging her brain."
"Hmm." Antonette hums as she nodded then it was silence.
The silence continued for a few minutes, with Andrew observing Antonette's blank expression through the dark, before he decided to cut the silence. "How are you?"
"Hmm," Antonette opens her eyes as she stared at the artificial arm attached to her. "Losing an arm is better than losing my life." She commented before closing her eyes again.
"Your arm has already been contaminated by the poison. It was now damaged and beyond repair. If I attach it again to your body, it will affect your whole body too." Andrew explained, there was a tinged of remorse in his tone.
Losing an arm is no better than being crippled forever. While her inetelligence can still be useful, but to Antonette who swore to protect everyone in the battlefield... just how much pain does it bring to her?
Antonette opens her eyes slightly and when she saw the guilty look on his face, she sighs tiredly and said, "I'm feeling a bit tired, I want to rest." She means to imply for him to leave.
Of course, how could Andrew not understand the meaning of her words? He wanted to talk to her about something but if Antonette wants to be alone then he respect that.
As he was about to leave, Andrew paused and said, "Thank you." Thank you for what you've done, for your sacrifices and concerns... before he closes the door.
Antonette didn't say anything but just observe her artificial arm and hand. She tried grabbing her spear , which is just beside her, using her artificial hand. She manage to grip it but not too tight, her spear was slipping off the hand. Then she lifted it up and throws it across the room. The spear pierced right into the wall, but only half of the sharp part of the spear. If it is the her before, the spear would've been thrusted more.
Antonette let out a laugh full of bitterness. Her left hand run through her hair as she thought, I said that losing an arm is better than losing my life, but thinking of how weak will be I am from now on... thinking how I no longer have the ability to protect my famiglia... that I can no longer help my Boss with his affairs... just how is this different from death?
Antonette was someone who took pride in her ability, because knowing that she is strong and skilled, she can be superior to anyone and protect those people whom she cared.
And then suddenly becoming weak in just a span of time, just how devastating it is for her?
Then suddenly, her special ringtone for Lucian rang, cutting through the silent room. Antonette cleared her throat before answering her phone.
"Yes, Boss?"
"I heard about what happened. How are you?"
"I deeply apologize, it was my fault for not being careful. And my condition is stable now, so there's no need for Boss to worry himself over simple things like this."
Lucian was silent from the other line for a moment before he said, "... You did well."
Antonette was slightly taken aback, then her eyes watered. She suddenly felt that a sob was trying to escape her mouth so she covered her mouth, and because she was used using her right hand, her mouth suddenly touched the texture of the artificial hand.
"Remember what I said to you two decades ago?" Lucian suddenly asked. "I said that if you have a will for something, anything is possible."
"Yes... yes, I remember." Antonette replied with a shaky voice.
"Don't lose yourself in the darkness," Lucian said. "You are Antonette Meira[1], and there's a reason why I gave everyone of you a surname that means light[2]."
"I won't, thank you, Boss!" Antonette said in a grateful tone.
That one phone call from him was more than enough to cheer her up. She knows that Lucian isn't too good with his words, and he's awkward even around them, so she cherishes every words of his and take it to her heart.
The man who give her light and hope, she swore to herself before that she will do anything for him, and that won't change even if she lose an arm.
[1] All surnames of the members of the Main Family means light.
[2] Every surname of the Elites are given by Lucian, saying that they won't get lost in the darkness ever again because there will always be a light guiding them.