Mother.
Felix stared at the body on the cold floor as memories came flooding back.
As far as he could remember, she was a strong woman with a good heart.
Watching her husband get beheaded should have broken her, but it didn't.
Instead, she stepped up and took care of him and his sister, always ensuring they were fed and clothed.
There were times when she wouldn't eat for days just because the rations weren't enough to go around but she remained happy regardless.
For her, all that mattered was that her kids grew healthy and strong and she would do anything to make that happen.
Even when his sister was taken away, she still tried to stay strong for his sake until he was taken away as well.
"I'm sorry…" Felix muttered softly. "I couldn't be here when you needed me… but I'm back now, so please… wake up."
He slowly crawled toward her corpse even as his eyes stung.
Reaching out, he grabbed her wrist and tugged at her arm. "Mom, wake up. I'm no longer a slave… you can eat properly now."
Nathan at some point entered the house and stood at the bedroom doorway, unable to speak as he saw another side of Felix.
"…" He tried to speak but the words were lodged in his throat.
Closing his eyes, he took a step back and in a flash of lightning, disappeared.
Meanwhile, Felix had stopped tugging on his mother's arm as he came closer and placed his palm on her cheek.
Her once fair skin was pale white and the warmth that tried to make him see good in the world… had gone cold.
Her expression was contorted, almost like she was unwilling to go just like that but alas, who could refuse when death came calling?
Felix noticed a dark red spot where her head was prompting him to raise her head only to discover dried-up blood.
"Aya, what is the cause of death?" he asked softly.
[Notice. Cause of death is blunt force damage to the back of the skull]
He slowly nodded as he glanced to her side to discover a message burned onto the cemented floor.
'I don't know how long I have left, I wish I had more time. I'm sorry pimpim, your mom was too weak to stop those thugs from taking our family's heirloom. If you ever return, I hope you don't allow my death to haunt you. Remember, I love you, and be happy'
A wet spot suddenly appeared on the cement as Felix's vision clouded up.
He placed his palm on his cheek and felt something wet.
Clearing his throat, he sat on the floor and pulled her corpse closer. "I'm back, mom. You wouldn't believe what I had to do to gain my freedom. Can you believe I failed my awakening?"
Just like that, he sat there, hugging his mother's corpse as he began to recount everything that happened to him.
Sometimes he would chuckle softly, while other times he would manage a smile.
Tears freely trailed down his cheeks as the conversation reached a peak.
[Notice. I advise that host…]
"Shut up!" Felix bellowed, cutting her off.
[…]
"… I'm trying to speak with mom."
[She's dead. No matter how much host tries to deny reality, it doesn't change that fact]
"…" Felix remained silent as a cold breeze rushed into the room.
***
Several hours passed by before Nathan returned.
It was late at night and the sound of crickets permeated the surrounding.
His expression was sour as he slowly made his way into House 121.
He walked over to the bedroom to find Felix cuddling his mother's corpse.
His eyes were empty and his breathing was slow.
Nathan's heart went out to the latter as he tried to speak. "Felix…"
"You know she most times ate once every four days. We'd try to force her to eat but she'd spank us for misbehavior." Felix had a faint smile on his lips as he recounted old memories but it didn't reach his eyes.
"I…"
"There was a night she left home in search of food. This was after dad died. They saw us as vermin and weren't willing to give us any rations. We hadn't eaten for days but the next day, she returned with enough rations to last us days." Felix pursed his lips. "I know what she did that night, it was clear from her walking posture and appearance."
"Felix, I need you to…"
"Has your mother ever sold her dignity just to provide food for the family?" Felix's question threw Nathan off.
He moved the hair covering a part of her face aside as he continued. "She must have been in so much pain as she took her final breath."
Nathan bit his lower lip as he trudged forward and crouched down, grabbing Felix on his right shoulder. "Look at me."
Alas, Felix was unresponsive as he kept his head down.
"Look at me!" Nathan forcefully yanked his head up only to discover tears streaming down Felix's cheeks.
Nathan hesitated before pulling out a piece of paper and handing it to Felix. "The perpetrators of this act and their location is on here. Do what you feel is right, I won't stop you. Once you are done, I'll be waiting here so don't rush."
The information was gotten from the Enforcers stationed in the District, after all, there was no way the CCTV placed on the streets hadn't captured anything.
Nathan stepped aside and waited patiently for Felix to make his decision.
After what seemed like an eternity but was only a minute, Felix carefully set his mom on the ground before picking up the paper.
He got to his feet and walked unsteadily toward the door. "Watch over her for me… I'll be back."
He left the house and slowly made his way to the location marked out on the map.
Nathan rested his back on the wall before sighing heavily. "This fucked up world!"