As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm, orange glow across the sky, Rizki and Evelyn found themselves deep in conversation. They sat in a tranquil spot, surrounded by nature's beauty, their voices weaving a story that would soon take an unexpected turn.
"So, you mentioned that Liora once battled against the beastmen hero?" Rizki started, his voice filled with intrigue, perfectly matching the darkening sky overhead.
Evelyn nodded slowly, her gaze fixed on the horizon as if she were searching for the memories of that distant past. "Yeah, that's the story I remember hearing from my father," she began, her words carrying a hint of sadness. "Grand Master was a legendary elf knight, a true hero. She saved countless lives, regardless of their race – humans, elves, or beastmen. But her life took a tragic turn."
Rizki leaned in, eager to delve deeper into the narrative. "Tell me more," he urged.
Evelyn's voice held a touch of sorrow as she continued, "Grand Master fell in love with a human, a man from one of the nearby villages. They got married and found a peaceful spot in the heart of the elf village. She also mentored a young elf who would later become the mother of quadruplets, that's us. Life seemed peaceful until..."
Rizki finished her sentence in his mind, his imagination vividly painting the events that had unfolded. "Until what?"
Evelyn's voice quivered as she recounted the tragedy. "Until that fateful day."
Rizki nodded, prompting her to continue. "Please, go on."
"Her world shattered when a beastmen hero led an attack on the elf village," Evelyn explained. "In that brutal assault, two of her sons and her beloved husband lost their lives."
The weight of the tragedy hung in the air, and Rizki couldn't help but feel a profound sense of empathy for Liora. To clarify the events, he summarized, "So, Liora was a renowned knight who found love and happiness with a human in the elf village. But her world was torn apart when a beastmen hero attacked, taking the lives of her husband and two sons."
Evelyn confirmed with a nod, her eyes reflecting the pain of those memories. "Exactly. She returned to the knighthood, driven by the motivation to defeat the beastmen hero, and received the approval of The Eight Nobles as she will carry the mission alone."
"The Eight Nobles?" Rizki asked, seeking further clarification. Evelyn chuckled at his question.
"You're both smart and curious, aren't you?" she replied with a smile. "The Eight Nobles are simply the eight most influential nobles in the elf society. Everything decided under their flag means an absolute decision. Even our date here is approved by The Eight Nobles. So even if we don't like each other, still it won't change and we had to carry it out."
She took a deep breath, recalling everything her father had told her in distant years. "She treated my mother like her own. Unfortunately, my mother also perished at the hands of the beastmen hero's troop shortly after we were born. We never got to know our mother's true nature, so in the end, we regarded Grand Master as our own mother. She swore her allegiance to my father, and that bond remains unbroken since then."
Rizki absorbed the information, connecting the dots between the characters and events. He then glanced at Evelyn, who seemed puzzled by his actions.
"What are you doing there?" she asked, leaning closer to get a better look at his phone screen.
With a small smile, Rizki explained, "I'm creating a mind map to help us visualize the connections and understand the story better. It might help me see the bigger picture."
Evelyn appreciated the approach, acknowledging that different perspectives could indeed shed light on intricate tales. Rizki continued to work on his mind map, connecting the dots of the narrative.
As he did so, he couldn't help but notice a subtle sign in Evelyn's demeanor. Her right fist trembled slightly as they discussed the story, a sign that he had learned could be indicative of trauma. It made him wonder if Evelyn herself carried the weight of a painful past, even though she appeared composed on the surface.
"So apparently, Liora is the quadruplets' master, which starts to make sense of why they called her Grand Master, since she taught their mother as well," Rizki muttered in his mind as he connected some dots on his phone. Then he continued to piece together more information. "If she really took me as her own, given that I'm technically her 'daughter's husband,' and her right fist is shaking during the debate earlier... It explains everything now."
With a determined resolve, Rizki broached a sensitive topic. "Evelyn, does Liora suffer from PTSD?"
Evelyn looked puzzled for a moment, not immediately grasping the acronym. "PTSD?" she inquired.
Rizki clarified, "It's a condition where someone experiences trauma after going through a harrowing event, like war or violence."
Understanding dawned on Evelyn's face as she replied, "I see..."
She then tried to remember something about Liora's past but couldn't find any obvious signs of trauma or shell-shock situation. She could only shake her head in response to Rizki's question and told him, "She always seems able to maintain her composure, no matter how formidable the enemy is. At least that's what I know."
"Then it might be hidden deep within her," Rizki concluded.
With a determined resolve, Rizki voiced his decision. "Perhaps it's time for me to take on the role of a villain, at least temporarily."
As he prepared to leave, he tightened the chain on his bike around his right hand, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead. Evelyn inquired about his intentions.
"I'm going to confront Liora and encourage her to open up about her experiences. I will be her psychiatrist, but not in a pleasant way." he declared, his determination unwavering.
Before he could depart, a sudden collision sent him crashing into a nearby tree with a resounding thud. Evelyn burst into laughter at the unexpected turn of events.
"Hey, don't laugh at someone's misfortune!" Rizki protested, the pain evident in his voice as he pointed an accusing finger at her.
Eve, who had silently approached from behind, joined the banter. "So, you're embracing the role of a villain, are you?" she inquired with a sly smile.
Despite the throbbing pain in his head, Rizki nodded, fully committing to his newfound role. "I will call all of my sisters over, and we're going dark."
"Going dark??" Rizki and Evelyn asked in unison.
"Kicking Grand Master's ass," Eve proclaimed.
Several hours passed as three of them were present at there anymore, and place were shift into a fancy-looking room that seemingly look girly.
There, It had four king-sized beds aligned vertically, from left and right, the four similar-looking girls. One on the left was a blue-haired elf with the similar features but only her dress in blue that differs from them, playing cards while shuffling on it. Next to her was a familiar elf, Eve Danielle, and the one next to her was an elf with her seemingly unpredictable character, Evelyn Danielle, and at the top right, it was another identical-looking girl with Evelyn, but she seemingly being shy, unlike Evelyn, and she doesn't have elf ears which led Rizki to ask,
"What happened to her ear?"
"We reshaped it, last time's abduction had ruined her ear badly. Gladly that her hearing wasn't broken yet. So we just reshape it," Evelyn replied with a nod.
"I see… It works like plastic surgery, huh.." Rizki smiled, and she nodded although she doesn't know what "Plastic Surgery" was.
"You should sit between us!" the cheerful girl suggested, shuffling a deck of poker cards in her hands.
"Thank you, Eve, but I'll pass," Rizki replied, maintaining his position.
"I'm Eva," the annoyed girl corrected, her frustration evident. "We have different hair colors. Why do you keep mistaking us?!"
Rizki, undeterred by their identical appearances, responded with a touch of exasperation, "You're all quadruplets! I mean, how am I supposed to know? Hair can be dyed, but how can I possibly tell if you are Eve, you are Eva, you are Evelyn, or you are Everyn?!"
Knowing that she puffed her cheek, he then replied, "Alright alright, as long as you guys don't mess with me. Now tell me what we need to do?"
"Attack." Four of them answered together.