In distant lands, my children roam,
Scattered like leaves, beyond my home.
They sip their teas, in foreign places,
While I remain, with a heart that aches and spaces.
The thought of them, a bittersweet refrain,
Echoes through my soul, a persistent pain.
Tears fall like rain, a deluge from above,
As I behold, the children I may never love.
Oh, the anguish that I cannot define,
A grief that gnaws, a wound that won't align.
Endless torment, with no respite in sight,
A father's sorrow, a heart that's lost its light.
I cry out to the angels, in this darkest night,
Grant me solace, a glimpse of heavenly light.
I'll worship any power, that brings me peace,
Even the humblest creature, my soul will release.
Wash me in grace, oh heavenly tide,
Sweep away the demons, that my heart divide.
Rain down your mercy, like a summer storm,
And end this suffering, that I can no longer form.
Oh, the agony of a love so true,
A father's longing, that may never shine through.
But still I hold on, to the hope in my heart,
That someday, somehow, we'll never be apart."
I stared at the strange text written at the top of the entrance to the third floor of the Galactic Prison. The text was supposed to be the first part of Matka Alle's last words.
From what I gathered from Hyde, these small pieces of text were extremely valuable. Once all parts are brought together, they will lead to a great treasure.
Standing on my toes, I took out the white paper written in gold and stored it on me.
I took a deep breath as I felt the black wooden door. It was made from fine timber. A lovely lavender smell hung around the joints of the two.
I felt a sense of unease. Canaan was right in front of my eyes, but I was an Israelite who still had hopes of encountering even cruel things.
"There is no better me, and tomorrow I will be a better person than what I am today," I vowed in my heart as I pushed open the doors.
"What the hell?"
...
Layla had her eyes closed. Like a setting sun, she released a faint light from them. Her mind kept bringing back the face that filled her with shivering fear.
"Tito... Tito... Tito... TITO..! TITO..! TITO..! "
She had seen him harass Hyde before, and now that scene played in her mind: the way he smashed his teeth, cut off a few of his fingers, and tore up parts of his skin.
She knew that those were common torture techniques used in the world, but the way Tito executed them made her shudder every time he smiled at her.
"It is that very smile he gives all of us! Does he plan to end us that way too in the future?!"
Layla wasn't afraid of dying, but the manner of her death concerned her. No one wants to have a cruel death—a death so painful that you wish for the ability to breathe to be taken away.
She stared at the light bulb hanging from the elevator ceiling, taking deep breaths. Thanks to Hyde, who did everything to impress Tito, he ended up fixing up everything in the Prison.
Layla's heart sang, "The wind blows; it is just the way it is. The clouds cover the sky, trying to make it rain. The moon even sets, making the night darker. Look to the east, a ray of light shines. When the sun rises, you also shine. Even in the darkness, you must shine; don't extinguish. When the river flows, it carries dirt, leaving only the sand; you refuse to extinguish. Even in the darkness, you are a lamp; refuse to extinguish."
Now that she had gazed into the abyss, Layla found herself disliking the color black to the point of wanting to tear up her clothes, only stopping because she would be left naked.
She never wanted to associate herself with darkness again. She saw that she would end up turning into a miserable beast if she continued.
That path was meant for someone with the heart of the devil—a heart unmoved by the death of a comrade, treating it as if a rooster had died. A heart that views friends and enemies the same, smiling only at what interests it.
Layla wasn't made for that. She wanted to ensure she could differentiate between someone she loves and someone she hates. Knowing the two would make her a normal alien.
Ting–!
The elevator chimed gently in her ears, and her mind couldn't help but recall Tito's last words to her. This made her let out a snort.
"Tsk, why would Meron die? She needs to clear her mind; being betrayed by a lover isn't something one can easily get through alone. If he thinks she would resort to suicide, then he has it all wrong. I am personally going to help her as a friend, unlike a certain someone," she vowed in her mind.
The door swung wide open, and Layla couldn't help but smile to herself. She had made it this far without Tito trying to kill her, and she was definitely going to tell everyone what kind of snake he is.
However, she had to hold that thought for the moment as she encountered a familiar-looking red-skinned head flying toward her, and she had no choice but to split it in half with her dagger.
Whoosh–!
The severed head belonged to the man of lightning and only had a blue glow before it vanished to reattach itself to the main body.
Layla blinked a few times as she followed the direction the Warden had vanished. She couldn't understand whether the scar on his left eye was made by Tito or not.
Finally coming back to reality, she glared at the red-skinned man and said, "You are the person Tito killed before leaving for the second floor..."
Raiden stood on top of the dead inmates and made a disturbed smile at the newcomer. He was already having trouble dealing with the two he was fighting, and now a mysterious somebody with unknown abilities decided to show herself.
That being said, he would prefer to die trying to stop his adversaries than throw in the towel to a bunch of brats who think the outside world is less cruel than the Galactic Prison.
"You are a new face; I assume you are with..."
He didn't have time to finish his words, as Layla saw the figure of her alien friend coldly lying on the ravaged floor with a few bloodstains.
"YOU!! WHAT DID YOU DO TO MERON!!"