Anna regained consciousness after being revived with smelling salts by Edmund. She had fainted upon hearing the news that Felix had lost.
"Will Felix never come back?" Anna asked her husband, her eyes looking weary.
"Mom, calm down. Even if Brother Felix will never return to us, he must be fine wherever he is," Rain said, trying to comfort her mother.
"Rain is right. Felix must be fine," Edmund added.
"How can you know that? We're never shown what games they're playing. Only their names appear on the billboard," Anna said.
Edmund gently stroked Anna's hair, then kissed her forehead. "You don't need to worry about that, dear. Maybe Felix was placed with those elites."
***
Anna fell into a deep sleep after being massaged by Edmund. Edmund then went to the living room to light a cigarette.
Rain, who saw his father about to smoke, immediately sat next to him and snatched the cigarette from his lips. But Edmund quickly took it back from Rain.
"If Brother Felix were here, that cigarette would've already been thrown into the river behind the house," Rain said bitterly, angry at his father who had been diagnosed with lung disease because of his smoking habit.
"Half of my soul is gone, Rain, and only this cigarette can make me forget the pain of Felix's departure, even if just for a while," Edmund said as he lit it.
Smoke drifted from Edmund's mouth, filling the living room. Rain quickly went to his mother's bedroom door and shut it tightly so she wouldn't be disturbed by the smoke.
Edmund puffed his cigarette while watching his child. "Your mother found Felix when he was still a baby, near Mrs. Farah's stall, Mrs. Lidya's mother-in-law," Edmund said suddenly, still blowing smoke, and his eyes staring blankly ahead. "Back when we were young, people were forced to lose their wombs because of a program run by the elites. They said it was to control the birth rate through medicines whose contents only they knew. I also took those medicines, since we were promised money if we joined. And since there was a cold war at the time between the elites themselves, fighting for power, it was us who became the victims."
Rain listened carefully to his father's story. Throughout his life, his parents had never explained the real reason they chose adoption. They always said they preferred adopting, especially children unwanted by their parents, and that raising them would bring blessings and paradise.
"So what happened next, Dad?" Rain asked when Edmund fell silent, not continuing his story. She sat back down beside him, hoping he would go on. "I want to know the rest."
Edmund put out his cigarette on a tin plate left over from lunch. "The program only lasted about five years, because there were many reports of damage to women's wombs after taking those drugs, and it caused men to suffer impotence, even those between twenty and forty-five years old."
"So what compensation did you and Mom get?"
"Just money, enough to buy food for three months."
"Was there no other compensation, like for medical treatment?"
Edmund shook his head. "I don't know. Rumor had it there was medical compensation, but the money was taken by the class leader."
Rain grew more curious about how hard his parents' generation had it when it came to having children. Most people their age only said it was a curse on Class F, because in the past, someone from Class F had led a rebellion against the elites over their wasteful policies.
"So how did you and Mom deal with it?" Rain asked.
"We just let it be. Back then we were resigned. If death came, then it came."
"Did many people die because they didn't get treatment?" Rain asked, more intrigued now.
Edmund nodded.
"How many?"
"I don't know, but it was a lot. The streets were full of corpses because of that program, including my father's younger sister." Edmund's eyes welled up, remembering his bitter past.
"You're not asleep yet?" Suddenly Anna stood at the bedroom door, her hair messy and her face distraught.
Rain shook his head. "Mom, why are you up?"
"I was going to the bathroom," Anna said, then walked over and sat beside her child. She turned to her husband, who was staring blankly. "Dear, what's wrong?"
Edmund glanced at his wife. "I already told Rain everything, especially about our reason why until now we don't have baby."
No anger appeared on Anna's face, though she usually would have scolded her husband for telling the truth about why they never had children of their own.
"It's okay, Ed. I understand," Anna said softly.
Rain hugged both of his aging parents. "I love you. Thank you for raising and loving us as your own children."
"Yes, dear," Edmund replied.
"Yes, Rain, we love you too," Anna added.
***
News of Felix's defeat spread quickly throughout Class F. Everyone was talking about it, both young and old. The news reached one of the class officials, who then came to Felix's family home with several bodyguards.
The official was fat, with a bulging belly. His head was bald, his face chubby, and his tall was only 140 cm. On the left side of his white uniform was his name, Marcus Maxmillianuz.
He loved eating cake, especially sweet cake even while the people of Class F were starving. He was known as a corrupt official who cared only for himself. He was the class treasurer, a henchman of the class leader who extorted the poor of his own people.
While eating cake, he looked at Felix's parents. He was panting from overeating. "I heard your son made it into the top eight?" he asked.
"That's what people say, Mr. Marcus," Anna replied.
"You didn't watch it yourself?" Marcus asked, pausing his eating.
"What business is it of yours? If you came here just to mock us, then leave at once!" Edmund snapped.
Marcus chuckled, placing his cake on the table. He leaned his bulky body toward Edmund. "Don't think that just because you're rich now, you can treat me however you like, Mr. Edmund! I could withhold your son's participation reward, which is a huge sum."
Edmund frowned. "What do you mean?"
"You don't know? Where have you been?"
"I've been too busy working to support my wife and children," Edmund replied.
Marcus leaned closer. "Listen, since last year, every participant who loses receives prize money according to their rank. For every rank higher, they get fifty gold coins. Your son earned 200 gold coins. Do you know what that means?"
Edmund shook his head.
Marcus widened his eyes. "It means you're rich now. You can fix this house, even buy a vehicle." He nudged Edmund's arm. "And don't forget to give me some. Not much, yaaa maybe ... twenty-five gold coins will be enough for cake."
At that moment, Rain entered carrying a basket of apples. She was shocked to see a class official in their shabby home. "What's going on here?" she asked.
Marcus's eyes darted hungrily to the beautiful young girl before him. Brown eyes, white skin, and straight hair cascading down her shoulders. "Who is she?" he asked Edmund and Anna, pointing at Rain.
"Our second child, Rain," Edmund answered.
Marcus stood up and waddled toward Rain, who was still holding the basket. "You're so beautiful. Will you spend the night with me? I'll pay you fifty silver coins. If you satisfy me, I'll add twenty-five more. That's seventy-five silver coins in total."
Rain immediately drew a folding knife from her basket and pressed it against Marcus's throat.
Marcus's bodyguards rushed forward, but Rain quickly took him hostage. "One more step, and I'll slit his throat and kick his head around like a soccer ball," she threatened.
"Okay, everyone, back off! Don't attack her," Marcus shouted.
"Listen, Fatty, you need to understand—I'm not just any girl. I could stab this knife into your skull right now. Believe it?"
Suddenly, warm liquid trickled down Marcus's pants. He had wet himself, leaving the floor soaked.
"Damn, did you just pee yourself?" Rain asked, glaring at the puddle.
"Y-yes. Because I'm scared of your knife."
"After this, you and your guards are cleaning up the mess you made. Got it?" Rain pressed the knife closer. "But first, answer me, where are the Star Game losers taken?"
"I don't know!" Marcus stammered.
"Answer! Or I'll cut off your manhood so you'll never stand again!"
"I swear on my mother's name, I really don't know!" Marcus cried, shutting his eyes tight. "All I know is they're judged by the Elite Judge after their defeat."
"Lies! You've been colluding with the elites to hide the truth from us, haven't you?" Rain slashed his left arm.
"Ahhh! It hurts!" Marcus screamed, struggling to break free.
"Tell me the truth!"
"F-fine, I'll tell you, but your parents mustn't know!"
"Why not?"
"If anyone besides the class officials finds out, the Elites will kill me. Please, after I tell you, promise me you'll keep it secret."
"Fine." Rain turned to her parents and the bodyguards. "All of you, leave us. It'll just be the two of us here."
"Hey, let my bodyguards stay!" Marcus protested.
Rain glared and whispered in his ear, "Then, you choose death."
"N-no! Fine. I'll tell you."
***
Note:
Currency in each class is divided into three levels:
1 gold coin = 1 million rupiah
1 silver coin = 100 thousand rupiah
1 bronze coin = 10 thousand rupiah
So 200 gold coins = 200 million rupiah.
The highest currency amount only reaches 999 gold coins, equal to 999 million rupiah.
***