Beverly Hills, Verdanis Mansion**
"Shhhh!"
I placed my trembling hand over my lips, gesturing in fear as I tried to calm my siblings down.
I turned Kael toward me, placing his head on my shoulder and covering his ears with both my hands. Kael was surprisingly unperturbed by the strained situation.
"Bang!"
I jolted at the sound of the gunshot, fear shooting down my spine and making my soul quiver.
"Where are they?"
A petrifying, hair-raising voice echoed through the room. I peeked through the tiny hole in the door.
I covered my mouth in horror at the sight before me.
My dad, Darius Verdanis, was on his knees, his head hung low, blood dripping rapidly from his forehead, several cuts scattered across his body. His shirt was soaked with dried and fresh blood, making the sight unbearable to watch.
"I don't know," my dad said in a barely audible whisper, struggling to lift his head. He was exhausted from the pain, and I prayed silently that he would survive.
"Where are they?"
The man's spine-chilling, emotionless voice came again.
"Leave them out of this," my dad said, raising his head enough to meet the eyes of the man whose back was still turned toward me.
"I would… only on one condition."
The man lifted a cigar to his lips, inhaled deeply, then crouched to my dad's level and whispered something I couldn't hear.
"Deal," my dad breathed weakly, worn down by the torment.
"Bite the table, Darius."
Cold sweat trickled down my spine. A wooden table sat at the center of my parents' room.
When my dad hesitated, the man's voice hardened.
"Do you want your kids to suffer?"
"Leave them out of this!" my dad said firmly.
"Then bite the table."
His tone grew colder with every passing second.
My dad crawled weakly toward the table, but before he could react, a sharp kick struck his head. In an instant, his teeth scattered across the table, and he collapsed.
I gasped silently, tears streaming uncontrollably. Even the other men in the room looked shocked — their eyes wide, their mouths open. It all happened in a single breath.
The man grabbed my dad's head and pressed it against the table with his leg. My dad lost the rest of his teeth. Blood and shattered teeth smeared across the wood.
Without hesitation, the man pressed his cigar butt into my dad's eye. My dad didn't even scream — he fainted.
"Darius, I'm not done yet."
He kicked him again, pulled a pistol from his pocket, cocked it, and placed it against my dad's head.
"BANG!"
PRESENT DAY
Kaia woke up when she felt her shoulder dampen with tears. She turned on the light, her brows tightening as her eyes adjusted. She panicked when she saw tears rolling down Elara's cheeks.
She heard her sister muttering faintly:
"Mom… Dad… don't leave me…"
Kaia shook her gently. Elara jerked awake, her vision blurred with tears.
She looked around frantically, as if searching for someone. She grabbed Kaia's arms roughly:
"Where is my mom? Where is Kael?"
Kaia wasn't surprised — she had seen this many times.
Elara's face was streaked with tears, her eyes hollow. She had this nightmare at least four times a month, worsening after their brother's death.
Elara stood abruptly and ran toward the bathroom door.
"Mom! Kael!?"
She cried as she crouched beside the bed, searching desperately.
"Mom? Dad!"
She bolted toward the door but stopped mid-run and collapsed, crying.
Kaia got up and hurried to her sister, kneeling in front of her.
"Elara, where are Mom and Dad? And why isn't Kael here with us?" she wailed.
"They aren't here, Elara… they left," Kaia said softly, her voice defeated.
"Where are they? Can you ask Kael to come? I'll buy him lots of chocolates, I promise…" Elara asked, hope flickering like a dying candle.
"They're gone, Elara! They're dead! That cruel man took them away and left us with nothing. Get a hold of yourself, Elara!"
Kaia's voice cracked.
She slowly pulled her sister into her arms, holding her tightly yet tenderly.
Understanding Kaia's words, Elara began to struggle, pushing her away.
"No! I saw Dad… I just want to see Kael… that's all I want…" Elara cried, her voice breaking.
"Okay… we'll go see Kael tomorrow," Kaia soothed.
Elara smiled weakly, painfully. "You don't understand…"
Kaia pulled her back into her arms, gently stroking her head and brushing the hair off her face. Elara broke down completely, sobbing harder into her sister's chest, her fists trembling.
Kaia held her silently, tightening her embrace. Eventually, Kaia couldn't hold her own tears back — she cried into Elara's hair.
After a moment, she wiped her face, sniffling as she tried to regain control.
"Sleep," Kaia whispered softly into her sister's ear.
As if her words were a spell — or perhaps Elara was too emotionally drained — her eyelids grew heavy and slowly closed.
Elara fell into a deep sleep.
This time, without a nightmare.