“Michelle!” shouted Jess from inside the room.
“What’s up? Do you need anything?” said Michele as he hurried over to Jess.
“Why did you lock me here?”
“I’m just fulfilling Nick’s request!”
“Why did he do it without telling anything?”
“I’m sorry, Jess! Nick told me he’s found your son, and they’re not doing well. That villain is also after you!” Michelle explained.
“What?”
“Why did you just tell me?”
“I just didn’t want to make you worry!”
“Then, by not telling me, will I calm down?” Michele was silent to justify the woman who was still nagging. However, he couldn’t do anything. In fact, to monitor the situation outside was not possible.
In the midst of the anxiety that hit, Jess suddenly felt a tug in her stomach. Rushing to the bathroom, Jess threw up her guts in the sink. Lately, the woman had been experiencing nausea most of the time.
“Jessy, are you all right?” Michelle asked.
“It’s okay, just a little queasy!” said Jess. A calendar she saw accidentally from the lip of the sink. Anxiety also increased considering that her period had not come since two weeks ago.
“I’ll make hot tea for you!”
“Thank you, Miche!” said Jess from inside.
Jess decided to use a pregnancy test kit that she had purchased online. After a moment of anxious waiting, Jess saw the results. The two red lines are visible, even though they are faint. A small smile curved. The long awaited moment finally paid off. Jess did want a new Erhan to grow in her womb. It can’t be separated from her fear of losing Nick. The curly-haired woman loves Nick very much. Seeing the testpack, suddenly her face turned cloudy. The two lines caught her eye. After that, she staggered. Jess suddenly screamed, and dropped the small strip that was in her hand.
“Michelle … Michele!” With her body no longer strong, Jess came out of the bathroom. Her eyes searched for the thin white man. It’s too long to just make a tea. Going down the stairs, she didn’t see Michele in the kitchen. Her gaze fixed on the library room where Nick always kept his privacy there.
Jess was surprised when she managed to open the always locked room. Circumstances make her brain become tangled. She adjusted the folded rug, then straightened the strewn chairs and the small oil paintings by Rodolfo Amoedo that were no longer in place. Her two gray eyes then fell on the files scattered on the table.
“What’s this?” Jess’ hands shook as her heart and mind struggled to make sense of what she was seeing. The dew in the eyes melted beyond boundaries. Silently … the files slipped from her grasp.
Jess left the library blankly. Now, she was no longer screaming for Michele. A pair of slender legs stepped through the Entrance Hall, and a technology-based security system. Jess’ feet stopped at the exact spot where Michele’s voice echoed in panic. Under the dark glare that ruled the sun, a horror floated in the eyes. On the shores of the lake, piled corpses with a shapeless condition. Not far from there, there were two people lying covered in blood who were being shouted at by a psychiatrist. However, all that could be seen in Jess’ eyes were Nick and an evil spirit.
“Michelle!” Nick whispered. A miracle brought his spirit back to his wounded body. He turned his gaze to Devada, the girl was still closed. The immeasurable pain made him groan as he tried to get up.
“Nick!”
“I’m all right, Michele!” Nick tries to allay Michele’s worries. Slowly, he carried Devada’s body in his arms. For a moment, his eyes fell on Ezhar’s body, then turned to his child’s face again. This time with broken tears.
“Wake up, Dev! You’ve won it! Get up, you must teach me to fight a villain like Ezhar!” A small sob escaped from Nick’s mouth, Michele just looked at him with pity.
“Daddy!” Slowly, Devada’s eyelids opened.
“You’re alive again?” Nick smiled at his child’s silly question. The man then shrank back the tears that were still hanging down.
“Do you think I’m dead?”
“Yes, you are indeed dead! That’s why, I was able to kill Ezhar!”
“You are great! I’m sorry because I’m the one you have to be a girl.” Nick said regretfully.
“Are you also going to praise the son you have from Joana?” Jess’ sudden voice managed to make everyone look up.
“Jessy ….” Nick tried to stand with difficulty, even with Devada. Michele ended up in a dilemma in such a situation. Michelle should have kept Jess in check, but just as he was about to make some tea, he noticed something odd outside. That’s what provoked him to come out and find an astonishing situation.
“Jessy, why did you say that?” Jess dragged her feet back as Nick approached.
“How long are you going to cover it up? I already know, Nick! I already know!” Jess shouted furiously. Tears of sorrow flooded her eyes again. Jess should have cried because she saw her husband’s condition was not fine. However, the harsh reality brought her tears to something else. It was more painful than the tragedy that seemed at the time.
“Jess, I can explain!” Nick stared sadly at the pair of wet eyes in front of him.
“Explain what? Everything is clear!”
“Why, Nick? Why?” The man tried to grab Jess’ body, but the beautiful woman dodged.
“Didn’t you hurt me enough with Dev’s presence?” Devada looked up to see why Jess had said her name.
“Jessy … don’t bring Dev in our problem! Everything you know is not what you think. I will explain it to you!” Nick pleaded, asking his wife for a little understanding. Michele, who had a bad prediction immediately approached Devada. He softly said, “Come on, Deva! Your wound must be treated immediately.” However, Devada lowered Michele’s grip. She said, “I have to stay here to find out something I don’t know!”
“Do you really want to know, Dev?” At Devada, Jess spit out shards of sores that floated in the eyes. A gaze instantly filled Devada’s chest with an unknown pain.
“You said my name, didn’t you?” said Devada.
“Jess!” Again, Nick pleaded. The man’s expression suggests that his wife should not involve Dev in their domestic problems.
“Don’t bully me again, Nick!” shouted Jess.
“I’ve had enough of holding back all these years!” Nick was taken aback.
“You remember it?”
“Yes, I remember everything! How could I forget your betrayal, Nick?” Jess sat up with tears in her eyes.
“You let me feel the pain of being pregnant and giving birth to Elfara alone. Five years, I lived alone with Elfara in the confines of anxiety.” Jess got up, and grabbed Nick’s shoulder.
“I’ve sacrificed everything for you, Nick! In fact, I was forced to give my body to the leadership of Ibama so that they would be willing to help me find your whereabouts. After I’ve gone through a lot of bitterness, suddenly you come home with a shock that strangles my neck. What did I do wrong, Nick? What am I lacking? Why did you create so many Erhans in different women’s wombs? I hate you!” Nick’s knees buckled on the wide green ledge. His eyes were glued to Jess’ body running away from him. His ears were deafening to the words Michele would chase and take care of Jess.
“Who am I, Daddy?” Not yet recovered from the shock that stepped on his leadership side as a man, now he must play his role as a father to a child who shares the bitterness of a reality. Nick straightened his shattered legs again.
“I’m sorry, kid!”
“Who am I?” Devada tries to stay on the cool track.
“Masma! That’s your mother’s name!”
“Am I also a child from a trap, just like Callin?” Nick closed his eyes. That question had managed to crush the corners of Nick’s heart.
“No! Your mother is a good woman. The false love between us made me forget a perfect wife like Jess. In that false love you were born.” Nick revealed without even looking into the clear eyes of the innocent child in front of him.
“Where’s my mother?”
Silence ….
“I asked, where is my mother!” Devada’s voice started to rise.
“How should I explain it to you, Dev? I met Masma while on a Kingdom mission in the forbidden forest. I don’t know if she’s from the tribe we’re targeting. To be sure, your mother is not human like us!” Silence was created, Devada tried to look into Nick’s eyes. Her suddenly dull brain had a hard time digesting the last sentence that flowed in her ears.
“Am I the devil’s child?”
“What are you saying, Dev? You’re my child!” press Nick out loud. Hope Dev doesn’t fall into no-nonsense thoughts.
“Chase Mommy!” Devada took a step away from Nick. Thinking where the wound in the heart will take her. All that appeared in her eyes was a fusion of fire and thorns. Emotions guide her across the endless sea of nine. Her sunken soul was lost in a trough of wounds. Meanwhile, Nick can only surrender to let fate treat him arbitrarily.
“Yea!” A scream of frustration broke Paranoa.