章 37: Page XXXVII - The Devil's Contract [ＩＩ]

"I'll be going off. And uh Ana? You don't need to do anything today. Just... stay back and rest." Anastasia's father headed out the door and all she could see and remember that day was his father's back.

His clothes, torn. His walking was limping in pain due to multiple illnesses. His hair, wet from just finishing shower.

That back saved Anastasia's life over and over as long as she lived.

Her father only looked forward while protecting Anastasia from the back. From harm, people and so much more. He was a father that was willing to do anything for his daughter.

And days passed. She never saw her father again. A delivery was brought to her house. A jar. Full of ashes.

She was a bright child. She knew what that meant. More than anyone. She knew her father more than anyone. And she can recognize him in an instant. Those ashes were his father. And next to it was a note, [You're clear of debt.]

At that point, most people would drown in rage. Cry. Wish for revenge and the death of those who were involve. A new monster to be born driven by rage.

But Anastasia never felt any of those. Just... emptiness.

The bustling sounds of where she was living was an everyday cycle of bags of cans being dragged from the ground.

The yelling, the fights. The cheers. It was everywhere in her area.

But at that moment. The world stopped for her. To her, it was that never ending second. Everything hit her.

Death. Debt. Father.

Three things clouded her mind.

Not rage. Not sadness.

But...

Emptiness.

She never let out a single tear.

But she did thought of one thing. "Why even bother living if this is the result in the end?"

Lost in that existential thought, she was laying there in her house. Hugging that jar and not moving for the next three days.

In that trance of emptiness. A light emerged from her door as some people destroyed it down.

It was night outside and the blinding light of a car was showing through.

A click of a walkie talkie was heard. "One child found here. No one else."

An officer the kicked the door of the bathroom of the house and looked around. "Clear!"

Two more officers went in the room and scouted the rest. "Clear!"

The man who was talking in the walkie talkie walked over Anastasia and kneeled down on one knee to check on her. "Are you alright?" He asked but Anastasia didn't reply or looked at him. He waved his hand in front of her face but she doesn't budge. "I'm sorry for this." He reached his hand and brought it to her neck to check for her pulse. "She's still alive. But her pulse is getting weaker." He took another look at her body. Frail. Malnourished. And incredibly thin. As if the wind would blow her away. He then looked over to see her arm. "No injections. So its not drugs. Let's bring her back with us. Like the others."

He reached over to carry Anastasia but she wouldn't budge. He reached over to the jar she was hugging so tight to pull it off. But she didn't let go. He opened the jar and he knew what was inside.

"Sire..? Are you alright?" A man asked from behind.

He grasped his fists tightly and grinded his teeth. "MEN! Don't let anyone live! We won't let anyone of those bastards get out this time. Move out!"

The man walked over to him and then asked, "What was inside of the jar?"

"Ashes. I'm guessing someone close to her or her family."

"How horrible."

"I know. Let's go out. We're free to do whatever we want. And today, we'll all kill those bastards."

It was by chance. Sheer luck that she was rescued there by the SWAT team. Trying to put an end to the human trafficking, drugs, abduction and so much more.

At the end of the night, it was a bloody brutal battle between the two factions. The whole town was covered in blood and the dead bodies.

It was dark night for everyone.

After the fight, the ones who were under the rule of those monsters were taken in. Some people didn't want to leave since that's where their source of income was.

But those who didn't have a family or nowhere to go was taken at the orphanage.

But for Anastasia, she was first taken to the mental hospital.

Her grip was strong on the jar of her father.

As soon as it was taken away from her, she began to flail her arms around and shout loudly demanding to get it back.

But as soon as she gets it back, she went back to not talking at all.

It was a year long to wait for her to get recovered.

And at the top of the hospital from where she was, she stood there. People from below were shouting at her to not jump. And people from behind her were saying the same thing.

But she wasn't planning on committing suicide or anything.

She opened the jar and put her hand inside and brought out a handful of her father's ashes.

She then threw it at the sky as the wind blows it everywhere. Everyone went silent and shed some tears. Because after a year long battle of fighting to get over everything that has happened in her life... She finally won. And this is her way of telling that.

The wind grew stronger as she tossed her father's ashes in the air.

Her emotionless face finally changed to show how much of a child she was.

Tears were let out as she grinded her teeth as she was throwing the ashes. "Goodbye father."

First words spoken after a full year.

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