Aster Veren
Episode 177's

- Kalea

"Ughh! This is sst. ..," I muttered feeling a great throb in my head as my head hit the wall for dodging the attack of the big man chasing Aster. I see Aster has also been knocked down because he avoided the attack from the man.

I sibak my hair that blocked my vision, then quickly ran towards Aster who was in danger.

The big man had already brandished his dagger, preparing to stab Aster who had been cornered. Then I quickly forced my body to move and grabbed the stick lying not far from where I fell.

I threw a blow to the man's back with the stick I held, but I intended to hit him on the nape. But my vision was a little blurred because of the pain in my head. And my punch didn't manage to make him lose consciousness, the man only fell down for a few moments. Then back to stand staggered, approaching Aster with a sharp object that is still faithfully held.

"Don't bother Aster!" My shout immediately ran up to Aster and hugged his body with all my strength. And hope that man undoes his intention to stab Aster, even though I'm sure he won't just back off. So I decided to put up a body to protect Aster. But the next second Aster immediately pushed me away.

"Gee!" Before pushing me. Then I saw that the dagger had managed to scratch Aster's hand along with the sound of gunfire that shocked me.

A shot? My mind immediately turned toward the source of the gunshot. I saw Dad standing not far from where we were standing. Then I turned my head back to the figure of the man who almost stabbed Aster, I saw he had fallen in pain near Aster.

***

- Esther

I thrust Kalea's body with all my strength, making her move away from me as I watched the man prepare to stab the sharp object at Kalea.

I saw Kalea grimacing with my encouragement, then the next second I saw the dagger preparing to land on my chest, but with the rest of my strength, I managed to dodge the man's attack even though my hand was scratched by the sharp object.

Dor's!

The sound of gunfire shocked me on the sidelines of my ringing, and I saw the big man in front of me suddenly staggering and falling in pain in front of me.

"Da–blood?" I muttered as I saw the red liquid begin to pool under his body.

"Come Leah!" Dad's screams caught my attention, then I lyricized the figure of Kalea who was still sitting limp in his place while holding his bloody forehead due to colliding with the wall while avoiding the attack of the man who was lying in front of me.

I saw Dad start walking closer to Kalea with a worried expression that I hadn't seen in a long time. Though your daughter needs you more, but the first one you go to is someone else's child .., my mind feels a pain deep in my heart when Dad rubs Kalea's forehead with his handkerchief.

"Aster!" Cried Kalea who had been out of nowhere since when she had been squatting in front of me. His hand was intending to grab my shoulder, but he had not yet grabbed it I had brusquely brushed it off and made it gawk.

"A–Aster?" He was confused, but I didn't care.

"You're looking to die, aren't you?" Dad asked with his cold voice making me look up, seeing him standing right behind Kalea. Staring at me so sharply, that it felt piercing into my heart.

"It's been helped instead of thanking you ma–" He continued to stop when he heard Kalea's call.

"Stop Dad!" Kalea cut off Dad's words. I saw that Dad had already shut his mouth and heeded Kalea's call.

"... I never asked him to come to help me!" I said as I clenched my hands together, gathering all my frustration there. I just wish Dad would come and save me, not expect to be scolded like this.

"You really don't know yourself. Let's go Lea!" His words made my heart hurt. I know Dad forgot about me, but I never thought Dad would say such hurtful things to me.

Though all this time I always tried to be a good daughter, always be patient to wait for Dad's memory of me back, work hard to help Dad's work and take over some of Daddy's work.

Do you know how tired I am trying to be a child that is not easily underestimated by people from other families? Trying to be a more useful child that could ease his father's burden, at a time when everyone started thinking about leaving Dad and turning to other families to continue their business, because they didn't trust my abilities.

"Do I have to die?" I muttered a glance at the sharp object near the unconscious man.

"A–Aster? What–stop!" Kalea said as I intended to hurt myself. I saw Kalea acting fast and trying hard to grab the dagger in my hand. Where did Dad go?

"Don't be stupid Aster! Quickly remove the dagger, you can get hurt. Look at your body at this moment! Would you like to add one more wound to your body?"

"Don't stop me Lea! You don't understand why I'm–" I almost screamed with a circle of tears that had flooded my face.

"I understand how you feel Aster, I–"

"No! You don't understand a thing!" I cut her words together with tears that were increasingly pouring down my face.

"... Then tell me more about your difficulties so that I may understand foolishness!" His voice sounded annoyed after being silent for a few seconds.

"I–"

"Don't look for excuses anymore and stop whining!" His cut irritated me even more until unknowingly the dagger we were fighting over had pierced Kalea's stomach and shocked me when I saw her grimacing in pain.

"I ... what's–" muttered I was really surprised by what I've done. I may have lost consciousness and intend to end my life, but in the middle of it all because of my stupidity Kalea–dia to receive stab wounds in her stomach.

"Hiks Lea ..," I continued with trembling hands. I saw Kalea holding back the pain while pulling the thing out of her stomach, then I felt her hands grabbing onto my body and hugging me warmly.

"It's okay Aster, I'm ti–"

"Huwaaaa stop talking, I'm—I'll seek help. Daddy's! Yes Dad! Me, wait here for a minute." My cry broke when I heard Kalea's voice in pain from my actions.

"He–stop the bleeding first, Lea!" I continued to release her arms carefully before tearing the subordinate of the skirt I was wearing, I rolled the cloth up and pressed against Kalea's wound to stop the bleeding.

"What's happened?" Dad's heavy voice surprised me. I saw Dad standing looking at me and Kalea in turn.

"Father ...," muttered Kalea with her weak voice. Dad quickly approached Kalea and hugged her carefully, then brushed off my hand that was still holding Kalea's stomach.

"I ... really accidentally–" Obviously I'm still sobbing.

"So you made Lea like this?" Dad asked to cut my explanation.

"No Dad, Aster is innocent. Don't get mad at him," said Kalea, making me unable to look away from her cold sweaty face, enduring the pain of her stomach.

"You really don't know yourself! You have to pay for it." Said Dad not listening to Kalea, I saw Dad already pointing his gun at me. Ready to shoot me?

"No Dad!" Kalea's words along with the bullets that had shot towards me gave me the reflex of closing my eyes.

"Ck!" Dad's decision made me re-open my eyes, "get out of my sight! Never show your nose if you want to survive. If I see you even by chance, that very second I will finish you off!" He continued while holding Kalea's unconscious body.

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Thanks for reading...