The boy looked at her calmly and said:
"47... That's my name."
She said in amazement:
"But... But... How can that be your name?"
The words came out of her lips with an artificial calmness, but the trembling of her hands, which the boy noticed, assured him otherwise.
He said in a hushed voice, as if afraid he had made a mistake:
"I've been living in a shelter since I was a kid, and everyone there had numbers."
Sidra tried to gather herself, then took his hand, stroked it softly and said:
"Numbers are not names, they are symbols. You must have a name. Do you choose a name, or should I?"
The boy fell silent and wandered away, his eyes moving everywhere, as if searching for something to connect him to reality.
Sidra sighed and said:
"How about Marcel?"
He smiled happily at her, shook his head in the affirmative, and then pronounced the name on his tongue to savor it:
"Marcel... It's a beautiful name."
She nodded softly and said:
"I want you to tell me everything that happened to you, okay?"
He nodded, and began to recount:
"Where I was living... It was like a big house. We lived in it with many guards and supervisors. There were a hundred of us kids, each of us with a number and a specialty.
I was into technology and coding. It was a new world that attracted me strongly, immersing me in knowing a lot of things that I couldn't access.
There were specialized teachers, the best in their fields, responsible for us and our education.
But... There was a raid on the place, and some of the kids and I escaped before we were caught, and my feet took me to that city."
He paused, then continued in a soft voice, lowering his eyes:
"But I couldn't find a place to live.
I found some children eating from the garbage..."
He said shyly, then added in a whisper:
"So I did the same."
Sidra's heart ached, and she whispered to herself:
"The world is always cruel to the weak..."
She caught his attention and he continued:
"I started getting beaten by these people every night.
When I change where I sleep, they find me.
I became a punching bag for them..."
A tear fell from Sidra's eyes, which she quickly wiped away as she tried to pull herself together.
Then she said firmly:
"That's in the past. Don't be afraid, you are now safe with me.
When I finish my exams, I will take you to my village to live there, and you will continue your education.
But you must promise me: Don't put yourself in danger, okay?
And the most important thing... Don't go out at night, especially when there is a full moon in the sky."
He nodded to her quietly.
Sidra was snapped out of her reverie when she felt someone next to her, a face close to her.
She looked up to see a girl with a black mask over her face.
She panicked and screamed as she backed away:
"Aah!"
The other one straightened up in astonishment and said:
"What? Why are you screaming?"
Trying to calm down, Sidra wiped her face and said:
"Didn't I tell you before not to show up like that in front of me?"
The girl looked at her like she was looking at an alien, then said:
"Really, I've never met a girl like you before! You don't take care of yourself, not like a girl...
You act like a man! You're just missing a mustache!"
The latter said, her eyes twinkling as she imagined what Sidra would look like with a mustache.
Sidra grabbed the pillow and threw it at the girl and said firmly:
"Alice! Get out of my room now!"
Alice smiled as she jumped onto the bed and said:
"Really? You don't mind? I'll sleep next to you then!"
"Get out, Alice!" screamed Sidra.
Alice replied, closing her eyes:
"I'll sleep then... Good night!"
Shock appeared on Sidra's face as she couldn't believe what was happening.
She lay down too, trying to get some rest.
Alice hugged her from behind.
Sidra smiled as she closed her eyes...
She was grateful to have Alice, her half-sister, in her life.
He was standing in the office, looking through the glass. His eyes followed the movement of the workers in the factory below. The sounds were annoying, but he liked to see how things were going himself.
Albert walked in quietly, approached Elias, and didn't speak until Elias motioned for him to speak.
He said in a hushed voice:
"I looked into them... They intend to betray you. Martin has agreed with Malfred and some of the chiefs to try to eliminate you.
Elias chuckled, as if what he had just heard was a joke... And for him, it was.
How do they intend to do that?" he said in a playful tone.
Albert hesitated for a moment, then cleared his throat and said:
Using the police.
Elias nodded quietly, and said in a steady tone:
"They seem to be planning their end... I warned them, but it didn't work.
Albert was about to speak, but one look from Elias was enough to make him wish for a quick death.
There was silence for a moment, then Elias said coldly:
"They brought this on themselves.
Albert shrank into himself; Elias's gaze had darkened in a way that didn't bode well.
He gestured for him to come closer, and he stepped forward, hoping that this day would end peacefully.
When he was in front of him, Elias motioned for him to come closer, and Albert leaned in.
Elias whispered a few words to him, enough to make his eyes widen in shock as he swallowed hard.
It looks like what's coming... is going to be worse than he imagined.
What Elias whispered in Albert's ear wasn't just a command... It was a silent declaration of the beginning of a war, or the end of a war before it starts.