Content Warning: Blood and violence

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What do you think freedom tastes like?

Success? A sense of achievement? Praises?

For Zara, it was the passing of a simple yet cold breeze.

Zara reached the main road and hauled a cab to her apartment. She knew that it would be easier to pay if she had taken a bus or the subway but she needed to be as careful as she could. Using other means of transport - in other words, cheaper modes of transport - she couldn't risk being seen by other people.

She had to go incognito.

She had to go home.

She had to find her aunt.

She tried to call her but it went right to voicemail, but this time, the message that she heard was different. It was directed right at her. "It's me. Don't worry about me. I'm completely fine. Only think about what you need to do for the next few days until I come back, okay? Listen to me very carefully. There is money taped to the back of the vase with those horrible dusty paper flowers that we never seem to want to throw out." Her aunt chuckled there. "Take it. I'll be back soon, Mayflower."

Zara almost broke out crying at hearing her aunt's voice after so long. She had been listening to older voicemails the entire time she was at the mansion. But this was something new. Her aunt had called her 'Mayflower', which was something that only stood between the two of them.

She walked frantically into her house, expecting to find it messy. But it seemed cleaner than usual, emptier even. But there was one new item in the kitchen at the vase that her aunt had mentioned - a note signed by her aunt.

She fumbled to open it and once she did, her breath held on.

My dearest Mayflower,

There is a lot that you don't know about and a lot that I'm yet to talk to you about.
I'm currently out of town on an important purpose. I know that it is not like me to leave you but you'll be safe. I know you will. You are a big girl now as much as I hate to admit it to myself.

Stay at home and be safe, sweetie, until I can keep you safe.

Trust your instincts and more importantly, trust yourself.

I'll see you soon.

Something was seriously going on with her aunt, but Zara couldn't place what it could be. Her aunt had always been the strict type herself. There was no way she was going to leave her alone in the city, but the voicemail had come from her.

And if her aunt told her something, she was going to listen to it.

She was going to take the money and keep herself safe.

She was going to wait.

She ran to her room and fell backwards on her bed. "Oh...." She sighed at the familiar comfort of lying on her own bed as consciousness left her and she fell asleep.

Morning came with the familiar ringtone of the alarm that she always kept with 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' by Malia J playing at the highest volume. She opened her eyes to being in her bed and her home. It was unbeatable. But her heart was telling her that something was really wrong. She got up and sat criss-crossed, letting her hair fall over her sides as she thought clearly about what had happened.

She was home.

Finally.

But what next?

She could go to college and submit her assignments in person but she had already done it digitally. There was literally nothing for her to do. She had done her set of reading from the books that she had borrowed from her library, which were with Mal to read next and then exchange to get new books.

There was only one place left that she could go to. "Evening, Leo!" She greeted as she walked into the bar. "I'm so sorry that I have been MIA for so long but-"

"What are you talking about?" He asked as he closed the cash register. "Aunt Jean told me that you wouldn't be coming for two months. She gave your resignation."

Zara's stomach clenched together. She had definitely woken up on the wrong side of the bed that morning. "She did? Oh." Aunt Jean had known that she would have had trouble saying goodbye. "Can't I work today then?"

"Did I say that?" He winked at her. "We wanted you to have a great last day first before we completed the relieving process." He walked around the counter and handed the rolled-up apron to her. "Welcome back, Z."

But Zara hadn't worked that day. Mr. Kadumba had called her to the back office and told her the history of the bar which he always revealed to the person before their last day. He showed her around the place even though it was a second home to her, and explained the story behind all the awards that he had showcased at the front.

Zara felt a weight on her chest. She couldn't believe that she had to leave them. But every time that she thought about it, Adrian's face came before her. Or more specifically, his clenched jaw did. He would be so angry when he found out that she escaped his highly trained guards, which only made her proud of herself.

The end of the day neared as the darkness took over the night sky and Zara knew it was the end of the second last day at The Ale House. She locked up as tradition. It was going to be a tough day next day.

If it wasn't for facing goons again.

She pulled her dagger and her aunt's electric baton out, not taking any chances again. There were three of them. Again. "I'm not coming with you." She said. "You can't make me go with you because I have my rights."

The leader, of sorts, among them took a step forward, his hands joined together in front of him. "We're not here to take you back." Her grip loosened a little on the baton. She had never seen them before but what were they saying? "We are here to kill you."

He came for her throat but Zara used to baton at him, giving him a direct shock and making him fall to the ground. She used her pepper spray next at the person coming at her but he hit her inner elbow. The can flew right out of her hands and rolled on the floor.

The second goon punched her face and she couldn't dodge it in time. But she used that anger and slammed him against the wall with full force. She elbowed him in the centre of his back, breaking his spinal flow and kicked his back calf, paralysing him for a few seconds.

The third grabbed her by the hair, punched her stomach and pushed her to the ground. "You put up a good fight." He gritted through his teeth. "But we have the upper hand here."

Zara spit out the blood, whose metallic taste had taken over, and wiped her mouth. She chuckled shakily. "Three against one and you consider yourself brave." She looked up at him through the falling strands of hair over her eyes. "Cowards."

He kicked her lower jaw with his knees, making her fall backwards. Her head hit the ground, making stars flow before her eyes. She was sure that it was an hour before stars could actually take over. But her eyes started to droop and she wanted to fight back.

One of them came towards her and kicked her in the stomach. "Why don't you get it over with?" She mumbled, startling him. And when he looked back at his companions, she found her chance.

Zara willed all the energy in her and stood up, taking the man's neck in her hands and hitting the top of his neck with the side of her right hand. "Coward." She grunted as his knees buckled. 

She kicked him in the back of his knees and she would have, if it wasn't for his partners grabbing her away, one on either side. "Let me go!" She kicked one of their thighs and started to fight the other, but it was too late.

She fell to the ground and this time, one of the goons sat on top of her, pinning her to the ground. He hit her head harder against the ground and Zara was sure that it was going to bleed open. "Cowards." She spoke bravely, keeping her eyes open while struggling to break free.

But the man hit her head once more against the ground and started to choke her. If it wasn't for the concussion, Zara would have felt them break her hand because she heard something crack. Maybe it was her ribs. Maybe it was her leg. Maybe it was her wrist.

Maybe. Maybe. Maybe.

But she had a saviour angel watching over her.

A gunshot broke through the alleyway - the last thing she heard.