The bitter truth
1025 Words
Years passed…
And Mila grew within that cave,
until the world beyond it became as strange to her
as it was distant.
She had known no life but this…
and never once did she question
that the man who raised her was not her real father.
Sometimes, she would wander out…
standing at the edges of the cliffs,
watching in silence.
In the sky…
Black wings tore through the clouds.
The Novarion.
They soared high above,
dropping sacks of food as if they were nothing more than scraps…
And below
People surged forward.
Men… women… even children…
running, fighting,
falling over one another
for a handful of vegetables…
or a piece of bread.
Something inside her broke
every single time.
And among them…
She saw him.
That old man.
His back bent,
his body frail
as if life had been drained from him
drop by drop.
Her father.
She couldn’t bear the sight.
She ran back to the cave,
tears burning in her eyes.
“Who are they…?” she whispered to herself.
“And why… can they fly with black wings, while we cannot?”
The sound of heavy footsteps cut through her thoughts.
Marcus entered, carrying a few vegetables,
a faint smile resting on his tired face.
“Look, little one…” he said with a soft chuckle,
“Today, I was lucky… I brought you food.”
She looked at him
but didn’t smile.
With eyes filled with anger and sorrow, she said:
“How long, Father…?”
“Why are we like this? And why are they… different? Who are the Novarion?”
He stopped
Slowly, he sat down near the fire,
stirring the embers with a stick
as if searching for the right words among the ashes.
He let out a long sigh.
“It’s a long story…”
Then he looked up at her.
“But… I suppose you’re old enough to hear it now.”
He paused for a moment, then said:
“There are those… far stronger than the Novarion.”
Her eyes widened.
“The Aetherion.”
His voice lowered slightly,
as if even speaking their name carried weight:
“Beings who control minds…
read thoughts…
and bend nature itself to their will.”
“Their wings are white…
pure… untouched by darkness.”
He fell silent for a moment, then continued:
“As for the Novarion…
they are a force not to be taken lightly.”
“They can tear down mountains…
break iron as if it were dry wood…”
And build whatever they desire
wherever they desire.”
She listened in silence,
trying to grasp a world she had never known.
“And the Alphas… and Omegas?” she asked softly.
“They live far away… in their own continent.”
“They do not interfere…
and they do not wish to be interfered with.”
Then he fell quiet…
As if what came next
was heavier than words could easily carry.
“As for us…”
His grip tightened slightly around the stick.
“We were once known as… the Sovereigns.”
Mila’s head lifted sharply.
“We lived in peace… serving under the banner of the Aetherion and the Novarion…
We were not weak… but we were never truly free.”
His voice grew heavier…
“Until one day…
our leader gave in to greed.”
The fire flickered,
as if responding to his words.
“He refused to remain a servant…
especially after he fell in love with a girl from the Aetherion.”
Mila froze.
“What happened…?”
Marcus exhaled slowly, his gaze fixed on the flames.
“He was rejected.”
Silence.
“As if his heart couldn’t bear it…
love turned into hatred.”
He raised his eyes to hers.
“So he turned against them…
and the war began.”
His voice dropped to a whisper:
“And from that day on…
we were no longer the Sovereigns…”
A pause.
“We became… The Damned.”
Mila’s voice trembled.
“Cursed…?”
He nodded slowly.
“Our power was taken…
and we were bound to this land…
trapped behind a barrier we can never cross.”
She fell silent.
Her mind struggled to grasp it all
Then suddenly
“But… why was he rejected?”
Marcus looked at her for a long moment…
Then said, with quiet sorrow:
“Because this world… is not fair, little one.”
He stirred the fire with his stick and added:
“There are ranks…”
Then he looked straight into her eyes.
“And how could a servant…
ever marry someone… from the sky?”
Mila went quiet for a moment…
As if everything she had heard wasn’t enough
or perhaps… it had awakened something deeper within her.
She lifted her gaze to him, hesitant…
“Father…”
She paused,
as if afraid of the question itself.
“Where… are my wings…?”
He froze.
His knees trembled slightly,
his brows tightening without him noticing.
This question…
he had been expecting it for years
and fearing it every time he looked at her.
Silence.
But the answer…
had always been ready.
Slowly, he reached out,
picked up a small orange fruit,
and placed it in her hand
as if buying himself time.
Then he spoke,
his voice carefully steady:
“I once… traveled… to the Omega continents…”
He looked away,
anywhere but into her eyes.
“And there… I met a woman.”
A brief pause…
“And I loved her.”
He pressed slightly on the word,
then continued:
“You… are our daughter.”
A faint smile appeared on his face
but it never reached his eyes.
“You look just like her…”
Then he let out a soft chuckle,
as if trying to lighten the weight of his words:
“No… you’re exactly like her.”
Mila looked at him.
She stayed silent for a few seconds…
as if trying to see beyond what he said.
But in the end…
She smiled.
A small… warm smile.
She moved closer,
sat beside him,
and hugged him without hesitation.
He froze for a moment
- Writer
