Disclaimer: I do not own Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. Mobile Legends belongs to Moonton.
Note: So I've finally decided to make my own Mobile Legends story. This story was supposed to be published earlier, but then I had this idea which involves changing the whole plot. Now, the story is going to be longer than I had planned.
Updates will be every month. Once I finish my other story and my exams, I'll start updating this every two weeks. If this story isn't updated when it's supposed to, try checking my profile. I usually post there if I can't update my stories.
Warning: This story will contain violence. Not all the time, but there will be violence.
Prologue:
Warmth
A gunshot could be heard, followed by the sound of glass shattering. Soon, there was another three.
In the distance, there was a girl with pink hair. Her hair was long; reaching below her waist. It was tied into a high ponytail. She had blue eyes. One was covered with an eyepatch, while the other focused through the scope of her rifle. Her name was Lesley. She was only eleven years old, and her father had already taught her on how to use a rifle. She didn't mind learning how to shoot from her father at a young age, because she was old enough to know that monsters and demons were around the area she lived in.
In the Land of Dawn, she lived in a small area, placed next to Magical City. It was called Bakea.
Lesley lived with her father. She was an infant when her mother died, but her father's love proved her that she didn't need a mother to live. With just her father caring for her, it was enough. He taught her how to read, fed her, showed her how the world was like. And when he introduced to her his rifle for the first time, she couldn't help but gasp in awe when she found out he was going to teach her how to shoot. She had seen how her father uses the weapon. His aiming was fast and precise. She wished to be like her father one day.
"You are improving, Lesley," she heard Father say. She turned her head to the side and found her father nodding in approval. "One day, you will be as good as me. Though, I'd say that it would be difficult to beat your old man."
She laughed and removed her eyepatch. She kept the tiny black piece of fabric in the pocket of her jeans. She lowered her father's rifle and handed it to him. "Are we done for the day, Father?"
"Yes." He took the rifle from her and slung the strap over his shoulder. He looked back at the scattered glass that were once glass bottles. "We should head back. I don't want to deal with monsters, not that I couldn't handle them or anything."
There was no doubt that her father could shoot every monster down. But she knew that her father hated dealing with monsters, so he tends to avoid getting near one.
They both exited the forest that sat near the land of their cottage. The wide field that greeted her urged her to run, so she did. She pushed her legs to reach the cottage faster, and she felt the wind blow against her hair as she ran. Within seconds, she reached the front of her cottage. She glanced back just in time to see her father panting behind her.
"You're becoming quite fast lately, kiddo. I can barely keep up with you nowadays," Father rasped, his hands on his knees.
Lesley laughed. "You're just becoming old, Father."
He pretended to be shocked and placed a hand over his chest. "I'm offended. I'm still a handsome, young man you know."
She laughed again as they both entered. Father placed his rifle near the door and headed to the kitchen. Lesley waited for the sound of pots and pans clanging as she wore her apron, but only heard silence. That was unusual. She walked over to the kitchen and found her father holding a white envelope. On the envelope, she could see a word written. Vance, it said. Wait, the Vance family? She was aware that it was a noble family. How did her father manage to get in contact with them?
"Lesley, I have good news." Her father's gleeful voice calmed Lesley. She neared him and peered from behind. He opened the envelope and a letter was taken out. The letter couldn't be considered long, but Lesley was too lazy to read it all. The only thing she could focus on was the signature from Dives Vance. No way. "I have received a job from the Vance family. You know them, right?"
Lesley nodded.
He grinned, showing his white teeth. "They have hired me to be in charge of their security. All the times when I've been gone, I was actually looking for a solid job. Finally, I've found one."
Lesley frowned. She tilted her head up to meet her father's eyes. "You don't like being a hunter?"
Usually, her father would hunt down animals to sell them off at the market. He never complained being a hunter, so why was he changing his job now?
His face softened. "Not that I don't like being a hunter, sweetie. But with this job, we can earn enough money to live in Magical City. We don't have to live in solitude like this. You want friends, right?"
"I can live without them," she said and held his arm. "The only one I can't live without is with you, Father."
There was silence for a while. Then, unexpectedly, warmth engulfed her. She looked up to see her father embracing her tightly. Slowly, she moved her arms to encircle her father. Everything she said was true. She didn't need a mother to live. She didn't need friends. Hell, she didn't need to live in a city. All she needed was her father, and she would feel safe. She would miss the times where she was able to have target practice with her father in the forest. But if her father would like this job, then she would approve it. She would follow her father anywhere. Always.
What she didn't expect was to live with the Vance family. She couldn't help but gasp inside the mansion. Standing next to her father was a servant. Maggie, the name the woman had told them. Earlier, she had given them a quick tour around the Vance Mansion. Lesley still had trouble memorising the layout of the whole residence, but she didn't have to worry. Soon, they would be given a proper tour around the whole place.
"This will be your room, sir."
The servant unlocked the door. Lesley was shocked to find the room at least six times bigger than her father's previous bedroom. The bed was a king sized, and she could share it with her father no problem. The floor was covered in white marble. There was a large, furry carpet that laid at the center of the room. In front of the bed were two couches and a television. Lesley couldn't help but feel excited that she was going to sleep here.
Maggie smiled at her father's surprised expression. Her eyes then fell onto Lesley. "Miss, your room will be next to your father's."
Wait, she won't be sharing with her father? She followed the servant to the room that sat beside her father's. The servant unlocked it, and Lesley had to keep her jaw from dropping. The room was slightly smaller than her father's, but it was four times bigger than her bedroom back at the cottage. Her bed was a queen sized. For her, who would be sleeping alone, that was big enough for her to roll around. She gasped in awe and trailed her hand onto a white, wooden dresser. Her bedroom was decorated with mostly pink and white hue. It was way better than her dream bedroom.
"Lord Dives hopes that this room is to your liking," the servant said, interrupting her thoughts. Lesley looked at the servant with her brows furrowed. This is beyond to her liking. The servant simply smiled at her expression and walked back to where Father was standing. He was still frozen. "Sir?" Maggie called, clearing her throat to catch Father's attention. It worked. "Lord Dives would like to see you at four, along with your daughter. He will be waiting at the living room."
"That gives us at least an hour to prepare." Father glanced at Lesley with a grin. He faced the servant again. "Thank you."
The servant bowed before leaving. Lesley was still standing near her bedroom door, unable to process the upgrade from her old bedroom. She couldn't say she didn't miss her old bedroom back at the cottage, but this... she could definitely get used to this.
The clock showed 3:59, and Lesley was already waiting at the living room, along with her father. Her father was the kind of person who would usually be on time, and she ended up inheriting that part of his personality too. As she waited for the Vance family to show up, she couldn't help but take note of her surroundings. There was a large staircase at the main entrance. The living room was located on the left if one was standing at the front door. The kitchen was on the right. She wasn't sure where the other paths would lead her, but she knew that she was going explore them soon. Right now, she would memorise what she can take.
"Have you been waiting?"
She looked to the side and found a man, a woman, and a child walking down the steps. She couldn't tell whether the small figure was a girl or a boy. The top hat they were wearing was covering their face. But, judging by the oversized clothes the kid was wearing, she could assume that it was a boy. The family approached the living room, and Father reached his hand out to shake the man's hand.
The man had golden hair with curls. His face looked like he was in his late thirties and was clean from any facial hair. The woman beside him also had golden hair, but they were straight. The child, who she could see clearly now was a boy, had golden hair with curls sticking out from under his hat. Definitely his father's genetics. Upon examining the boy, she noted the features of the young boy. Rosy cheeks, and big, green eyes.
The man noticed that she was staring at his son. He gave her a heartwarming smile. "Ah, this is Harley." He tilted his head downwards to look at the boy. "Harley, this is the young maiden I've been talking about." He faced her and said, "Miss...?"
"Just Lesley is fine," she responded kindly. She extended her hand, and the man shook it. She gave him an apologetic smile. "Forgive me, I didn't mean to stare." She then looked at the small boy beside the man. "It's a pleasure meeting you."
The man had a wide smile on his face. Friendly. Nonthreatening. "I'm Dives Vance. This is my wife, Mollis Vance." He gestured at the woman beside him.
Lesley shook her hand and gave a nod of acknowledgement. "A pleasure meeting you, Lady Mollis."
The woman smiled at her, shaking her hand. "It's nice to meet you too, dear."
"You're called Andy Conner?" Lord Dives said, shaking Father's hand.
Father beamed as he nodded his head.
After giving proper introductions, the Vance family decided to give a tour around the mansion. Lesley was awestruck. Such a large place, yet only the three of them lived here. She soon realised that a lot of rooms belonged to the servants. Lord Dives explained that none of the guards had a room for themselves because they would switch shifts. But it was different for Father because he was the one in charge of security, so he needed to be present at all times.
As Lesley was busy looking around the whole house, she caught movement at her side. She whipped her head and found Harley walking beside her. Wait, wasn't he standing beside Lady Mollis?
He gave her a cheeky grin at her dumbfounded expression. "I can teleport using magic."
Satisfied that she had an explanation, she replied, "Ah, I've heard about the Vance family's heir able to use magic. So it's true that you are a mage?"
He nodded excitedly. "My father is an assassin while my mother is a mage." His gaze then landed onto Lady Mollis. Lesley looked at the woman in confusion, not knowing why Harley was staring at his mother. She then heard him whisper, "Watch this."
In an instant, he vanished, leaving his top hat behind. Lesley's brows furrowed. Where did he go? All of a sudden, she heard a scream. She found Lady Mollis running towards her husband when there's a cockroach heading to her way. Lesley then saw through the corner of her eye that someone was standing close to her. She realised that Harley had reappeared. Right now, the young boy was busy holding back a laugh.
Lord Dives sighed. He spun around and looked at his son, who was now smiling innocently beside Lesley. "Harley, don't scare your mother."
"I didn't do anything," Harley said.
If one hadn't paid attention to Harley's tone, they would think that Harley was telling the truth. Unfortunately, Lesley caught the amusement in his voice. She shook her head and headed over to Lady Mollis; who was trying to keep some distance from the cockroach.
With quick movements, the cockroach was in between Lesley's fingers. She lifted the cockroach up and glanced at her father. "Where should I throw this?"
She noticed that Harley and Lord Dives looked surprised. Lord Dives turned his head to look at Father. "She isn't afraid of cockroaches?"
Father smiled. "We live near the forest, so bugs and insects are bound to enter our house. She's used to it already."
"Impressive. Not all women are willing to pick up a cockroach," Lord Dives said with a laugh before glaring at his son with a stern look. "Harley, stop scaring your mother. It's the fifth time this week." Harley grimaced and mumbled sorry to the traumatised Lady Mollis. Lord Dives shook his head and said, "Harley is one troublemaker. For only five years old, I can't imagine what happens when he's older."
Two weeks later.
Lesley was busy exploring the whole mansion while her father worked. It had been two weeks since she lived with the Vance family. She found out that the reason why the Vance family hired her father is because they had some kind of conflict with another family. Lord Dives and Lady Mollis were actually capable in dealing with enemies if there was one; since one was an assassin and one was a mage. But, as a safety precaution, they still searched for a good sniper that could assist Lord Dives when shooting. They even upgraded their security. They didn't want to risk their only child getting harmed.
A statue caught Lesley's attention. She walked closer to inspect it. The statue was made out of pure gold, a testament for the Vance's wealth. A movement at the statue's reflection caused Lesley to shift into an offensive stance. Her father had taught her a lot of moves for self-defense, so she wouldn't hesitate to use them.
She spotted a shadow and instantly motioned to it. Her hands slowly moved towards the curtain, and, in an instant, she pushed it aside. She was relieved when she found nothing. Must be her imagination–
"Boo!"
Lesley was able to keep herself from screaming, but the backward jump she made was evidence itself that she was startled. Her eyes narrowed as Harley started laughing. It had been peaceful for the first two weeks, but, now, it seemed that his troublesome nature had arise.
"You should've seen your face," Harley laughed as he fell onto his back. He wiped the tears that came out from the corner of his eyes. "I didn't know that I could scare you!"
Lesley's eye twitched. She took a deep breath before exhaling. She closed her eyes. He was only a child, she reminded herself. She inhaled through her nose. Absentmindedly, she started singing in a low voice, "Crosshair lock you down... Death kisses you on the forehead."
That instantly made Harley stop laughing. She opened her eyes, raised a brow, and looked at the mage. His face was blank, devoid of any emotion. A few seconds later, he seemed to snap out of his stupor. "That's creepy. What song was that?"
"It's the Song of Death," Lesley joked. She chuckled softly at his expression. "I sing that before target practice. It helps me focus on my target."
He was silent for a while. "You can use a gun too?"
"Yes," she replied. "Everyday, I would go to the forest with my father to practice my skills. When I'm older, I'm planning to become a professional sniper."
He looked up to her, and his face was filled with discomfort when he said, "Don't sing that again. It's creeping me out."
Lesley grinned. "I'll try."
Four years later.
Lesley was busy polishing her rifle. After her skills with a rifle had been acknowledged, they hired her to guard the mansion walls. Her father didn't mind her having a job at a young age. As long as she stays indoors where he can see her, he was fine with it.
It had been six months since Lesley had last seen Harley. The house felt empty without him here. Lord Dives and Lady Mollis had sent him to Lion Academy in the city. They sent him there so that he could train on how to use his magic there. She was glad that he would be returning home soon. She had missed his presence deeply. Luckily for her, since Harley was a mage genius, they decided to graduate him earlier than the others. She glanced at the clock over the wall. He should be arriving home in a few more hours.
She heard a knock coming from her bedroom door. She lowered her rifle. "Come in," she said. The door opened, and she watched as her father peered from the door. She smiled. "Good afternoon, Father. Is everything all right?"
Father gave her a meh face before entering. His forehead was covered in sweat, and in his hand was his rifle. "The guards securing around the perimeter has detected a few spies observing the mansion. We've managed to catch them and eliminate."
"That's good news," Lesley stated.
"Yes, but that also means they're up to something. We don't know how much they had reported back to... wherever they came from." Father walked closer to her and sat beside her on the bed. The mattress bounced due to his weight. "Lesley, I want you to know... if anything happens to me, you have to move on, okay?"
She frowned. "Why are you saying this now?"
"My mistake. I should've said it the moment I accepted this job," he said and placed a hand at her cheek. She sighed in content and smiled faintly at him. He smiled back, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Joining the Vance's security is a risky thing, Lesley. I'm only lucky that no one has been able to kill me yet."
Lesley looked up to him. "I don't want you to die."
"Me too. But, sometimes, we can't always escape the inevitable."
Lesley was busy passing the living room when she heard the front doors opened. She motioned to the entrance to see who it was. She was surprised to find Harley entering.
"Harley, you're back," Lesley greeted. Words couldn't describe how happy she was to see him back. He gave her a weak smile before sitting on the couch. She noticed that he looked tired. "Are you okay? Did something happen?"
He shook his head. A deep sigh escaped from his lips as he leaned back on the sofa. "I accidentally opened up a space portal at the Land of Dawn."
Curious, Lesley sat beside him. She placed her rifle aside and crossed her legs. He noticed that she was waiting to hear his full story, so he continued explaining.
"I was with my friends one day. We heard that there was an organisation, called the Dark Wizards, planning to rule the world. We planned to go and tell the headmaster, but I..." He swallowed the lump in his throat. "I opened a space portal to Scholar City, at the other side of the Land of Dawn. I don't know how... it just sort of happened. I ended up meeting new people there. Lolita, Bruno, Alpha, Saber, and this guy called Rooney. We ended up destroying the Dark Wizards together."
"That's... good," Lesley said, slowly. She wasn't sure what she should feel right now. The way Harley was talking; it was as if something bad had happened. "So how were you able to get back here?"
He shrugged. "After defeating the Dark Wizards, I was teleported back to Magical City. I didn't know how I made the portal, but at least I could return. Though, I wasn't able to say goodbye to them." The sadness in his voice told Lesley that this was why Harley looked gloomy. He still tried to look happy though. "But even if I couldn't say goodbye to them, I still had fun. It was a great adventure searching for the Dark Wizards' base."
Lesley opened her mouth to respond, but noticed that something was wrong with the mage. He looked pale; his shoulders slumped. She signalled a servant to bring her a glass of water. The servant instantly ran into the kitchen. Lesley inched closer to Harley and, without him expecting, she placed a hand over his forehead.
He flinched at her touch. "What are you doing?"
"You look exhausted," Lesley stated and removed her hand. She observed his face carefully and reached a conclusion. "You ran out of Mana, isn't it?"
He lowered his head. It was enough for Lesley to know that he had drained himself. She doesn't know much about mages, but one thing she does know is that; if they ran out of Mana, they'll start feeling sick.
"The space portal," Lesley said all of a sudden. Her eyes widened as she looked at Harley. "The portal must've cost you a lot of Mana, and you made it... twice."
Harley bobbed his head. A servant came to him and handed him a glass of water. He greedily drank all of it. He placed the empty glass onto the coffee table and exhaled deeply. "I'll just need some sleep and I'll be back to normal."
"Yeah, you should rest," Lesley said and watched as he headed upstairs.
Lesley turned around to sleep on her side. She pulled the blankets over her shoulder and nuzzled her face at the pillow she was hugging. On some nights, she realised, she just couldn't sleep.
A few days ago, after Harley's return, someone tried to break into the Vance's mansion. Luckily for everyone, her father was in charge, and, in an instant, the intruders were caught and executed. Father just shot all of them in the shadows. They didn't even realise a thing until they were dead. That was how good Father was with a rifle.
She was about to fall into slumber, when the sound of the alarm went off. She quickly got out of bed and grabbed her rifle. She ran out of her bedroom and headed over to Harley's room. Harley was her priority. She had been given a task; that if anything happens, she should find him first.
She slammed the door open, and found him in a baggy t-shirt and pants that reached his knees. He was out of bed—yawning—obviously not fazed by the intruder that had entered his home.
"Harley, hurry up! We need to bring you to the basement!" Lesley yelled.
She wanted to groan out loud when he searched for his hat first. Seriously, when there's danger, the first thing he reaches for is his hat?! Maybe he was still half-asleep.
Eventually, she had to yank his arm in order for him to move faster. The action suddenly made him aware of what was going on. He asked, "Wait, someone broke in?"
"Only now you noticed?" Lesley hissed. She turned to the left, right, then right again. The mansion's layout was imprinted in her brain. She knew every path, every area around the place. "Come on, we're supposed to bring you to the basement."
Harley made sure his hold with her hand was firm. He looked around as he ran. "Where are the guards?"
Lesley made an abrupt halt. Harley's right. Where are the guards? She frantically searched for at least one of them, but none of them appeared. She shook her head. Now was not the time to think about the guards. She had to bring Harley to safety.
She spotted a shadow, and she immediately had her rifle ready over her shoulder. She pulled the trigger, and a figure fell lifelessly on the ground, revealing a man wearing a mask. Shoot, she had no idea how many more intruders were there.
"Come on! The basement's–"
A gunshot.
It came from downstairs, and she was already near it. She noticed something lying on the floor in the dark. It seemed Harley noticed it too. He squinted his eyes and his face paled. "Lesley, those are the guards."
Wait, what?
Harley was right. There were six, ten, no, fifteen guards lying around at where they were standing. They were all stabbed in the chest. This is the work of assassins. No wonder she didn't hear a thing.
And if there were gunshots now, then that would mean...
Oh no.
The gunshot... it must've came from Father. Or it could be from Lord Dives. But she had a feeling that it was from Father.
It was too dark to tell where her father was at right now. But she could hear it, the sound of someone fighting. Even with no light, she could make out a few figures fighting in the dark. She noticed that some of them were the guards. She couldn't spot her father, but it was good to know that he was somewhere fighting.
"Come on, while they're distracted," Lesley said and dragged Harley behind her. He was being quiet as they moved, and she prayed he couldn't see the sight of the dead bodies lying around. He was too young to witness all of this. They finally reached the hatch door of the basement, and she opened it. "Hurry."
Lord Dives had showed her a secret passage at the basement. The passage would lead her outside of the mansion, and she would be able to cross the city to call for help if anything happens.
Harley entered, his footsteps echoing as he went down the steps. She followed him from behind and silently closed the hatch door. A deep sigh escaped her as she walked down the stairs. Her eyes then widened when she saw a masked figure placing a dagger right beside Harley's neck. Harley, on the other hand, was frozen on the spot, his body tensed. The fear written on his face was enough for Lesley to know that he was beyond terrified.
"Let him go," Lesley said, aiming her rifle towards the person dressed in black. "Why are you doing this? He's just a child."
"Just a child? Oh no. My client says that he has the potential to be a very powerful mage." The voice was deep, feminine. A woman. Her eyes were like a snake's. Sharp. Slitted. "He says to kill everyone in the Vance family except the child."
Lesley's grip onto her rifle tightened. She swallowed the lump in her throat. "You will release him."
"I'm afraid that I cannot do—especially when your rifle is on me." The woman moved closer, forcing Harley to move forward as well. Lesley took a step back. She had to keep her distance. She had no idea how powerful this person was in hand-to-hand combat. "If you pull the trigger, he dies. I assure you, lower the gun, and we can negotiate."
"There's nothing to negotiate!" Lesley shouted.
The woman moved the dagger closer towards Harley's skin, the blade touching him. He winced and had his eyes shut tightly. It took all for Lesley not to fire at the woman there and then. She wished she could, but the promixity the woman had with Harley was enough to end his life the moment she fired her bullet.
The woman gave her a wicked smile, hidden behind the black mask she was wearing. "Lower the gun, and I will lower my blade."
Lesley narrowed her eyes. "What makes you think I'll trust you?"
"What makes you think I won't end his life now?" the woman shot back. Her brows were raised as if she was enjoying this. "My client may say not to kill the child, but if there are... complications, he said not to spare anyone."
They were going nowhere like this. Mind made up, Lesley slowly lowered the gun.
Harley noticed her intentions and he started panicking. "Lesley, don't do it!"
"Silence, child." The blade was poking his skin, threatening to draw blood. "Do not make things harder than it already is."
The rifle was already on the floor. Lesley raised both hands as a sign of surrender. The woman looked pleased, and, to Lesley's relief, removed the dagger from Harley's neck. Now. In one swift movement, Lesley had her rifle in her hands and shot the woman when the woman was caught off guard. The woman fell behind Harley, her blood pooling on the floor. Harley instantly ran towards her and clutched her leg. His breathing was heavy and his body was shaking.
She understood how he felt. The bullet she fired was close to hitting him. In fact, one wrong move and she could've shot him instead. But years of practicing had given her confidence in her ability. So the moment the woman removed the knife from Harley's neck, it was enough time for her to grab her rifle and end the woman's life.
She bent down and hugged his tiny frame. "You're not hurt are you?"
He shook his head and pulled away. He looked up to meet her in the eye. "No. Thanks for saving me."
She gave him a smile. But then, she heard footsteps. Her eyes widened and she whirled around—too late—but as she expected a stab at her body, she was shocked to find none. She realised there was a gunshot. A masked figure dropped to the ground, and she found Father standing behind the corpse. His face looked worried. "Are you two okay?"
Lesley was relieved. "Father! We're fine. I–"
"Look out!"
Harley's warning was a second too late. Lesley's eyes widened as the scene unfolded in front of her seemingly in slow motion. Someone behind Father had stabbed him at the back, the dagger piercing his chest. It made his eyes widen and caused his body to drop to the ground. She screamed in horror as blood started flowing out of him. No, no, no! This can't be happening!
She didn't realise when Harley threw his poker cards at the assailant—who was about to attack her. His cards were powerful enough to immediately end the assassin. But that wasn't what caught Lesley's attention. Right now, her mind was locked onto the dead body that belonged to her father's.
"Lesley!" Harley shouted. He grabbed her hand. His voice sounded frantic. "We have to go!"
Her brain couldn't fuction. The only thing that was projecting in her mind was the image of the lifeless body of her father's. The warmth that he would usually emit... it was gone. All gone. She found herself stoned to the ground. She couldn't move. Couldn't think. This was too much. Was her father really dead?
"Lesley!" There was a waver in Harley's voice. "More people are coming!"
"Lesley, do you want to hear a song?"
She grabbed her father's rifle.
"Your mother used to sing it before hitting her targets. She was an assassin before she met me."
She aimed her father's rifle at the stairs.
"She calls it the Song of Death."
Harley stared at her wide-eye by her side. She knew what he was thinking. This wasn't the plan. They were supposed to escape and call for backup.
But.
Crosshair lock you down...
Lesley fired. Two were instantly down. Tears flowed down her cheeks.
...death kisses you on the forehead...
Three more were dead. She waited for someone else to make an appearance. Footsteps. Her finger was ready to pull the trigger, but her action was paused when it was Lord Dives and Lady Mollis.
Lady Mollis gasped. "Andy..."
Lesley felt her shoulders quiver. She dropped to the ground and buried her face into her hands.
Her father had died three days before her fifteenth birthday.
She was empty.
The warmth from her father was gone. Without her father, she felt like she had no purpose here.
She was sitting on her bed. There was food at her bedside table, but it was left untouched. She didn't feel hungry. She couldn't feel anything. Her father's rifle sat near her dresser. She stared at it before averting her gaze. How many days had passed since her father died? Before she realised it, her birthday had already passed. She could tell that the Vance family tried to celebrate during her birthday, but she was in no mood. Why were they keeping her here anyway? She was nothing. In her current state, she won't be able to do her job. She couldn't protect anyone; not anymore.
Especially after she couldn't even protect her own father.
She heard a knock coming from the door. Seconds later, it opened. Harley came in, wearing his usual top hat. His face was one that expressed concern. He sat at the chair that was placed next to her bed. He had left the chair like that ever since she became... this. She realised that he would visit her everyday.
"Lesley, you have to eat," he said. His voice was quiet. It lacked the playfulness she remembered. He walked over to the tray of food and placed it on her lap. He pleaded in a low voice, "Please eat."
She looked at him, and her face was blank. Meanwhile, he was filled with sorrow and misery. Why was he feeling like that when she was the one who lost someone she loved?
She couldn't stand the sadness that he was showing to her. She forced herself to speak. "I'm not hungry."
"You haven't been eating." Harley fidgeted with his fingers. His voice was a whisper when he said, "I don't want you to die."
She was surprised. It was the first emotion she felt in days. "Why would you care if I died? I'm just someone your family hired."
"No." He shook his head. "You're more than that. You... To me, you're like a big sister. You're not just someone my father hired."
She fisted her hands against the blanket. She opened her mouth. She wanted to say something; anything. Tell him to go away or whatever, but the words were stuck inside her throat.
He noticed that she was lacking a response. He looked like he was contemplating whether to tell her something. "You protected me, Lesley. I almost got killed. You almost got killed because of me. But you were still able to shoot that woman. I... I'm sorry I wasn't fast enough to save your father like how you'd saved me. I just... I wish I was a lot stronger when this happened."
Slowly, her vision became blurry because of the tears that had formed in her eyes. She sniffed before inviting Harley into her open arms. He motioned towards her and threw his arms around her. She closed her eyes, and she felt the tears rolling down her cheeks. He was so warm. It reminded her of Father. She pulled away and she noticed that he was holding back from crying. She gave him a watery smile. "It's not your fault, Harley. My father was aware of the risk he took when he accepted to be a part of your family's security."
He gave her a small nod. He then looked down and stared at his feet. His hat was blocking his face, and she tilted her head to see his expression right now. He muttered, "My family had been discussing. Of course, they won't force you if you don't want to, but they're wondering if... if you wanted to be a part of this family?" He looked up, his eyes brimming with anticipation.
Lesley was shocked. "They want to adopt me?"
"Yeah," he said and averted his gaze from her. "I mean... if you–"
He didn't have enough time to finish. She had already scooted over to pull him into a tight hug. Her voice was a whisper when she said, "I would love to be your sister."
He let out a sigh of relief. "I thought you would say no."
On other days, maybe she would've said no. But after five days of pondering in her room, she realised one thing; her father would hate seeing her grief for the rest of her life without moving on. He had always told her to keep going on no matter what happens. Besides, she had realised one thing. She may have thought she had lost everything, but, in reality, she still had Harley. It took her long enough to register that he was also a part of the warmth within her conscience.
She looked down at him and smiled.
As long as she was alive, she was going to protect Harley no matter what.
Always.
Hope you guys enjoyed the prologue. Please leave some feedback if you do enjoy it. The next chapter will take place after a two-year time jump. And just to let you know that some of the heroes' background won't be accurate for this story. I mean, I will still try to follow it, but there is a possibility that there would be some slight changes.
