We kept running harder into the woods, Billie still at my back grunting in pain. We finally got to the place where my father hid. His men allowed us in as they saw me.
"Amaya, the school proprietor has been a villain in our midst for so long!" Billie struggled to say, tears cascading down her face.
"Yes, Billie. We would make him pay for his bad attitude," I assured her, putting her head on my lap.
"You will be saved, Billie," Cena added weight to my words and assured me too.
"Amaya!" Billie grabbed my hands, blood flowing out of her mouth. I quickly cleaned up her blood, applying the herbs Jason brought some minutes ago. And as though the herbs were not working, she turned her face away and kept crying.
"What's that, Billie?" I asked her, now emotionally seeing her shedding tears.
"The proprietor has killed my parent and I want you to take revenge on my behalf!" Billie said and slid something into my pack. "No, Billie. We are fighting him together!" I interjected, yet, she died.
Tears loomed on my face as I saw her pass away, and this stirred up anger and determination inside of me. If I had a second to be with the proprietor, I would kill him. Billie was buried while I stood by the chamber, thinking about how we have been fooled all years.
"Amaya. Don't be sad. What we need now is brutal revenge, and how to get back Nikki's memory. She is a brutal revenge used by the proprietor!" Elena tapped me from behind and advised, wiping off the tears on my face with the back of her hand.
Suddenly, two familiar figures arrived at my father's hidden sanctuary. My heart pounded with a mixture of fear and desperation as I sighted Douglas and Jeremy. I never wanted it to come to this—a confrontation between my father, Douglas, and Jeremy.
I rushed forward, trying to intercept the collision of forces that seemed inevitable.
"Stop! Please, we can find another way. This doesn't have to end in violence!" I pleaded as I stood right in front of them.
Douglas turned to face me. His gaze was stern and unwavering. He was probably in his beast mood.
"Amaya, sometimes battles are unavoidable. Your father has amassed power that threatens not only our kind but the delicate balance of the supernatural world. I must confront him," Douglas interjected, and yelled at me.
Yet, I pleaded with him, my voice desperate and filled with emotion.
"There has to be another way. We can reason with him and find a solution that doesn't involve bloodshed," I quickly added.
Douglas sighed, a heavy burden evident in his eyes.
"Your father has chosen a dangerous path. He is a killer. I must ensure the safety of our kind. I cannot turn away from that responsibility," Douglas spoke.
As my pleas fell on deaf ears, Jeremy stepped forward, his expression conflicted.
"Amaya, I understand your concerns, but sometimes we must face the darkness head-on to protect those we care about. Your father is a murderer and I don't care to take a brutal revenge on him today!" Jeremy scoffed.
I turned to Jeremy the one person I thought I could always rely on.
"Jeremy, please, don't let this happen. I can't bear the thought of losing you or my father," I said to him.
Jeremy hesitated, torn between his loyalty to me and revenge.
"Amaya, I can't stand by and let your father go scott-free because I have promised my mum to avenge!" Jeremy spoke.
"We are here for you, Amaya. You have no reason to be scared of them!" Cena spoke.
Cena and Jason, emerged from the shadows, faces determined. I felt a mix of relief, but not without trepidation.
"Cena, Jason, please help me stop this. We can't let them fight," I turned to them and asked for help. Even as I knew how strong and brutal Douglas was, I still couldn't allow him to fight my father.
Cena exchanged a glance with Jason, and they nodded in unison.
"We won't let it escalate to a full-blown battle, Amaya. But we need to ensure the safety of everyone involved," Jason spoke.
As we confronted the impending clash, my father, emerged from the shadows. His eyes, once filled with warmth when he looked at me, were now clouded with what I could call a brutal determination.
"Amaya, I warned you to stay away from these matters. This is between me and those who seek to challenge my authority," My father gritted his teeth in annoyance, his fist clenched.
"Please, Father, there has to be a way to resolve this peacefully. We don't need to fight each other," I begged, Douglas's face now growing in fury.
My father's gaze hardened, and he turned to face Douglas.
"Douglas, I never thought you would stoop to this level. Attacking me in my sanctuary? You are too full of yourself!" My father yelled at him.
"I will make sure I bring you down for killing my parents!" Douglas added.
The heat escalated and before I could utter another plea, the clash began. Douglas lunged at my father, and Jeremy torn between revenge and love, joined the fray.
Cena and Jason moved to intercept, creating a barrier between the fighters.
"Amaya, stay back. We will try to keep this under control," Cena said as I was about to join them.
My father and Douglas began to exchange massive blows at each other. These duo aren't fighting to win, but fighting to kill. And as the fight continued, I was scared of what could happen next.
Suddenly, a girl showed up. She was my longtime friend who was bullied by Kayla months ago. I had forgotten her. What the hell was she doing here? There were some books in her hands as she walked up to us. Douglas and my father stopped fighting immediately, studying her. "Amaya's father is innocent, Douglas. Though he attacked your parents, he was not the one who killed them. The school proprietor killed your parents."
I stood frozen as she revealed the shocking truth. My father was not the murderer of Douglas's parents. The field was filled with a tense silence, broken only by my rapid heartbeat. Douglas and Jeremy released their grip on my father and took a step back, their eyes filled with disbelief and confusion.
"What... What are you saying?" Douglas stammered, his voice trembling with a mix of emotions.
She took a deep breath, her eyes filled with determination as she was about to respond. "I have been doing some digging. I couldn't let this lie be buried any longer. I found hidden documents, witness accounts, and financial irregularities that all lead to the same conclusion. Amaya's father is innocent. The proprietor orchestrated this whole thing, setting him up."
Douglas's mind was racing, trying to process the new information. "Who? Who could have done this?"
Her gaze hardened. "We don't have concrete evidence yet, but I suspect it's the proprietor. He had everything to gain from his downfall."
My heart sank as the pieces of the puzzle started clicking into place. The proprietor was a cunning and manipulative man who had always seemed too good to be true. He had wormed his way into my family's life and had my father wrapped around his finger, using him for his selfish gains.
"We need to find evidence, young girl, solid evidence that will prove Alex is innocent beyond any doubt," Douglas said, his voice filled with determination. "And we need to make sure the whole world knows the truth."
She nodded, a glimmer of hope dancing in her eyes. "I've already made copies of all the documents. I can't stand by and watch an innocent man suffer any longer. We will expose the truth and bring down the proprietor."
I gasped as I heard this from her. I stepped forward, my voice filled with a renewed sense of purpose. "Count me in too. This is my family, and I won't rest until justice is served."
She looked at me, concern in her eyes. "Amaya, you've already been through so much. I used to pity you!"
My gaze met Douglas's unwavering gaze. "I can't stand idly by anymore, Douglas. I want to fight for the truth, for my father."
My father was rooted to his place, looking at her weirdly. He didn't even believe what she was talking about.
Douglas's shoulders slumped momentarily before he nodded in agreement. "Alright, Amaya. We fight together."
We all agreed in unison, and she showed us evidence that guaranteed that my father was innocent of killing Douglas and Jeremy's parents. However, to confirm she was telling the truth, we all decided to face the school proprietor.
We moved out of the place, reuniting with Douglas and Jeremy. But then, Jeremy was not still convinced enough that my father knew nothing about the death of his parents.
My heart raced as we made our way towards the school proprietor's office. My father walked beside me his face full of determination and anger. He was more than ready to confront him today and take brutal revenge on him for wiping Nikki's memory and orchestrating the kidnapping of my mother.
"Amaya, remember to stay calm," My father whispered, sensing my anxiety. "We will speak to him together, and we will not back down until we get the answers we deserve."
I nodded, his words serving as an encouragement to me. I glanced at my mentor, Douglas, and he nodded once, affirming what my father just said. He wore a grim expression, his eyes fixed on the office ahead.