Chapter 75 A False Freedom
\[Lilia\]
So this is what my death feels like. Harrowing. Forlorn.
Even though I had encountered death quite a few times already, I could have never imagined that it would be like this. To fall from such great height. Maybe, if Flavio had just pulled the trigger of his gun, I could have seen myself dead. With my blood oozing from the bullet wound planted on my brain.
Flavio’s screams ringed in my ears. His hands flailing into the air, while I, on the other hand, ignored him. Kept my eyes pinned on the shrinking figure leaning over the edge of the railings. His arms were outstretched in futile hopes to catch me, crying out my name.
“Lilia!”
Kael… I remembered his face. The murderous intent on his eyes. Rage and fury mingled in such a catastrophic combination. He’s just the monster I always perceived him to be. Killing in a cold-blooded way, without remorse or an ounce of mercy.
Yes, I was scared of him and feared him even more after everything I saw. There’s just so much violence to witness.
However, he did all that trying to save me. He killed those men just to take me back. He looked at me straight in the eyes and I saw a glimmer of pain, as though he was hurting as well to see me in such a state.
But for a minute before I plunged to my death, I am quite relieved to see that Val had found and saved Aya. At least one of us gets to live. To begin with, it was due to my carelessness. I was behaving irrationally, which is what led to us being in this predicament. It is really awful that I won't be able to see her again.
Will Kael forget me after this? Would he purchase another woman in the auction to replace me? Most likely that will happen. He said it himself, I am no more than just his possession, and the only reason why he came after me was because of his pride. Whatever conflict he had with Flavio was the sole reason why he wanted me back. His ego had been badly wounded.
The very thought of it hurts me, but that’s the reality of it.
I had yearned for freedom, and it appears that I have finally found it, to get away from the cruelties of this world and eventually be set free. Away from the man that broke me. To have laid to rest and have peace.
My mother might welcome me in heaven. Will I go to heaven? Do I have a place there? I feared that I will end up in hell and see my father there. I already endure so much of his cruelty and if the afterlife is him that I am going to be with, then I don’t want it.
Yet, my faith is firm, and I strongly believed that my mother awaits me in heaven. I believed in God and if this is His way of freeing me, then I will take it.
A smile formed on my lips as I accepted this fate and close my eyes. I could feel my tears carried by the wind as my hair viciously ruffled all around my face. It was a long way down, and it feels like I am falling into eternity. There’s no mercy or hopes of living once my body meets the ground. I would be no more than a spatter of flesh and blood. Mangled beyond recognition. I spread my arms, drawing out my last breath as I heard Flavio’s scream vanish as though he had been muted.
He reaches the ground, and I am going to be next.
“See you, mom,” I murmured into the wind and expected to have my body smashed into the ground right beside whatever remains of Flavio. I fervently pray that it would be a speedy passing so that I won't have to go through the ordeal of a painful death.
However, instead of hard concrete, my back met a mesh-like surface, propelling me back into the air like a trampoline.
My eyes shot open in an instant. I was caught in a protective net hanging close to the building. My body bounced a few more times until I settled. My eyes are wide in wonder and I quickly pinch my arms to see if I have been dreaming or not.
“I’m…Alive?” I muttered aloud in bewilderment. Breathing so rapidly and my heart sounded deafening against my own ears.
I could not believe it. This… is a miracle. I look around and see if Flavio was in the net as well, but as I look down, I saw a splatter of blood right on the road and the people began to flock to the area where he had fallen. They looked up, but I doubt they will be able to spot me in this area since it was still dark and the lighting around me was dimmed. I studied the distance between the net and the ground. It was still a long way down, and if I fall from this height, I could still get a serious injury or worse be dead if I landed in a position.
The net was small, fortunately, strong enough and has me entangled with it. If the situation reversed and it was me on the side where Flavio had fallen, it could have been me splat on the ground and him to live.
Yet, here I am.
I’m alive.
The angle of death had spared me yet again.
I move my gaze above, looking over the spot where I had fallen, but it was too dark to see anything, aside from the feeble orbs of light mounted on the side of the buildings.
Had Kael seen me caught in the net?
However, all the relief that had washed over me immediately vanished soon as the ripping noise echoed and caught my attention. The net I stayed on jerked dangerously downwards. I quickly froze and my soul nearly left my body. I whipped my head to the side and saw one of the ropes holding the net beginning to snap. Cold dread spread once more into my body, my hands grasping the tiny holes to anchor myself in case the rope would finally give in to my weight.
My eyes dart erratically from side to side as I frantically search for a method to extricate myself from the net, but all that I can see are the opaque panes of closed windows.
“Help!” I screamed from the very top of my lungs just as the net jerked once more, and the wind blew more harshly, swinging me dangerously.
“Help!” I screamed once more despite the fact that I could feel my throat becoming raw from crying in the recent past. Nonetheless, I still tried my best to make my voice resound loudly enough to attract anyone's notice. As the rope groaned even more loudly, I curled my hands into the nylon material and poked my fingers into the tiny grips for a stronger grasp.
“Oh, Dear Lord, if you’re going to kill me, why not in a quick manner? Why did you have to give me such hopes in living and a false sense of relief?” I lamented. My tears welling up again as I stared into the night sky as the net dangled loosely. I don’t want to blame Him, but I was merely asking that if this is going to be my time to depart into this world, I was hoping for it to be painless. With all the sufferings I endured, I believed I’m worthy of such hopes.
My heart beating so loud, mournfully as to how unfortunate my life had turned out to be, but a crashing sound of breaking glass yanked my attention. Kael’s face materialized into the depths of darkness, calling out my name.
“Lilia!”