"I will see you on the other side." Freya smiled.

"I'll wait," he smiled back.

And with that she left his sight, leading her squad to charge at the enemy from east.

This would be the closing battle to seal off this war. The odds weren't in their favour but Diego would make sure to win. By one way or another.

"All clear, Major." His second in command reported. And with that he charged in, too.

Diego felt homesick. He shouldn't be thinking of his family in the middle of war. For even a tiny distraction could cause them defeat. He wondered if the person he had just shot dead had a family he was missing too? Of course, he did. But Diego never was a man with much empathy. He didn't feel even an ounce of guilt as he killed his enemy.

He knew in this world it was either kill or get killed. There was no middle ground.

At least, that's what he told himself to keep the guilt at bay.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Diego kept count as his comrades fell.

Among them was a kid who was barely twenty. Even younger than his brother Kai back home.

Five.

Six.

It was his fault. This reckless strategy was proposed by him. But they had no other way. It was a gamble he had to take. He wondered if Freya was doing alright on the other side.

Maybe he would get down on one knee and ask her to marry him. Properly, this time. Nothing like the rushed one they had in June. Something better than that, way better. He owed it to her.

The battle was over marking their victory. The dead bodies of their enemy soldiers littered around them.

He caught sight of Freya who was still clutching her rifle tightly, ready to shoot if any of the fallen were to move.

"We won," he smiled, reaching her.

"We did." The first signs of relief appeared in her face.

Before he could comprehend what was happening, a shot sounded.

Freya fell.

Before her body could hit the ground, he caught her.

There was a big gaping hole in her heart and blood gushed out. Placing his hand against the hole he tried to stop the bleeding. He needed to stop it.

"You stay awake do you hear me?! Don't you dare close your eyes! Please!Come on!" he begged as she struggled to keep her eyes open.

"Please, baby. Please. You promised me forever." Diego reminded her their wedding vows. "Forever can't be this short. Please."

She tried to speak but instead coughed out a mouthful of blood.

"Don't speak. We are survivors. We will get through this." He wasn't sure whether he was telling this to Freya or himself.

But the weakening of her heartbeat told him they wouldn't.

"It's time,baby. Let me go." She tried to raise her limp hand to touch his face one last time.

"Take me with you." He demanded, refusing to let go. He brought her warm hands to his cheek and held it against it.

"I can't." It was getting harder to speak by each passing moment.

"Do you not love me?" He asked, like a child who was denied presents in Christmas.

"I love you," she laughed at his baseless complain. "But I can't be so selfish."

"You're allowed to be a little selfish with me." He instantly refuted.

"She needs you," She reminded him with a gentle smile.

Tears fell out of his eyes as he watched the light slowly go away from her eyes. He wanted to be with her even in death. But he knew he had promises he had to keep.

"I will see you on the other side," Diego smiled.

"I'll wait," She smiled back. "Take your time."

Seven.

... ... ...

"Big brother!"

Diego always has been a light sleeper. So when he heard Eve calling him in panic, it didn't take him even a second to wake up.

"What's wrong, Eve?" He asked, when he saw Eve standing by his door, gasping for breath after running all the way here.

"I-I went and Aylin..she-" Eve struggled with her words.

"Calm down." He told her. "Whatever it is, it will be alright."

"Something's wrong with Aylin." She finally managed out.

He felt his insides turning at her words.

Diego had seen her just a few hours ago when she had stomped to the living room to question Stephen. She seemed alright to him then.

He didn't bother putting on a shirt to cover his upper body and instead ran to Aylin's room.

The lights in her room were on.He didn't knock, for the door was already open. He saw Kai kneeling on the floor as Aylin sat in the bed. He was saying something to her but she didn't seem to listen.

"What happened?" He demanded.

"I told you to bring Ezra!" Kai shouted at Eve. "Not this fool."

"Ezra's not home." Diego answered instead of Eve. Ezra was on the night shift tonight. He had informed him and Stephen before leaving.

"Move," Diego commanded.

"I said fucking move," Diego repeated, harsher than before, when Kai showed no signs of moving.

It was effective for Kai moved to give him space.

"I swear if you hurt her I'll kill you!" Kai threatened him.

He ignored his words. He would rather gauge out his own eyes than hurt his little angel ever again.

He wasn't a fool like Kai always claimed.

He knew he had already done enough damage to his little sister.

And not a day goes by when he doesn't regret it.

He knelt down on the space Kai was occupying before.

"Lili, what's wrong?" He asked, gently.

Aylin didn't answer. She didn't even hear him.

She was covering both her ears with her hands. As if trying to block all noise. Her eyes were dazed and misty. Her lips were moving non-stop as she mumbled inaudibly.

Diego knew exactly what was wrong. He had seen his comrades in a similar situation countless times before. The gruesome scenes of war, the guilt of taking a life weren't everyone's cup of tea.

But never in his wildest dreams, he would have expected his little sister in a similar situation.

He was too scared to fathom what his little angel had to go through to be getting a panic attack.

"Lili, look at me." He insisted. He was thankful he had dealt with similar situations before. At least now he knew what to do.

He understood she couldn't hear anything he was saying.

Grabbing her hands he brought them away from her ears. She protested but he didn't pay any heed to it. Instead he pressed her ear to his chest.

"Listen to my heartbeat, angel." He guided. "Focus only on that."

She visibly calmed down after a moment.

Just when he thought she was fine, her body started trembling violently.

"I didn't want to kill her."

"I didn't want to kill her." She chanted.

"You have to trust me!" Aylin tightly clutched his arm."I didn't want to kill her."

"I trust you." He rushed to say when she started to break down.

Did she still believe she killed Mom?

Diego's heart sank at the thought of it. How many more scars did he leave her with?

He felt the intense need to kill someone. Kill himself.

What right did he have to live after ruining her happiness?

"I didn't want to kill her. I had to. Trust me, please." She begged like her life depended on it.

"I trust you, Lili." he repeated. But she didn't seem to hear a word of what he was saying.

"YOU DIDN'T KILL ANYONE," he shouted and she finally quietened down.

The mist in her eyes vanished as she came back to reality, "Big brother?"

Nothing in this world could rival the happiness he felt at that moment.

When was the last time he heard her call him that? It was years ago in her ninth birthday when he had begged her to call him that.

A spark of hope reignited in his heart after hearing the two words he had longed for all this years. He hadn't dared ask her to call that for he knew he had lost every right to be her brother.

But damn, he was shameless. And he would continue to be so if it meant he can hear her calling him big brother again.

But amidst his joy, he had failed to notice the darkness that had engulfed her eyes.

When he finally looked up at her, he saw the evil smirk playing at her lips.

"Big brother," She asked in a low voice. "Do you want an early birthday present?"

He knew that look in her eyes. He had seen that before.

"Do you remember that wish you used to make?" Aylin leaned closer to him. "Wanna make that wish come true?"

Diego knew what she was taking about. But he still hoped he was wrong.

"I saw that gun you hide under your pillow." Aylin whispered so no one else would hear them. "Why don't you shoot me in the head with it?"

Terror gripped his heart at her words. How can she talk about her own death with a smile on her face?

How can she even think of it?

And he realized why that look seemed so familiar.

His dad's eyes held the same look.

... ... ...

"Did you hear our conversation?" Diego asked, running his hands through Aylin's hair. She was sleeping peacefully, a complete contrast to how she was an hour ago.

"I did," Stephen said in a calm voice.

"Why are you not shocked?" He asked in a low voice. Kai was sleeping right beside her in the bed and he didn't want to wake him up. He knew it had been harder for Kai than him to see their little sister in that condition. He needed rest.

"I'm shocked." Stephen refuted.

"You know something. Why are you hiding it from me?" Diego asked coldly.

"Because you won't be able to handle it."

"Why don't you let me decide whether I can handle it or not?"

"She wants to kill you." Diego's hands paused for a moment at Stephen's words. Aylin moved closer to him, missing the comfort.

He smiled at how cute she was and went back to caressing her hair.

"How are you so sure of it?" He asked, not believing his cute little angel would harbor such thoughts.

"Have I ever been wrong before?" Stephen shot back.

"It doesn't matter. I am ready to die a thousand painful deaths if that's what makes her happy."

"Technically, you can only die once." Stephen disagreed with his sentiment.

"What do you think triggered her panic attack? She was alright when we last saw her." Diego voiced out.

"The pills Ezra confiscated." Stephen answered.

Diego didn't bother asking how he was so sure of it.

"What do you think they were?" He asked instead.

"Drugs, maybe. I hear they are quite popular among the youngsters."

"Are you really going to joke at a time like this?" He hissed in disbelief.

Diego felt Aylin stirring under his hand. It wasn't even two hours since she slept. Why was she awake already?

"Diego?" She rubbed her eyes to remove the sleep. "Stephen, what are you doing here? Did something happen?"

"Oh, sweetheart, don't pull the amnesia card on me." Stephen laughed coldly.

"I'm not," Aylin gritted out. She was completely awake now.

"Good, you saved us both a lot of trouble." Stephen sat in the bed to get a closer observation on Aylin. "I'm going to ask you something now. Do you think you can answer that honestly?"

"Stephen, do you really need to do this right now?" Diego asked, clenching his fists. He didn't understand why the always sensible Stephen couldn't let her just rest for the time being.

"This has to be done now." Stephen emphasized. "Or would you prefer I give her some more time to organize the lies she's going to be spewing?"

"I don't lie," Aylin gritted out.

"Who did you not want to kill, Aylin?" Stephen went straight to the point. "Or in simpler words, who did you kill, Aylin?"

Diego wondered if his older brother had finally gone insane from all the pressure. Why else would he ask her something so sensitive?

"Mother." Aylin answered without a second thought.

Diego felt his heart break at the thought of her blaming herself for her mother's death.

"I was talking about mother. I didn't want to kill her but it is what it is." She elaborated.

"You never fail to disappoint me, sweetheart." Stephen smirked coldly at her words.

"How long until you realize you can't lie to me, Aylin?" Stephen asked without showing an ounce of emotion.

"How long until you realize I'm not lying?" Aylin shot back.

"It's pointless talking to you." Stephen sighed, giving up. "But remember this, I will find out one way or another." Stephen promised.

"Good luck with that," she bit out.

"Lili, are you feeling alright?" Diego asked once Stephen left the room in anger. She had fever the last time he had checked. He tried to touch her forehead to check her temperature but Aylin coiled back in disgust.

"Please, don't touch me." She told him, stomping on his already broken heart.

His little sister was disgusted by him?

He recalled those times he didn't want her to touch him. He wanted to laugh at the irony. Was this what everyone called Karma?

Karma really is a bitch.

He was well aware of the fact that she hated him. And rightly so. But he could never have imagined the true extent of it.

"Call me if you need anything," He told her before leaving her there with a sleeping Kai.

He knew he deserved her hatred.

But it still hurts. After all this time, it still hurts just at the thought of his little angel hating him.