Chloe

I stayed all night in the infirmary, I had trouble walking, and I was afraid to get out of there and get beaten up again. However, from one moment to the next, the woman I saw at the station appeared from one moment to the next.

"They left you pretty bad."

"You..."

"I arrived a few hours ago, and it was a problem for them to let me through."

"......"

"First tell me what the hero Harrison was, for you, that way I can help you."

I was afraid to tell him the truth, but if I stayed here it would be worse, I had no other way out.

"I uh... I'm his son".

"There, that's what I was hoping to hear. You took too long to say it, I'm Chloe a former partner of your father, I advised him when the war was over, and he had nothing to do, and he was getting into trouble. He almost damaged his image. I see you're just as crazy."

"Ah...you know what happened... That's ...."

"They already told me everything, you don't have to explain anything to me, it's young people's stuff."

"Why did you come?"

"Why did you call me?"

"I have no one else, I hardly talk to my uncles, no relatives, and no one came to see me after my father's death."

"Harrison focused on them being like him, he didn't let anyone intervene. He ended up isolating them from their families. If you want, I can get you out of here, but you have to sign a power of attorney."

"Of what?"

"You're of age now, but until you're 21 someone has to keep an eye on you. Harrison committed many irregularities to falsify your identity, you appear as the son of a friend of his, so legally there must be someone to look after you."

I felt it was all very strange, I just asked him about it.

"Why do you want to help me?

"I was hurt by Harrison's death, I'm not going to let another one of his children die."

Chloe's response stirred a whirlwind of emotions in me. Strange as it sounds, hearing her refer to me as my father's "other son" made a part of me feel connected and at the same time confused. I had always been aware that my father had a life apart from mine and perhaps he had other families, perhaps Miguel and I were not his only children, but I never expected to meet someone who shared that bond with him. I didn't know anything about her, but I felt a little sick listening to her. Despite my doubts and suspicions, I also felt a spark of hope. Chloe seemed genuinely concerned for my welfare and willing to help me. Perhaps she could provide me with the protection and support I so desperately needed at that moment.

"If she's really willing to help me, I'll sign the power of attorney. I need to get out of here, I can't stand this situation any longer."

Chloe nodded gravely and pulled a document out of her jacket pocket. She handed me a pen and indicated where I should sign. As I did so, I felt a sense of liberation mixed with uncertainty about the future. I was making an important decision and trusting someone I had just met, but anything was better than taking dozens of blows and feeling my bones break.

Once I had signed the document, Chloé put it back in her jacket and looked at me with determination.

"Now listen, it won't be easy, but I will do everything in my power to protect and guide you. First, we'll need to come up with a plan to get you out of this academy without arousing suspicion. Then we'll find a safe place for you where you can start over.

Excitement and relief mingled in my chest. Even though I knew the road ahead would be challenging, having someone by my side to support me and offer me a way out meant the world to me at that moment.

"Thank you, Chloe," I said sincerely. "I can't express how grateful I am for your help. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get out of this nightmare."

Chloe nodded with a comforting smile.

"Don't worry, together we'll find a way. But first, you need to rest and recover. Let me take care of the details and make sure you're in a safe place."

I lay back on the stretcher in the infirmary, feeling the accumulated fatigue and tension slowly leave my body. I knew I had a long road ahead of me, but for the first time in a long time, I had hope for a better future.

[...]

Two days later Chloe helped me out of there, I had to walk on crutches while I recovered. I still wondered what she was to my father, but it would be awkward to ask her, as I could already imagine some of the things she might tell me.

I didn't know whether to tell her about the ungeizefer, as it might scare her off and probably after signing that power of attorney she might take me out of the academy. 

I didn't want to leave, in spite of everything, I still had to eliminate ungeizefer myself. Without arousing suspicion and investigation, that would take years to do. 

I boarded a ship bound for somewhere far away. No one from the academy said goodbye to me. Everyone was focused on the interstellar games, and few people noticed what happened to her.

The ship soared into the sky, taking me far away from the academy and everything I knew. As I looked out the window, my mind was filled with questions and doubts: what would happen now? What did my connection to Chloe and my father really mean? And most importantly, how could I face the Ungeizefer and avenge my friend's death without putting myself in danger?

Chloe sat down next to me on the ship, noticing my thoughtful expression.

"Are you okay?" she asked with concern.

I nodded slowly. "Yeah, I'm just trying to process everything that's happened. It's not easy, but I'm determined to do whatever it takes to confront the Ungeizefer and stop them."

Chloe looked at me with determination. "Count me in, I'll be by your side in this fight. You've been through so much already, and I'm not going to abandon you now."

A mixture of gratitude and determination filled my heart as I listened to her words. I knew I could trust Chloe, and having her by my side gave me strength and support.

"But first, I need to tell you about your relationship with your father, I feel like you're about to leave and you just used me to get out of there. Well, I was one of his wives, we had a son, but he died because of Harrison's problems, he was determined that he would be a pilot with him, he took him on a trip. After that, we broke up. I see he did the same to you, he took you away from your mother?"

It left me thoughtful, but with his confession I had to be honest too.

"I don't know my mum."

Hearing my answer, Chloe looked surprised and her expression softened.

"I'm so sorry," she said in a sympathetic tone. "It must have been hard growing up not knowing your mum. Sometimes Harrison could be selfish and stubborn in his decisions. Maybe he thought he was protecting you from something, but everyone deserves to know their parents and have the opportunity to form their own family connections."

His words resonated with me, and I felt a mixture of sadness and resentment towards my father for keeping me away from my mother. However, I also understood that I could not change the past and that I now had the opportunity to forge my own path.

"Thank you for sharing that with me," I said sincerely. "I appreciate your honesty. And, although my relationship with my father is complicated, I am determined to face my past and find my own way in the future."

Chloe nodded in support. 

"I'm here to help you with whatever you need. Together we will find answers and confront the Ungeizefer. But before that, we need to establish ourselves in a safe place and plan our strategy. I have some contacts who could help us in that task."

I nodded, trusting his experience and knowledge. As the ship continued its journey, I felt a mix of emotions inside me. Even though I was leaving the academy and everything I knew behind, I knew this new stage would be crucial. I was a little curious, maybe I could meet my mum, but I wasn't mentally ready for this.