8 years ago…

The longest night the nation of Huyan has ever known was in a dimly lit room with only a single lamp glowing and a fan running over the head with a hot cup of coffee on the table. It was just a sentiment, after all, as Deejan's father Silwa sat in his creaky wooden chair. As he carefully tuned his thoughts, he sipped his coffee and began to play the piano.

Deejan, who was 7 years old, was watching through the door when he noticed his father enjoying a cup of coffee and playing the piano, calm and collected after turning down the state's proposal to enlist in the military. Silwa was one of the nation's best soldiers prior to the start of the war. But he left everything behind for Deejan, Riu, Teesha, and his wife. They needed him back this time since the predicament was out of control. Silwa was the only one who had the answer to the Gitora conflict; if Huyan lost its final city, the war was all but lost and impossible to win.

Silwa finished his last cup of coffee while gently playing Mozart's Lacrimosa on the piano. Deejan was concerned as he listened to his father's music, which was played in silence. He had recently learned from his mother that if he acts calmly, something is wrong, and that he is simply attempting to connect the dots. He had never seen his father composed.

He interrupted, "Papa." He had a puzzled expression on his face as he approached his father. "Why are you doing that?”

"Just trying to calm myself down, what happened?" Silwa merely smiled and talked to his son normally.

“Mama is calling you for dinner” Deejan said it with the innocent yet curious expressions

Silwa played the final chords of the tune as he turned to his side and gazed at his empty coffee cup. Finally, he exhaled deeply, grinned to himself, and stood up. " Let's head out to dinner"

A sound of plates crashing could be heard when the father and son left the room. They both sprinted towards the direction of the noise. When Deejan spotted his mother lying on the ground, he immediately halted. He screamed, "Mama!”

Riu and Teesha left their rooms quickly. In the dining room, where everyone had assembled, Riu sat her mother on her lap. Teesha felt her pulse and said, "It's not..." before stifling a cry. “No!" Riu screamed, "Mom, wake up!" Silwa stood a short distance away, staring at her with eyes wide open, unable to walk any farther. He eventually knelt down and stared at the ground for a considerable amount of time as tears streamed from his eyes as all three children sobbed in front of her mother.

2 Weeks later…

Silwa came out of his room with bags of luggage with his military uniform on. He was going to the war, finally. But he knows, if he goes back to serve the state, to fight in the war, he will never come back dead or alive. He took this decision suddenly. He then called Riu and Teesha.

“Teesha, Riu I don't know whether I'll ever return, so look after Deejan. Uncle Yura will now take care of you. Although the war has been going on for seven years, remember to avoid adopting violence and avoid trying to join it because there is no winning in war; you will always lose something, and your loved ones will also.”

Present Day…

The Huyan military?" Riu said, "Why did they try to assault us?" They were followed inside the room by a young, slender boy with a pistol. “Deejan?” The sisters and Yura were surprised to discover him there with them.

One of the soldiers on the left said, "Come out," as he pointed his gun towards the pillar where Riu was hiding.

“We are with you; we are Huyanas. Stop shooting at us” Yura yelled from behind the other pillar.

The soldier on the right yelled, "We observed two girls running to this house with firearms, we only need them.”

“Deejan! What are you doing with them?” a voice came under the table, it was Teesha, “and….why have a gun in your hand?”

With terror in his eyes, Deejan stares at the rifle he is holding and understands why he even owns it. From their hiding places, Teesha, Yura, and Riu emerge.

"They did what? What's Deejan up to with you people?" As he drew near the soldiers, Yura questioned.

The soldier on the right pushed Yura back, “Stop coming near us. This kid is with us”

Yura nearly tripled, was about to fall, and then found his balance. Why are you guys acting so rudely toward us? Riu glared at the soldier as if she were ready to hit him. "We are not Yunasia's slime citizens. We are your nation.”

"We were searching for our brother," Teesha remarked. “We learned that he had been captured by the Yunasianists and was in the process of being killed. We knew we shouldn't have gone to that spot, but I'm glad to see Deejan is alive," the man said as she carefully approached Deejan.

Deejan's hand began to shake as Teesha drew near. He regarded the ground with dread and uncertainty. As Teesha prepared to place her hand on Deejan's shoulder, he felt a presence approaching. In a flash, he pointed the gun at her. He then glared furiously at her.

"What are you doing?" Teesha was startled. She made a gradual effort to get closer, asking, "What happened, it's me. Come to us, we were so worried Deejan”

"Arrest them," the soldier was told. Teesha was still in disbelief by Deejan's response when one of the soldiers pulled out his handcuffs and put them on her. While the other approached Riu, Yura attempted to speak with them, but the soldier struck him with the back of his gun and said, "Stay Back!" Riu did not respond by fighting back either. As Yura lay unconscious on the floor throughout the transfer of both sisters from the home, Deejan walked behind them, trying not to cry and wearing a look of wrath on his face.

Since the evening, the rain hasn't stopped, and the forest is very dark. The Dawn will arrive in a few hours, and both sisters were being transported to Ginora's military headquarters. As they moved silently through the thick woodland. The sound of showers falling around and the owls hooting. Deejan moved past them without making eye contact with Teesha or Riu as they both stared at him in uncertainty.

Deejan used to always have a smile on his face when Teesha saw him, but something has happened to make that smile go. Teesha has memories of Deejan always being cheerful. He's not the same brother she used to know. Deejan used to be composed and peaceful, but now he appeared bothered by something weird, as Riu remembered. What compelled him to pick the path of war and point a gun on the members of his own family?

The soldiers could hear distant footsteps as they moved through the woodland. Once they understood it was a fox and relaxed as they headed right, one of the troops was then shot. Everyone took a step backward. The other soldier began to aimlessly fire towards the direction of the bullet's trajectory. As the soldier fired and the handcuffs' keys fell, Riu leaped and kicked him. In an effort to determine whence it originated, Deejan took a step back while aiming his rifle upward.

Yura emerged from the shadows with his M82A1 SAMR, a sniper rifle. Riu added, "The sniper is back." As they both fell, Teesha slammed Deejan with her shoulders. Yura took the soldier's gun and shot him in the leg. She then raced to save Teesha after he had unlocked Riu's cuffs. Deejan pulled back his gun before she could grab it. Yura, however, swiftly responded and held his hand back, saying, "Deejan, stop it! This is too much! Why the hell did this happen to you”

Deejan was silent, looked at everyone and then tears of anger started to flow from his eyes, “You all… You all lied to me. Everything was kept away from me.”

“What truth?” asked Teesha

Deejan tried to escape a bit, “The truth that we are not Huyanas”

"Just be sure to consider before you speak, Deejan, about everything. We have the great Huyan blood, and these Yunasianists aim to end this bloodline" said Yura

Deejan started screaming, “Again… a lie”

“What do you even want to say” asked Riu

Deejan stated, "We are not Huyanas; you, myself, Teesha, and mother all have Yuniasian blood. Including the traitor, the lowest human being on the planet, the one who guided us to a life of torment. Silwa, our father. The biggest traitor of both Huyan and Yunasia"

to be continued...

The Song Of The War Part 3: Fading Tunes