Astral Odyssey: Dying Ember

World 5.4: Eva

**Disclaimer: Some gore and violence in this chapter.**

Not long after the birthday party, Briana requested to try and read the letters that her parents kept. She was only able to read around half of each letter but all her parents seemed to care about were the names, which happened to be a part of what Briana was able to read.

"Benjamin Bynes and Jasmine Bynes?" Her mother said with surprise evident in her voice.

"The Duke and Duchess?" Her father was equally surprised.

"No wonder the reward is so high."

"Who're they?" Briana could no longer hold back her curiousity.

"They're very close to the royal family so they carry a lot of influence in politics. They actually came for the party too." Her father explained.

"You've met them, Briana. They're Austin's parents." Her mother clarified.

"Then... If we do execute this out... Won't Austin become an orphan?"

"But we'd get a lot of money." Her father said matter-of-factly.

"Also, don't forget that he wouldn't be the only child made an orphan because of us. Just because they're someone we know slightly more personally, it change how we work." Her mother pointed out.

Briana pursed her lips but nodded obediently. They started discussing if it was possible for them to carry out such a difficult job as if the morality of this job had been the only issue.

Eva hastily scribbled on the paper with her still small hand the few words that she knew Briana would know how to read.

"They're important people! Dangerous! Don't do!"

"What did she say?"

After Briana read it out for her parents, her father assured her. "We know that they're important people, that's why our plan this time must be perfect."

"Bad for them to die!"

"Why would it be bad for them to die?" Her father asked.

"They're money and power."

"Of course they are."

"If they die, bad for us, bad for everyone."

Her messages seemed to be going in circles so her mother spoke up, feeling slightly exasperated, "Eva, you're not making any sense... You're too young to-"

Eva did not wait for her mother to finish when she started to circle parts of the letter that were important but were parts that Briana did not know how to read. She then doodled a couple that she labelled as the duke and duchess next to another couple wearing crowns. She drew ships and even more people all around the paper, then drew arrows and money symbols to indicate the relationship between everyone and the couple. Her final message was the same. "They die, everything becomes messy."

"You can read the entire letter?" Her parents exclaimed at the same time.

Eva nodded.

Her parents looked astounded.

"Are you saying that the duke and duchess actually controls the economy as well?"

"Important." She tried to correct them. She does not believe that Austin's parents would monopolise the market but they were definitely impactful.

"Aren't they far too powerful then?"

"Now I see why there're people wishing for their deaths."

Her parents began talking like the person who sent them the letter. This was what Eva had feared. Her parents could not see that killing them would only bring about social unrest. She looked at Briana with pleading eyes but Briana simply shook her head.