Eira Riley has a secret to hide, even though she doesn't want to. She loves her powers of ice and snow.
When dark forces enter her world, she is forced to stand up against them. In fact, Eira wasn't that unwilling to do so. For once, she'll no long...
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There was a cool breeze fighting against the unnatural warmth inside the library. Eira was punching equations into her calculator, feeling the conflict of the temperatures. She had missed out school for two days, faking an illness to her mother while owing some truthful explaining to her father.
She still remembered it clearly. She sat by the window seat, holding her cushion waiting for her judgement time. There was a peaceful scent in the air, the waft of jasmine tea. She cradled her mug in her hands, waiting. Her father finally came in. He was usually an amiable person, hardly ever flushed from anger or raised his voice, so it wasn't his anger that Eira feared. It was his disappointment.
He sat down by Eira's feet, on the opposite side of the window seat, silent for a while before speaking. "Do you have anything to say?"
Eira kept her gaze away from her father's face, an irritating blush creeping up her cheeks. "Will you let me say it? Will it sound like an excuse?"
"I want you to explain yourself, so, yes."
"Alright... I felt like I should do it," Eira flicked her glance, landing them momentarily on her father's cerulean eyes. "You can't blame Jason, he tried everything in his power to stop me. I just couldn't stand by."
"You made a promise, Eira. I wanted you to keep it. You said you will keep it."
"I know, dad. I'm sorry I didn't when I should." Eira bit her inner cheek. She had not tried to keep her promise in the first place, but now guilt was turning around to bite her. "But I knew... I knew something was wrong and I had to tell them. I couldn't stand by and do nothing."
"Keeping safe is being responsible, not only to yourself, but also to your family. Do you understand?" Her father spoke to her in a soft tone, but there was a stern edge that sunk into her heart.
"Of course..." She muttered. "Would you? Would you have done what I've done?"
Her father was silent. "I'm not sure. If it was my role to do something... I will."
"Do you think I did wrong?"
His father bowed his head, sighing. "I don't think you did, Eira. I don't think you did. As a Ryder, I would say you did everything in your power to do your duty. You saved people. Many people. But... as a father, as unreasonable as it may be, you did wrong. I don't want you to be anyone's hero. I want you to be alive, even as a coward."
"Has a coward ever truly lived?" Eira said quietly. "It would be sad to live that way. Not being able to straighten your back, lift your chin and look in the eyes of danger and say 'I'm not afraid'."
"No one can truly not be afraid, my girl." Her father replied. "Fear is an emotion for a reason."
Eira shrugged, sipped on her tea, and was quiet. Because of course she knew, she felt fear suffocate her like a rope around her neck. Except, what was she to do? It was not about living as a hero or a coward, it was about her and whether she will kick herself in the future and say... they could've lived.
