If Achilles were a better person, he'd spare his sons the pain. The pain of feeling lost and betrayed. The kind of pain that stays and never fades, the kind of pain that pulls you deeper into the depths of your own hell, the kind of pain that creates scars the bleeds profusely as tears continuously falls down, the kind of pain that makes your demons go wild and whisper nothing but sweet, taunting words.

If he were smart, he would've built a better him. Someone who'd be brave and strong enough to try. He'd try so hard for Luca, the youngest and only girl in their family. He'd try so hard for his sons. For Pierre, who he didn't thank enough for his unwavering determination and kindness, for his loyalty.

For his wife.

If Enzo could turn back the time, he would. Because there were so many things that he didn't deserve, so many mistakes he wished he didn't make and so many hopes that he ignored. He hoped for something hopeless, he wished for the impossible and he just wants to turn back and change everything.

If Gabriele could erase his feelings, he would. He'd build a fort around himself to stop people from hurting him and him hurting them because he isn't worthy to give love and to be loved. He doesn't deserve to feel pain, to inflict pain on others. If he could change himself then he would.

If Sydney could stop his demons, he would because he doesn't deserve kindness, he doesn't deserve the warmth he receive from people who actually cares, he doesn't deserve the people who loves him for who he is. For what he has become.

Why?

Why is it so hard to love someone? Why is it so hard to erase the pain that spreads? Why is it so hard to protect someone from the world that you don't want them to see?

Why is it so hard, Luca?

Why is it so hard to protect you?

Why are you the warmth, the light, and the darkness? Why are you like the sun that shines brightly with the soft and comforting breeze that flows through the air? Why are you the light that removes our demons away? Why are you the darkness? Why do you make us shine brighter and wish that we were a better person? Why do you make us smile and feel happy? Why do you wrap us with your innocent warmth? Or allure us with your sweet little smiles and giggles? Why do you make us laugh, cry, feel loved and feel so alive?

You know why?

Why?

Because it's Luca.

Yeah. Achilles wished to be a better father, Enzo wished to be a better brother, Gabriele wished to show Luca how much she means to him, Sydney wished he could save his little sister from the pain and Pierre, poor Pierre, wished that they were normal.

So when Luca flinched at the sight before her, she immediately looked at them with nothing but raw fear in her beautiful chocolate brown eyes.

They never felt so useless, so defeated and so lost in their entire lives.

Anybody would've been afraid of the horrendous sight before them. Of course, Luca would be afraid of it.

They would if they were normal people.

The manor may have been beautiful on the outside but it wasn't on the inside. The room they were in were filled with dim lights, giving it an ominous feeling. Red curtains and big windows. The place was filled with people who wore lustrous dresses and dashing tuxedos, they would've been elegant if it weren't for the lustful actions that they were playing. The place smelled horrible. Smoke filled the air with people who were smoking their cigars. The alcohols were limitless and so were the fun of the place.

Some were talking, some were playing cards, some were... Torturing innocent people whose screams echoes throughout the entire room. Some were even chained to the wall, the chains were clanging against each other as men played with them. Some were even butchering them, slaughtering them until their guts are scattered messily unto the floor. Some were even checking it out.

The floor were painted red with their blood. The smell of blood was...

Luca remembered the horrible things she experienced with Mr. Pierre. Suddenly, she could feel her stomach churning uncomfortably, her eyes were filled with hot tears that burned, her skin felt hot like it was in fire.

Ah, if you don't want to swim in your poor bodyguard's blood then I suggest that you let shut the fuck up and let me have my way with you, love. Or else I'd kill big money daddy, I'll slice his fucking throat with a knife, you know what a knife is, right? I'll gauge your big brother's eyes out and butcher him alive, I'll kill your second brother and let you have a bloodbath with your precious Juli's blood. Ahh, isn't that paradise for you? Yeah? Want that, baby girl?

Luca heard Kale whispering silently and she couldn't help but shake uncontrollably. She remembered him whispering it to her as his lips pressed against her dirty, sweaty skin.

Luca looks at her father and saw him look uncaring, cold and calculating. Luca expected him to comfort her, expected her brothers to save her from... Him.

They are, after all, her superheroes.

Right?

"Papa?"

Shaky and out of breath. Her voice was small and filled with hope and fear.

If Achilles were a better person, he'd save her from her own demons. If he were a better person, he'd stop himself from running out of this place with Luca. If he wants to save Luca then he would continue to act cold,  he'll continue to act like he doesn't care.

Even if he does.

One emotion. One weakness shown and they'll become the prey. They'll be the target.

No, he can't do that. He can't lose Pierre, Luca and his sons here.

Not here.

Thankfully, Pierre was the one who talked to her. They could faintly hear him say: "Luca,  hey... Your papa told you to be brave, right? Can you do that?"

"I can't do that...  " She whispered, her fear was fresh and evident in her voice and it shakes her family to the core.

Fuck...

Why are you so hard to protect?

They're not her heroes. Never have been. They are her demons, pulling her deeper into their darkness, pulling her closer to harm, pulling her closer to pain, to the nightmares, to her own hell.

They don't want that.

But it's just how it is. That can't save her. They couldn't do it and All knows they want to,  they want to so badly. They want to protect her, to love her, to keep her from harm, to be a normal family for her, to be normal for her. But they can't. They couldn't because they'll never be normal.

"You can." Pierre whispered, also afraid of getting caught. He made Luca look at him even if she was trying not to. "Hey, look at me, bunny. Y-You can do this. You can and you will. You have to be brave. You need to be brave, bun-bun."

Their hearts were shattering when Luca shakes her head fearfully, closing her eyes tightly to hide away from her trauma, from him, from fear, from the scene, from the horror it will have once she opens her eyes and see a world that she's not ready to see.

And she is seriously not brave enough to see it yet.

"Don't... Please don't." She sounded so small, so fragile, that her family almost reached out to her. Pierre was having a hard time controlling his emotions. It was hard not to hug her. He had known Luca from the day she first arrived home. He watched her grow, nurtured her, loved her, cared for her, and Fuck... Seeing her shaking, eyes tightly closed and was breathing heavily. Fuck, it was hard.

It was hard.

"Don't make me do this, Piyah... P-Please. Piyah, I'm scared. I'm scared... "

Oh, no...

Please don't make it harder for me, Luca.

"Luca... " Pierre choked, trying his best not to cry himself. "Luca, that's not—That's not fair... That's not fair, bub. Don't make it harder for me. "

Luca shook her head, holding unto Pierre tightly as she continued to shake her head.

Fuck.

Gabriele couldn't take it anymore and he turned to look at her and touched both of her cheeks, caressing it softly. He doesn't care if he gets the consequences or gets punished, he can't handle Luca in pain.

"You'll be alright. You're safe, bubba. You're here with us. You are safe. You said that you'd be brave. You're a fighter, right, bambina?'

"Gab..." She whined weakly.

"Shh, shh. I know. I know. It'll be over soon. Just be brave for us now. For us, for me, bambina.. It'll be over soon. Shh, shh... You just really need to attend this... Gathering." He tried to explain while taking Luca away from Pierre. It would've been Enzo doing that but they knew that Gabriele knows what he's doing. Gabriele needs to do this as much as they wish to hold her too.

"But I can't." She whimpered fearfully. "I can't, Gabi... Don't make me do it."

"Do it for me, do it for papa, for Enzo, for Sydney, for Pierre. Baby, be brave for us. Just this once and I promise that we won't do this again."

Lies.

Why are you lying?

She can't escape this. She'd have to attend it every year.

She'll taint her hands eventually.

She'll have to kill like all of you did.

Monsters.

Beasts.

A disgrace.

Disgusting.

Lies!

Liar!

It might be selfish to ask such a thing when there's thousands of things to be scared of right in front of them. Luca just experienced a traumatic event and they're putting her again into that situation.

Gabriele finally saw her beautiful doe eyes again. It was filled with cold fear and anxiety. It made him feel angry at himself for forcing her to do something that she's not ready to do.

Luca stared at his eyes for a moment before nodding slowly. "You promise?"

Lies.

Your promise is empty.

Lie like you always have.

Lie to your innocent sister.

Say it.

Say it to her face like you mean it.

Like you mean it, Gabriele.

Liars. Cowards. Stupid. Idiot.

Gabriele gulped and practically chocked out the words.

"I promise, bambina."

A liar.

_____

Remember when Kale whispered something to Luca and she got all pale and scared? That's what he whispered.

Luca is slowly entering their world, greeting her in the most nicest way possible.

I have my reasons why I wrote this so... Yep ⊙_⊙

Anyways, hope you enjoyed it, jellybeans!