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"Hey, Dad," I reply easily.
"No, I'm not dad, not here," he reminds me. "Here, I am only your trainer, the man who will show you every trick in the book, every trick that will take you to learn how to finally combat the one true evil in this world once and for all. After all, you know who Xavier is now, right?"
I nod solemnly. It's hard for me to admit my beloved godfather has turned into an evil figure in my mind, but I know I don't have a choice. My loyalty lies with my family and with my parents. And after all the horrible things they've told me about Xavier, I have no doubt that I have to fulfill my debt to them first of all, before I can even think about fulfilling Xavier's wishes.
"Then you need nothing else from me, only to learn how to kill someone if necessary. Someone innocent."
Dad looks right at Davide, and a shock wave goes through my body, reminding me just how under the influence I am. Before now, I've wondered whether or not my own parents were telling me the truth about Xavier. Whether there was any small possibility that he wasn't a bad man they painted for me. Right now, it seems more like Heath, my father, is the bad man.
He's staring at my friend with dark intent. That can only mean one thing.
"What is Davide doing here?" I ask my father, my voice trembling as I stutter over the words.
"I think you don't need to ask me that question. Because deep down you already know why he's here," Dad replies with a solemn smile. "Davide here is working off some debt his family had with my cartel. Isn't that right, Davide?"
My only friend nods. He still won't look at me, keeping his gaze trained on the floor, and his face is still as pale as a ghost.
"That means he's going to be punished for something he didn't do today. But that's okay, right, Davide?" Dad asks again and Davide nods, as if he's caught in a trance that he can't wake up from.
My mind is racing and I'm wondering whether or not it's the right thing to go through with this. If there was ever a moment for me to voice my worries, it's now, but I'm too afraid and I stay frozen to the spot, my lips not moving even though the words are desperate to rip themselves from my mouth. I want to make my intent clear - that I have no intention of harming someone who's innocent in all of this. After all, this started with my parents and it's going to end in Xavier's death. Why did they have to bring in someone innocent like Davide? Especially knowing how close we were and that we've been friends for years...
My father walks over to me as if sensing my hesitation, his heavy palms landing on my shoulders as he forces me to look at him. One silent and lonely tear falls on my cheek, and as it slides down my skin, I imagine a different outcome.
Davide still hasn't looked at me. He's sitting in the garden that we're in, on a stone bench surrounded by roses. With quiet resignation, his hands fold in his lap.
"Davide is here because he needs to die," Dad tells me. "I need you to accept your role once and for all, Tallulah. We already told you the truth. It's not an option of believing in us or not, you have to do what you were made for."
Even though his words strike me as odd and make me feel like I'm not important to my parents at all, I know deep down he's right.
This is what I was made for.
Only after Xavier's death, I can start my life all over again. With my loving parents and my darling sister Mathilda who loves me no matter what, I have everything I need.
And yet... After today, I doubt I'm ever going to be able to love myself again.
My father takes a hold of my forearm, forcing out my palm and placing a gun in it.
"Today's task is simple, but after today, we'll be doing things that are much harder for you."
"How is this simple?" I whisper, my voice breaking over the few words I'm able to get out.
"How about this," Dad suggests. "We'll flip a coin. If it lands on tails, you don't have to do anything today and we can restart this training another day. But if it lands on heads, you know what you have to do, Tallulah."
Because I don't see a way out of my situation, I find myself nodding along with his words. There is nothing else left for me to do but watch him as he silently flips a gold coin he always keeps in his pocket. And when it lands, I'm too scared to look at the results.
"Tough luck, Tallulah," Dad says. "Looks like you have to go through with it, after all. I'm going to be watching from over there. Do what you need to and once you're done, we'll talk."
He pockets the coin before I have a chance to look at it, and with deep trepidation and fear, I approach Davide with the gun still in my hands. I'm looking at it as if it's going to kill me instead.
"I don't know why they're making me do this..." I say to Davide, who has been my childhood friend for the past few years. "I don't want to do this."
"It's okay," Davide replies, his voice shaking as he stumbles over the words. "I expected this. I knew when I came to work for your father that this is how my story was going to end eventually. I knew before you did."
My eyes widen in shock. I can't believe my parents told this kid he was going to die at my hands before he even came here.
The quiet resignation on his face tells me he's made peace with his death. Even though I know there is no escaping what I have to do, I find myself hoping for a miracle.
But nothing comes and I feel my father's silence in the corner weighing me down. His eyes are always watching and boring into my back.
