''A-Allena!'' Mama, who was in Papa's arms, looked surprised when she saw me standing at the door.

I slowly started walking towards them. ''Pa, Allena wants to know everything now,'' I said later when I was in front of the two people I loved the most.

''Honey, there's nothing...''

''Ma, Allena wants to know everything too. Why everyone suddenly turned distant and afraid to see Allena, why Papa said Allena can't touch anyone now, about Xavier's threat that Papa said earlier, and about this curse symbol. Please don't be like this, please don't change, Allena just wants everything to be happy like before, please...'' I cut in quickly while sobbing at Mama. I really couldn't bear this feeling right now.

''Honey, please forgive me. All of this is Mama's fault, Mama who forced Papa to ask Xavier for help first, Mama didn't know that the consequences would be this difficult now.'' This time she sobbed while covering her face with both palms in front of me.

The pain I felt instantly increased when I saw Mama like this, I wanted to hug Mama and say that all this was definitely not entirely her fault. However, the image of Papa's words about the curse made me unable to do anything right now.

''Pa, Allena just wants to know everything.''

Papa looked at me with a look that was very difficult to explain, then led Mama to sit on the sofa beside his desk. ''Allena, sit down. Papa will tell you everything now,'' he said later.

I nodded, then sat on the sofa separated from Papa and Mama. The atmosphere was very strange, because I had always sat between the two of them if I was in this room accompanied by laughter. I really didn't expect the situation to be so different and even seem to be upside down now.

''Allena, before Papa and Mama apologise for only explaining about this now, this is all we do because we really love and don't want to lose you.''

I just looked down at Papa's words, the worst assumptions were already filling my head. Actually, there was a little fear in my heart to know everything, but the image of the attitude of the people who were scared to see me since the incident motivated me to remain brave to accept the reality of whatever happened.

''Allena, you've been mated to Xavier since you were a baby, and that symbol on your wrist is a sign that he'll be coming to get you soon.''

''What?!'' I raised my head slightly shouting in surprise at Papa's statement, my heart instantly beat faster when I heard Xavier's name again, and what made my whole body tremble the most was that that person had been matched with me.

No! This can't be happening. How could Papa and Mama have the heart to set their only daughter up with a wizard? In fact, they've been doing it since I was a baby. Gosh... I really didn't think they could do something like this to me.

I might have been able to accept it if they set me up with a normal human, but they wanted to marry me off to a witch. Yes, according to the strange black book that I accidentally read on Papa's desk at that time Xavier was a wizard who was very famous for his strength and prowess, but behind it all he was also famous for being cruel and violent. In fact, the book also warned against dealing with the legendary Xavier, because he never let anyone go without taking something valuable from that person in return.

''Allena, things were very difficult back then. We also didn't expect that Xavier really meant his threat after a long time.''

''What kind of predicament would make you have to deal with a cruel wizard like Xavier?'' I looked deeply into Papa and Mama's eyes in turn, without feeling the tears that had stopped earlier suddenly flowed again now as an expression of my disappointment to these two people I loved so much.

Papa was silent for a while, then hugged Mama who began to sob again at my question. ''We're both struggling to save your life, Allena,'' he said softly afterwards.

My heart beat faster again when I heard Papa's excuse, the face that I had so boldly raised to ask for an explanation from them was now downcast. I really don't know how I feel anymore, disappointment, fear, anger, guilt, regret, everything has been mixed into a unity that can no longer be explained.

''Allena, Papa will start telling you everything. You can make any decision afterwards, we will accept it.''

I was just silent, there were no more words I could say now.

After a while we were all silent, Papa spoke up again by starting to tell me that they didn't have any of the wealth or social status they have now. Papa and Mama lived very simply, basking in all the scorn of the arrogant rich people who at that time always considered people like them useless rubbish.

Papa was a very patient and airy-hearted person, he could toughen up and accept any sentence thrown by the mouths of unscrupulous rich people. Unlike Mama, coming from a fairly wealthy family before choosing to marry Papa made her sometimes unable to restrain herself when painful sentences that she was not used to hearing crossed the boundaries of reasonableness to be silent.

The peak of Mama's patience was really tested when her beauty, which was always the talk of the people, had resulted in accusations of grabbing people's husbands, their small house burned down, Papa was ganged up on by several people because of debt, and feeling anxious because he didn't have any money to give birth to their first child.

Papa said that at that time Mama kept crying in the corner of the rubbish dump that became their next home. In fact, once Papa saw Mama wanting to drink insect killer liquid to end her life.

In the midst of the hardships they were facing at the time, Papa found a strange black book that contained wizards who often helped humans in return, and Xavier was the most powerful person there was to choose from.

At first Papa didn't want to deal with a wizard, but Mama's insistence and the increasingly difficult demands of life never found a way out forced him to ask Xavier for help.

At this point, Papa stopped and asked me what I would do in the situation he was in. Would I have done the same thing? Or would I have stood my ground and hoped for a chance at another possible endeavour?