Vento Aureo || Her Muse ||

|| 9 ||

Ever since she was born, many people including her parents thought she was a dumb child. She never utter a single word nor a sound. Nothing left her lips. 

The only one who thought of her something more was her older brother, Caffe. With little education Caffe had, he taught his little sister how to read. He taught her how to write even if it is on an old newspaper or book. Despite others saying it was a waste of time to teach Latte, Caffe saw intelligence behind her pink and brown eyes. The hunger in her eyes told him everything - hunger to learn. 

Caffe and Latte could only depend on each other. He took the title of brother and parent for Latte, trying his best to raise Latte well. They can't depend on their parents as they prefer to think about themselves. Living in poverty, he taught Latte how to defend herself if trouble comes in their way.

He did small and odd jobs to support each other. As they grew up, fourteen year old Caffe took the risk of joining a gang. With risk, there was more money than their eyes could ever laid on. Their small fortune comes to an end when they thought Caffe to be a traitor. Its was from the truth. 

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"What ever you heard, don't come out from here." Eight year old Latte looks up at his brown eyes. His short brown hair with white streaks is what she loved the most. Shaking in her spot, her nails dig into her brother's arm. She doesn't want to be alone. "I will be fine." Caffe reassures her. He pulls her to his bedroom. A small round rug was pulled back to reveal a trap door on the floor. Lifting the trap door, Caffe force her to the hole. He made her to lay on the dirt floor under wooden floor. Her tiny body let her  able to fit in the hole. Caffe gave her his folded knife for protection. 

"Trust me, I'll handle this." He told her. She wanted to believe him but the sinking feeling in her gut tell her otherwise. Laying in silence, the rug was pull back to normal, covering her body. The only source of light was the small opening between the floor boards. Her pink eye peered through the space. Latte heard an argument between her brother and the members of the gang. Their names burned in her memories as it left her brother's lips. She heard her brother struggle then deathly silence afterwards. 

Her eye close when something fell on her cheek - something wet. Her right hand touches the liquid resting on her cheek. The sight of red made her eyes water. Her brain try to force itself not to believe it is her brothers but her heart knows the truth. She laid in that dark hole, suffering in silence through the whole day. In the early hours of the morning, she come out of her hiding spot. Her eyes on her brother's dead body. He died from multiple stab wounds in the chest and stomach. The sight of his red nails and cuts on his arms told her that he fought until his last breath. 

Clutching her brother's folded knife, Latte changed that day. 

From an innocent girl to a driven soul out for blood of the men who killed her brother. 

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"So, how to do feel now?" Pericolo asked Latte. His eyes wander down to the see the men she slain by her own hands. Fourteen year old Latte glances at the capo with a mixture of emotions behind her eyes. With the snap of her parasol, she closes it to let it rest on her left shoulder. "My  life's mission is done and yet..." Latte slowly signs to the capo. She looked down at her work. 

Bloody bodies of those men - stabbed to death like her brother endured many years ago. 

"You felt empty." His words struck her heart. Latte lowers her head. She turns to him to reveal sad eyes. "Yes, I felt emptiness. What will I do now?" She signs to him. Pericolo turns away to the girl to approach the open door. "I don't have the answer for you. You have to find out yourself." He spoke up, "...I offer you a place to work under me. It will a different line of work than you are doing now but a change is a good way to start. The choice is yours." 

Latte looked down at her work - she soiled her hands with their blood. 

Will she remain an empty soul with no purpose? Or find another path?

Something touch her shoulder, making her look up. Looking behind her, she saw no one. For some reason that touch felt familiar. That touch held the feeling of encouragement.

Taking the first step, Latte approached Pericolo to hold up her hand to him. 

Instead of shedding blood for revenge, she uses her strength to protect and take down foes who stood in her capo's way. In return, he taught her how to become a better person. Thanks to Caffe and Pericolo, she was able to become the person she is today. 

A gangster burning with an unwavering heart. 

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