NEW LIFE : A SECOND CHANCE

Inside the Hall, the remaining Elite Five were still sitting together at the front row. This time, they had their girlfriends with them, save for Xing Han.

Ali and Sophia, Xing Han, Sam and Betty.

This would be Ali's final year at Sakura Academy, as he decided to take the DSE at the end of the year. Sam and Xing Han decided to stick around for another year.

Sam, because his parents were here and he wanted to be with Betty as well. Sakura Academy was as good as any school, so there was no reason for him to leave.

Xing Han, because he truly was learning a lot from following Nitocris around. Staying in Kyle's room gave him a sense of peace as well. In addition, he was not willing to go home and become the serious 'Tan Xing Han', the one who was getting married soon.

Everyone who entered would gaze at that row of seats and sigh. At least, they still had those three to look at.

At that moment, Ali and Sophia were holding hands. Even though it was not allowed as she was yet his wife. Still, he allowed himself to 'sin' for this, willing to accept the consequence. At least it wasn't one of the greatest sins - but it didn't mean that it was 'okay'.

Ali felt he was already doing the best he could to balance out between wanting to be more intimate with Sophia and respecting her as what his Faith teaches him. Although Sophia was willing to do more than just hold hands, he had to hold back.

He had to be a good example for her, right?

If he was to disregard everything he had believed in for her, would that not mean that his Faith was weak? There were reasons for everything that his Faith allowed and forbade, and the best teacher would be by example.

He did not want to confuse her either.

She had to think of his Faith without thinking of him.

If she accepted his Faith because of him without truly believing in it, then what would happen if ... if they separated? Would she also abandon the Faith?

She could leave him, but not Him.

It was the greatest sin of all, known as the 'Unforgivable Sin'.* To reject and abandon God. Ali did not want that for her. Even if she didn't believe, he did. He would rather die than push her down that Road to Hell.

He had to do this properly.

Over the past year, Sophia had slowly integrated herself into Ali's family.

She learned his culture, his way of life and was exposed to all of their 'rituals' : the praying, fasting and so forth. She was never forced to do them either, but they would tell her the meaning behind everything.

They treated her well, and she was starting to feel part of the family.

However, did she believe?

Even now, Ali did not dare ask her yet. He did not want to seem like he was pushing her to make a decision. It was not something that one can decide so fast, right?

Sophia, in the meantime, was starting to feel a bit depressed.

It was a new school year and Ali had decided to graduate early. Unlike him, she was not confident enough to be able to learn the entire secondary school syllabus in order to take the DSE. This meant that this was the final year that they would be together.

Everything had changed since the time Ali confessed.

Her life settled into a routine that she even found comfortable now, even though she was immersing herself in a different culture.

It wasn't just the culture, but their way of life.

She wasn't talking about just his Faith, but the way he viewed things. They were so rich that things that were not normal, was normal for him. Spending millions without batting an eyelid, for example.

Just the other day, Ali's father accidentally bought two airplanes as a birthday present for his nephew instead of a model of the planes.*

Yet, his family was extremely generous and was involved in a lot of charity work. They didn't just donate regularly, but even offered their 'services'.

Sophia once followed Ali's mother during one of the times she went out to volunteer and it boggled her mind even more. A woman, who lived in the lap of luxury, not minding mingling around with the homeless and such. Yet, it wasn't fake or made up.

Sophia wasn't unkind but she didn't have this sort of innate selflessness either.

Sophia had so much to think about and now, there was the added pressure: Ali leaving.

Could she live her life like before?

Without him?

Ali took Sophia's hand and kissed the back of it, the most that he would allow himself to do.

She smiled, gripping his hand tighter.

These were things she knew he was not allowed to do, but he did so for her. She had been talking to Ali's mother about the 'do's and don'ts' of Islam and it all seemed strange to her.

In truth, it felt like archaic means of behaviour ... but a part of her was starting to understand - a little bit - of their point of view. There was a part of her that automatically felt like it was too controlling and did not let them have free will ... but yet, a small voice within her was whispering that people do need rules for guidance in Life.

Sophia looked outside the window, marveling at the beauty of nature and then towards the people in the Hall.

Everything, and everyone, was perfectly designed.

When you look at nature and leave it by itself, there was an order of things that were perfectly in harmony. When she thought about it, if Man did not interfere and nature was to run its natural course, everything was perfect.

She remembered something Ali had told her about the human body as well.

Just like nature, everything within the human body was perfectly designed to function with each other.

In his eyes, how could something so perfectly created, not be due to a Higher Being? Even the way life was created, from nothing, to cells to a fully formed human being. It was just too amazing to be due to 'chance' and 'nothing'.

Sophia had never thought of it that way, and had always taken everything for granted. That was how life is. You are born, you live, you die.

It was now, that she was slowly beginning to see it from a different perspective. With new eyes.

Perhaps ... perhaps there truly was such a Being?

Sophia bit her bottom lips.

This was the first time she was actually thinking seriously about it and the small seed that Ali (and family) had placed on the barren soul of Sophia started sinking inside, planting itself into her subconscious.

Previously, Sophia was rejecting all thoughts about it, thus the 'seed' was not accepted. Now that she was beginning to open up, the 'seed' was planted. For it to grow, it needed nourishment - in this case, Sophia had to look at the seed and care for it.

If she accepts, then the seed will grow and she would have a chance with Ali. If she does not ... well, the ending would be obvious.

For now, it was still too early to tell whether the seed would sprout, or not.