TOKYO.
December 29, 1995.
The flight went surprisingly smoothly. Fifteen uninterrupted hours of sleep—something I hadn't had in what felt like years. Still, being back here, after all that time studying in New York, left me with questions. I could've just stayed. Built a life there, or anywhere else on this goddamn planet far away from Tokyo, far away from my family.
And yet—here I am.
Well, technically I'm back for my friends' graduation but I'd be lying if I said the idea of staying longer hadn't crossed my mind.
I'm lost with the way I think too.
So bite me. I have no fucking idea what's next.
**
"Welcome back, Young Master Kai."
A familiar voice greeted me at the airport exit with his trademark smile that is always warm and welcoming. The family's butler seemed energetic as he used to be despite of his old age. He was the very person who send me off from home, and the very person who welcomed me back at home.
Home.
Right.
"Good to see you, Yosuke." I smiled back, handing him some souvenir—a whole luggage of it— that I got for him, then ordered him to go back to the clan's estate without me. "You know how it rolls. Tell Father dearest to go fuck himself. Politely."
Yosuke was surprised, but followed through like he would always do.
And the moment Yosuke left, I made my way to the VIP's parking lot, saying hello to the two-wheel beast that I've left behind at the airport guards in charge six years ago.
"Greetings old friend." I beamed before I flee in a flash with it, heading toward my hideout in the city.
Tokyo is as exactly as how I left it four years ago; enchanting with its certain je ne sais quoi… the captivating sunset, the orange sky that lit up the skyline, and even breathtakingly more beautiful when the night comes. As soon as the neon lights of Shibuya and Shinjuku illuminated the streets, I could catch the sounds of the 90s filled the air even with the high speed.
Nostalgia gripped me for a moment.
And then—like clockwork—it shattered.
Of course.
"Thanks for the warm welcome you motherfuckers."
**
Kai returned to his hideout at dawn—a penthouse suite perched atop a luxury high-rise in Roppongi. Faint streaks of blood had already dried along his skin, the remnants of sword slashes etched haphazardly across his chest like crude brushwork on a war-torn canvas.
He was a force of nature, feared and respected in equal measure. But facing down an entire legion of Spectres in one night, no matter how ruthless he was, wasn't exactly a walk in the park. Sure, he took them all out. It just happened to take him all goddamn night, that's all.
"How annoying." He whispered to himself as he entered the penthouse with slow footsteps, and finally collapsed the moment he reached the sofa in the living room.
**
Kai woke up an hour before midnight, almost two days later, with a headache that would probably linger for a while.
"Shit!"
He groaned, dragging a hand through his hair, fingers catching at the platinum strands. "Guess I was more wiped than I thought. Should've figured the airplane nap wouldn't cut it."
Forcing himself upright, he stripped out of his clothes, each movement sluggish. The shower was the next logical step. He staggered into the bathroom, cranked the hot water up to max, and stepped under the punishing stream. As always, once the heat hit him, the weight of everything began to crash down.
The attack was out of the blue, what the fuck was that really? How could a Yomi Gate suddenly appeared at the flyover? Not that I care for any answer, but that was a pain in the ass to deal with. I could've blown the entire road in one strike if it wasn't for the people who are there for fuck's sa—!
He sighed.
Out loud.
The telephone rings for several times as Kai turning off the shower, but with the combination of a hot-headed bloodline mixed with the headache that irritated him off at the moment, he chose to ignore it.
He brushed his teeth, shaved, then grabbed a towel off the rack and slung it around his waist. From the fridge, he pulled a chilled can of Coke—courtesy of his attorney-slash-best-friend who'd stocked the place before his return—and popped the tab. On the way to the sofa, he scooped up a box of Djarum Blacks from the coffee table.
With a flick of his lighter, smoke curled from his lips. He sank back into the cushions, legs sprawled, gaze locked on the mahogany ceiling. He didn't move for half an hour, not even an inch. Just lay there, the silence louder than anything around him, his mind screaming while his body refused to listen.
And then—fireworks.
They lit up the Tokyo skyline in bursts of gold and red, blue and silver. From this high up, he had the best seat in the city. The entire capital glittered below, bathed in winter starlight and celebration. The snow had started to fall again, soft and soundless.
New Year's Eve.
The fireworks were distant, almost ghostly in their beauty, but they stirred something in him. He stood and stepped onto the balcony, bare-chested, barefoot, letting the cold air bite into his skin. The lights, the snow, the distant thunder of celebration—it all settled over him in a strange, peaceful hush.
"I guess I did miss you, Tokyo…" he whispered, voice barely audible.
He lit another cigarette, took a slow drag, and exhaled toward the night sky.
"Happy fucking New Year."
**
"Stop calling. Missed me much?" I barked at Taka who had left forty fucking missed calls at the satellite phone.
And gods forbid, dude got some perfectly reasonable answer for that. "WHAT THE FUCK DEVERAUX?! WHERE ARE YOU NOW? AT THE HIDEOUT?"
"No. Still in Manhattan." I rolled my eyes. "Of course I'm here now, dumbass. You're calling me through the hideout line."
"The flyover incident, was that you?"
"Those bastards came on to me out of the blue. My guessed is that they missed me as much as you do..."
"It's not a joke you moron." Taka breathed out a heavy sigh. "Well, I sorted it out somehow with the Higher-ups. But your Father—"
"Oh pissed off! I'll handle him. Just not now."
"Fine." He gave up the talk. "Anyway the other two are dying to see you."
"Meet me Oyaji's Izakaya. In an hour."
"Well yeah, that's the plan. We're already here, actually."
"I could tell by the screams." The background sound is far from Taka being alone. "I'll see you all there."
"Kai…"
"What? Stop being clingy, I'm hanging up!"
"Happy Birthday."
There was a brief pause before it finally hit me—January 1st is, quite literally, my birthday.
In the background, the voices of my two best friends grew louder and louder, belting out birthday wishes and singing off-key with reckless joy.
Right.
"Thanks."
I hung up.
**
Getting ready to meet up the three idiots after not seeing them in six years should've been more exciting, yet here I am with all my spirits that seemed to have just died.
I was eager to see them just about a few minutes ago until Taka mentioned the very thing I tried so hard to forget.
"Dammit." I cursed in silence.
I haven't celebrated the date of my birth ever since that day…
That very day.
The day where mother died.
Six years ago.
On my fucking birthday.
**
My life, once, had always been easy. I've had it smooth from the day my—late—mother delivered me into this world. Power and status and all that bullshit in Soshiki. I have it all.
Except that the surface is often rather far from the truth.
Call me an ungrateful asshole—and you'd be right. I won't pretend otherwise. I'm a spoiled child, no doubt about it. But for fuck's sake, no child gets to choose their parents. I never begged the gods to be born into a dysfunctional clan, and yet here I am: the one and only heir to the fucking throne of those bastards.
I lit up another stick of cigarette with my right arm as I button up my black shirt with my left arm…
...then slowly, these sharp eyes of mine catch deep into the pair of blue eyes in front of me that pierced me straight through the mirror.
I froze.
I. Looked. Just. Like. Him.
A minute passed, the ashes from the cigarette stick starts to fall off.
Two minutes passed…
Three minutes passed…
And suddenly, my whole life flashed before my eyes.
Shit.
Not now.
TOKYO
January 1st, 1973.
"Congratulations my lord, it's a baby boy!"
A nurse lowered her head respectfully as she presented the newborn to the head of what was arguably the most powerful clan in Soshiki.
The clan leader smiled faintly, rose from his seat, adjusted the collar of his crisp white shirt, and strode forward with unmistakable pride swelling in his chest. The moment he stood, the atmosphere in the room shifted—every nurse held their breath. His presence was commanding, defined by a rugged face, a broad, imposing frame, and the sharp, chiseled features that had become his unmistakable trademark.
I finally have an heir. His mind rambling in joy as he reached the nurse and looked at the perfectly healthy baby boy who was born with a Body Ink of a Knight's Blade that has a Serpent guard wrapping itself around the blade on the boy's back.
"My son." His voice echoes in triumph. "A true Deveraux!"
Roth Deveraux, overjoyed with the blessing, lifts up his son to the air, and declared him the worthy heir, of the mighty Deveraux clan.
KAI DEVERAUX – AGE FIVE
"Why can't I play with him?"
Luna, the eldest child and the first daughter of Roth Deveraux, pleaded in sadness to the nanny.
"Please forgive me, Lady Luna. But it's your Father's order. The Young Master is not to be disturbed during his lessons."
"But, he's always on his lessons..." Luna pouted in disappointment.
"Maybe someday, when your Father permitted him to play with you and your sisters, okay?" The nanny smiled and took Luna's right hand, walking with her through the hall at the clan's main estate, heading out toward the playing ground. "Let's go, your two little sisters are waiting."
"But Nanny, I also want to play with my little brother…" The ten year old Luna cried out quietly. "...he's my only brother."
**
"Mother?" Kai knocked gently on the solid oak door. "May I come in?"
"Kai… Yes, come in, my son."
A soft smile curved Ale Deveraux's lips as her son stepped into the sun-drenched garden room. She set aside her gardening tools, brushing soil from her hands as she rose to greet him. Since Kai had turned four last year, she hadn't seen much of him—Roth had already begun grooming him for leadership, immersing the boy in clan duties far beyond his years.
"Kai…" She whispered, pausing before wrapping him in a tight embrace. "Come, sit with me by the window."
"I'm only here to ask you a question, Mother."
"Hmm, so not because you wanted to see me? You make me sad now, Kai." Ale pouted playfully.
"That too. But..." He paused. "I've been wondering, Mother..."
"Mmm?" Ale tilted her head. "What is it?"
"Why…" he paused, "….how am I not allowed to play with my sisters?" Kai spoke out softly, but there's a crossed of confusion and disappointment on his face.
He was after all, only five.
Unable to respond quickly to her son's question, Ale sat him down by the French window and gently patted his head. She offered another soft smile, and kept herself quiet for a good minute. Until she replied him, and Kai's blue eyes widened.
"You know what Kai, let's go play with them, right now!"
His eyes then sparkled.
**
It wasn't necessarily the first time they met, but it was the first time they've actually spoken toward each other.
The four siblings of the highest caste family in the Deveraux clan, standing side by side at the playground.
"Kai, come on, say hi to your sisters." Ale smiled, holding Kai's right arms and leading him to Luna.
Luna then reciprocated, gesturing to both her younger twins, Anna and Elise to step forward to meet the youngest one.
"Kai..." Ale leaned in, whispering. "She's your eldest sister. Be a good little brother to her, okay?"
Ale then kissed her son by his forehead, and stepped further back, joining the nannies who are watching the kids with their terrifying faces. "Don't worry you guys. The kids gotta play. Don't be too afraid to my husband. I'll handle him, okay?" She smiled wryly, knowing the storm she's going to face real soon, before she took out her DSLR camera, and started to take snapshots of the happy faces written on the kids' faces.
Back in the playground, Kai find himself standing awkwardly. Wha... what should I say? He thought. "Uhm, uhm..."
"Would you like to play with the slide?" Luna broke the ice, giggling in happiness, took Kai's right hand, and shouting to Anna and Elise to follow her as she runs toward the playground slide.
She had always wanted a little brother, for as long she can remember.
Kai then blushed as he followed her, and he—for the first time in his life, laughed with his heart content, filled with joy and happiness.
Only, that laugh lasted for just an hour.
He had never again laughed as he did like that time, back when was five, in one afternoon with his sisters.
So did Luna.
And both Anna and Elise.
**
"Father, pleaasee... please forgive me!"
Luna was slapped, hard. By the palms of her very own father. She screamed louder when he turned his gaze towards her younger sisters who are in tears.
"I've been way too soft on all of you." Her father voice is soft, yet his face says the otherwise. His blue eyes flamed with anger as he approached Anna and Elise. "Never break my rules."
Roth Deveraux grabbed the twins' hair, and threw them off to the wall.
"Nooo!!" Luna cried out in desperation. "Please, Father..." Her voice's trembling. "I'm sorry, it's my fault... it's all my fault..."
She shed her tears helplessly, looking at her siblings who are being knocked unconscious.
For a second there, she felt nothing, but then the seconds turned to a minute, her tears then stopped, and as if she was being possessed, rage filled her blood.
Before she realized it, she had activated her Body Ink; a trademark of a Deveraux. It glows bright like lightning strikes in her skin.
Her blue eyes flared, her heart pumped, her veins tightened, and she pulled out the Revolver out of her Body Ink by her right thigh, pointing it out to her very own father.
But Roth Deveraux did not budge.
"Good." He said softly. "Taste your very first…" he paused, before drawn a smirk on his face,"... your very own power!"
Luna burst out in anger, and finally pulled out the trigger.
But the weapon, however powerful it is, is indeed futile at the hands of a ten-year old who is still incapable of using it.
Her both knees then fell to the ground the moment she realized what had happened. A mixture of tremor and sorrow crossed her feature, and the trauma of that very day, scarred her, for the rest of her life.
KAI DEVERAUX – AGE SEVEN
She hated me with all that she has.
And with all that hatred, I deserved it.
"Kai..."
I wish I could go back to that day…
"Kai?"
I'm sorry... Onee-sama.
"Kai!"
Uh? Mother?
"Goodness gracious my dear son!" Mother pinched my right cheek. "You're spacing out again, hmm…?"
"I-I'm sorry, Mother."
With gloomy eyes, I looked over my mother's face. And as it usually is, for the past two years, bruises are visible on her delicate face.
"You hit the door again, Mother?" My voice lowered as I looked at her while she fixed my hair.
"Don't worry about it. You know I'm clumsy. My face hit things sometimes." She smiled. She would always smile. And lied. Again. She would always lie. "Well... ready to see the Soshiki Academy today? We'll visit my old school!"
I stood unresponsive.
"Kai, come on!"
My mother held my right arms gently, and slowly pulling me to go along with her.
But I stood still.
"Kai?" She lowered her body again, facing me. "What's wrong?"
I stood in silence for a minute. But my mother kept on asking and asking until suddenly, tears start falling down on my cheeks.
"Why?" I asked.
"Kai, just tell me what's wro—"
"Everything!" I shouted. "Everything is wrong, Mother!" Tears kept on flowing down. "Father hit you, didn't he? He did that to Onee-sama too, I watched him doing it! He MADE me watch him hitting and kicking Onee-sama, why is that? Is that a right thing to do? Is letting Onee-sama shot down our sisters the right thing to do? Is him hitting you the right thing to do? Why am I the only one whom he never hit? I make countless, many mistakes! Why did he hit Onee-sama a lot? Why did he hit you a lot?"
I sobbed, my mother eyes then widened, as if those eyes were being stabbed by a sharp knife.
"Tell me why, Mother. Does he hit you because of me too? Tell my why is this all happening…" My voice then weakened. I've cried too much.
But my mother couldn't say a word. She only hugged me tight for a while, before she wiped off my tears and did her best to calm me down.
Father's henchmen then fetch us up the moment she fixed my puffed-up face.
There was no explanation, there was no answer.
But my questions would later have its answers on its own...
We visited the Soshiki Academy, both Mother and I, with swollen eyes, under the sunglasses we're wearing.
**
"Is the Young Master ready to study here? He's very young to be leaving the estate, don't you think so, Madam Deveraux?"
"Drop the formality, Old Geezer. I was never the lady of the house—that title's always belonged to his first wife, and you know it."
Laughing, the so called Old Geezer replied. "But it suits you just fine." He continued to laugh, welcoming his former student. Granted, she was his best student. And at six foot tall with a long hair that is so bright like a golden goose, her presence radiated the room.
"I'm here with his permission—along with his watchdogs, of course." Ale said coolly as she stepped into the room. She moved toward the window, her eyes scanning the distance until they landed on her husband's men stationed just beyond the front gate, standing beside the aging '80s Audi. The atmosphere in the Principal's office shifted, growing noticeably tense.
"We both know the answer is a No, Ale. And oh well…" the Old Geezer paused briefly, "…do I need to worry?" He scanned her up and down, noticing the swollen eyes and the bruises on her head down to her knees. He jolted. But recompose himself again in second. Inhaling a long breath, he then added, "Did the Master do that to you?"
"I won't let my son to be anything like him." Ale turned her body around, fixed her a seat and crossed her long legs.
"Ale."
"What?" She barked.
Both former teacher and student exchanging their look until Ale responded with a silent sigh to his last question. "I'm Roth's punching bag every now and then, yes. The other half of the bruises was his daughter's. She's blaming me for the twins death, which is fitting... it was all my fault." She paused. "That poor girl, the only thing that I can do to make her feel… well at least remotely close to feel better is to let her beat me up on her trainings." She sighed in a slight despair. "If only I restrain myself from letting the kids play back then…" There was another long pause before she finished the sentence with a dry smile. "But not to worry Old Geezer… your training was far harsher. This shit is nothing."
"Tsk." The Principal rolled his tongue, expressing a flustered face. "What now then?"
"You know exactly why I'm here."
"The answer is no, Ale."
"Hear me out, first."
"No."
"Sensei, I'm not joking around here!"
"There is a war out there, Ale! Do you seriously think I'd want to get involve with the Deverauxs at this state? Let alone with your psychotic husband?"
"And I was there! Have you gone senile?" She glared.
Shaking his head, Minamoto Minori sighed out loud. "You're as hot headed as you were back then." He paused. "Him sending you here is his political movement for his son. You were my best student, and the only Deveraux I had approved of on the enrolment in this school. He knows exactly what he's doing. But a no is a no. Tell him that."
"My son, Old Geezer." Ale retorted with a firm tone before a brief pause. "He's mine." Her voice softened, her sharp blue eyes toned-down.
There's a slight intense of air filled the entire room that has become silent, until another loud sigh from the Principal breaks the quietness. He voiced out a question after a good minute. "What's your plan?"
"I think this through."
"What's. Your. Plan?" He articulated.
And after a brief frown, Ale Deveraux then answered her former teacher.
"I'll tell Roth you won't take Kai just yet. It would cost me some shitload of bruises but I'll manage. And I would arrange my son's time visiting my family's estate on every week to cover your training with him in secret for the next five years. Then allow him to enrol at the academy when he'd turn twelve."
Aggravated, Minori replied. "Ale oh Ale, my dear delinquent Ale. The only reason I took you in was out of respect to your Mother as she was my former sweetheart but nothing more beyond that. You know that. The entire Soshiki knows that. I had made a vow to never deal with another Deveraux, ever, again. Your clan is mentally fucked up. Your husband is seriously ill. You yourself, has a twisted mind. And with the history of our respective clans, you know that's just not possi—"
"Kai was born with THE Knight's Blade on his back." She retorted. "Roth made sure to keep it under the rug from the Higher-ups. I doubt that the Elders knew about it either. Not even his grandfather."
Stillness occupied the air briefly.
"Not to mention THE Serpentii that is guarding the Knight's Blade." She added in all seriousness.
Speechless, the Principal drawn his cigar out his pocket and lit it up. His forehead then wrinkles after a puff, gesturing his tension.
"Make it possible, Sensei. I beg of you... steal him away from Roth if you have to. He's better off as a Figther in Soshiki than to be Roth's lethal weapon." She paused, half panting. "He's better off growing up with you guiding him…"
…and before Minori realized it, Ale Deveraux was begging on her knees by the wooden floor. "I can't raise him on my own, I'm far too weak. My moral is corrupted. It's only a matter of time before his Father taking my life away. Or even by the force of nature, I will soon vanish from the surface… eventually."
She cried.
KAI DEVERAUX – AGE TWELVE
Beneath the foreboding private manor of the Deveraux family in Yokohama lay a hidden underpass, its winding length extending all the way to the base of Mount Uzumaki. The passage emerged at a secluded lake, its existence known only to Ale Deveraux and her only son.
Ale, an orphan from a lesser branch of the prestigious Deveraux clan, was born with the rare Blue Flame Body Ink—a mark of immense power, and a gift that made her one of the strongest within the family's ranks. Despite her strength, she held deep contempt for Roth, yet was compelled to become his second wife after the death of his first. The union was not of her choosing but a decree handed down by the Elders—four influential leaders of the Soshiki, each representing one of the Big Four families. Their word was law, and none dared defy them.
"I will seal the passage now," Ale said quietly, casting the family spell that closed the hidden door. Her voice softened. "That was your final time walking this path… your last training with my master."
"I'll visit often, Mother." Kai responded.
Shaking her head slowly with a smile, Ale replied. "You'll get to see the world now, Kai. Come and visit when you miss me. And don't miss me often okay?" She playfully teased her son.
Ale then beamed wholeheartedly as she fixed him his new suits. "How time flies, you've grown so fast..." She whispered before she patted Kai's head. And in thirty minutes, the two was on their way back to the Deveraux's main estate in Sapporo.
On their way home, a flashback hit Kai, taking him back to his first day of training with the Principal whom his mother called the Old Geezer.
"Have you ever truly swung a katana, boy?"
"Fix your stance. Again!"
"Listen closely. A sword is only a weapon in the hands of one who chooses to make it so. In the grip of a coward, it's nothing more than dead steel."
"I'm not teaching you to fight—I'm teaching you to combat. That means think. Use that brain before you draw blood."
Though much of his training had been devoted to the art of swordsmanship, it was the moral lessons learned over the past five years that left the deepest mark—lessons that stood in stark contrast to the teachings of his own father.
Kai and his older sister were homeschooled—separately—with a curriculum that began early each day, focusing on finance and asset management. Their academic lessons concluded precisely at one o'clock in the afternoon, followed by skill training at two, continuing until nightfall.
Kai's instruction was overseen directly by their father, who grew increasingly proud of his son's mastery over his Body Ink. Dinner was served at seven, with all four members of the main family seated together in the grand dining room. Yet despite their shared table, silence reigned—no words exchanged, no conversations held.
Strict routine. Repeatedly.
Sundays were the sole exception—on that day, the head of the family, after much pleading from his wife, permitted her to spend time alone with their son. It was during these rare, cherished moments that Ale would quietly slip away with Kai, guiding him to train in secret under her former master.
The purpose?
Kai was born with a mythological Knight's Blade tattoo that is stated in Soshiki's Ancient Scripture to be the most powerful weapon in their world. The Serpent guardian of the blade is also stated to be a symbol of decay and destruction; it will only listen to its master... the Deveraux who bear the blade since birth.
That particular Body Ink was only a myth, until Kai was born with it.
Body Ink symbolizes the clan's strength. It would emerge from their skin as lethal weapon against their enemies. And to have the mythical Body Ink, was a great blessing for the Deveraux clan.
But with that, Ale's deepest fear was not for herself—but for what her son might become.
If Kai chose to follow in his father's footsteps, there was no doubt he would rise to power, commanding the entire Soshiki and ruling the Underworld Realm without opposition. But the legacy of the Deveraux came at a price—a curse that no soul, no matter how strong, could ever escape.
Kai was no exception. The blood of the Deveraux flowed through him—twisted minds, corrupted morals, an insatiable hunger for power...
"That's who we are," Ale whispered to herself, her voice barely audible over the silence.
Yet even if Kai were to choose the traditional path of the Soshiki, it would be nothing more than a lesser evil—slightly more palatable, but still steeped in darkness.
Soshiki is the eminence in shadow, protecting the world from the gruesome creatures of the Underworld Realm without leaving traces, but the organization is far from holy. And Ale understood perfectly well that she had brought his son to a world that is far from peace and righteousness.
"You alright, Kai?" Ale asked quietly, wondering what's in her son's mind since he was murmuring for a good minute.
"Mother..."
"Hm?"
"Why did our clan was said to be the most arrogant?"
Ale wasn't shocked, but her eyes did widened. "Where did you hear that from, Kai?"
"People whispers, but I heard them clearly."
She drew in a deep breath before speaking, her voice low and steady. "I've given you two paths to choose from, my son. One day, you'll understand why. But for now, the choice is yours—and yours alone. Each path is ruthless, each carries its own weight of darkness."
She paused, her gaze softening as emotion flickered behind her eyes. Then, in a voice edged with trembling restraint, she added,
"Follow your heart. And when the day comes that you truly understand the meaning of arrogance… do not regret the path you've chosen. You're a Deveraux. We are the embodiment of that word. But remember, and carve this in your mind… a Deveraux never backs down."
**
Kai couldn't help but to stay awake all night long. He sneaked himself out of his room on the second floor by the window, jumped out quietly and landed smoothly. Then, he made his way to the small lake by the garden, far in the backyard.
As he walked, he tried to pay attention to his surroundings, as he never once did.
The soft breeze that hit his pale skin, the crescent moon above him that illuminates the night and radiates the greenery around him, the smell of the flowers…
"It's beautiful." He said quietly in awe.
But his solemn face turned rigid the moment he saw a familiar figure with a long, black night gown, standing next to the lake, crying her heart out.
"Onee-sama..." He hesitated, but decided to approach her.
Startled, Luna hastily wiped away her tears and spun around, steadying herself as she drew her revolver from her Body Ink. Her stance was ready to strike—until she saw who it was.
The moment she recognized her younger brother, her body eased, but her expression sharpened. She lowered her weapon, though her glare remained razor-sharp.
"What are you doing here?" She demanded, her tone laced with irritation.
"Onee-sama…" Kai stopped a few paces away, his voice quiet but sincere. "I'm glad I found you. I've been meaning to talk."
Unmoved, Luna's eyes narrowed further. "I said—what on earth are you doing here?"
A strong wind suddenly blows into the two of them, flapping their hairs, and the same pair of eyes is currently staring at each other, intensely.
"I'm leaving this morning, Onee-sama..."
"So?"
"I don't want to leave anything unsaid. So allow me to say it first…" Kai paused, inhaling a deep breath, "I'm sorry for what I did, for everything that I did. I never meant, not even once, to hurt you."
Luna froze, but her heart started to race.
"But Onee-sama, if it was just me that have caused you pain... please, don't take it out on my Mother, ever, again."
Her heart races faster and faster.
"I don't care if you would shot me dead right here and now, but should you hurt my Mother again, or anyone, anyone at all that I love, I will rise from hell and break your bone myself."
Luna wanted to scream and shout on top of her lungs, and yet, even with the heartbeat that's about to burst, she stood still, and faced her younger brother with her cold features; sharp eyes, sharp nose, sharp jaw, and if a look could only kill…
…it hurts her even deeper, how much alike the two of them are.
"With that said, Onee-sama..." Kai's expression softened, his eyes clouded with regret. "I..." His voice faltered, the weight of his words heavy. "I wish I could turn back time and change everything... I wish you didn't hate me so much." He paused, the raw sincerity in his tone undeniable. "Because I do, I truly do, love you as my sister."
Luna remained unmoving, her expression as cold and unyielding as stone. Her feet were firmly planted, her lips pressed into a tight line. There was no change in her demeanor—no words, no response.
Ten minutes passed, and Luna stayed the same—stood frozen, her body as still as if carved from stone. Her face remained a mask of indifference, betraying nothing of the turmoil beneath. Her feet were firmly planted, unshaken by his words, and her lips were pressed tightly together, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a response. The silence between them stretched painfully, thick with unspoken emotions. Every part of her screamed to react, to acknowledge him—but she remained silent, trapped in the storm of her own thoughts.
"I'm leaving and I won't look back, Onee-sama." Kai broke the ice and drew out a fainted smile, finally understood her sister's silence, he then said the famous last words, "…farewell."
**
Except that I did look back, didn't I?
Tsk.
Son of a son.
Kai run his fingers through his hair, picked up his keys, walked out and slammed his apartment door.
**
I watched him leave that day from the attic.
And I knew he sensed me watching. He paused for a moment, lifting his gaze to the attic's round window—where I stood, eyes locked on him like a blade drawn in silence. For a heartbeat, our stares met, unspoken truths suspended in the space between us. Then he turned away, looked once more at his mother, and slipped into the waiting Audi without another glance.
Father watched him leaving from the veranda, silent and distant… but I could feel the heat rising in my blood, seething like magma beneath the surface. I was a volcano on the brink of eruption.
I wanted to scream. To lash out. To tear something—someone—apart. Anyone.
But as always, I swallowed it whole. I clenched my teeth, buried the howl in my throat, and did what I've always done—held it in…
Because what else could I do?
I killed my own sisters.
My own blood.
My very own.
And Father—he was proud of me for it.
I blamed his son for everything.
I blamed the woman who dared bring that bastard into this world.
I blamed that man for ever daring to call himself my father.
They'll pay. Every one of them. For what they've done to me.
They will pay!
Luna clenched both fists tight, her heart ablaze, her ocean-blue eyes burning with unspoken fury.