Caleb sat perched on the balcony railing, puffing on a cigarette as he watched the relentless crash of ocean waves. His eyes held a peculiar emptiness, his face calm, yet a tempest raged within his mind.
He was just ten years old when his father died. A decade later, the memory was as vivid as if it had happened yesterday. Ten-year-old innocent Caleb had practically bounced home from school, bubbling with excitement. His dad, Vincent, had promised him a new bicycle if he scored well this term, and Caleb had topped his class. He was over the moon.
The moment Caleb stepped inside his house, the smile vanished from his face. His father lay lifeless, covered by a white sheet. His face was badly burned, identifiable only by his clothes and the ring on his hand.
His mother was screaming, wailing uncontrollably. Women all around tried to console her, but their efforts were futile against her overwhelming grief. In a corner, his grandfather sat, silent, unresponsive, as if in a deep shock. To witness the lifeless body of one's own son before their eyes the pain a father endured then was beyond imagination. Caleb's grandmother had passed away two years prior from cancer, but if she were alive today, this sight would surely have killed her too.
Caleb's legs gave way, overwhelmed by the sight. Before he could fall, his uncle David caught him, scooping him up and carrying him away from the agonizing scene. The atmosphere was too much for the boy.
He passed out shortly after arriving at his uncle and aunt's house. When he regained consciousness nearly two hours later, he heard the muffled voices of his uncle and aunt, David and Carla.
"Carla, why aren't you understanding? Caleb has to perform Vincent's last rites. He's his son. It's his right and his responsibility…" David was trying to reason with his aunt, but she wasn't having any of it.
"I understand, David, but you don't. I know what you're saying, but Caleb is just a child. You know how much he loved Vincent. He's so sensitive. This will be incredibly difficult for him."
"It will be difficult, but he has to do it. Carla was still clearly not ready for it."
Caleb listened, silent, from the bed. A few moments later, he rose and walked into the living room, where they were. Their conversation immediately died as they saw him.
"Aunt Carla," Caleb said, his voice steady despite his young age, "I will perform Dad's last rites. And I will fulfill my duty as his son."
David and Carla stared at him in astonishment. They hadn't expected such maturity from Caleb in this situation. David walked over, pulling Caleb into a tight embrace. Together, David and Carla took Caleb back to his house. When they arrived, they saw police cars outside. David looked surprised to see the authorities there.
Leading Caleb, David approached an officer. "Officer, what are you doing here?"
"Mr. Miller, we've received some information regarding Mr. Vincent Miller's death. It appears his death was a result of a conflict between the 'Blue Moon' and 'Red Night' syndicates. Their fight led to his death, and not just his over a hundred other innocent people died as well. They dragged too many into their turf war."
"Ever since these Italian mafias stepped foot on our land, the very air here has changed, Mr. Miller," the officer continued, his voice heavy. "Crime rates are soaring."
"If that's the case, why don't you do something about it?" David demanded.
"We're trying our best, Mr. Miller, but our hands are tied. When the government itself is in cahoots with them, what can we, the police, really do? Every time we try to initiate action, orders come down from above to stop us. All the officers who tried to investigate against them have been transferred. We are helpless. We're just puppets of the government; they pull our strings as they please."
Listening to all this, a deep hatred for the mafia began to fester in Caleb's mind. The police officer's words echoed relentlessly: *his father's death was caused by Italian mafias.*
"Well, this is a long and futile debate that won't lead anywhere, no matter how many hours we spend on it," the officer said, snapping Caleb back to the present. "Just take care of your family. I must be going now."
David walked him out. After seeing him off, David returned. Everyone lifted the bier, carrying it to the crematorium. Caleb performed all the rituals, his movements precise, almost robotic. Then, he lit his father's pyre.
There were no tears in Caleb's eyes at that moment. Instead, there was a fire a burning inferno that wished to incinerate everything into ash. Watching his father's pyre burn, Caleb swore a silent oath: one day, he would uproot these mafias from this land and ensure they never stepped foot here again.
In present time Caleb was lost in the labyrinth of his past memories when a hand landed on his shoulder from behind. He turned to see Aiden, an Police officer.
Aiden settled down beside him. "Hmm, what are you thinking about?"
"Nothing."
"Got fired again today?"
Caleb nodded.
Aiden chuckled. "What do you even do? You've been fired from more than fifteen companies in the last month alone!"
Caleb's face remained impassive. "They don't see employees as employees; they treat us like their pet dogs. They behave however they want with us. They demand subservience. They want us to agree with everything they say. I can't do that, nor do I want to flatter them."
"So, do you plan to keep changing jobs your whole life? With that attitude, you won't get any job!"
"If I don't, I don't. But I won't be anyone's pet dog."
"Alright, fine, don't be."
"Forget about me, what's going on with you? What about Jax Alfonzo? Is he still in jail, or is he out again?"
At the mention of Jax's name, Aiden's expression darkened. He ground his teeth. "He's out again, the bastard! His friend, Axel Stone, keeps bailing him out."
"Why don't you find some solid evidence against him?"
"No use. His best friend, Axel Stone, keeps saving him."
"What about our Victor, the lawyer? Why doesn't he do anything? He's a lawyer too."
"Caleb, he's a lawyer in name only right now. He knows nothing. He has no experience yet. Whereas Axel Stone has been in this field for the past eight years. It'll take Victor a long time to reach his level."
"I don't know what's up with that scumbag. When I arrest him and bring him to the lock-up, he just keeps smiling. He's the first person I've ever seen who looks happy in jail. Sometimes it feels like he prefers being in jail more than being outside. I swear, when he smiles, I just want to take a hammer and smash his teeth!"
"It's gotten to the point where even the janitor at the police station recognizes him. He spends half a month at home and the other half at the police station. No, no, scratch that—he spends more than half his time in the lock-up."
Caleb offered him a cigarette. "Relax. You're stressed all day; at least spend the night in peace."
"What's your plan next?" Aiden asked.
"Nothing special. Uploaded my resume to a couple of companies. Got an interview tomorrow. We'll see what happens. If it works out, fine. If not, Dad and Grandpa's pension will suffice."
They were still talking when Sam, a struggling actor, approached them. "What's going on, guys? Party without me?"
Aiden glared at him. "From what angle do you think we're partying?"
"Doesn't look like it."
"Then why ask?"
"Why are you getting angry, man? I was just asking."
"Sorry, I'm just a little frustrated."
"Why, did Jax Alfonzo get bail again?"
"Yeah."
Sam burst out laughing. "Aiden, sometimes I think you joined the police force just to arrest him. You're always just after him!"
"Don't ruin my mood by taking that curse's name! The bastard always gets away, but one day, I'll catch him!" Aiden snapped, agitated.
"Let's leave all this. Focus on work. I have an interview tomorrow, so I'm going to sleep." Caleb stood up.
"I also have an audition, so I'm leaving too," Sam added.
"And I have to go on duty, so I'm out." Aiden stood up as well.
Bidding each other goodbye, they went their separate ways.
A path wound through the dense forest, dividing it into two perfectly equal halves. The path was always deserted. In the past few years, many incidents had occurred there: severed bodies found hanging from trees, some burned beyond recognition, and others never found at all. Out of fear, even the police had stopped going there. In the beginning, some officers went to investigate, but none returned. Their bodies were found at the police station the next day. After that incident, no police officer ever set foot there again.
Fear had taken root in people's hearts regarding that path. Everyone had their own theories about it. Some believed it led to hell, others thought a demonic entity resided there. Everyone had formed their own hypotheses; no one knew the truth, nor had anyone ever tried to find out.