Martin, dressed in warm clothes to stave off the chill of the winter air, walked briskly down the steps of the mansion, his breath visible in the crisp air. The snow-covered landscape stretched out as far as the eye could see, covering the forest floor in a pristine white blanket. In the distance, he could see Gale sitting in a car, waiting patiently for his arrival.
As Martin approached the car he settled into the passenger seat, he felt the warmth of the car surround him. Gale, seated in the driver's seat and clad in warm clothes, couldn't help but smile as he turned to look at Martin and asked, "Are you ready to embark on our trip to Rusutsu?"
Without missing a beat, Martin responded with enthusiasm, "Absolutely ready."
After hearing his answer, just as Gale was about to put the car into gear and move forward, a servant suddenly darted towards the car, waving for them to stop. Seeing this, Gale immediately lowered the car's window. As the servant approached the car, confusion etched across Gale's face.
The servant handed over a piece of folded paper, saying, "Mam Erina instructed me to give this to you."
With a nod of gratitude, Gale received the paper, his curiosity piqued. And the servant quickly left saying "Thank you Young Master." to him. Gale looked at the folded paper, a puzzled expression on his face.
Just then Martin spoke up in curiosity and confusion. "I wonder what could be written in this paper that made her go through the trouble of sending a letter."
Then Gale unfolded the paper and began reading the words silently, his thoughts lost in contemplation while Martin's eyes fell on the front view mirror where on the balcony Daisy, Daniel, and Jackson were standing, their eyes fixed on the car. He immediately lowered his window with a smile and stuck out his hand, waving at them with a friendly gesture and they also waved back delightedly.
Once Martin's wave was complete, he settled back into his seat, turning his attention back to Gale. But before he could say anything, he noticed that Gale had already read the contents of the folded paper and was now silently putting it into his pants pocket. Martin's eyes met Gale's, who was smiling back at him.
"So, shall we go?" Gale asked, breaking the silence.
Feeling a strange pang of weakness seeing Gale's smile, Martin swallowed the feeling and responded with a smile of his own. "Yeah, let's go," he replied, his voice slightly hoarse.
After Martin gave his reply, Gale started the car once more and began to drive forward. As he did so, the guards manning the double doors of the mansion quickly opened them, allowing the car to proceed.
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Rain and snow fell in a relentless combination, making the abandoned factory's exterior a murky, damp canvas, which was located in the city. Gale and Martin stood at the entrance, each gripping an umbrella to shield themselves from the deluge. The tall, dilapidated structure loomed over them, its shattered windows and peeling paint hinting at the decay within.
As they took a deep breath, they shared a glance and, without a word, they stepped forward to enter the abandoned factory. As they entered the factory, the dim light filtering through the rusted metal work cast eerie shadows around them.
Martin couldn't help but question Gale's choice, "Why are we here, we should have been at your coronation's place.?"
Gale chuckled and responded, "There's time for the coronation later. Let's explore this place for now. Just stick with me."
Martin chuckled in return and followed Gale further into the factory, beginning to explore the abandoned space. The factory's interior was cold and damp, the faint sound of dripping water echoing through the empty halls. As they walked through the maze of rusted machinery and decaying partitions, they could feel the heavy presence of the abandoned building. Martin glanced around, intrigued by the old machinery that had been left behind, while Gale led the way, occasionally running his hand along the walls or picking up an old tool.
Gale suddenly, a mischievous thought crossed his mind and he suggested to Martin, "Hey Martin, let's play hide and seek." Before Martin could react, Gale quickly sprinted away, disappearing into the shadows of the vast factory.
Standing alone, Martin was dumbfounded, staring at the spot where Gale had just vanished. He called out in a firm complaining voice, a hint of irritation in his tone, "This is ridiculous, I don't want to play hide and seek. Come back here right now!"
However, despite his protests, there was no sign of Gale returning. Frustrated, Martin began searching for Gale amidst the dark maze of the abandoned factory, calling out his name and peering into every corner. As he searched, the old machinery and abandoned workstations cast eerie shadows around him, their silence only amplifying his growing irritation. After spending a significant amount of time searching for Gale, Martin was getting increasingly frustrated, unable to find any trace of him. He decided that the only area he had not checked yet was the factory's terrace.
With his umbrella still in hand, Martin quickened his pace towards the terrace, his determination to find Gale growing with each passing moment.
When he finally stepped out onto the factory's terrace floor, he was met with the sight of snow covering the floor on all sides. He stood under the open sky, the falling snowflakes landing gently on his umbrella. With a determined expression, Martin scanned the terrace with his eyes. Suddenly, finally he caught sight of Gale standing near the middle edge of the terrace, without an umbrella and rain and snow falling on him relentlessly. Gale was gazing at the city's buildings blanketed in snow, his hands buried deep in his coat pockets. The lack of any security wall nearby and the great drop below made Martin uneasy.
For a few moments, Martin stood there, intently observing Gale's figure. Then he took a few steps closer to Gale, but still kept a safe distance between them.
Then, breaking the silence, Martin called out to him, "Gale!"
Gale didn't turn around, instead continuing to gaze at the city with a sense of admiration. In response to Martin's voice, he commented, "Don't you think the city looks so beautiful right now?"
Martin, watching him with a mixture of confusion and unease, absorbing the depths of his unexpected words.
Gale finally turned around to face Martin, a smile gracing his lips. With a hint of melancholy in his voice, he stated, "Do you know what is the disadvantage of being the most powerful?....That there will be no one who can protect you."
Martin's gaze remained fixed on Gale, his mind trying to understand the meaning behind his words.
Then again a sudden sparkle lit up Gale's eyes as he spoke again, "Martin, can you say something in your mother language for me?"
Martin was taken aback by the unexpected request. After a brief hesitation, an almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corners of his lips. Looking directly at Gale, he spoke in a heartfelt tone.
"Tum mere sabse ache dost ho, aur jo alfaz mene abhi kahe hain wo meri rooh ki mohabbat ki gehrai ko zaahir karte hain, jiski tulna nahi ki jaa sakti."
As Martin finished speaking, Gale chuckled and admitted, "I have no idea what you just said, but it sounded really nice."
Martin regarded Gale affectionately, the depths of their connection evident in his gaze.
"I'm so excited to become King tonight," Gale exclaimed. "And after today, I'm going to change everything, and you will help me with this. And you know tomorrow my maternal cousins Max and Leo are also coming from Italy. I am going to meet them for the very first time."
Martin smiled. "I'm also excited for both things, and I can't wait to see the special vantage point for the coronation, right in the heart of the city." He said.
Gale suddenly shifted the topic, his voice serious and contemplative, "Martin, did you know that when I was two years old, my dad brutally burned alive a couple's parents and their one-year-old son in South Korea, simply because they refused to cooperate in an illegal deal with him? And then that couple slowly started taking revenge on all those people who along with my dad had burnt their family alive. And today in the present time, that couple has their own mafia organisation named Omnipotent, and now they just want to complete their revenge."
Martin listened intently, a mix of confusion and intrigue on his face. He felt drawn into the story Gale was telling, trying to understand the reason behind his sudden decision to share this information.
Gale took a moment, then scoffed with a bitter smile and said, "Isn't it ironic that agony can lead someone down a path to become evil?"
As Martin listened to Gale's words, his curiosity only grew. Gale continued, "Do you want to know a secret about that couple?"
Martin nodded silently. Then Gale lowered his voice conspiratorially, "The husband in the couple had undergone facial plastic surgery to conceal his identity, but one unique thing about him is a sword tattoo on his forearm that nobody knows about except his wife."
Hearing this, Martin chuckled in a mocking tone, jokingly asking Gale, "How do you know this? Are you sure you're not the wife yourself?"
Gale chuckled faintly at Martin's playful remark and replied, "You're the one who says I know everything. That's how I know."
Suddenly, as Gale continued to stand under the snowfall without an umbrella, Martin questioned him, "Aren't you cold?"
However, instead of answering, Gale pointed towards the sky, and said, "Can you see the moon?"
Martin turned his gaze to the sky, searching for the moon behind the thick clouds from where snow was falling, and chuckled lightly as he responded, "Seriously?"
Gale simply continued to smile at him, his expression soft and fond. And he called out to Martin in a gentle tone, "Martin!"
Martin, who was already looking at Gale, waited in anticipation for his next words, curious to hear what he was going to say.
With a serene smile on his face, Gale revealed, "I have now accepted a religion."
Martin was shocked by the unexpected revelation, his curiosity piqued. Without wasting a moment, he asked, "Which one?"
Still smiling, Gale answered simply, "_________."
Martin was taken aback by Gale's answer, struggling to believe that Gale had sincerely adopted a religion. Yet, seeing Gale's warm smile, he couldn't help but smile himself, a mixture of surprise and joy on his face for Gale's happiness.
Again, Gale called out to Martin, "Martin!"
Once more, Martin waited intently to hear what Gale was going to say next.
With a serious expression, Gale continued, "Even though you are my shadow, you must stay alive."
As Martin heard Gale's words, an unexplainable feeling of unease washed over him. Silence enveloped the space between them. But then, seeing Gale smiling again, Martin pushed aside his feelings and mustered a small smile himself.
In that moment, Martin saw a world of beauty reflected in Gale's eyes—a world he would forever cherish and admire.
Suddenly Gale extended his hand towards Martin, and just as Martin was about to reach out to take it, a gunshot echoed through the air, causing Martin to flinch. In that instant, a bullet flew straight through Gale's temple head, leaving a trail of blood before Gale suddenly fell backward into the infinite depths of the factory's terrace, far below.
Martin watched in shock as the colour drained from his face, his eyes wide open, his hand stiffened in the mid air.
The sound of the gunshot seemed to echo in his ears, and he could hardly believe what he had just witnessed. His mind raced as he tried to comprehend what had just happened. Just moments ago, he was having a conversation with Gale, and now he had witnessed a gruesome attack that disappeared Gale from his sight. Martin's heart pounded in his chest, his mind overwhelmed with a mix of shock, fear and confusion.
His grip on his umbrella loosened, and it fell from his trembling hands. He moved to the edge of the terrace where Gale was standing moments ago, Martin was struggling to steady his wavering legs. As he looked down at the snowy filled ground below, he saw Gale lying motionless, his head surrounded by a small pool of blood that was slowly turning the snow around him crimson, his eyes were closed–the eyes in which Martin was seeing his world.
In extreme horror, Martin collapsed to his knees. Despite the fear and confusion, he began crawling toward the terrace door, desperate to reach Gale.
With haste, he quickly made his way to the ground floor of the factory, his heart pounding as he rushed out into the open. His eyes immediately fixated on Gale's motionless body, and Martin's voice cracked with desperation as he called out,
"G-Gale... Gale!"
His body trembling with panic, he hastily moved towards Gale's body. However, before he could reach him, he stumbled and fell to the snowy ground, but he didn't give up and continued crawling towards his friend's lifeless form, calling out his name in anguish. He finally reached Gale's body and scooped him up in his arms, holding him tightly. Tears eventually streamed down his face as he continued to call out Gale's name, his voice filled with pain.
In his desperation, Martin lightly slapped Gale's face, hoping to rouse him, but to no avail. But he refused to accept the reality. He refused to believe that Gale wasn't breathing, that his heart had stopped beating, and that he was completely gone. He held Gale's lifeless body tightly against his chest, clutching him with all his might, as his heart-wrenching sobs echoed loudly throughout the area.
The depth of his anguish was evident in the intensity of his cries, as if his very soul were yearning for Gale. He refused to let go, held fast to the belief that somehow, someway, there was a chance Gale would come back. The despair and sorrow in his voice were so profound that even someone without a heart would be moved to tears by the sheer force of his grief. The intensity of his sobs left no doubt of his love and devotion to his friend.
***
Martin walked through a large and lavishly decorated hallway, carrying Gale's lifeless body tightly on his back. His expression was unreadable, marked by pain, and his bloodshot eyes were unfocused, as if he were an automaton numb to his surroundings. He moved forward mechanically, passing by several lifeless bodies scattered across the hallway, but he paid them no mind.
He entered the huge, opulent hall, his eyes quickly taking in the scene. The place was lavishly adorned. At the far end, a grand king-sized chair stood majestically, and several lifeless bodies covered in blood were scattered across the floor, including those of Gale, Jackson, Daniel's parents, and Gale's aunt, and uncle.
The hall bore the signs of a violent struggle, with blood staining nearly every surface. Some servants, staff, and members of Jitoku Shin's gang were present there, who looked like shell-shocked husks of their former selves. Some stood motionless, while others sat dazed, having witnessed the brutal killing. In the midst of this, Daniel, Jackson, and Daisy sat there in shock, their gazes vacantly staring into space as if their souls had been momentarily shattered. It was as if they had lost their ability to comprehend the horror of the situation around them.
A chill ran through the hall as all the present individuals noticed Martin's presence holding Gale's lifeless body. Their already shattered souls were further fractured upon seeing the lifeless body against Martin's back. While Martin stood motionless near the entrance, his unfocused gaze scanning the room. Suddenly, Daniel scoffed in pain before slowly getting up and making his way towards Martin, drawing everyone's exhausted eyes in that direction.
As Daniel made his way towards Martin, his voice filled with pain. He spoke in a slow, deliberate manner, "The omnipotent mafia organisation had annihilated everyone, then my dad had killed everyone who was responsible for the deaths, and then, right before our eyes, my dad ended his own life because his owner had died, and a shadow can't stay alive without its owner."
Daniel's words echoed throughout the silent hall, ringing in everyone's ears. He continued on, his steps getting closer and closer to Martin. "But why did your Gale die when he was with you? You were his shield, a powerful shield, a shadow! Your job was to take all his troubles upon yourself, so why didn't you stop it? You should stop it, at least you could stop it. You're stronger, aren't you?"
There was no response from Martin, who seemed to be far away in his thoughts. Daniel finally reached him, standing directly in front of him. This time, his tone was laced with anger and pain, and he struck Martin in the face with a powerful punch.
"Give me an answer!" Daniel continued to hit Martin, demanding a response, but Martin remained eerily silent and his grip on Gale's body tightened, his eyes fixed with an unfocused gaze.
The sound of Daniel's fists connecting with Martin's face echoed through the hall, but still, Martin made no move to defend himself or answer Daniel's questions. It was as if he had mentally disconnected from the situation.
And then Daniel delivered a devastating punch to Martin, causing Gale's lifeless body to fall heavily to the floor with a thud.
Feeling the impact, Martin suddenly lashed out with a powerful punch of his own, causing Daniel to crash straight to the floor. Blood started to flow from Daniel's nose, but Martin did not stop there. He straddled him and began throwing punch after punch, until Daniel's face was covered in blood.
The remaining people in the room watched in shock as Martin continued to pummel Daniel without pausing. Five-six men attempted to stop him, but he was like a mindless fighter, not hesitating for a moment. Meanwhile, Jackson and Daisy quickly approached, they pleaded with him to stop, but it was as if he had lost all sense of reason.
Finally, after a relentless struggle, Martin's rage seemed to subside, and he suddenly started bawling like a child. Fortunately, Daniel was still conscious, but his face was badly beaten and bruised.
Seeing Martin crying loudly and bitterly, Daisy immediately lunged forward and embraced Martin, holding him tightly. Despite her own grief, inner turmoil and tears streaming down her face, she tried her best to comfort him. Nearby, Jackson tended to Daniel's injuries, helping him sit up as he continued to bleed.
There was an air of hopelessness in the hall, as if the weight of their pain had rendered them unable to process the events unfolding around them. The raw emotions of the moment seemed to overpower all other thoughts, leaving everyone in a state of complete disarray.
***
Martin sat in the king-sized chair, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Gale's lifeless body, now covered by a white cloth. All of the bodies in the hall had been covered in similar white fashion. Silent tears continued to stream down his face, bearing the weight of his loss. Around him, the remaining servants, staff, and gang members of Jitoku Shin stood facing him, their eyes filled with an array of emotions - sadness, respect, and an air of expectancy. Daniel sat nearby, trying to shake off his injuries, while Jackson stood on one side of the chair, and Daisy held a beautiful crown on the other side.
The grandeur of the crown stood in stark contrast to the dismal atmosphere. With a mixture of determination and despair, Daisy suppressed her own sadness to speak with authority and assurance, her voice carrying throughout the hall.
"Jitoku Jae, the future head of this family and generation, always hoped that his shadow would remain alive even after his death, And this is our generation, it will follow only those rules which we make it to follow." she began.
"And shadows are meant to receive the same honour as their owners, so from this moment on, everything the 'Jitoku Jae' possessed now belongs to 'Jay Martin,'" she continued, her voice steady despite the pain "Including his name and appearance. From this moment on, only those present in this hall should be aware of this change. Everyone else must remain blissfully ignorant," Daisy declared. The weight of her words seemed to have taken a toll on her, and the tears began to flow forcefully from her eyes.
However, she continued her speech, her voice still firm and unwavering. "From this moment on, your Head is now Jitoku Jae," she declared, her words heavy with the weight of the responsibility they now bore. She carefully placed the crown on Martin's head, symbolising his new status, before returning to her place.
In unison, all the servants, staff and Members bowed their heads towards him, their voices joining in a chorus as they repeated, "We pledge our service to our Head, Jitoku Jae."
The hall was still heavy with sorrow, and suddenly Martin saw an unexpected hallucination of Gale, the ghost-like figure smiling affectionately in Martin's direction, standing on the doorway of the hall. Overwhelmed with desperation, Martin frantically called out his name, his voice filled with a despair that echoed through the hall.
"Gale!"
Everyone around him, stunned and confused, watched in shock as Martin desperately lunged forward, but as soon as he called his name, Gale's illusion started to walk away.
In a fit of desperation, Martin leaped from the chair and sprinted towards the doorway. In his haste, he stumbled, crashed into several people present in his path, due to which his crown also fell, but he quickly got up. With a single-minded determination, he continued to chase the illusion of Gale, completely entranced by the vision in front of him, shouting his name fervently.
Everyone in the room, including Daniel, Daisy, and Jackson, stayed frozen in shock and pain. It was clear to them that something serious was happening to Martin, but they were powerless to intervene.
The despair in Martin's voice was palpable, and the hall fell into a deep silence, broken only by the sound of his laboured breathing and the echoes of his desperate plea for Gale's return. It was a scene of raw torment, and nobody dared to interfere, knowing that there was nothing they could do to quell the storm raging within Martin's mind.
(Suddenly, a voice cut through the chaos - the voice of his own inner self, speaking in a tone filled with despair and resignation.
"Gale had once said that as long as he was alive, I would never die... and it was true, When he died, I died too. Now no longer do I have any hope from this futile existence, but I am determined to exact my revenge. Perhaps I shall embark on a path of retribution that may very well defy his wishes, those aspirations he held for freeing us from the constraints of this mafia world." the voice continued, its pain almost tangible.
"Everyone I've ever loved has always left me, Dad, Fairy, and now my Gale. Perhaps my love is a curse, a curse that brings nothing but devastation. Since childhood, Gale has taught me so much beyond my imagination, he wasn't just a person he was a miracle, an enchantment that I fell into, I am, and will always be," the voice continued, its words tinged with both resignation and determination.
"If reincarnation really exists, then in my next life, I want to be Gale's shadow again."
The words were filled with anguish, heart breaking as it recounted the countless instances where fate had torn love from his grasp. To hear him wish to spend his next life as Gale's shadow again was a testament to the depth of his devotion and the sheer weight of his despair.)
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Kang Jia, finished reading the last page of the words written on the Diary, she closed it gently, her eyes brimming with tears. She was standing atop a bridge, gazing down at the deep river flowing below. The bridge was surrounded by nature, providing a sense of tranquillity and beauty. The sun shone softly in the sky, casting a warm glow over the surroundings. The only sound that could be heard was the gentle sound of the river below, cascading over the rocks in its path with a soothing hum. The gentle breeze playing with her hair, the perfect contrast to the sombre thoughts running through her mind.
Jia felt an overwhelming sense of loss as her eyes fixated on the flowing water. She looked back at the Dairy in her hand, her hand lingering on the cover for a brief moment. Then she took a deep, shaky breath, her heart heavy with both grief and determination.
With a swift motion, she hurled the diary off the bridge, watching as it fluttered through the air before colliding into the deep, rushing river below. So that just like this diary was found before, no one can find it again.The memories and pain contained within its pages would now be washed away, just like her tears as they mixed with the river water.
She stood there for a few moments, watching the diary be carried away by the current, until it was lost from sight. A sense of finality washed over her, and with it, a strange sense of closure. The story contained within those pages was now gone, but she knew it would remain locked in memories forever.
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