[Memory retrieval sucessful]
[Healing capacity currently at 60%] Lucian gasped as he awoke, his eyes snapping open in shock, his breaths heavy as he finally remembered who he was. His mother, his father, Felicia, and Jakob all came rushing back into his mind. Nearby, Dana and Drake were arguing in hushed tones. “I’m sorry, but this is on you, Drake. You keep stressing him out!” Dana scolded in a whisper. “You shouldn’t have told him about Godfather’s death when he hasn’t fully recovered. You were too quick and didn’t even consider how he’d feel!” Drake looked at Dana, struggling for a response, and then noticed Lucian’s eyes were wide open. “Your precious boss is awake. Now, go exert your focus on him instead,” Drake said, turning her toward Lucian. Dana’s eyes widened, and she quickly rushed to Lucian’s side. “You’re finally awake, boss! It’s been hours! You had us—had me—worried.” Lucian exhaled heavily, his mind still reeling. It felt like he had just experienced an awakening. So, Jakob was his stepbrother. He remembered meeting Felicia once. That woman better be ready to die. And his father? He had actually never seen him. He heard Davis was mostly a man married to his work. He hardly showed himself to the media, unlike his son. He was rarely present at events, always sending his son or wife in his stead. “Boss?” Dana called out with a tearful gaze. She hated how he was always so quiet, leaving them to guess what was on his mind. Lucian looked at both of them and sat up, his upper body now fully healed, though his leg was still injured. “It seems you’re getting better,” Drake observed, a smile spreading across his face. Lucian nodded, taking in the sight of them. It was amusing how much they knew about him. Unlike Drake, who he considered a close friend, Dana was someone who constantly followed him around, offered to drive him to wherever, and had the means to find out the truth about his past. Although everyone knew he wasn’t Godfather’s biological son, few knew the details of his adoption. “How was he buried?” Lucian asked Drake. “He always said he didn’t want to be buried in the ground, so I’m guessing he was cremated. I’d like to pay my respects.” “He’s at the columbarium at Metro Cemetery. Why? Do you want us to go right now?” Drake questioned, raising an eyebrow. Lucian was about to nod when Dana suddenly shouted, “What’s wrong with you, Drake?! Look, I’m sorry, I’m trying to be respectful as much as I can, but how can you encourage him to go when he’s not in the right condition?” “I’m good, Dana,” Lucian said, looking at her with a steady gaze. “Just tell the doctor to get me crutches. No one is keeping me here. Go now.” Dana pouted while Drake smirked at her. “For someone who’s trying to be respectful, you sure shout at me a lot.” Dana rolled her eyes in annoyance and walked away to fetch the doctor. Lucian arrived at the Columbarium, carefully using his crutches as he approached his Godfather’s resting place. His name was Donald Stone. He stood before the picture of Donald Stone, his gaze fixed on the urn that held his Godfather’s ashes. Dressed in baggy trousers and a loose sweatshirt, Lucian let out a heavy sigh. The weight of the moment made him feel speechless, as though the words he wished to express were trapped within him. Godfather had rescued him, granting him a new lease on life, even though he was gonna run him over if Lucian hadn't stopped the car with his strength, and that was because someone like his Godfather didn't care that a little boy was in his way. He was saved and transformed into a weapon of sorts, though his Godfather had never explicitly stated it. Lucian wasn’t naïve, but he was still grateful. Because being alive was enough. Being alive meant he had a chance for revenge, something he could only pursue while he was still breathing. With a trembling breath, Lucian spoke softly, “Thank you so much, Godfather. I always loved you and am deeply grateful for everything you did for me... everything you've given me. You were the only family I thought I had until today. You were the only one who stood by me when I needed someone. Whoever did this to you… will definitely pay dearly.” His eyes were misty as he spoke, and he clenched his teeth, struggling to hold back tears. The revelation of his true identity was something he had wanted to share with his Godfather first. Now, with the Godfather gone, he just felt like he had no one once again. He suddenly felt alone. A deep, shaky breath escaped him as he lowered his gaze in deep thoughts. “Why don't I know what to do all of a sudden? I feel lost. Overwhelmed. And I have no one to talk to. What am I gonna do? Where am I gonna start from? Why do I have to lose you too?” Dana had never seen Lucian so vulnerable before. Moved by the sight, she approached him and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head gently against his chest. Lucian, slightly startled, took a step back while still gripping his crutches, and looked down at her in a mixture of surprise and uncertainty. “I’m sure you’ll be fine, don't worry,” Dana reassured him, smiling at the feeling of being in his arms. Lucian let out a slow, deep breath, accepting the warmth of her presence without protest. Drake, arms folded and a determined look on his face, spoke up. “If you’re wondering where to start, it’s simple. You need to step into Godfather’s role to restore order and give everyone confidence. We all believe that with you taking charge, nothing like what happened will occur again. After that, we’ll focus on taking down William Craig for what he did to you and Godfather.” Drake’s voice grew more intense as he concluded, “He thought that hitting you with two cars would finish you off. He’s gravely mistaken!” [Healing capacity currently at 80%] “Hitting me with two cars…” Lucian repeated, his gaze drifting back to the urn. “He must have really wanted me dead,” he murmured, his thoughts drifting back to Jakob. Drake nodded in agreement. “Absolutely. He knew you were the only one who could stop him, so getting you out of the way was his priority. It’s surprising, though, that just two weeks later, you're already on your feet—well, not fully. But you get the idea.” As Drake continued to discuss William Craig, Lucian began to question whether Drake’s theory held any weight. He wondered if Drake’s suspicions about Craig were correct—perhaps Craig had somehow tracked him to the location where he was supposed to meet Jakob. However, Lucian quickly dismissed this idea. The vans had been in position long before he arrived at the meeting spot with Jakob. They were waiting for him. William Craig couldn’t have known exactly when he would show up. Suddenly, Lucian hopped backward as Dana’s sudden movement nearly caused him to lose his balance. The jolt gave him a brief shock. “Alright, I think that’s enough with the hugging…” Drake immediately dragged Dana away from Lucian. “The man said it’s enough.” “Hmph,” She rolled her eyes away, before turning her gaze back to Lucian with a look of concern. “So what’s the next step? We’re ready to follow your lead.” Lucian instinctively turned his head and noticed an elderly, hunched man approaching a compartment where an urn was placed. The man selected one of the urns, their eyes meeting briefly before he hurried away. But to Lucian, the man didn’t appear merely old, hunched, and frail. There was something unsettlingly different about him beneath that seemingly innocent exterior. [Alert: Your Golden Eyes have detected a demon.][Alert: Your Golden Eyes have detected a demon.]Lucian’s eyes widened in shock as he absorbed the information. Ah… So, what should I do? Do I need to kill it?What will happen if I do? I’m supposed to earn points for this, right?[Point System: You earn points for each demon you eliminate. The number of points awarded varies based on the demon’s rank.]Ahh... Of course, demons have ranks.[Assessment: The demon you have just detected is classified under the Revenant rank, a B-rank high-level entity in the Demon Hierarchy. You're currently too weak to confront such a powerful demon.]Lucian couldn’t help but scoff inwardly. An old man? That hunched old man?[Identification: That demon is known as the Ashen Revenant, possessing the ability to shapeshift. The guise you witnessed was a transformation into the form of the deceased family members, a tactic used to deceive and gain access to the urn]Ohhh… Shapeshifting.Wait... Ashen Revenant? Which means it needed the Ash of a …[Demon
[Healing capacity currently at 100%]Lucian sat on the examination table, his crutches propped up beside him as he waited for the results of his MRI. The room was quiet except for the faint hum of the machines. Dr. Wells, a seasoned physician entered the room with a stack of papers and a look of curiosity.“Alright, Lucian,” Dr. Wells began, her tone professional yet tinged with intrigue. “Let’s see what the MRI has to say.”She paused as she saw Dana close to him. Drake had left to take care of something. Then she furrowed her brows, and asked, “Are you his wife?”Dana’s face flushed upon hearing that. She glanced at Lucian who wasn't saying anything, so she didn't say anything either.Dr. Wells shook her head, brushing it off, then began to review the images on her computer, her eyebrows rising in surprise as she scrolled through the results.The contrast between the new scans and the previous ones was striking. Just a few weeks ago, the scans had shown a network of fractures and
Lucian took a deep breath and addressed them, “Anyway, I'm sure you’ve all been through a lot. The loss of our Godfather has been devastating, and I want to address how we’re going to move forward.”Lino nodded in agreement. “We are here with you no matter what, Lucian. We are certain you will get us through such a big loss. It’s what the Godfather — Donald—would have wanted.” Lino sighed, feeling sad as he remembered his best friend. He still couldn't believe the Godfather would just die like that. Lucian lowered his gaze, knowing Lino was right. “I’m sure with you being here, I can handle this,” he nodded, giving himself an assurance before speaking up, “We’ve lost not just a leader but a mentor and a protector. But we can’t afford to crumble under this loss. We need to stand united, now more than ever.”A murmur of agreement swept through the room.Lucian continued, “Our first priority is to stabilize our operations. The Godfather’s death has left a power vacuum, and it’s crucial
Everyone had left, but Lucian remained in the warehouse, lost in deep thought. He set the crutches aside and walked over to the window, gazing out at the moon shining in the night sky.He tried to push thoughts of Riya out of his mind, but he couldn’t help it. He loved her, and the realization that he had already lost her made him angry.Could he just let her go? Just like that?Lucian was the kind of person who never really found girls to be amusing or special enough to give them his heart. Nah… all he did was fu¢k them.But the day he met Riya, something changed. He wanted her all to himself, and he succeeded even though he knew she didn’t like him—largely because she thought he was poor.Who wouldn’t like Lucian aside from that?He couldn’t exactly tell her he was a gangster. He probably just wanted her to love him for who he was.It all backfired though. Jakob came into the picture and ran him out of the way. Like mother, like son, huh?They seemed to love taking things that didn’
Lucian collapsed to the ground with a groan, finding himself back in front of the warehouse. He looked down at his hand clutching his stomach and saw his blood on his hands. Getting stabbed wasn’t an illusion, it seemed.Taking a shaky breath, he shifted backward as the imp materialized in front of him, this time in the guise of his godfather.Oooh, okay, what am I gonna do? How am I gonna kill it?! For a low-level demon, it’s pretty strong, don’t you think? What is its weakness?[Imps are sensitive to bright light, which can disorient and weaken them.]Lucian felt a surge of frustration as he scanned the area. There was no source of bright light.He groaned, feeling the sting of the wound in his stomach, wondering how long it would take to heal.“Recognize me?” the imp taunted with a grin. “I remember when I killed him. I felt his blood on my hands, and I loved it. Although, I have to admit, he tried to put up a fight, but it was useless against me. How can a puny human fight me? You
Lucian was back home in his spacious room, a place that should have brought him comfort but failed to do so.He felt really satisfied to know he had killed the pawn sent to assassinate his godfather, and the thrill of gaining experience points, but...He was restless.Memories, ones he never actually had, plagued him. He couldn’t shake the image of his mother’s death, wondering if it had truly happened that way or if there was more to the story. He tried sleeping off, but the accident replayed endlessly in his mind, haunting himHe couldn't sleep.As the first light of dawn seeped through his curtains, Lucian got out of bed, heading to the fridge for something cold to drink. Just as he reached for a beer, he sensed someone behind him.“No, no, I’m sorry, boss Lucian.”It was Madame Jane, a woman in her mid-forties who had been part of his household since the godfather had found him. She often acted as a mother figure, though Lucian never wanted her and would always push her away.“
“It was me!” Lino shouted repeatedly, his voice trembling with disbelief. “I can’t believe I’m saying this! I shouldn’t be saying this! Why can’t I stop?!”Lino was painfully aware of his own words, yet powerless to hold them back. His confession poured out uncontrollably, as if a dam had burst within him, releasing a torrent of long-buried guilt and frustration.Lucian watched him, his expression unreadable. These were the words he had dreaded hearing, but somehow, deep down, he had expected them. But from Lino? He hadn’t expected that. Lino was the least suspicious person in his circle, but Lucian had learned long ago that it’s often the least suspicious who turn out to be the betrayers.Never let your guard down, no matter what.But what had changed? Lino, who had been a father figure to him. Lino, who had been Godfather’s closest friend, a man Lucian had trusted without question. What had gone wrong along the way?“Why?” Lucian finally asked, his voice cold and sharp. “Why di
Davis’ gaze dropped, feeling as though he’d just been dealt a harsh reality check. His only biological son had been missing for over a decade, but the finality of accepting his death was something Davis had never fully come to terms with. The thought caused a tremor of grief to run through him.He exhaled a shaky breath, his heart suddenly feeling heavier than ever. “Get out of my sight, Jakob,” he commanded, his voice laced with barely controlled anger. “If you want anything from me, you’d better learn some respect. Provoking me won’t get you anywhere.”Jakob wasn’t fazed by his father’s reaction. He knew all too well that the mere mention of Davis’s lost son could set him off. ‘Foolish old man,’ Jakob thought, a sneer curling his lips as he turned to leave the room. ‘He has no idea what he’s up against.’As Jakob stepped into the hallway, he was met with the piercing gaze of his sister, Melanie Winchester. She stood there, her expression a mixture of disapproval and concern. Me