"Once again, thank you for coming and please do enjoy the party. I will end this speech with a toas," Mrs. Rauss raises her glass, of course followed by everyone in the room.
"For the prosperous year !" She then says.
"For the prosperous year !" Everyone replies, including my self.
I deliberately stare at Mrs. Rauss, and when our eyes are finally met, I raise my glass a little higher before collide it with Sara's and gulp the content down my throat.
When Mrs. Rauss comes down from the stage, both Sara and I turn our bodies to face the bar. The bartender approaches us.
"She is coming," the bartender murmurs while pouring whiskey into my glass.
"Be ready," Sara says.
"Quinny !!" Someone exclaims in excitement toward me. You can guess, that person is Mrs. Rauss. I turn my body to respond the call.
"My son, I'm so happy you came," Mrs. Rauss says when she has stood in front of me. She then gives me a warm hug.
"King made me," I say indifferently, not even replying her hug.
"Happy new year, Madam," Sara greets Mrs. Rauss with a genuine smile on her face.
"Happy new year, King. Thank you for making him come," Mrs. Rauss replies her sweetly.
"Everyone else couldn't come, so I forced Death to accompany me," Sara explains.
"You're right.. where is everybody ?" Mrs. Rauss asks after acknowledged that no other member of Royal Knights in the room.
"Well," Sara sips her drink before explaining, "Viper doesn't feel well so Bruno accompanies her. Black.... well, she and Gila just had a big fight couple days ago, so they need time to calm themselves. And Fire... well, Fire is busy in his own world."
"I see," Mrs. Rauss nods in understanding. "Well, on the bright side, their inability to come brings me the opportunity to meet my son," she continues then raises a smile toward me.
In return, I just gulp the whiskey in my glass down with winced eyes to taste the burn inside my neck.
"I'm glad my appearance can make you happy," I say, more like mumbling, toward Mrs. Rauss.
"Of course I'm happy to see you, my son," she says. "Aren't you happy, too ?"
I just shrug my shoulder to answer her question. "I don't need to be happy. I just need to be alive," I, once again mumble, then sneer to Mrs. Rauss before add, "Right ?"
"No, Son. I want you to be happy."
"Really ? You shouldn't make me took the soul-binding vow then."
"That vow has nothing to do with your happiness. I have never forbidden you to be with your family. As a matter a fact, I supported you..."
"You know she hate you," I snap. "I promised her to stop killing people, to never come back...." I hiss the three words so no one hear it, "to this organization."
"So, you regret it ?"
I huff. "What if... I do ?" I ask back.
"You will die," she says. "Then, your family will die."
I frown to hear her answer. "What if I died in duty ? Will you still keep them alive ?"
Mrs. Rauss smiles. "For their benefits you better not to die."
I instantly stand from my sit and slam my hand toward the bar table. "You promised me to keep them save and sound..."
"As long as you are in the organization, remember ?" Mrs. Rauss snaps me with a calm tone. I can feel Sara pinches my elbow slightly.
"What about when I am retired ?"
"You can retired when you die," Mrs. Rauss says with the same calm tone. "So, please, Quint, don't die. Again."
I can't reply a single word toward her. I lifelessly sit back on my bar chair then ask the bartender to fill my glass up again.
The bartender shakes his head a little but eventually fills my glass with another shot of whiskey. I gulp it down before throw a glance at Sara.
"So, Madam," Sara takes the conversation over. "You're saying that we can only be retired when we die ?"
Mrs. Rauss nods and sips her champagne. "Yes. I thought you knew about it already. There is no exit door from the organization except to die."
Both Sara and I stare at each other for several seconds. "Ehem... So, when the new prodigies..."
"Hello, Mother dear," suddenly a voice greets Mrs. Rauss from her behind. Then a slender yet smooth as silk pair of hands embrace her from behind. "Happy New Year, Mom."
"Oh, Penny... You come, too," Mrs. Rauss says then gives Penelope a warm hug,
My attention is drawn onto the bracelet that is dangling on Penelope's wrist.
"Oh, WOW!! Look who's here!! My dearest brother!" Penelope exclaims with a complete falsehood. "Happy New Year, Dear Little Brother..." Sh then spreads her arm to hug me.
"It's you !!" I exclaim in anger. Instead of letting her hug me, I catch her arm, one that wears the bracelet
The bracelet is one Master Long gave to Jennifer for her protection. It was Penelope who took it fromJennifer's bag that day. If only Jennifer wore that bracelet, the iron cable wouldn't harm her.
"Hey!!" Penelope screams in shock to feel my harsh grip. But I care less about it.
"Give me the bracelet back !!" I growl at her, my hand tries to take off the bracelet from her wrist, but I fail. Instead, Penelope is able to loosen her way from my grip.
"Do you like this ugly bracelet, bro ?" She asks teasingly, deliberately raises her arm higher to show off the bracelet.
I try to catch her hand, but somehow, this time, I always fail. I know it is because the power of the bracelet. No one can harm the person who wears it, and no one can take it off beside the one who wears it.
"What's wrong, bro ? Don't you want this bracelet ?" Penelope provokes me more with her annoying tone while moving her hands in front of me, definitely mocking me with it.
"Stop it, you two !!" Mrs. Rauss shouts to stop us, but it is to a vain.
I was about to obey her, but Penelope's next words boils my emotion to another level, "Why, Bro ? Because you have no wife to protect anymore ?"
I charge her like a bull, makes her falls backward. I suppress her with my weight on the floor. I grab both of her hands with one hand.
"Give me that!! Give me!!" I growl while trying with all my might to break the bracelet. I heard some voices, Sara's and Mrs. Rauss' screams order me to stop. But I ignore them. The only voice I hear is Penelope's annoying mockery.
"Why can't you break it, bro ? Don't you want it for your wife ? Don't you want her to be safe ? Don't you love her anymore ?"
Then, I just loss my mind. Forgetting that I can not harm her, I start to hit her on her face. I ignore the fact that my fists just bounce back and hit my face instead.
"Quint, Stop !!! STOP !!!!!" Finally, Mrs. Rauss' shout penetrates my brain al thought still can not stop me. But a second later, a hand just grabs me with huge power, so much more power than mine. The hand is not just stopping me from hitting Penelope, but also pulls my body up until I stand. Then a body hovers in front of me, holding me back from my urge to attack again.
"Quint, stop !!" Master Derrick hisses while standing in front of me, hold me back with his own body.
"I will kill her !!! I will kill her !!" I scream, still trying to attack Penelope.
"You can't. You know you can't," Master Derick tries to bring my logic back.
Penelope just laugs while being help to stand by Mrs. Rauss and other people. "This can assure your wife's safety... "
"Aaaarrgh!!"I groan while charging toward her in rage again. But this time, I can't even move a step due to Master Derrick's blocking.
"Stop it!!:" Mrs. Rauss cries out with a loud voice. She then stares at Penelope. "You.. go!"
"But, Mom..."
"Leave this party" Mrs. Rauss orders with a very calm and cold tone. "Leave. Now."
Penelope stares at her with a sulk. Few seconds later she turns her body and steps away. But merely three steps, she turns back and waves her lower arm that has the bracelet to me, "See you, Bro.."
I push Master Derrick away, tries to chase Penelope.
"Stop it, Quint! Stop it !!" Both Master Derrick and Mrs Rauss hiss to calm me down.
"The bracelet !! It's my wife's !! It's hers!! She took it from her!!" I growl, still trying to escape from the blocking.
"Quint, let it be. Let it be,"Mrs. Rauss tries to calm me down.
I cry in frustaration. "I need the bracelet back !! I need it to protect her !! I need it!!!"
"Quint... Quint..." Mrs. Rauss hisses, "Listen to me. Listen to me. Calm down. Calm down,"
Her words somehow calm my cry down, al though my face is still red and tense is all over my body.
"You don't need the bracelet," Mrs. Rauss hisses again with a calm soothing tone.
"I want my family to be safe. My wife and daughter..." I murmur.
"They are safe. They are under my pretection."
I stere at her. "Promise me to protect her with your life," I urge her.
"I promise you," She says in assuring tone. "Nothing will happen to them. As long as we both live. You. And I."
Her final assurance calms me down in insntant.