The flames that burned the sins had long since turned to ashes. The elderly Bast Leone lay with his eyes closed, serenely amongst the myriad of flowers strewn on the ground. Delicate petals swayed gently in the fog, releasing their enchanting fragrance, a sea of flowers where roses, tulips, jasmines, and other varieties interwoven with dazzling colors, filled with vividness and vitality.
Byrne sat on the ground in silence for a long time, his thoughts more chaotic than ever before. Bast Leone was right; the real reason he killed him wasn't because of his father's vengeance but because Bast Leone would inevitably pose a threat to the Fischer family in the future.
So he had struck first.
Although from an outsider's perspective, avenging his father was the natural course of action, only Byrne knew deep within his heart that today's events stemmed from a choice between family and emotions.
