"The past is never truly buried; it waits patiently to be unearthed."
(POV: Ryomen Sukuna)
I was inside my room, which was illuminated by the filtered sunlight coming in from the open window.
I was sitting on my bed, right opposite to the windows which covered the entire wall, a beautiful scenery of mountains visible through it.
I could see my parents sitting outside in the garden, talking and drinking tea, enjoying the cloudy day.
However, my mind was focused on my laptop screen, which was filled with a multitude of pictures, videos, and text.
Beside me, on the bed, were kept dozens of pen drives, the ones I had gotten from Seraphina Nightshade.
I leaned back, the soft pillow hitting my back as I sighed in relaxation.
However, the state of my mind was the complete opposite.
The more information I uncovered, the more disturbing it got.
They weren't just ordinary secrets, the entire lives of people were mapped out into mere pen drives.
It was a eerily haunting fact that one's life could be read like a book without him even knowing.
"Sick," I muttered, my voice slightly disgusted.
Politicians, ganglords, even the royal families of countries...no one was innocent.
Assassinations to maintain power, human trafficking, forced prostitution.
It was as if the entire darkness of society was being pushed onto him all at once.
The more I read, the more I understood the magnitude of information Seraphina possessed, and the threat it could cause.
It was no doubt that there were so many demands for her assassination, one of which I took.
Even though I was quite disturbed, my gaze was unwavering as I tried to uncover important information.
As I went through the drives one by one, it turned from morning to afternoon, my parents were out for some work, and I was alone in the house with the maids.
As I continued, one name appeared more and more frequently. AIden Arceid.
However, there was no information about him from the time period of a year. From last year, till now.
It was as if Seraphina deliberately wanted to leave him alone.
"Hmm," I mused, a slight smirk on my face as I kept going through the information.
After a few more minutes, I finally found a file titled 'Aiden_A'
Without hesitation, I opened that file, which contained a lot of information, thousands of pictures, and a seemingly unending amount of text.
I leaned in closer to the screen.
There were records of illegal transactions, multiple killings, of him meeting various influential figures.
The more I looked through the documents, the more I realized...Aiden Arceid was much more that what he showed.
The documents ended, no information on him starting a year ago.
My brows furrowed as I leaned back.
"Aiden Arceid, huh?" I muttered, amusement dripping in my voice.
As I went through the remaining drives, I found something interesting...Aiden had bought Seraphina...in other words, he knew that she was a threat, and silenced her.
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(The next day...)
It was late evening, orange sunlight entered my room as I sat on the bed, going through the last drive.
I had checked all the important information.
Going through every single file would take way too long, more than a month, I would assume, so I focused only on the important bits.
I rubbed my eyes as I scrolled through the last drive, finding nothing interesting.
But suddenly, a file caught my eye.
It was named 'Ryomen_E'
My brows arose in intrigue.
This name could only mean my father, Eiji Ryomen.
There was a small smirk on my face as I double-clicked on that file, opening it up to see a multitude of documents scattered across my screen.
As I went through the documents one by one, my eyes widened as the things my father had done sunk in.
Finishing the information on my father, I closed the flap of the laptop, leaning back into the bed, sighing.
I put my arm over my eyes, shielding them from the light, trying to rest.
But suddenly, my face morphed into a grin, which was almost maniacal.
"You're too much, dad," I mutter, my laugh echoing in the room.
I would never expect the things he had done in the past, but they only made my life more interesting.
I put all the pen drives into a plastic bag, then put the bag into my inventory.
Currently, my inventory was filled (2/4) slots, one was the drives and the second was the item I found in the Ruins.
The Amulet - Null.
I still had no idea what that amulet did, I tried to figure it out, but it didn't contain any energy, as if it weren't even there.
I sighed, sinking into the bed as my body relaxed.
"Aiden Arceid..." I muttered as I drifted off to a much-needed sleep.
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(POV: Eva Helion)
It was a cloudy morning. I was sitting in a room of a mansion Sukuna had gifted to me.
I tried to refuse at first, but he insisted, and his parents started supporting him as well, so I had to finally concede.
I sat on a chair, gazing at the scenery of sunrise, which filled my mind with peace.
I was glistening with sweat, my clothes were drenched as I had just finished training.
I leaned back on the chair, a sigh escaping my mouth.
Suddenly, my phone rang. I got up, placing my hands on the chair and slowly walked to the table.
Picking up my phone, my brows furrowed in curiosity. I saw that the caller ID was Sukuna. Why was he calling me at this time?
He didn't usually call me out of the blue, and when he did, it was rarely for something normal.
I quickly picked up the call. "Hello?" I greeted, my voice calm yet filled with anticipation.
"Eva," he said, his voice extremely calm and casual. "What're ya up to?"
"Just finished my workout..." I said, my voice neutral. "Why do you ask?"
There was a brief pause, and then, taking a breath, he asked. "How about we go on a date?"
I blinked, momentarily stunned. I could feel my heart beating faster and harder as his words sunk in.
"T-That's unexpected," I stuttered, I couldn't get out correct words out in shock.
"I just want a little time with you, is that too surprising?" He asked, his voice playful but carrying something I couldn't figure out.
Soon after the initial shock subsided, a huge smile graced my face.
I had unintentionally started getting closer to Sukuna, and now, I knew that I probably couldn't stay without him.
Though, I knew that he wouldn't do anything without a reason, he was a calculating person, he always thought several steps ahead.
I couldn't help but think that there was a catch. This invitation was too sudden.
I found it better to ask him directly than to beat around the bush.
"What's the catch?" I asked, my tone demanding.
He paused, as if he didn't think that I'd be so direct. It was a few seconds before he spoke again.
"There's no strings attached," he said in a slightly nervous voice.
My brows furrowed, it wasn't like him to be nervous, or to stutter, I couldn't help but be curious about his motives.
"What is the catch?" I demanded again, my voice more commanding this time.
He paused again, before laughing lightly. "Okay you got me," he said playfully. "I'll tell you that later."
I was quite curious about this, but I thought that it was better to wait than to push him more.
"I'll pick you up tomorrow!" He said happily before cutting the call abruptly.
As the call ended, I sighed as my gaze was fixed on the phone.
I couldn't help but feel my heart beat faster as I thought of our date. I had wanted this for so long, but never had the courage to ask him.
A smile graced my face as I looked into the distance.
I stood up, my usual calm replaced by a mix of excitement and anticipation as I gazed at the scenery.
I couldn't help but feel that I was stepping into something much bigger than a casual date.
I suppose only time will tell.
.
.
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(POV: Eiji Ryomen)
It is a quiet and peaceful day, there is slight cloud cover, which caused filtered sunlight to come through to reach us.
I was sitting in my garden on a table, drinking coffee alongside my wife, Amaya.
She was reading a book, the unbothered expression on her face giving me a sensation of peace as well.
But, my thoughts were as chaotic as this peace.
There have been many unforeseen situations and events in the recent times.
Just 3 days ago, the owners of the biggest spy network, Shade, were killed, all of the information they possessed stolen.
The consequences were already appearing, especially in the underworld.
I was myself nervous, because if the actions I did in the past come out to the public, then we might lose all the support we have.
An even more unnerving topic was that my son, Sukuna, had disappeared to go on a 'stroll' that exact night.
I could not help but suspect him, but I'm not accusing him.
If he does have the information, then it gives us an edge above everyone else.
If he did commit the act, I just hope that he does not expose me or his mother, and sides with us.
I sighed and fell back onto my seat, looking up to the sky at the bird soaring above without a worry in its mind.
I could feel Amaya looking at me worriedly.
"Do you think it was him?" I murmured, my voice barely a whisper, still looking upwards.
"Probably," she said, I could hear her closing the book and placing it on the table.
"Do you think he will–"
"Don't worry about that," She cut me off from speaking of my fears, placing her hand on top of my own.
Her gentle and comforting grip eased some of my fears. She knew of all my secrets and still supported me to this day, and I vowed to do the same for her.
"I believe that he'll support us, he always has," She said, her voice containing unwavering confidence and belief in our son.
Before I could respond, I could feel the air getting heavy, an all too familiar tension gripped me as I looked to my side.
Sukuna.
My son had always been unpredictable, but today, the air seemed to thicken with his presence, as if the garden stopped breathing because of him.
It was as if his power was in full view, a monstrous aura that sent shivers down my spine.
He stepped into the garden, his tattoos lit by the gentle sunlight that seemed to contradict his serious expression.
Amaya tensed beside me, sensing the change in atmosphere. Her grip on my hand tightening as Sukuna walked closer.
I nodded slightly, assuring her that I had the situation under control...at least I hoped I did.
"Sukuna," I greeted, keeping my voice steady, but the pressure was breaking down my composure. "What brings you here?"
He didn't respond immediately, as if thinking of the best words to say.
After a few seconds, he finally opened his mouth, his voice seemed deeper than usual.
"Father, mother," he spoke. At that moment, I was sure something was wrong.
He referred to us as 'Mom,' and 'Dad.' Only in some rare cases has he referred to us as 'Mother,' and 'Father.' I knew that this was serious.
"I know that this is sudden," he said, his gaze unwavering as he looked at us. "But this is extremely important."
My heart seemed to freeze in anticipation as I waited for his next words.
Amaya's hand gripped mine harder as she, too, felt the gravity of the situation.
"I have to ask for a favor," he said, the seriousness in his voice not wavering in the slightest.
We both looked at each other, our hands still held tight. We nodded and gestured for him to continue.
He took a deep breath.
"I want to meet Aiden Arceid."
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Yay, Aiden and Sukuna confrontation soon...?
2050 words :>
gimme POWER STONES :3
What do you think of this chapter?