『Owen: Neizan, don't waste your life on revenge. You still have time to move far away from here and start a new life with the inheritance your mother left you. 』
『Neizan: What? Start over? You've got to be kidding, right? How the hell am I supposed to start a new life? I have no one! I just want to find the bastard who killed my mother, the ones who kidnapped my friend, and everyone involved in this. I'm going to take them all down! 』
『Owen: Enough! Who do you think you are, to take justice into your own hands? All you can do is mourn the loss of your loved ones and waste your life trying to eliminate those you hate. Don't you understand that everything your mother did was an enormous sacrifice, all to give you a better life? She was gathering every bit of money she could, as fast as possible, to get out of here with you and give you a better life than the one you had. But now you want to throw all of that away, without even considering what she wanted for you? 』
『Neizan: I... I'm so sorry… 』
Neizan bowed his head apologizing with tears in his eyes...
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『Neizan: I am determined to find my mother's killer, the people who kidnapped my friend, and your wife's murderer. Please, let me help you. 』
『Owen: Alright. 』
From that day on, Owen allowed Neizan to live with him. Together, they began working on dismantling the kidnapping networks and tracking down those responsible for Neizan's mother's death. During this time, Owen took him to shooting ranges, training him to handle a gun with safety and precision. For Neizan, each lesson was not only physical preparation but also emotional training in his pursuit of justice.
At 17, Neizan received devastating news: his friend Joel had taken his own life. The loss left him shocked and filled with guilt when he realized the reason behind his friend's decision. Without Neizan by his side, Joel had lost not only his only friend but also his defender against the bullies who tormented him at school. For Neizan, this tragedy was yet another scar, deepening his resolve to seek justice for himself and those who had been hurt.
This left a deep scar on Neizan, who felt guilty for abandoning his friend without a proper goodbye. Joel had decided to end his life for multiple reasons, one of which was a secret he had kept closely guarded: he was attracted to men, and, specifically, he had feelings for Neizan. However, he was always afraid to admit it, fearing rejection and that Neizan would distance himself from him. The situation worsened when Neizan stopped attending school, leaving Joel alone and vulnerable to bullying and harassment from other students. Without the support of his only two friends, Joel gradually lost hope and could no longer see any meaning in his life.
That same year, Neizan decided to investigate on his own and began visiting certain places connected to his mother's past, including the place where she had once worked, hoping to find out who her killer might be and to finally locate Elena.
Later, Neizan found a file on Owen's computer about his mother's case, and what he discovered left him completely corrupted once again.
What he saw was a file that narrated how his mother had been the victim of a case of extortion and kidnapping of minors.
Her mother was only 12 years old when she lost her father and was kidnapped to be sold to an illegal trafficking mafia with prostitutes. At the age of 15, Jessica had Neizan.
At that moment, Neizan grabbed a weapon and headed to the brothel where his mother had been held in her youth, determined to take down everyone who worked there. In his search, he kidnapped one of the place's clients and tortured him to obtain key information. With Owen's help, he altered the identity on the client's access card and managed to infiltrate, just before beginning his mission.
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Neizan took a deep breath, looking at the weapon in his hand with a mix of resentment and determination. A tremor in his fingers reminded him that, no matter how much he denied it, a part of him feared what he was about to do. Owen watched in silence, a shadow of worry crossing his face as he saw Neizan wrestling with his inner demons.
『Neizan: Why didn't you tell me? 』
The question was thrown out harshly, a sharp reproach that cut through the air between them. Owen looked away, his jaw tense, as if he had anticipated this moment for a long time but still wasn't prepared to face it.
『Owen: I... I'm sorry. I knew that if I told you, you'd only put your life in danger, like you're doing now. I just wanted to protect you. 』
Owen spoke in a low tone, almost pleading, but Neizan was unwilling to give in. His eyes, full of resentment and disappointment, seemed to pierce through Owen as if he were looking right through him.
『Neizan: Stop acting like you're my father. I never had one, and that's not what I need now either. All I want is to go in there and find out what's going on. 』
The silence grew heavy, a silence that weighed like lead between them. Owen clenched his fists, hurt by Neizan's words but understanding the root of his anger.
『Owen: If you only wanted to investigate, you wouldn't have killed that client. 』
Neizan swallowed, surprised by Owen's bluntness, but he didn't show any weakness. He knew Owen was right, and although his motives were justified, he felt a pang of guilt.
『Neizan: I know, you're right. And I appreciate you keeping the secret until now. But I need you to help me with one last thing. I don't intend to go to jail without redeeming myself for my mistakes, saving even just one person. 』
Owen looked at him steadily, weighing Neizan's words. He knew that deep down, there was goodness in him, even in his thirst for revenge. Slowly, he nodded, accepting the request without question.