The sound of seagulls filled the air as Sora sat inside a cabin on the boat, lost in thought, speaking to himself:

"This brings back memories... Memories of the annual family gathering at my grandfather's old mansion on Yōgunshima Island. But this time, we are on our way to attend a funeral fit for my grandfather, Ozuki Genzo."

He raised his eyes to the ceiling, his mind crowded with thoughts:

"That man… He was a symbol of power, wealth, and genius. He was the one who brought the Ozuki family from nothing to the peak of fortune and status. They say he was a great man, full of pride and dignity. But I don't think my father and his siblings came here out of love or respect. No, they are like hungry dogs, fighting over the inheritance and the position of family head. Nothing matters to them except power and money. As for family bonds? They don't exist in their calculations."

He clenched his fists and closed his eyes in sorrow before questioning himself:

"And me… Where is my place in this family? Why was I born into the Ozuki family? I was nothing but a tool in my father's hands in his battle over the inheritance. In his eyes, I'm not his son except when the annual family gathering comes around. The truth is, he abandoned me long ago. I hate this family… I truly hate it."

Sora sighed deeply, then stared at the ceiling with gloomy eyes.

His thoughts were interrupted by the entrance of Ozuki Yuta, his cousin, whom Sora considered an older brother, though he sometimes found his indirect perfectionist attitude annoying.

With a slight smirk, Yuta spoke:

"Oh, Sora! It's been a long time since I last saw you. Honestly, where have you been? Why have you been absent from the family gathering for four years?"

Sora replied in a calm tone:

"I had my reasons and circumstances, forgive me."

Inside, he thought to himself:

"The truth is, my father abandoned me."

Moments later, their cousin Erika joined them with a bright smile, saying:

"What are you two doing here? Sora, it's been so long since we were all together! This brings back so many memories… I really miss those days."

Sora smiled, going along with her words:

"Indeed, I miss those days when we used to gather."

But inside, his thoughts screamed something else:

"Here I am, lying to Erika again."

Deciding to get some fresh air, Sora went up to the deck of the boat to enjoy the sea breeze. He leaned against the railing, closing his eyes for a moment before murmuring with a faint smile:

"The sea is beautiful..."

But his thoughts were soon interrupted by a voice calling him from behind:

"Soraaa!"

He turned toward the source of the voice to find his uncle, Ozuki Takamura, approaching him. They exchanged a brief glance before his uncle smirked and said:

"Oh, Uncle Takamura."

His uncle returned the smile and spoke warmly:

"How have you been, my nephew? Time flies… I see you've grown and matured since the last time I saw you."

Sora nodded lightly before responding:

"Indeed, it's been a long time, hasn't it, Uncle Takamura?"

Before his uncle could continue the conversation, his wife approached them with a bright smile, saying:

"Oh, is that Sora-san? It's really been a long time!"

Sora simply returned a faint smile, without uttering a word.

He turned his gaze back to the sea, enjoying the tranquility, but a warm feeling overtook him when he felt a hand patting his shoulder. He turned to see his younger brother, Ozuki Shota, smiling at him.

"Sora, it's been a long time, my brother."

Sora couldn't help but smile widely as he replied:

"My brother, it really has been a long time since we were together. How have you been? I truly missed you."

Inside his mind, conflicting thoughts raged:

(This is my younger brother, two years apart. I truly love him, even though I have every reason to hate him, but I'm not that kind of person. I don't care about my father's preferences. I don't care that Shota is the favored son. Yes, Ozuki Shota is the son my father has always preferred. I can still clearly remember his harsh words when he once said to me:)

"Why weren't you born after Shota? Why do you have to be the first heir of the Ozuki family? No… actually, why were you even born? I should have never had you."

(Harsh words, unfit for a father to say to his son. I hate my father… but I'm not vile enough to wish for his death.)

At that moment, their father's sharp voice interrupted the brothers' conversation:

"Sora, come with me. I need to talk to you."

Sora shot him an emotionless glance before replying coldly:

"Alright."

Once they were alone, Kenzo looked at his son sternly and said in a strict tone:

"Sora, act as a first heir of the Ozuki family should."

Sora felt a strong urge to yell at him, to pour out everything bottled up inside:

"Father, I truly, truly don't care about the inheritance. I don't care about this family. I don't want to be just a puppet you control with your hands."

But the words remained trapped within him. All he could do was look at his father with eyes filled with despair and sadness before responding in a low voice:

"Fine. As you wish."

His father didn't reply, simply turning and walking away without even sparing him another glance.

Sora returned to his spot, leaning against the railing of the boat. He took a deep breath and cast a fleeting look at the vast sea before murmuring to himself:

"It looks like this trip will be long…"

But he had no idea it was a gateway to an eternal torment awaiting him.