Lucien regresses.
Back to the time his sister left him in the dark womb filled with eruptions. Despite the desolation affecting him for an ephemeral, when his time to be born came, Lucy got brought out to a bigger hell.
With no one to properly cater for him, Lucien spent most of his time gazing at his birthmark, pondering the meaning of his existence.
As he was about to turn four, things changed. His mother who spent her time bombilating, started talking to him; providing him with everything he needed.
Although poverty, problems and curses came their way, love and guidance made up for that.
Furthermore, Akane began teaching him how to read. However, thanks to his mystic eyes (1) that zoomed everything when he concentrated, Lucien couldn't.
That said, Lucy made up for that with his memory, that never forgets, and learned everything Akane had to teach him, including the mysteries of Heaven and Earth.
As time passed like a rolling wheel, Lucien's dark days returned. The kyuketsuki that stated to be left in Akane by his father started devouring his mother's soul, as a way to take over her body.
Not giving up on his mother, Lucy did everything to save her. Whenever she was sound and busy with something, Lucien dedicated his time to finding ways that would chase away the kyuketsuki from her. However, Akane died, by his hands, no less.
Lucien's mind goes back to the past again, but memories can never amount to that gentle feeling his mother gave him. Also, no memory no memory can amount to that warm smile Akane gave him, when she caressed his head, calling him, 'son.' Moreover, no memory can bring that frown his mother had, when he did something out of line.
"Ma...ma...ma...ma..."
Lucien struggles to produce words from his mouth. Although Akane isn't his most favorite person, in that deep space in his heart, she means more than anyone can ever could.
'If I waited for my research to complete, I would have saved you!'
Now, with her head a smashed pumpkin with bone particles as pulp, what could that achieve?
Nothing.
Hugging the bleeding object, Lucy's mouth wide opens, crying without producing a sound. It's pointless to mourn for the dead to begin with —they won't come back.
However, the impact they had in our hearts can never be replaced.
'Why did my father do this to you? Didn't he torture you to manufacture me and my sister?'
From what the kyuketsuki aforementioned Lucien and his twin-sister, Lin'an, are projects, raised in Akane's belly. After taking Lin'an, the kyuketsuki said that Lucy's father left it in Akane, for whatever reason he had.
'Why father?! Why did you make our lives' hell?!'
Lucien grates his teeth. It's useless to question himself about things only his father know the answer to.
However, he won't be getting answers alone from the scumbag!
—I'll make you pay for everything I endured, and what you did to Mama!
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a whip cracks the air, lashing Lucien's tender back. Forthwith, Lucy's body is transported to a world pain.
However, that doesn't compare to the burning, spiked, wrecking ball titubating on his chest.
"Normally, as a Tama-Artist, I should give you a round of applause for killing that horrible witch. Nonetheless, a whipping should do it, after all, you're its son."
Lucien clenches his fist, his countenance showing a cold frown. However, he knows better than to let his emotions get the hang of him. Wiping his tears, he lets go of his mother to look at the culprit.
The stout man, on top of a brown pony, is clad in traditional Japanese armor, armed with a tachi on his waist, and a whip in hand. Although 25 and bold-headed, he has hair growing on the visible parts of his body. In a Murim manhwa, he will be a born mountain bandit.
Behind him, a group of mostly malnourished teens —mortals like Lucy— stand in their everyday clothing, with whip marks printed on their bodies.
'It's today...'
Lucien is placid. Although the timing can't be any worse, Lucy has been expecting this day since he decided to focus on his research instead of being a Tama-Artist.
Not bothering to ask questions, the red-hair places the silver hammer into his samue, looking at his mother's body with the corner of the eye.
'Mama, I promise to give you a proper burial when I return. Your boy will be a Tama-Artist as he promised in the past.'
Meanwhile, the Tama-Artist raises his brows, slightly shocked by Lucien's stoicism. He expected Lucy to offer a little impediment like the rest, so that, he would give him a baptism with his whip.
Forming tree barks on his head, he looks at the son and his dead mother.
"What's your name?"
"Lucien Derniere Etoile"
"Eh…?"
'Is that Kanji? No, why did he answer rudely?!'
The Tama-Artist increases his grip on the whip, ready to lash Lucy. However, his gaze lands on Akane again. Smiling, he licks his lips.
'If I report that I'm the one who killed her, I might be given enough money to bride the examiner to get a good result on my retest.'
He turns his gaze to the boy with chest length red-hair.
"What did you use to kill the bitch?"
—That will help me in making my statement true.
"A silver hammer."
"Tch."
Katsura clicked his tongue. Lucien is giving him cold replies, as if, he is the Tama-Artist here. Shrugging, he turns away his pony.
"If anyone ask, I'm the one who killed her."
"Why would they ask me?"
"Fucker!"
Katsura's head turns purple, and he cracks the air again with his whip, hitting Lucy on the chest.
Although the question is reasonable, the way it was presented is too...
"Arrogant! You act cocky in front of your bitch ass mother, not in front of me! Do that again, and see if I don't chop your head!"
Lucien nods.
Meanwhile, Katsura rides his pony toward the street.
"Join the others."
***
As the wind brings upon razor blades laced with coldness, the mortals have their lifeless eyes fixed on the winsome scenery of ancient Japanese buildings of wood and bamboo that walk past them. Some weep; they might never see such beauty again. Also, it is true... their names are already registered in hell.
After a perennial of minutes, the group reach the eastern peripheries of Kurenai Village. There, a huge, run-down, old-fashioned, wooden thatched restaurant covered in moss stands, echoing the sounds of the dead.
Making whatever small prayer they have, the group enters into the dim lit place filled with other mortals and 9 more Tama-Artists with swords on their waists.
As katsura separates from the mortals, Lucien narrows his brows, looking at the columns of chairs and tables filled mortals.
'This place reeks more than the blooded alley.'
Lucien drops his thoughts, turning his head away from his friends calling him to join them at the back. At this point, they will ask things he isn't comfortable with.
Taking a few steps, he sits at an empty table in the front, close to the savage Tama-Artists.
In the next second, the table for two behind is occupied by brothers in bright hakamas with haoris on top. The young one —18— has a Mohawk: coupled with his tattooed athletic built, he looks like a punk. The other —20— is a maize stalk which can be blown by the wind any time; around his eye sockets are black spots, indicating his need for sleep.
Bothered by the silence, the Mohawk mutters:
"With that witch gone, I'm not worried about my wife and daughter."
The elder shakes his head, looking at the table in pity.
"Lucky you, that witch ate my family right before my eyes."
The younger sneers:
"Stop lying. I saw your wife a week ago. Also, the witch would've killed you too, if that was the case."
The elder raises his voice slightly, his face twisting in pain.
"Her son came to stop her when she gripped my neck."
The younger brother looks at the marks on his brother's neck with constricted eyes. 'Because his chimpanzee is dead, he stops bathing. No wonder why he stinks of urine.' Keeping his scoff, he nods, asking:
"Her son? The pushover who does odd jobs for free?"
The elder looks at Lucy behind his brother, grumbling in a mocking tone:
"What do you mean pushover? He wanted us to look at his mother in a different light."
The Mohawk clicks his tongue, annoyed by the direction of the conversation.
"Whatever, a human eater is a human eater." He pats his brother's shoulder, "Now cheer up, the pushover killed the witch."
The stalk presses his index finger on his brother's lips, speaking at heartbeat sound.
"It's the Lord Tama-Artist who killed the bitch, witch, I mean."
'She never wanted to hurt anyone.'
Lucy shrugs, his amber eyes fixed on his clenched fist that have become silver. Turning his gaze to his chest, he sees the whip mark healing at a low speed that wouldn't raise suspicion.
However, instead of being happy, his face has a weeping weave.
'Why now? If this power awakened a day earlier, I would've saved her.'
—Haa, there is nothing to do about it.
Lucien releases a cold sigh, his face turning indifferent.
'I'll use this power to kill my father, but I've to be immortal first.'
____
1 — mystic eyes: he is the only one with such eyes, and he had to give them a name since they're weird.