BANG!
The door slammed violently, almost sounding like someone had kicked it open.
A man sitting on the chair sighed angrily while sipping his tea.
"See who that impatient bastard is…" he muttered coldly.
"Who keeps banging on my door this early?"
The butler nodded silently.
"…Yes, sir."
He slowly walked toward the entrance. Every step echoed heavily through the silent hall.
The moment he opened the door—
"Who the hell are y—"
Before he could even finish speaking…
Slash.
His head dropped onto the floor instantly.
Blood splashed across the ground.
The entire room froze in horror.
The door remained slightly open.
And standing there silently…
Was Ashura Rivaan.
Urf…
Eclipse Blade.
A blood-covered dagger rested calmly in his hand.
The man screamed in agony.
"AAAHHHHH—!"
"What the hell— who are you?!"
He quickly stood up from the chair in panic.
But before he could react—
BAM!
Ashura slammed his head against the wall violently.
Crack.
The wall slightly shattered.
Ashura stared at him coldly.
There was pure hatred hidden inside his eyes.
"You're that politician…" his voice turned darker,
"…the one who kidnapped and sold innocent children."
He kicked the man brutally in the hips.
"AAAHHH—!"
Tears streamed down the man's face as his entire body trembled in fear.
"W-Where are my guards…?" he muttered desperately.
Ashura slowly grabbed his collar.
"I already made them sleep."
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
Like a knife that would never stop cutting.
The man screamed painfully.
"Please… leave me alone… I beg you…"
"I swear I won't hurt anyone again…"
Ashura kicked him brutally in the hips once more.
BAM.
"AAAHHHHH—!"
The man collapsed again, screaming helplessly while tears streamed down his face.
Ashura stared at him coldly.
His jaw tightened so hard that the veins around his neck slowly bulged.
"I'm not here to kill you."
His voice sounded heavy.
Dangerously heavy.
"…Tell me who's behind John Velryna's murder."
The man avoided Ashura's gaze while clenching his fists painfully.
"W-Why do you want to know…?" he whispered fearfully.
Ashura slowly crouched in front of him.
"Talk…"
"…or die."
"Your choice."
Ashura slowly raised the dagger toward the man's eye.
Not touching it.
Just…
Almost there.
The sharp edge reflected inside his trembling pupil.
The man's breathing stopped instantly.
"H-Huh…!"
Fear swallowed his entire body.
The man finally broke down crying.
"O-Okay… okay… I'll tell you…"
His entire body shook violently in fear. His eyes widened while his breathing became painfully unstable.
"Please don't kill me… I swear I won't do anything again…"
"Talk."
Ashura suddenly slammed his boot against the man's mouth.
BAM.
Blood spilled from his lips instantly.
"Open your filthy mouth faster."
Ashura's voice carried pure anger now.
The man trembled violently before finally speaking.
"I-It's… Aryan Velryna…"
"…John Velryna's elder son…"
Silence.
Ashura slowly lowered his head.
"I knew it."
The dagger slowly rose again.
The man's eyes widened in horror.
"N-NOOOO—!"
Slash.
His voice ended instantly.
Only blood splashed across the screen.
Ashura slowly grabbed the politician's phone from the floor.
Blood dripped silently from his dagger.
He turned the camera toward himself.
His face remained hidden in darkness.
"Officers…"
"Government…"
"Police…"
"Task Force…"
"Investigators…"
"Media…"
His voice sounded cold.
Cold like frozen steel.
"I killed him."
"And now…"
"I'm challenging all of you."
"Find me."
"…and kill me."
His voice became sharper with every word.
More dangerous.
More broken.
"I am Ashura Rivaan…"
"…also known as Eclipse Blade."
CRACK.
The phone shattered inside his hand instantly.
Glass exploded everywhere.
Several sharp pieces pierced into his palm, but Ashura didn't even react.
Blood slowly dripped from his hand.
He quietly turned his back toward the corpse.
And walked away into the darkness.
Morning slowly settled across the city.
The sunlight quietly slipped through the window while cold clouds drifted across the pale sky.
Everything felt silent.
Too silent.
Shina sat alone on Ashura's bed while yawning softly.
"I seriously couldn't sleep last night…"
She rubbed her sleepy eyes gently.
"Because of Shizu…"
Her voice sounded tired and quiet.
Ashura's room still remained empty ever since he disappeared.
So Mr. Rivaan allowed her to stay there for now.
But somehow…
That only made her miss him more.
The soft sunlight slowly touched the room.
The cold atmosphere made everything feel strangely lifeless.
Shina quietly sat in silence while staring around the empty room.
"…I miss you, Ashura…"
Her voice almost disappeared into the silence.
Shina slowly pulled her knees closer and rested her head quietly against them.
She stared beside her at the empty space on the bed.
"…Since Ashura disappeared…"
"I don't even have anyone to say 'hello dear' to anymore…"
She puffed her cheeks slightly before sighing softly.
"I always tried to act mature in front of him…"
"Because he likes strong girls…"
A small tired smile appeared on her lips.
"…I wish he was a normal person."
The moment those words left her mouth—
She suddenly paused.
Her gaze lingered silently.
"…But wait…"
"If he was normal…"
"Would I even fall in love with him?"
A quiet chuckle escaped her lips.
There was sadness hidden inside it.
"I seriously fell in love with a criminal…"
She whispered it softly.
But strangely…
There was no regret in her eyes.
Shina quietly stared at the blanket lying beside her.
For a few silent seconds…
She slowly reached out and grabbed it gently.
"…Ashura always uses this blanket, huh…"
Her voice sounded soft and absent-minded.
She slowly pulled it closer to her nose and sniffed it lightly.
Instantly—
"It seriously smells like Ashura…"
Her gaze softened immediately.
Her mood strangely became lighter.
A faint blush slowly appeared across her cheeks.
"This blanket is seriously lucky…"
"It gets cuddled by Ashura every day…"
She puffed her cheeks unhappily.
"…Why not me then?"
Shina hugged the blanket tighter while silently burying her face into it again.
Shina slowly smelled the blanket again before her gaze quietly shifted toward the almirah.
"…Maybe he has more clothes carrying his smell…"
A small blush appeared across her cheeks.
Her lonely mood slowly transformed into something softer.
Something flirtier.
She quietly walked toward Ashura's almirah.
"…Is it even right to open this without his permission?" she muttered innocently.
Her hand slowly touched the handle.
Then—
Click.
The door opened.
Shina suddenly puffed her cheeks proudly.
"Hmph… Ashura said I'm his girl."
"So technically…"
"His things are mine too."
A mischievous chuckle escaped her lips.
She slowly leaned forward and began secretly stalking through his clothes like a suspicious little thief.
Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
Shina slowly grabbed one of Ashura's shirts and pulled it closer carefully.
The moment she smelled it—
"Ahhh…"
She immediately pressed her hand against her burning cheek.
Her entire face turned red.
"…How, Ashura…" she whispered softly.
Her gaze slowly became lost.
"How do you smell this nice…?"
"You seriously feel addictive…"
She bit her lip shyly before tightly pressing the shirt against her nose again.
She sniffed it softly.
Slowly.
Deeply.
"Ahhhhhhh…"
A helpless flustered sound escaped from her lips as she buried her face deeper into the fabric.
At that moment—
It honestly felt like Ashura himself was holding her.
Shina continued sniffing the shirt softly.
Her nose stayed gently pressed against the fabric while her eyes remained half-closed in comfort.
The entire room felt quiet.
Peaceful.
Click.
The door suddenly opened.
Ruhi stepped inside with a calm smile.
"Shina, let's go for a wa—"
Her words slowly stopped.
Her gaze shifted toward Shina.
Then toward the shirt tightly pressed against her face.
Then toward the pile of Ashura's clothes beside her.
Silence.
Ruhi's expression slowly changed into a strange mixture of shock, disbelief, and judgment.
Shina froze completely.
Her soul practically left her body.
Ruhi slowly backed away and quietly closed the door again.
Click.
"…Enjoy your moment," Ruhi muttered softly from outside.
A second later—
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Shina's embarrassed scream echoed across the entire house.
Shina dropped onto her knees instantly, completely flustered.
Her cheeks burned bright red from embarrassment.
"Why didn't I lock the door…?" she muttered shamefully.
"I'm such an idiot…"
A second later, she buried her face deeper into the shirt dramatically.
"No…"
"I'm the queen of idiots…"
She slowly pressed the shirt against her mouth while trying to calm herself down.
Then—
She sniffed it softly again without thinking.
"…Still smells good…"
A tiny embarrassed smile slowly appeared on her lips.
Inside the hallway, Avni spoke softly while fixing her hair.
"Ruhi… did you call Shina?"
Ruhi slowly walked downstairs, trying hard to stay calm.
"Y-Yeah…"
"Shina is… busy with Ashura's clothes…"
Avni tilted her head in confusion.
"…What kind of busy?"
Ruhi immediately smiled nervously.
"L-Like checking whether the smell expired or not…"
Avni stared at her in complete disbelief.
"…Are you joking?"
Ruhi quickly looked away.
"N-No…"
Avni sighed helplessly before opening the door.
"Forget it. Let's just go for a walk."
She slowly stepped outside.
Ruhi quietly followed behind her.
Then softly—
Very softly—
Ruhi muttered while blushing slightly,
"…My future sister-in-law is seriously addicted and perverted…"
Inside the dining room, Rishabh quietly sipped his tea while sitting in front of the table.
Meanwhile, Rivaan calmly spread jam across a piece of bread.
"You woke up early today," Rivaan muttered casually.
"It's only 6:56."
Rishabh nervously grabbed his own hair before exhaling deeply.
"Dad… last night Nyra kept vomiting…"
"So I couldn't sleep properly…"
He awkwardly scratched his cheek.
"I honestly don't know how to say this…"
Rivaan slowly stopped moving.
His gaze locked onto Rishabh instantly.
"…What do you mean?"
Rishabh smiled shyly.
A little embarrassed.
"You're going to become a grandfather soon…"
Silence.
Rivaan froze completely.
"…What?"
His eyes widened in pure shock.
"Is that true?!"
Rishabh nodded while blushing slightly.
"Yeah…"
"Nyra told me not to tell you this early…"
"But…"
He smiled helplessly.
"I seriously can't hide anything from you, dad."
Rishabh exhaled calmly before finally speaking clearly.
"…Nyra is pregnant."
A small shy smile appeared on his face.
"WOAHHH—!"
Rivaan instantly stood up in excitement.
"Where is she?!"
"I need to ask her myself!"
Rishabh quickly raised his hand.
"She's sleeping…"
"Last night we stayed in the hospital for hours, so we're both exhausted."
"Don't disturb her yet," he muttered softly.
Rivaan slowly sat down again while holding back his excitement.
Then he quietly took a bite of the bread he had just spread jam on.
"…Congratulations, Rishabh."
A warm smile appeared across his face.
"Maybe a little Rishabh…"
"…or a little Nyra…"
"…will arrive soon."
He chuckled softly to himself.
"Maybe…"
Rishabh blushed slightly before lowering his head shyly.
For the first time in a while—
The house felt peaceful.
Rishabh slowly grabbed the TV remote beside him and switched the television on.
"What do you want to watch, dad?" he asked calmly.
Rivaan stayed silent for a moment before replying softly,
"…Put on the news."
"Maybe the media knows something about my son…"
Rishabh quietly nodded and changed the channel.
The television suddenly flashed with loud breaking news music.
A reporter's cold voice echoed across the room.
"A new terrorist has appeared."
"His name… Eclipse Blade."
The screen instantly showed Ashura's picture.
"The suspect identified himself as Ashura Rivaan, also known as Eclipse Blade."
"Just an hour ago, he murdered a respected politician."
"Citizens are advised to immediately contact the police if they see him before more innocent people are harmed."
Silence filled the room instantly.
The bread slowly slipped from Rivaan's hand and fell onto the floor.
His eyes trembled slightly.
"…What are you becoming, Ashura…?"
His voice sounded broken.
Not angry.
Just painfully lost.
Rishabh silently stared at the television.
Then muttered quietly,
"…There's no way to save you now…"
The atmosphere inside the room suddenly felt unbearably heavy.
Knock Knock Knock.
The door echoed calmly through the house.
Rivaan glanced toward it.
"Yes… coming."
He slowly walked toward the entrance and opened the door slightly.
Standing outside were Riyaz and Arya.
Arya quietly stood behind while wearing a mask.
Meanwhile, Riyaz showed a sharp unpleasant smile.
"…Are you Mr. Rivaan?"
"Yeah," Rivaan replied calmly.
"Why?"
Without waiting for permission—
Riyaz slowly walked inside the house.
Arya glanced at him.
"Mr. Riyaz…"
"That's bad manners," he muttered calmly.
Rivaan quietly sighed.
"It's fine."
"Now tell me why you're here."
Riyaz's expression slowly darkened.
"Where is Ashura Rivaan?"
Scene Shift
The streets remained cold and empty.
Ashura quietly walked alone beneath the pale morning sky.
His hands rested inside his pockets while his expression remained calm.
"A terrorist…"
A faint smile slowly appeared on his lips.
"…I kinda like that."
Suddenly—
A voice appeared from behind him.
"Mr. Ashura…"
"Our boss wants to meet you."
Ashura slowly stopped walking.
Chapter Ended...
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