Chapter 1 - Once is humble, twice is greedy

The smell of cigarettes was pungent inside the old Sedan waiting for the light to turn green. Just like the car which was becoming obsolete, so was I, Kuroda Riku, an old yakuza soldier no longer burning my life away just like the cigarette I held in my hand.

Should I quit and settle down?

The thought weighed heavily on my mind.

I finally became a senior member at forty-one, yet I feel like I’ve done nothing with my life at all

The light turned green, and I felt the car begin to move.

Maybe this is my last chance to step away from this life… find a lovely wife and have noisy kids running around the house.

My jaw tightened. Thoughts like that would’ve made me laugh ten years ago, but now it doesn’t seem like such a joke of an idea after all.

I'm really getting old.

“Oi,” a voice called out, “Earth to Riku.” The person beside Riku snaps his fingers to draw his attention. “Put out your smokes already.”

I lowered the window and took one last puff before throwing it out and raising it shut again.

“What’s got you staring into space anyway?”

My lips puckered, and I let out a heavy sigh. “Thinking about life. One without all of you. Mostly you, Tanaka.”

The man driving laughed. “You hear that, Akito boy? Your senior brother turns forty-one and immediately starts thinking about retirement.”

“Honestly, brother Kuroda. Why would you want to leave this world behind?” Akito asked. “You get respect, and you’ve got a bit of influence, especially now that you’re a senior brother. What more do you want?”

“I don’t know. Maybe a wife and a child. A family sounds nice, oddly enough.”

Akito turned in his seat to look at me. “Well, you can get a girl without leaving, right?”

“And I wouldn’t recommend children at your age and in your line of work.”

“Don’t you have kids, brother Mori?”

“Yeah, but my brats were accidents, and so was marrying the missus.” Mori laughed annoyingly. “But remember, kid. A man’s got to take responsibility for the accidents he’s created. It doesn’t change how I still love them all the same.”

“The accidents, or your family?” I asked. Mori stayed silent, not answering.

“Anyway,” Tanaka began, “you’re just becoming weathered now because of your considerably long service for the family and the clan. It’s a common thing that happens to senior members in any walk of life. We have second thoughts, and some act on them. Though only a few have ever actually managed to escape it.”

The car went silent, replaced by the bustling nightlife of the city. The area we were in was quiet, so the distant noises sounded like a relaxing ambience.

“Well,” Mori began, “just sleep on it for now. Tomorrow, if your mind hasn’t changed, maybe you can meet with the—”

A powerful impact exploded on the driver’s side to the right as something crashed into our car. The force was strong enough that it managed to flip the car. Glass shards splashed towards my face. Despite trying to cover it, raising my arm against the momentum was hard. The vehicle rolls over on its head, rocking me and the others violently left and right.

I groaned, finding myself struggling to stay awake, but I managed to do so. I unbuckled my seatbelt and dropped to the floor–or in this case, the ceiling of the car. I slowly found the rhythm to breathe as normally as I could in this situation. I began crawling out of the car through the now shattered window, swimming through the shards that were wrecking my suit.

As I made it out, I immediately checked on Mori, who is still hanging upside down. Mori’s eyes remained open, but those eyes, I recognized them. Yes, just like those that died in front of me, they had the same eyes. The endless stare into something or somewhere only they could see.

I shook my head and slowly stood up, hopping and leaning on the car as I struggled to regain my balance. My head was throbbing like crazy. Across from me, the car that had hit us opened its doors, and five men exited slowly.

“Ah, shit. Collisions still suck, no matter how much I’ve done them. Fucking also gives me a concussion no matter how much I brace.”

One man pointed at me. “Looks like they survived!” he shouted.

Without hesitation, my hand found its way into my jacket as I swiftly pulled out my pistol from the holster hidden inside. Switching the safety off, I pulled the trigger at the five men. Bang!

“Shit, he’s got a gun!” One guy yelled.

I admit, even though I was still fast, I now had a concussion that really screwed up my accuracy. As I kept shooting to suppress them, I moved behind the car for the minimal cover it offered. I was gladly surprised to see Tanaka’s big frame was already out and about, pulling an injured Akito out of the car.

“Glad to see you’re still alive, Riku!” Tanaka shouted.

I nod at him. “For what it’s worth, I’m glad to see you, too!”

Akito screamed as Tanaka continued to pull him out of the car. “My leg, I-I think it’s broken.”

“Alright, here, give me your arm and lean on me.” Tanaka, properly supporting Akito, counted down. “One, two…” He grunted as he stood.

Akito groaned as Tanaka supported him up.

“I’ll cover your backs,” I shouted, shooting once more to continue my suppression. Suddenly, a snap whizzes past Riku. They’ve begun firing back.

“Took them long enough!” Tanaka shouts, kicking open the door of an apartment building, heading inside for refuge with Akito.

Seeing them inside, I shot at the men twice before leaping inside the building. The hail of gunfire whizzes above my head as I kick the door shut to catch the bullets.

“Stairs!” yelled Tanaka ahead.

I found my footing and hobbled towards them with a limp. Tanaka and Akito continued on ahead. I stood just beside the corner of the stairs and steadied my gun as best as I could at the door.

The door opened just as I had anticipated. As I pulled the trigger, one man recklessly floods in, unluckily taking a bullet to his chest. The man collapsed, his associates screaming something I didn’t care to know as I made my way up.

I limped as fast as I could up the stairs, gaining a considerable lead from my pursuers. After limping nonstop, I miscalculated one of the steps. I hadn’t raised my foot high enough, tripping to the floor.

As I stood back up, a gunshot exploded from below me as something pierced my side. I fell to the ground, screaming. The fall had saved me from the second bullet that would’ve fatally hit my head. I unloaded my magazine at the man point-blank, one of the bullets finding its way into his head.

Working through the pain from the right side of my waist, I stood back up and continued making my way up the last set of stairs to the rooftop.

Finally, I made it to the others. Akito sat against the wall while Tanaka was covering my retreat, bullets flying past me as I trusted him to suppress the men who were catching up.

Akito spots me holding the wound on my side. “Brother Kuroda, you’ve been shot,” Akito says worriedly, even though he is in pain from his own broken leg.

“I’m fine. I’m fine. Worry about yourself, kid.”

“Right, where’s Mori?” Tanaka inquires.

I shook my head towards Tanaka. He nods, understanding my meaning, and Akito whimpers. I guess he understood it, too.

“Damn it!” Tanaka punches the wall in frustration.

“What do we do now?” cried Akito.

“I found a ladder at the back,” said Tanaka, “We can take it down the alley and run to a more crowded area.”

I groaned. I looked at my right hand, which was wet and red. I knew I had lost too much blood.

“You guys go. I’ll only slow you down.”

“Wha-No, brother Riku! We’re going together!” shouted Akito.

“Time’s running out. We’re gonna run out of bullets soon, then we’ll all be dead. I’ll buy you some time!” I turned towards Tanaka, “Grab Akito and go! Go now!”

With his shoulder, Tanaka supports Akito as he grabs his arm. Tanaka turns to me, nodding, and I nod back. Tanaka leads a resisting Akito away to the ladder behind the building, sobbing nonstop.

I was now alone. My head was getting a little fuzzy. I took a deep breath.

“Alright.” I slapped myself, “Let’s not give in now. Come on, have to buy them some more time.” I was doing my best to endure the pain, which, weirdly enough, I was starting to feel less and less of.

I quickly leaned into the hallway and continued suppressing them.

“Is that you, Kuroda?” someone shouted. “Just give up already, you sack of shit!”

“You know my name? Well, good for you! Kiss your mother for me for letting you know!”

I shot back at them. I no longer had the energy to lean and properly aim. My knees were close to buckling as they shook, only standing cause I was forcing myself to. “After all, you should at least know the person you’re trying to assassinate. Now screw off, you jerks.”

My hand no longer covered the stream of blood escaping from my side continued non-stop. I was beginning to shiver. “Damn, it’s getting a little cold.” My hand holding the gun, my fingertips on the trigger. They were all numb.

Maybe… Just a little nap. I thought to myself as my eyes slowly closed.

Another gunshot cracked at the wall beside me, waking me up. I couldn’t even catch a little break.

That was the last shot, though, as the bullets stopped coming. Faint voices were talking to each other from the hallway, followed by a set of footsteps approaching me slowly. They probably thought I was dead or unconscious. If only that last shot hadn’t woken me up, maybe I would’ve been. My eyes drift towards the sight of my gun.

Tanaka and Akito must have run to a safe distance. I think I’ve done all I can.

My eyes found their way to the city. The bloom of the lights was so beautiful. Despite having lived in this city half my life, this was a sight I’d never seen once.

Shit… Why did this have to happen now?

I tightened my grip around the gun and took a deep breath.

I heard the footstep of one man round the corner. I could imagine his gun drawn, aiming at me. I could imagine his relief when he saw me staring into the far distance, my gun empty and on the floor.

“He’s a goner.” The man’s voice echoed.

“Quick, we’ve got to find the other two.”

My consciousness was leaving me as I continued to take my last breaths, silently staring into bright circles that used to be lit-up buildings. The group of men continued their search, and their footsteps echoed, receding further away from me.

The last thoughts that continued to pester me, even on the verge of death, were the future.

I wonder… Would I have become a good husband? Could I have been a great dad? Shit… Of all my mistakes, why did this have to be my biggest regret just as I’m dying? He chuckles slightly.

My head slumped down as I exhaled my final breath.

It was all dark. Everywhere was black. My body was falling in the void; slowly, as if it were underwater. It felt nice. Peace was nice. The comfort of the eternal embrace of nothingness was euphoric. My throat itched. One thought stayed persistent. It escaped my mind, echoing into the void, getting louder and louder.

Give me another chance… please…

A bright flash of light explodes in the blackness of it all. Orbs of white and golden light begin rushing towards my body, enveloping me with warmth that the embrace of eternal slumber couldn’t compare to. It was rejuvenating. They stopped me from my continued descent into the void. The warm presence of a figure, a divine being, shrouded in pure bright light, presented itself to me.

“Void becomes space.” They spoke, their voice echoing with ethereal authority. “Darkness becomes light. Death becomes life. O’ tragic one, I have heard your pleas and ascertained your deepest regret. Your soul will receive a second chance, just as another’s vessel will. Do not squander this opportunity, for to covet life before death once is humble, and twice is greedy. I breathe into you, your second chance at life, to lay your deepest regrets to rest in peace.”

The orbs of light that supported me like a bed surged into my body. My eyes glowed before both it and my mouth overflowed with beams of light. My skin glowed, similar to the divine figure that hovered in front of me.

Then everything is swallowed in darkness as if someone flipped the switch off.

The divine figure’s voice whispered. “Wake up, Aelius Eventide.”