Chapter I-A: Agony

1

“If I’m being frank with you, kid. Your mother likely won't last another hour. I recommend you make your final goodbyes while she’s still conscious.” The doctor put his hand on the young man’s shoulder, as if trying to give a sense of masculine comfort, neither patronizing nor nurturing. Just honest, and honesty was all the young man needed.

“Yeah, thanks doc.” He didn’t have much more to say. He entered the hospital room with a sense of unease. His street-hardened face stoic, yet his warm mocha brown hands betrayed him with unbridled nerves.

“You alright mom…?”

His words, although seeming casual, carried far more concern than implied.

“Never felt better son, seeing your cute adorable face would make any mother better!’ His mother smiled brightly, as if the cancer in her body was nothing but a mosquito on her neck.

His mother had always been a beautiful woman. Clear ebony skin, long curled hair, a face that still caught the eye even now. Even as cancer hollowed her breath, there was a radiance as bright as the sun that refused to fade.

“You sure are confident, any other mother would be saying her final ‘wise’ parting words.”

He smirked. She smirked back.

“But you should know by now darling, I’m not any ‘other’ mother am I!?”

“No you're not. Lasting a full year longer than you should, setting one hell of an example.”

“Good. Now you can tell my future grandkids their mother was a fighter till the very end.”

He rolled his eyes. “Of course.”

Somber silence stretched, precious moments wasting away.

“Jonah.” Her voice stiffened with weight.

“Yeah…”

“Promise me you will stop working for the Kagekai. No good can come working for criminals.”

“.....”

“I will be dead soon, son.” Her voice turned frail, tears escaping her eyes. “Y–You won’t have to ki–kill anymore to pay for my medical bills, and while I…”

“.....”

Her tone grew heavier again. “While I understand your plight to preserve my life, now I only care about yours.”

“What do you mean mo—” She cut him off. “What I mean is that you're only sixteen, you still have so many years to go in this world. So many more experiences, friends, girls, adventures, revelations. Don’t be stupid and lose it all like your father, we moved to Tokyo to escape the London gangs, not return to it!”

Jonah’s hands clenched, blood running from his palms. “I gotta survive somehow, mom. And y’know I’m a fighter like you, I’ll be fi—”

“YOU WON’T BE FINE!!!”

Jonah stumbled back. He hadn’t seen that level of maternal weight from her in years.

“Even if you're strong, even if you’re smart about it.” She continued, tone building with reverence. “As our lord said: ‘Those that live by the sword, die by the sword’.”

His mind couldn’t quite accept those words. I wish that was true…

“You're not too far gone, you can still atone for your sins and start your life anew. Live a life that you—” She put her hand in his. “—And I can be proud of.” A gentle smile replaced her fury.

Jonah put his remaining hand over hers. “Then what else can I do, I’m not super talented at anything else y’know. And while I’m pretty handsome, I wouldn’t peg myself as the model type.” He let out a strained laugh, the humour masking his frustration as he looked down at the floor in shame.

“I hate to be like ‘other’ mothers. But it seems you need some ‘wise’ words afterall, huh.” She smiled at him gently, raising a frail hand to his chin. He looked up slowly, her bloodshot brown eyes reflecting in the darker brown of his own.

“Y’know I’ve always loved your cooking son, I remember when you first wanted to learn how to cook and I watched your small grubby hands trying to cut a carrot with a butter knife. Trying to mimic me. At that point in time I thought you would always be my little assistant in the kitchen, little did I know that God planned for me to end up being your assistant.” Her reminiscing felt awfully cruel to Jonah, his nose sniffling, eyes blurring.

What are you trying to say, Mom?

“Yes, yes, you're probably wondering why I brought that up. I’m not trying to tell you to be a cook, my love.”

His eyes lifted with curiosity, as she booped his nose playfully.

“What I’m trying to say…”

Time seemed to pause. As if registering that the next words she was going to say, would be the most important words he would ever hear in his life.

“Is that the same knife that can end a life, can just as easily give one.”

The world seemed to blur around him. His mother’s tearful, gleaming smile was the only thing in focus.

“Understood mom.”

No more words had to be said. From now on I will live a life you would be proud of mom, if that’s the last thing I can promise you. If my salvation is the last thing you cling to, then I will carry that burden with everything I have.

“That’s my handsome boy.” She rubbed his head softly. “I love you to infinity and beyond.” She cooed.

“To infinity and beyond, mom”

“Don’t forget the ‘I love you’ part!” She chastised.

“I love you to infinity and beyond, mom.” He would never win against her in this battle.

His mother laid back on the bed weakly, her strength fading rapidly, her gentle hand turning cold.

“Good. That’s why you're my favourite person, afterall…”

And with those words, her life ended. Her collapsing radiance like a dying sun

2

Jonah's boots dragged through the snowy streets of Tokyo, the outer part of the city bustling with festive charm. His mind was still, frozen cold from the misery of losing a loved one. No tears were left to flee from his eyes, all had been left at the hospital.

His phone buzzed. A message had been sent to him. Another job, seriously…?

He flipped his burner phone open, not recognising the unknown number which said:

Meet at 10:45PM, Shinjuku City at xxxx, payment of 105 '000' 000 JPY to be given before the job and 105 '000' 000 JPY after.

Jonah couldn’t believe his eyes, while he wanted to refuse. That would cover my bills for years. That's like….

He counted with his fingers.

“OVER A MILLION DOLLARS!!!”

His voice rang out across the street. Eyes leered back at him. ‘Foreigners’ an old man grumbled.

He quieted down quickly, not wanting to gather any more attention on himself, whilst he had promised his mother one thing. This was too much money to waste; for a single kill, that was a dream come true.

That will be my last. No more after. I’ll kill this guy and dip, knowing the Kagekai he’s probably a rapist or somethin’ anyway. They don’t kill innocents, at least I hope not…

He had made up his mind. This would be his final kill. He went home to take off his school clothes, and prepared for his final night as a gangster.