Chapter 76 [Lost everything in a single day]

Haru, Apartment.

The heavy clouds darken the starry sky. My breath heavy after a long run. I broke the front door of the apartment with a kick and rush up the staircase until I reach the floor where Lina room is. I saw the door to Lina's room wide open, uneasiness begins to spread into my mind, and I can feel my heart instantly drop. I clench my fist while bursting into the room. I scream out their name.

"CATTY!"

"KUSAGI!"

"LINA!"

But, no one answer.

"No, not again!" I said, dropping to my knees and scratching the back of my head violently.

Suddenly, a crow squawk at me from outside of the broken kitchen window. I turn my head to the source quickly, then I stand up and rush to the broken window. I look out and see the fire escape ladder. Down to the second balcony, I see Kusagi body laying on the metal grid floor next to a black crow.

I vault over the window, causing the Katana on my back to wobble. I climb down the fire escape until I reach Kusagi. When I arrive beside her, I examine her body. There is bruising, cut and blood everywhere on her body. I check her pulse and glad when I found one. The black crow nods to me and flies away into the night sky.

I gently place my hand under Kusagi body, I try to calm my shaking hands as I lift her slowly. I bring her face close to my own, and my tears fall onto her.

"It's all my fault," I said.

Taking a few breaths in, I try to calm to calm myself. When I look at her bloody face, her mouth begins to move. I bring my ear closer to her lips, trying to hear her words.

"Haru... Catty... Fail... Sorry," Kusagi whimper as she sneaks a few breathe in while whispering.

Small tears flow down her cheeks mixing with the blood along the way.

"I will get you some help. Just hang in there—OK?" I said, my voice shaking.

With Kusagi body in my arm, I carefully carried her body down the fire escape and into the alley below. A drop of rain splashes on top of my head, causing me to look up at the heavy clouds above. Then another one fall to my face and another until the drops of water becoming heavy rain.

The heavy rains reduce my sight as the drop of water distorted the street, making it harder to see very far. But, I still run in the rain, heading to the closest hospital with Kusagi in my arms. In the distance, a blue-red light blinking and heading this way followed by a siren. It's, not the typical police siren, in fact, it is an ambulance. I wave at to stop by it show no sign of stopping.

Anger rise in me, I unsheathe the Katana and slice the bottom half of the lamp post beside me. The lamp post falls onto the street like timber. The ambulance stop as soon as it sees the lamp post blocking the way. I ran to the back of the ambulance and open the door.

"What the hell?" The man wearing a nurse uniform shouted.

"Please help her!" I plead while showing Kusagi's bloody body to him.

"Damn it! Lay her on the bed," The nurse said.

I step into the ambulance, gently place her on the stretcher. Then, I step out of the ambulance.

"Aren't you coming with us?" The nurse asks, looking at me with his left eyebrow raise slightly.

"I can't," I said, lowering my head, then closing the van door.

The ambulance turns around, I get off the street giving the vehicle a room to turn. The ambulance begins to distance itself from me and after a few minutes, the ambulance was not in sight, only the red-blue blinking light can be seen in the rain.

How did he know where they were anyway? HOW?!

Then, my mind flashback earlier in the evening when Cindy was calling Lucinda. Lucinda, she might be in danger too, I need to go to her. A gray sedan stop in front of the broken down lamp post, I walk to the car and open the driver door. The man was shocked when I grab him by the collar and toss him on the side. I get in the sedan and drove it away.

"THAT'S MY CAR!" The man yells as he gesture obscenity at me while I drove away from him.

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After a 20 minutes drive without facing any traffic, I arrive at Lucinda nightclub. At the front of the club is empty and no people in sight even though the nightclub should be lively at this hour. I crash the sedan into several garbage bins before stepping on the brake pedal. Opening the car door, I left the car without closing the door, and enter the club.

I was horrified by the sight of dead bodies lying on the floor. The weird part about the club is there no sign of any struggle or fight. They all were aiming their guns at each other. My father was here, It's just like in the footage. His power makes them do this.

Water drips to the floor because of my cloth being drenched in the rain earlier. I step over the body while checking every each one their pulse to see if anybody is alive. Then, I stumble on them, Bigjaw and Tony body lying right next to each other. There is a gaping hole in their forehead and one bullet casing right next to them.

Their eyes are still wide open and I can imagine the horror that they're feeling when they are forced to kill each other. I reach my hand to their eyelids and close them both. I slammed my fist on the concrete floor while screaming my heart out in anger.

A sound of a metal object falling from a high place can be heard coming from the closet room. I whip my head toward it. Could it be her? I stand up and quickly dash into the closet room. Entering the room, I see that the entrance to the armory is blocked by a metal shelf.

"Ricky!" I called out to her.

"Oh thank god! Haru, I'm in here!" Ricky said. I can hear the fear in her voice.

I push the metal shelf away so I can access the doorway. Entering the armory, I was greeted by a hug from Ricky. I felt her arms tightly wrapped around my body as she let out a breath of relieves.

"Lucinda hid me here before the shooting started and blocked the entryway. The back door was locked from the outside. I couldn't get out," Ricky explained.

"What happen to everyone?" Ricky as she realizes that nobody came with me.

"And why are you wet?" Ricky asks, her eyebrows raised after she let me go.

"Ricky, listen to me," I said while trying to contain my tears while my mouth trembles a bit as I try to gather the courage to tell her what happens.

"No. It can't be! NO!," She screams, I felt her hope crushed the moment she realized what had just happened from looking at my face.

"Is it everyone?" She asks as her voice beginning to break apart.

I look down, avoiding her eyes, she took that gesture as a yes. Her tears begin to flood down her face as she slammed her fist on my chest. I grab hold of her hand to stop her from hitting me and pull her close to me. We fall to our knees slowly as she sobs furiously, I can feel her warm tears mixing with the cold rainwater on my chest.

We cried together for a few hours when we finally stop that the moment that we finally accept what had just happened. We lost almost everyone in one single day that is the reality we just accept. Ricky gathers courage and gets out of the armory into the nightclub to check on the bodies. While I just stare at the Tashikawa family Katana that I lay on the table.

Tashikawa.

Family.

Honor.

Guardian.

Only you can do it.

Only you can grant my wish.

I promise you, I will get you the life that you deserved.

I promise you that I will be back.

I promise to buy you an ice cream.

I promise I come back for you.

I promise.

I PROMISE.

I still love you.

I scream in anger, as I swipe my hand across the table, pushing everything on it down to the floor and flip the table. I take a couple steps backward in silence, then reaching my head with one hand. I look at the Katana on the floor, then after taking a few more steps backward, my back touches the wall behind me. With my back against the wall, I slowly slide down and took a seat on the floor.

You need to finish it.

A crow suddenly lands on the overturned table, it turns its head at me, looking at me with its beady eye, and squawk at me.

"Haru?" Ricky called out me.

"We need to finish it... No, I need to finish it," I said.

"I will get everything ready," Ricky said as she hurries toward somewhere.

I just stare at the crow as it looks back at me, wanting to know what will I do next.