Chapter 4 – The Promise in Blood
The streets were quiet, too quiet. Mri walked beside his little sister, Moyuri(Mumu)down a narrow alley, their footsteps echoing between the old brick walls. Mumu held onto his arm, her usual energy making her seem oblivious to the tense atmosphere.
"Dada, you always say you’ll buy me ice cream, but you never do," she pouted.
Mri chuckled, ruffling her hair. "Alright, alright. Today, I promise."
They were almost at the corner shop when Mri felt something shift in the air. A cold wave of danger. He grabbed Mumu’s wrist and pulled her close.
Then they appeared.
Five men, stepping out from the shadows like wolves. The one in front moved with slow, calculated steps. His scarred jaw clenched, his eyes dark with something that made Mri’s stomach twist.
Lokan.
Mri knew him. Everyone in the neighborhood did. Lokan wasn’t just any thug—he was a man with a grudge, and that grudge was with their family. Their mother, Juli Doley, had once defied him. She had refused to bow, refused to give in to his demands. And Lokan never forgot a slight.
"Well, well," Lokan’s voice was like gravel scraping against metal. "Look at you two, all alone."
Mri’s heart pounded. He stepped in front of Mumu. "We don’t want trouble."
Lokan smirked. "But trouble wants you."
Then came the blow. A fist slammed into Mri’s stomach, knocking the breath out of him. He staggered, but before he could react, another punch sent him to his knees. Mumu screamed.
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"Dada!"
Mri tried to get up, but a heavy boot crushed him down. He gasped for air, his vision swimming.
"Your mother should’ve known better than to mess with me," Lokan spat. "She thought she could defy me? That there wouldn’t be consequences?"
Mumu was struggling in the grasp of one of Lokan’s men. "Let her go!" Mri choked out, blood dripping from his lip.
Lokan crouched beside him. "Watch closely, boy. This is what happens to those who stand against me."
Then—a sickening crack.
Mumu’s body hit the ground.
Mri’s world shattered.
Lokan and his men walked away laughing, leaving him in the dirt, blood pooling beneath him.
Darkness swallowed him.
---
Mri woke up to the sterile scent of antiseptic. His body ached, his head throbbed. He blinked against the harsh hospital lights.
Then he saw her.
Mumu.
She lay in the bed beside him, tubes and wires attached to her small frame. Her face was pale, her chest rising and falling only because of the machines keeping her alive.
Coma.
The word stabbed through his mind like a knife.
He pulled himself out of bed, wincing at the pain, and stumbled to her side. His fingers trembled as they wrapped around her cold hand.
"Mumu... wake up," he whispered, voice breaking. "Please..."
Tears blurred his vision. Guilt clawed at his chest, suffocating him.
This is my fault. I was too weak.
His nails dug into his palms, drawing blood. The rage inside him burned brighter than ever.
He looked at her peaceful face, the rhythmic beeping of the machines filling the silence.
Then, he made a vow.
"I swear, Mumu... I’ll never be weak again. I’ll tear this entire gang system apart, starting with the one at the top. No one will ever suffer like this again. I’ll make them pay."
His grip tightened around her hand, his heart filled with rage and purpose.
That was the day Mri stopped being a boy.
That was the day he became something else.
---
Present Day – Rooftop of the Revolutionary Stars’ Base
The city stretched before him, neon lights flickering like distant stars. Mri sat on the edge of the building, staring at the horizon, fingers tracing the old scars on his knuckles.
Behind him, footsteps approached.
Ayang.
The leader of The Revolutionary Stars leaned against the railing, a cigarette between his fingers. Mri. Meeting’s starting. Get down here."
Mri exhaled slowly.
"I’m coming."
He stood up, adjusting his jacket. The past still burned in his veins.
The war was far from over.