Chapter 10: Aliyah of the Explosion
Aliyah, 33, was a unique member of the notorious Tori no Ichizoku clan. While the clan’s name was synonymous with brutality and crime, Aliyah distinguished herself—not through her savagery, but through the deep scars etched into her soul. Though known as the "Lady of Explosives," her life was defined by silent suffering, shaped by betrayal, manipulation, and regret.
From an early age, Aliyah was neglected emotionally by her family, left yearning for meaningful connections. Her parents engaged with her only on a superficial level, and whenever she tried to open up about her struggles, her vulnerability was either dismissed or cruelly ridiculed. It was in these moments that Aliyah learned to lock away her emotions, constructing walls around her heart as a form of self-protection.
But one day, Aliyah dared to let her guard down. She opened her heart to someone she thought truly loved her, only to have that person use her for money and abandon her, leaving her heart broken and shattered. This betrayal solidified a painful belief: she was unlovable, undeserving of genuine affection. From that point on, Aliyah kept everyone at arm's length, including her friends. She could laugh with them, share moments of joy, but never allowed herself to confide in them.
Her family, oblivious to the depths of her pain, unknowingly deepened her wounds. One moment, in particular, would stay with her forever: during a phone call with her aunt, her parents joked about Aliyah’s weight loss, with her aunt remarking, “Aliyah must’ve lost 64 pounds because she finally found a boyfriend to impress!” The comment, though meant in jest, stung deeply. Aliyah retreated to her room, locking herself away for hours, consumed by anger and sadness. To her, it was yet another reminder of her perceived worthlessness, reinforcing the belief that she was unattractive and unworthy of love.
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Despite her emotional isolation, Aliyah harbored a deep desire to help others, to be kind and compassionate. But time and time again, her efforts went unnoticed or unappreciated, which only deepened her sense of alienation. After finishing school, with limited options and a desperate need for stability, she joined the Tori no Ichizoku clan. The criminal organization promised a steady income, even if it came at the cost of her conscience.
Within the clan, Aliyah reunited with her old friend, Doku—now the “Poisonous Lord.” It didn’t take long for Aliyah to make a name for herself. She became the "Lady of Explosives," a master of crafting and deploying weapons of mass destruction—chemical bombs, TNT, and advanced firearms. In battle, she became a force to be reckoned with, her explosives responsible for the deaths of over 150 people. Her reputation struck fear into her enemies, yet it also left her with a gnawing sense of guilt.
Aliyah was haunted by the faces of the innocent lives she had taken. Though she killed out of necessity—out of survival—the morality of her actions weighed heavily on her conscience. The knowledge that her income came from bloodshed was a secret she carried alone, hiding it from her family. To them, she was simply distant, a trait they attributed to her private nature. They had no idea that their daughter was a wanted criminal, her name whispered in fear by those who knew of her deeds.
Though she lived a dangerous life, Aliyah's emotional scars remained her greatest burden. Her inability to trust others or share her pain kept her isolated, even among those who worked alongside her. Yet, beneath her hardened exterior, a flicker of hope remained—a hope that one day, she could escape the life she had built, free herself from the chains of regret and self-loathing.
For now, she continued to walk the perilous path she had chosen, her explosives blazing a trail of destruction, even as her heart longed for peace.
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“I am what they call the Lady of Explosives, because I kill and kill indirectly, and directly, and indiscriminately. Because one thing, it doesn't matter who you are or what you are, or if I intended to kill you, you only face the death of my bombs. As they explode, they will kill you all, and I will smile at you exploding into a bunch of pieces of flesh.”
—Aliyah