A cold December night in Milan, Italy, a seven year old boy named Daemon McCoy is helping out his parents, Roger and Roseleen McCoy, in setting up their traditional Christmas tree. And like every year, Daemon was always the one who does the finishing touch by placing the star atop the Christmas tree. His parents then light up the decorations that gave a beautiful scene composing of different lights that sparkled and reflected in Daemon’s deep black eyes.
“Woah~ so pretty!”
Exclaimed Daemon as he stares at the Christmas tree.
“Shall we set the parol1 next?”
His mother, Roseleen, asked while tilting her head with a smile on her face that compliments her brown eyes and brown hair as she holds the star-shaped Christmas lantern.
As Daemon opens the window to hang the parol, a cold breeze greeted him and passed through his face and swayed his light-brown hair. Attracted by the relaxing wind, Roger went to the window where Daemon and Roseleen was and looked at the silent and peaceful night sky. He then realized the black car that is parked beside their gate and is accompanying four men wearing overcoat suits. Roger’s golden colored eyes locked on one of the men who sets him apart from the others. A middle-aged-man who has blue eyes, blonde hair that has a deeper color than Roger’s and has a scar on his left eye that matches the man’s intimidating presence, looked up and met Roger’s gaze. Roger who recognized the man without a second look, became stiff and made an uncomfortable expression.
“Why are you here at this hour, Don2?”
Roger questioned while showing his discomfort to the man’s overwhelming presence.
“I came to see you Roger. I brought gifts for Daemon and Roseleen and some wine we can share, can we come in?”
The middle-aged-man replied while masking his face with a malicious grin, and showed the gifts and wine on his hands. Roger then gave Roseleen a concerned look that made her aware of the situation which she said with a small voice.
“I’ll take Daemon to his room and head there later.”
After hearing his wife’s remarks, Roger went down to the gate to let the men in and guided them in the living room to hear more on what their guests’ real intention for visiting. After seeing his husband down the staircase, Roseleen took Daemon to his room and tucked him to bed.
“Uhmm… Mom… Who are those scary looking guys that came to see dad?”
Daemon asked innocently while being tucked by Roseleen.
“Don’t worry sweetie, they’re just some guys from dad’s work.”
Roseleen said while putting all her effort to hide the discomfort and calm her fast heartbeat. After tucking Daemon to his bed, Roseleen said her goodnights and left Daemon with a goodnight’s kiss on the forehead. She then headed down the staircase and walks slowly to the living room where Roger and their visitors are discussing something. Before she could open the door, the man who Roger addressed as Don said with a clear voice that didn’t even concealed its hostility.
“Your influence within the Testarossa family is quite interesting. Despite the fact that you haven’t been in my family for long, you had climbed your way up to be one of my executives while gaining achievements along the way.”
The Don of the Testarossa family, Don Vito Testarossa, gave Roger praises and recalled the feats that Roger achieved with a smug look on his face. Roger kept his silent and cold sweat filled his back due to the pressure that the Don is giving him. After seeing Roger’s reaction, Don Vito reached the inside of his coat and pulled out a gun and pointed it at Roger. The previous smug on his face can no longer be seen and was replaced with a dangerous smile filled with killing intent.
“W-what are doing Don?! W-why are you pointing a gu….”
*BAAANGG*
Before Roger could finish his sentence, Don Vito had already pulled the trigger and shot it in between Roger’s eyes. Don Vito then muttered to himself with a small voice.
“Your influence within the Family is corrupting the others. I expect that if given the time, you would turn my own Family against me and claim it all for yourself. Really, did you not think that I would not notice the things that you are doing behind my back? Fuu…”
Don Vito exhaled and turn his head to the three men that was behind him.
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“Go and kill every else in this house, then burn this place! Burn it! Until it is nothing but ashes!”
After issuing his men his commands, one of them had interjected while looking down and kneeling.
“Don, I believe that Roger’s legacy might be of use to us. His child might have a strong soul like his father and the fact that Roger and Roseleen are…”
The kneeling man hesitated and continued on the topic about acquiring Daemon.
“…Th-that boy might be a good test subject and take us a step closer to unraveling all the secrets of the phenomenon, Soulmate!”
Don Vito had a grin on his face after hearing one of his henchmen’s tempting proposal.
“Then capture the boy alive and spare none others!”
Thus the three men rushed to fulfill their superior’s orders without a shred of guilt and conscience.
Roseleen who was behind the door the whole time trembled at the unexpected turn of events. She forced herself to not scream and charge at the men who murdered her husband in front of her, and planned to use her son as a Guinee pig. She dashed to where Daemon is resting after finding out what the Don of the Testarossa family is scheming. When she entered her son’s room, she hurriedly took Daemon and clasped him in her arms.
“What’s going on mom? It hurts, your hugging me too tight…”
Daemon who was startled by his mother’s sudden actions tried to grasp what’s going on with a worried look as they ran out of the room.
“W-we need to leave now *sob*sob*! Th-they *sob*sob* killed Roger! They killed your father, we need to escape from them before it’s…”
*BAAANGG*
Roseleen who couldn’t finish what she was supposed to say fell from the staircase and rolled on the floor with Daemon who was protected by her embrace. She was shot at the upper left of her shoulder, the wound was not fatal but the bleeding caused her to almost faint. Roseleen managed to stay conscious through sheer will alone.
[Damn it! They’re fast they caught up with me!]
Roseleen thought with a despaired expression while enduring the waves of pain caused by the gun shot at her shoulder.
“Ughh… huh? What?! M-mom! Wha-whats going on?! *sob*sob* I’m scared! *sob*sob* where’s dad?! Mom you’re bleeding!”
Daemon who was in a state of panic, let out his confused and scared thoughts while crying and tightening his embrace to Roseleen.
“How rude of you to leave without even greeting your guests, Roseleen.”
Don Vito smirked at the pitiful display of Roseleen, laying and bleeding on the floor. He enjoyed the scene of the one who was once a strong and fierce woman, now showing him how powerless she is in the current situation.
“Vito Testarossa! How dare you! You should just die you BASTARD!!!”
“My, oh my. What a dirty mouth you got there, that isn’t a good influence on dear little Daemon. You should know better, Roseleen.”
With an evil smile on his face, Don Vito mocked Roseleen for her harsh words towards him. Roseleen then looked at the scared and confused Daemon who is crying in her clasp and cried thinking that she has no other option left but to feel guilty about her child’s future. A future without a father, and a future without her to raise him to be a kind and loving adult, a right that is given to every child.
[I’m sorry. I’m sorry Daemon. You would have to live a harsh life without us. I know it would be hard, but I believe you would still grow up to be a splendid man, I have no doubt.]
Roseleen steeled herself and pushed Daemon with all her remaining strength. It was enough force for him to stumble right in front of the door. Daemon then stared at his mother as if he knew what she was thinking.
“*sob* No mom! I want *sob* to stay with you! I want to be with you, and dad.”
Daemon desperately said, voicing his desire to not part with her any further.
“No, you should go to brother, to your uncle Amor. He could help you leave this country and escape! This is better than both of us dying! You still have many opportunities to live a normal and peaceful life my child. Go and seek something better, you are free to do so! Don’t wish to live this lie”
She then followed up with a small voice.
“This lie that is called living3…”
Roseleen painfully said those words that convinced the crying Daemon to turn around and ran as fast as he could without looking back.
Don Vito, who did not expect that Daemon would have the courage to run, was a little amazed and it was shown on his face as he’s brows rose up, and his left hand caressed his chin.
[Hmm, that boy has guts. Any normal little saplings around his age would have been frozen by fear, but…]
Don Vito praised Daemon in his mind was a bit stunned, but he is not the Don of a big syndicate like the Testarossa Family for nothing. He immediately came to his senses and commanded his men to chase the pitiful young boy.
“What are you morons waiting for? Chase him already!” (Don Vito)
““Y-Yes, Don!”” (Underlings)
“As if I’ll let you do you what you want!” (Roseleen)
Roseleen stood up from the floor and exerted a frightening aura. Something that should not have been seen by the naked eye is encompassing her whole body and presenting it to the men who are trying to chase after Daemon. As if it’s like the air surrounding Roseleen has liquefied into a light-blue water that has faint glow in it.
“So you still have that amount of strength even though I had just killed your Soulmate? BEAUTIFUL! To have a firm soul, I’m having trouble breathing by just being close to you. HA HA HA! This should be the very least. Please provide me, your guest, some entertainment!”
Don Vito excitedly remarked after seeing Roseleen’s strong will to stop them. He’s usual cool behavior seems like an act when compared to his wild and thrilled face that he is making right now. Similar to Roseleen, Don Vito released a dark and suffocating aura and compressed it into his fists and knife, showing the difference in their experience in wielding this unrealistic ability like Bu*rger *ing and An*el’s *u*ger. Don Vito then charged at Roseleen with his knife aimed at her and ready to strike with it once he’s near enough. Roseleen who did not flinched at the charging opponent, just stood there like a statue. At that moment, Don Vito didn’t realized what Roseleen was thinking and continued his approach. When he was right in front of Roseleen, Don Vito suddenly vanish and immediately appeared behind her pointing his knife at her neck like a professional assassin. Even though she was in a bad situation, it was far from the worse possible scenario. Roseleen judged that Daemon was far enough from their mansion, smirked and released the remaining embers of her soul and spread it to her surroundings almost instantaneously.
[I at least would’ve wanted to see you be a fine man one day, Daemon. Sorry this farewell, I love you my son.]
A heartfelt whisper was blown into Daemon’s ear. After hearing those words, Daemon felt even more pain than earlier. He wanted to go back to his mother. He wanted to at least say the words he didn’t have the time to say to her back at their house, before he was ordered to run and seek help from his uncle. ‘I love you too’, were the words that he wanted to reply to the unexpected whisper that obviously belonged to his beloved mother, but…
*KAABOOOOM*
Daemon turned as he heard the loud explosion that occurred at the direction of his house. His eyes widened and his jaw fell by the sight of flames that engulfed his house. Various emotions filled him up and was at a loss from the sudden occurrence. ‘You should go to brother, to your uncle Amor’, Daemon came to his senses after recalling his mother’s command and steeled his heart to not look back again. He held back his emotions and departed to seek help from his uncle, showing that he was much more mature and decisive from his age.
[I will definitely avenge you someday mom, dad! I’m still weak now… but someday… I will! For now survival is my only hope, and revenge is my success in the future!4]
Daemon thought while gritting his teeth and clenching his fists. He was disgusted by his powerlessness and desired to be strong one day to avenge his loved ones. Nothing can be seen from his deep black eyes except for the will to survive and live as revenge empowers him to achieve the goals that he set for himself.
And that was the trigger of his journey to survive while enduring the pain of having been robbed of what’s most precious to him. That day marked the beginning of his change. The beginning of his new life.