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The Red Flower
Chapter. 17
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Three years later—
Javi coldly shot the target with practiced hands and precision. He distantly stared from above at the panicked crowd. Silently taking a deep breath to calm his nerves despite his stoic, cold face. A sudden call came from Armand, and he answered immediately, "Yes?"
-Young master, Xenos… he'd like to meet you today.
Javi remained silent for a moment. "Alright," he hung up and looked silently at the ground with dead eyes. He raised his head and started walking.
"Long time no see~ You really grew up fast, little shadow," Xenos teased with a relaxed smile. Javi stood with hands behind his back; he only looked at the floor and nothing else; he remained silent. "You've been doing great up until now. Honestly, you're the best tool in our organization, which is why I'd like to know…"
Javi held his breath.
"I've heard. Lately, you've been missing your targets and failing your missions. The targets were left injured rather than dead. You got any explanation?"
Javi managed to stay calm while looking at the floor; he slowly closed his eyes and lowered his head. "I'm deeply sorry, sir. I was just exhausted from the many missions given to me this time. It won't happen again."
Xenos chuckled. "What, so you were just tired? You should have said so, I'll give you a break for one week, and I expect you to come back fully refreshed for your missions."
Javi nodded. "Thank you, sir."
.
.
At the Cavalons’ mansion, he sat on a chair and a helmet on his head. He closed his eyes and waited for what was to come.
'So ridiculous… everything is just…'
With a jolt, he passed out.
'Ridiculous…'
.
.
The next day he was about to leave when suddenly Edmund poked his back playfully. Javi turned slowly to look at him.
"Going to the beach?" the cousin asked curiously with wide, round eyes.
"Yes, are you coming?" he didn’t really care, but it was for the better to humor his cousin a little bit; he learned with time.
"Nope, got things to do, must be lucky to have a break from all the missions, huh? Why can't I have some as well? Not fair~" Edmund pouted as childishly as ever, not looking like someone going for missions at all; he questioned how the boy could be happy with a job as a killing machine.
Javi remained silent, then turned to leave. He really had nothing to say, and that was enough to satisfy the boy for today.
'What's so good of a useless break when we know we're going back to kill random people?'
"Javi, are you okay? You look even more tired this time…" Owin asked, his face contorted in worry. Sitting beside Javi, both sitting in front of the ocean, the waves were strong and still so relaxing to watch. Bren was laid down next to Owin while closing his eyes though he was awake. Javi remained silent while looking at the ocean. He didn't want to ignore them, but what could he say, really?
Owin only smiled and looked at the ocean as well. "You know, you always remind me of my big brother for some reason…"
Javi turned to the other with a surprised look, "Your brother…?"
Owin nodded with a small smile. "I never told you… actually, I didn't lose my family."
Javi widened his eyes but remained silent.
"Bren and I were forcefully brought to that orphanage, but we can't accept to live there… because… it is under the one company behind what happened to our families…"
"Yeah, those Anfinrud bastards,” said Bren as he pushed himself up and sat with an irritated look, “I kinda feel like they don't have any goal in any of this but do it for fun. What are we? Candies to choose what to eat from time to time?" Bren kept complaining, not bothering the grim look on their rich friend’s face the more he listened, as it was an expected reaction. Owin laughed at the black-haired and slapped his shoulder lightly. "That sounds kinda weird stop it…"
Javi was silent, frozen. “I…” he hated the fear of exposing himself to them; he hated how cowardly he was. The sound of the ocean was no longer relaxing to him…
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
"So, Javi! Maybe you're facing a problem now, but once we get out of this place, we'll be sure to help you somehow!" Owin smiled, and Bren gave a confident peace sign, agreeing with his friend.
Javi nodded slowly; he then turned his head to look at the waves coming and retreating each time; he was tired, so tired.
"…Thank… you."
'What should I say…?'
'What face should I show you two…?'
'As long as I keep my secrets to myself… we can still be friends… right?'
'So… I… I…'
Javi shot his target and missed it again. He stared from above at the wounded target and all the commotion down, “It's enough to send them to the hospital. It’s up to the doctors if they can save them or not.” Turning away with empty eyes, ‘Like this… I can forgive myself… just a little.'
"Hmmm, weird… I believe one week was more than enough to refresh your mind and body from exhaustion but still no good."
Javi stood like stone at the sudden familiar voice of none other than Xenos behind him and so close, sounding as casual as usual. His wide eyes fixed on the floor as all his being started sweating in fear.
"My eyes wouldn't lie to me, however. That wasn't a mere coincidence, yeah?"
Javi trembled; he couldn’t calm himself down. 'If only… for a little longer…'
The man looked down at the trembling and stoned kid with a cold smile, "Don't you think you're spending more time with your friends lately?"
Javi chanced a glance at the man’s eyes…
'No…'
"I…"
"Hmmm?" Xenos tilted his head with a smile, waiting patiently with his finger lazily resting on his cheek.
Javi lowered his head and tightened his hold around the gun. "I'll accomplish all my missions perfectly for you… but…"
"You want a reward?" Xenos raised his eyebrow.
"Set them free… just those two… I won't see them ever again, so…"
Xenos hummed, tilting his head back as if thinking of the deal, "Alright!” he cheerfully announced, turning around to leave; he raised his index finger with his droopy eyes and looked back at the kid, “No more failures, understood?"
Javi stood straight. “Yes, sir.” He stood alone in silence, with the cool breeze circling around him as if mocking his situation.
'I've… enjoyed my time with them more than enough.'
.
.
Javi stood still, not bothering his suit getting wet from the water as he stared at the waves. Staring at the vast blue, it no longer felt relaxing. He tilted his head to the blue sky, finding it oddly… gray.
He could hear footsteps.
'Owin would call my name happily…'
"Javi!" Owin called happily, as expected.
'Bren would teas me as usual…'
"Pfft, what’s with the dramatic pose?" Bren teased, as expected.
Javi closed his eyes for a moment and opened them again, turned around with cold eyes, pulled out his gun, and pointed it at them. They stilled in their place not far from him.
"Javi…?" Owin cautiously called for the other, who looked so foreign to them.
"They call me the deadly shadow in Anfinrud organization," he said, his voice and face void of emotions.
“H-Hey…” even the noncaring and undeterred raven head looked nervous and unsure as he smiled at the rich friend, “Stop jo—”
A bullet shot out, passing between them and straight to the sand behind them, silencing them instantly. Javi pulled back his gun with cold eyes. He slowly turned and left them alone as they eyed his retreating back in complete silence.
The last memory of his two friends was of Owin’s disappointed eyes and Bren’s cautious eyes as he stopped the other from approaching their friend… hurt so bad. It hurt. It hurt until he was numb.
'So stupid…'
'Me and this whole situation… so stupid.'
He couldn’t recall the rest of his way back home, and he could care less. He changed into his pajamas and slumped on his back on the big bed, looking silently at the ceiling.
Two knocks disrupted the numbing silence; the young master didn’t bother to answer. The person behind the door opened it and walked into the room, looking worried. “Young master…”
“If you’re here to ask about that buzzy helmet, they already examined the data from my memory today.” He blankly said, not bothering to move or look at the butler. The butler looked even more concerned with how lifeless the kid looked and sounded, today more than ever before, “Are you alright? Do you need painkillers…?”
Javi thought a bit, “I think they made me take some while asleep… my father said they’re examining parts of my memories to get to defeat Anfinrud organization… is that even true?” his butler wasn’t bothered by the sudden change of topic as he answered as formal as ever, “I’m not allowed to know more about your family’s plans in detail. I’m only here to take care of you, young master.”
He rested the back of his hand on his closed eyes as he smiled a little, “Take care of me or tame me? Because I’m a wild animal?”
The butler frowned, “That—!”
“Why don’t you call me by my name, Armand?” The butler stood still and stared at the young master, who slowly pushed himself up and fixed his eyes on the stoic man, “Try calling me by my name…?”
After a long moment, the butler called, “Young master Javi.”
Javi stared in silence at the man before looking down at the bed in evident disappointment, “mm…” he hesitated, “Can you…” he slowly patted the space beside him, “…can you stay with me?” he continued when the other blinked, looking confused, “Let’s talk… let’s talk about anything…” he was assured when the man listened to his request and walked silently to sit beside him on the bed, removing his glasses with a smile as he asked, “Did you go to the beach this morning?” the butler’s smile dropped at the heavy silence he was met with.
The young master kept staring down at the black blanket, “There is no need to go there anymore…” he slowly turned to look at the worried butler, “You never talk about yourself, Armand…”
Armand looked taken aback by the demand; he smiled wide and put his hand proudly on his chest, “Well, I’m just an ordinary guy working for his precious young master!” he chuckled at the frowning face of his young master, “Alright, alright.” He turned to look ahead with a nostalgic smile, “I had a sister. Our parents died when we were still little kids… we lived in the streets for weeks until we met Ral Cavalon, your father…” Armand looked rather fond of the memory of his father, Javi thought.
“We started to work for him in exchange for a place to live here. My sister soon became the most reliable maid in this house, and I became the leader of the security guards in the secret mafia branches under the Cavalon family.” He looked down with an unreadable expression, “The Cavalons controlled some mafia groups in the past, but not anymore… when your father became the new boss of the family, he changed everything and started a normal company. The rest of the family never agreed with him. However, they still kept quiet and did as told. And thus, he collaborated with Anfinrud company to work on projects together, but things changed for some unknown reasons… and now they are enemies to each other.”
The young master caught a glimpse of sadness in the usually poker-faced man.
“I’m still in charge of the guards here, but my only concern is you, young master. Your mother asked me to take good care of you, so I will do just that. It’s not like I liked my job as a mafia guard… but I did what I had to do to ensure my sister’s life and safety.” He suddenly became aware of how silent the young master was and glanced to the side, finding the kid staring with wide eyes as he tried to keep up with all the unexpected news; he chuckled, “Ah, sorry. That was too much information for you…”
“And… your sister…?” Javi asked curiously, recalling how he had never met anyone close to Armand.
The man’s smile remained as he answered, “She’s dead.” He added when he noticed the shock on the younger’s face, “She died from an illness.”
“uh…” Javi quickly turned his face to the other side, awkward and regretting, “um…”
“She loved you~” the young master widened his eyes when the other suddenly cooed as he stroked his hair fondly; he could hear the smile from the man’s tone, “She used to explain to everyone how cute and lovely you are! And she wasn’t lying!” the young master‘s eyes retreated to looking cold in an instant, “Am I?” the hand on his head paused, he shrugged his head away from the hand as he coldly asked again, “Aren’t I just the deadly shadow? The perfect murderer?”
“Javi.”
He stilled with wide eyes at the stern tone of the man, who, for the first time, called his name without formalities and surprisingly sounded… upset at him. He turned to look at the other, eyes gaining a bit of their light despite facing an angry Armand.
“You are just Javi. You are yourself and not what anyone says you are.” The butler said sternly, “I know I keep telling you everything will be alright, and you’re still forced to kill people you don’t even know… these are not just pretty words. I mean it! I’ll try my best to make it better for you! And I will keep trying.” Smiling slightly, “So… let’s keep trying together… be what you want, even when their chains tie you down for now or for years. One day… I’m sure… you’ll find your chance.”
“You’ll find your chance.”
I depended on those words as I slowly came back to life and gradually learned how to live despite the sickly missions I was given.
I believed in them, Armand.
Yet I still question myself…
Was it really my chance, Armand?
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The End of CH. 17.2