Promises

Aldric Sheng had a very bright smile on his face as he looked at the presentator after the meeting. It was a golden time for Altec, prospering with sales. But all throughout the while, he had noticed Ryu was a bit disconnected from the whole scenario. The smile from his face vanished. 

"It was a great time with you Mr Sheng. Hope to meet you again." One of the older shareholders happily shook his hand and that of Ryu's. When they left the cabin, Aldric turned behind and had a piercing look in his eyes. Ryu was indifferent to his gaze. 

"Ryu Sheng. Is it just me or have you lost all interest in my plans for you." Aldric asked with a frown. Ryu sighed. He didn't know what to say. 

"This was my dream for you son! To carry on my name! If you weren't so persistent on my idea then I would've gladly appointed Lyra to carry on the business but she had other plans. You're my only hope Ryu. I know you'll carry on my business quite well. You've been handling it great for the past few months. I'm sure you'll keep going." He kept a hand over his shoulder and tried to reassure him. 

"I've told you not to keep high expectations of me." Ryu replied back for the first time in the afternoon. Aldric was left in silence for a moment. He didn't expect his son to reply like that. Ryu had always been unresponsive to his affection, but he knew the boy cared for him and trusted him more than anyone else. He usually kept silent to his demands but now he had begun talking back.

"You know how worried I am for you both. If she were still here I wouldn't be so stressed as I am now Ryu." He knew that Aldric was talking about his late wife. Ryu smirked at his gentle pampering to get him to obey him. That's what the old man's always done…

"I know very well what I'm doing. I'll join you in your silly meetings as much as I can. But don't expect me to suddenly continue your empire like you did. I'll take time just like you did." Ryu said coldly as he leaned against the glass panes of the luxurious cabin. Aldric nodded weakly. He had nothing to do other than trust his words. All he wanted was his children to be safe, especially Lyra. 

_____

Darah was gazing at the view over the windowsill,  observing the large stretch of land surrounded by tall walls. A person had enough place to play as much as a football stadium on either sides or even more than that. The room she was currently in, looked like a luxury suite. Her body felt cold from a sudden breeze that rushed inside. She shivered, hugging her hands on either side of her loose black netted frill sleeves. Darah suddenly thought of her sister. It had been a while since she last heard her voice. What if she wouldn't even make it out alive anymore? Hours had passed by in the lonely room, the tv playing in the background as she wandered blankly. It was starting to get dark outside. Suddenly, the lights of the bright red car flashed at the gates and knowing who it was, Darah moved from the windows.

When Ryu came back exhausted, Mrs Ruo rushed to his side to hold his blazer while he slowly opened a few buttons down his collar. He cracked his knuckles and was headed straight to his room when the old lady held his sleeve as if to tell something serious. 

"Young master, I tried my best to get her to eat today. But she kept resisting and I gave up. I feel bad because it looks like she's very depressed… I don't know what to do." The old lady said in a low voice and Ryu looked absolutely baffled. If even Mrs. Ruo couldn't get her to eat then what can he do? She hadn't eaten for a whole day. He nodded and closed his eyes slowly as to reassure her and then left for his room upstairs. On going there, he noticed the adjacent room of Darah and saw that the door was partly opened but it was dark inside. He went to freshen up first before he went to see her.

He got in and closed the door, slowly unbuttoning his shirt further. But then a knock at his door distracted him and he opened it casually only to see Darah, cheeks flushed as she looked at his bare chest under the opened buttons. 

"Darah?" Ryu stared in suspicion. Her gaze was on the floor to avoid looking into his eyes which were fixated on her little frame. 

"I-I have a request." Darah said in a low voice. 

Ryu was silently watching her, her hands shaking and her body weak. Her gaze wasn't steady, wandering here and there as she spoke. He felt like it was partly because of him, that she was afraid to stand near him. 

"Yes…?" He muttered, his brows knitting together. 

"I want to call my sister. It'll be quick." She folded her hands before her chest tightly, as if silently pleading. He wanted to deny at first because of what she did the previous time but he couldn't lie, that he felt sorry for the way he treated her. He looked away and blinked slowly, pulling a phone out of his drawer. Handing it over he warned. 

"You know the conditions. Don't make a useless attempt like the last time." He said coldly as Darah took the phone from his hands. He noticed that her skin felt too cold against his. She nodded and gave a call… Her sister picked up at the first ring itself. 

"Hey-"

"Don't tell me your phone broke again! Is this your friend's number? Should I save it?" Since she didn't call her sister often, Darah knew the latter would be fine without a few days of texts or calls. She put on a happy smile as she held in her tears. She didn't even know why she was crying. 

"No no you don't have to save it. How have you been, idiot?" She asked in a happy tone as Ryu watched in amusement. She sure knew how to put on an act. Darah talked for a while, asking things which sounded completely meaningless to Ryu but he kept watching with a glint of interest. She didn't take long just like she said and handed over the phone when she was done. 

"Thank you…" Darah said in a low voice

There was silence for a few seconds. Ryu seemed even more amused. So she was finally learning to cooperate. Nice!

"Yes yes you're welcome"  He replied proudly, leaning his head to a side playfully. Of course she should be thankful that she wasn't stuck with some cold blooded devil. 

"And sorry…" Darah said, pointing to his wound. 

"For that. I wasn't thinking straight." She lowered her head. 

Ryu was speechless. Was this even Darah Chen? Where was the wild beast inside her that he saw that night!? He silently placed the phone back over the drawer, not breaking eye contact with her. In the dim golden lights, she looked like a fragile little flower that would wither any moment. His gaze turned serious. 

"Now that I've fulfilled your favour, I have a request. I am not your enemy, Darah. And I surely do not want you to starve. So please, eat something for tonight. If you do, I'll take you back home. " Ryu didn't even know if he was lying to himself but seeing Darah's face light up in the slightest happiness made his mind feel at ease. She was looking at him, full of warmth in her eyes which were almost glassy from holding back the tears after talking to her sister. 

"Thank you." She said again but this time her voice was barely audible. She saw Ryu's gaze locked with her's and couldn't believe it was that of a killer's. It looked so welcoming and comforting…. But suddenly her world began to spin and darkness came over her view. 

"Darah!" 

All she heard was his frantic shout as her body lost it's balance.