Chapter 2 - Storm

"What is the meaning of this?!" The old man, Lord Raven roared in anger, crunching a piece of paper in his hands before tearing it to pieces and throwing it toward the trash bin at the side of his desk.

A group of his personal doctors was standing, shivering in fear in front of his desk inside his study. They stood in silence, trying not to irk the old man's ire any further, lest they would be singled out to suffer his wrath.

The paper that was now in crumbles and was resting like colorful sprinkles atop a bowl of ice cream, was actually the final report, an analysis of the Young Master, his son's health, and mental state.

The old man frowned as the bold words stuck in the forefront of his mind. "NEVER TO RECOVER, PROLONGED SUSTENANCE IS NOT ADVISABLE."

Suddenly, his fist slammed down onto his desk, causing another wave of trembling, shivering fear to spread across the half-dozen strong group of doctors standing before him.

"Honey, calm down. They are not trying to anger you, but are just giving us the sad truth." Before the old man could lose his sanity to his temper, a slender hand reached for his shoulder, and the soothing, gentle, warmth of her wife's whispers reached his closest ear.

The old man, Lord Raven sighed heavily, but no longer lashed out. Slowly he pulled back his chair and sat down once more. He reached for the supporting arm, gave it a light squeeze, and forced a smile to his wrinkled, scrubby face, looking up at those crescent-shaped, loving eyes.

"I know… I know. Still, he is.. he is…" His voice trailed off, unable to speak the horrific truth, afraid to accept the harsh reality.

"Honey, you shouldn't lie to yourself. He is…" The woman took a brief momentary pause in her tone before shifting into a somber one as she continued. "Kai Raven, your firstborn son is gone. You have to let him go. Let him rest in peace."

"N-no! He is my son, my beloved… He can't… I can't…" The old man protested, though as he spoke, his voice gradually lost its power, turning into a faint, weak whisper at the end. His eyes turned watery, as he resisted his tears escaping.

The mature lady, Madame Raven revealed a warm, graceful smile on her face, she placed her hands over both of her husband's shoulders. Gently, she began to squeeze and rub his tense muscles, providing her husband a relaxing, soothing massage as she continued to whisper in her alluring, but at the same time, compassionate-sounding tone.

"Honey, we all miss the Young Master, but it has been more than a decade. He is gone, we all have to accept this reality. He has been in a coma, alive only because of those machines he is tied to. This is not life, this is just prolonging his suffering."

The old man's body trembled as he listened to her wife's words. He knew that what she was saying was the truth.

He knew it all, yet he couldn't accept it. He lost his beloved wife on that fateful night in a cruel car accident twelve years ago.

That already crushed his heart and soul almost entirely.

The only thing that kept him going, and not following their loved ones to the afterlife himself was the faint hope he was desperately clinging to. The hope that his son one day would miraculously wake up from his comatose state and come back to him.

He sighed as he felt the caress, the loving, tender attention his current wife, that used to be his assistant have given him. He knew he was unfair towards her. He could feel the attention, the care she had given him, even though he felt he was nothing more than a husk, an empty lifeless shell of his past self, she attended to his every whim, and helped him manage the business.

They were even blessed with a new life, a second child, Robert who had just turned 10 recently. Even though he was a horrible father, a pathetic excuse of a parent to the boy, they never showed any contempt. The boy was obviously closer to her mother, Genna, but nevertheless thirsted for his father's attention.

Only if he could accept the bed-ridden youth as his brother…

"I… I can't do it, Genna. I… just can't. It's my fault he is in this state, I… I should be the one taking his place." He spoke with quivering lips and a trembling tone of voice. His vision was long since blurry, he didn't even react when the group of doctors silently excused themselves from the study and scurried away.

"You don't need to take this step alone, honey. I… We are with you, ready to help, ready to pick you up if you falter." The woman spoke, reassuring her man. "Robert and I will always be with you, help you even as we trudge through these dark and heavy times. Still… We need to give the proper respect and allow Kai to finally take his rest."

She spoke whilst massaging the old man's shoulders. Eventually, she leaned forward, pushing her buxom chest to the man's back, and gave a long kiss to the top of his head.

"This is not fair for Young Kai, honey. The doctors know it, I know it and I am sure that you know it too. You have to let him go. His mother is waiting for him above, in heaven already."

Noticing how the old man did not refute her words this time, a glint flashed across the woman's eyes for an instant before she heaved a heavy-sounding sigh and pushed further.

"Honey, don't hurt the Young Master, Kai any further. It hurts me to see him in such a state. Even though he never saw me as one, she is still family to me. She is… the same as Robert, my son. Our son."

She pushed on his shoulders ever so slightly, exerting a bit more pressure as she continued.

"Let's visit Kai one last time tonight before we call for the doctors in the morning?"

Finally, the old man did not, or perhaps could not respond. He could not come back with anything to her words. He simply slouched his shoulders in defeat and lowered his gaze.

Though he could not say it, it was clear that he finally gave in. He will not fight against the harsh, cruel reality any longer.

He will say his final goodbye to his beloved Kai tonight and allow him to join his mother tomorrow.

…

With the descending dark veil that replaced the daylight luster, so did the so-far silent, albeit gloomy weather finally erupted into an already expected stormy, chaotic night.

Heavy rain began to pour down to the ill-prepared ground below. Flood-like rain poured relentlessly, wetting the Earth in mere seconds. Quite uncanny to the end of the year's usual weather, amidst the heavy downpour suddenly loud ear-shattering roars, fearsome thundering echoes filled the skies above. A thunderstorm, a puzzling phenomenon during December has unleashed its full fervor to the world below.

"Eh… What is going on nowadays?!" Looking at the skies through the comfort of her room, the mature, long-black-haired Madam Raven, Genna frowned deeply. Still, she only gave the violent chaotic campaign of nature a fleeting glance, it didn't surmount too much more.

Turning around, she looked at her husband, the elderly and a quite feeble-looking Lord Raven who was already in bed, looking at the window with listless, lifeless eyes.

Ever since he finally accepted the fact that his beloved firstborn son, Kai was gone, and agreed that they would discuss the necessary procedures the next morning, it was as if the remaining vitality, his remaining life force have suddenly left his body, leaving behind this husk, this empty shell of a human being.

With a gentle smile, resembling that of the profile of a loving wife, Genna slowly walked over to the side of the bed, swaying her hips enticingly along the short way.

Taking her seat at the side of the bed, beside his 'beloved' husband, she leaned closer, lightly touching the top of the man's forehead, and pecked it with a warm, dry kiss.

"Honey, how do you feel? Talk to me, my love… Remember what the doctors said: It helps if you talk about it…" She whispered in an alluring, caring tone of voice.

Yet, the old man didn't react too much, not to the not too subtle attempts at seducing, nor to the warm, gentle words and light embrace. Like a lifeless husk of a human, Lord Raven stared at the window, his gray, colorless gaze replaying, reminiscing of his treasured moments, the past life with his deceased wife and his son, Kai.

He regretted a lot of his actions, his strive for power, for wealth. His focus on his work, instead of what truly had mattered: his family. His blood.

Now, before he had the chance to realize his mistakes and repent, Fate had decided to pay the ultimate price. He had lost his wife, and now, after over a decade of a fight, he will lose his son, Kai as well.

He had long realized that there was no hope, yet he didn't want to acknowledge it. For he knew that once he did, he will have to face the harsh, cruel, and most importantly; dark reality. Tomorrow will be the last time he will see his little Kai, his cheeky trickster alive.

Tomorrow, the last memory of his past life will be closed down.

He slowly turned his head, weakly moving his tired, weary gaze from the windowsill across the room, eventually looking at the vibrant, vigorous and gentle, warming look of Genna, his second wife.

Though first he did not want to marry again, nor to try to start another family, Fate, just like before, intervened. Before he knew it, after two years of mourning, and sorrow, his then-assistant, Genna had finally managed to carve out a small victory.

After hundreds of invites, Lord Raven has finally agreed to have dinner with her. After that, his memory was somewhat blurry, -most likely the advanced years showing its mark, he thought-, and before he knew it, he woke up with her naked glory beside him and they were embracing each other.

As luck would have it, not too much later, she gave the incredible, borderline miraculous news: Genna was pregnant, they were having a baby.

After that, there was nothing he could do. Feeling that he was the guilty party, and being who he was, he couldn't possibly allow her to live a life of shame. He proposed to him, which Genna happily accepted, thus becoming the new Madam Raven.

Though he liked his assistant, as they were a good party at work, he never felt the same love that she was showing to him. Still, he did what he could, and gave a life of luxury and a stable, healthy environment to their new family… Along with Kai, who was transferred to the Manor, to a side, smaller one-room building, a shed as per Genna's request.

As she argued, she did not want Robert to grow up with the constant sight of his sick half-brother staring back at him every morning, every day. Eventually, Lord Raven acquiesced, allowing Kai to stay and be tended to by staff with constant care and support.

A team of doctors and nurses were hired to attend to the young master and try their best to bring him back to their family…

…

Lord Raven sighed, showing the first somewhat sign that he was still alive. He blinked, clearing his hazy sight before he forced a tired-looking half-honest crooked smile to curve the edge of the right corner of his lips.

"I'm sorry… Genna… I truly am." He muttered, barely audibly. He heaved yet another heavy-sounding, baggage-filled sigh before adding one more sentence to it. "I do not deserve you… your love… your kindness…" His words trailed off, he sighed for the third time, as he slowly shifted his gaze, turning it back towards the window, the direction of where his son should be staying.

"Tomorrow… we will say our final farewells… My son, my Kai…" His voice cracked, his eyes turned watery, he didn't speak any further, instead turned silent, allowing the tears to escape from their constraints. He silently sobbed, mourning the loss of his family, wallowing in his self-pity, full of regret.

'If only… If only I could have another chance…' He muttered inwardly, slowly losing himself in his own memories.

Suddenly!

*Cracabooom!!*

A loud, ear-shattering sonic explosion happened right outside the window, shattering the glass along with it.

For a brief instant, the darkness of the night was replaced by an eerie, mysterious dark purple light. A strange, mysterious bolt of lightning zigzagged from heaven's above, crashing down to something beside them.

Wait!

Suddenly, the old man's eyes grew wide with the fear of his realization. Instantly, life returned to his tired body, he sprung up with an unknown source of newfound vitality, he rushed to the window.

Looking down, his already pale face turned even worse, his greatest fears turned true…

The shack of his son was now laid in ruins, with strange purplish flames still licking the remnant rubble!