Half-step Purgatory

Durin stroked the black cat on the armrest of his chair, sitting on the black leather sofa. Through the glasses perched on his nose, his gaze passed over the long table in front of him and settled on the man kneeling on the carpet:
"I understand, you've made money in Naples, your business has been very successful, and you've led a happy life. You've had those secret police, friends in both the law and the underground, and even the Royal Family speaking on your behalf."
"You don't need a friend like me, I know that. You're afraid of owing me a favor, and you don't want to get involved in troubles."
"But now you come to me and say, 'I beg you, Mr. Durin of the Corleon family, please help me seek justice, so that my life and my family will not suffer and sink into despair.'
Yet, in your eyes, I was nothing more than a second-rate artist involved in movies and music. Even at the brink of death, you still show me such disrespect, not even willing to call me by my title... Keeper of Secrets."

Durin's Diary

"You're not an Immortal, but when my brother's friend's bloodline awakened, why didn't his?" The child's eyes were full of confusion.


He was young and didn't understand there's a proverb in this world that says,


"All is fate; not a bit is in one's own hands."


"Fate just didn't pay close attention to your brother at that moment," Durin could only say that.


The child thought for a moment, "Is fate that cruel?"


Yala couldn't bear it and wanted to stop the child's audacity, but Durin just shook his head, "Fate just wants to give your brother a harsher challenge."


He seemed to grasp but not fully understand, and after bidding farewell to Durin, he left.


"Won't you help that child?" Yala asked softly after he had walked far away.


She was clearly puzzled because Durin had always been helping children, but this time, he didn't reach out.


Chapter 49: Everything Has a Cause