[Music Recomndation: "Forever Rain" by BTS - RM - instruntal version by Smyang Piano]
***
[Agent Helios POV]
[Several years ago, when Eun-Woo was still a child...]
Clink. Clank. Thud.
"Hm... I wonder what brother is doing?"
The little tilted my head as I peeked through the gap of the slightly closed door to my brother’s room. Scratching my tiny head, my eyes followed his every movent.
My brother, Young-Soo, was a handso young man back then. Always smiling, gentle, and very kind. For so reason, he was busy packing things in his bag.
"Eun-Woo’ya," he called my na without looking at , "if you’re trying to peek, you should do a better job at hiding. I can see you from here."
He then turned around to look at and smiled while extending his hands toward . My face lit up, and I quickly ran towards him in an embrace. He picked up in his arms and shot up high in the air like a superhero since I sohow liked to do that when I was a child. And lastly, he carried in his arms and hugged .
"Don’t tell you missed already?" Young-Soo chuckled. "We were just playing a mont ago when you woke up, sleepy-head."
"Uhm... not exactly," I tried to deny it, but my eyes gave away. It instantly landed on the bag he was preparing. "Where are you going?"
"Ha-ha-ha! I knew it! Can’t stand a day without , huh?"
"Hmp! Not really!" I lied and pouted. Still, my eyes were fixed on the bag. "Will you be gone long?"
Young-Soo tried his best to hide his laughter.
"Don’t worry, my dear little brother. I won’t be gone long. and my friends are just going to camp later. You know—embrace nature and appreciate its beauty and stuff. Bla our astrology professor. We sohow have a project about watching the stars."
"Tsk!" the little clicked my tongue. "You can watch the stars from here," I murmured.
"Apparently, the forest where we’re going has a good spot for stargazing. So I’m packing the stuff we’ll need for the night, and of course, telescopes. I already asked dad’s handyman to prepare it for . Should be ready in the car now."
Hearing that, of course, I brooded and pouted. Ever since my mother passed away, I have beco especially attached to my brother. Father was too depressed and buried himself with work, so it was just the two of us that tried to cheer each other up. And just like with anyone whom I had grown especially fond of, I hated parting with them—even for only a little bit.
My eyes looked around once more, thinking of other things to ask—my little attempt to delay him and also think of how I could probably persuade him not to go. Seeing his exquisite suit, my simple mind back then thought of sothing.
"If you’re going stargazing, why are you dressed handsoly?" I asked with my gaze piercing through him. "You’re not going stargazing, are you? You’re going on a date! I read it in a book! n dress up when they’re trying to impress a woman! Aha! I got you!"
Young-Soo burst out laughing from what I said.
"? Pft! On a date? Ha-ha-ha-ha! I can’t believe your tiny brain already knows those stuff. Ha-ha-ha! But seriously, no. The last thing I care about right now is romance since I am so busy with this mischievous brother of mine who wouldn’t let out of his sight!"
Young-Soo then tickled my sides until I couldn’t help but laugh and try to get off his arms.
"S-stop, brother! Ha-ha-ha-ha! I won’t do—ha-ha-ha-ha!"
"That’s the punishnt of nosy little kids."
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Young master, the car is ready," the butler suddenly ca and inford him. "Is there anything else you wish to pack? Let assist you."
"Oh, I’m good, Mr. John. Thanks."
Hearing that, tears started to swell in the corner of my eyes.
"You’re going already?"
"Yeah, I’m afraid so," he replied, patting my head.
"B-but... but..."
"Don’t worry. I’ll return soon and bring you a present, okay?"
"Sniff... p-promise?"
I didn’t really want a present, but there wasn’t much I could do.
"Yes. I promise."
Giving the warst smile and gently patting my head, he bid goodbye. I followed him up to the entrance door of our house until he rode in the car and waved at , still smiling. I waved back at him and did my best to smile back.
"Go ho soon, okay?!" I shouted at him. "You promised !"
"Yes, little sir!" he replied in a shout and waved his hand for the last ti.
That image of my brother happily looking at and waving his hand goodbye had been like a routine to us—just like that very ordinary day. It was the usual way he would bid goodbye to whenever he went to school or sowhere I wasn’t allowed to be yet since I was still a child.
And that was why none of us could have known...
None of us could have predicted... that it would have been his last.
His last smile... last wave of his hands... and final farewell.
...
Pit. Pat. Pit. Pat.
...
Soon enough, the heavy rain ca, and its deafening sound filled my surroundings. Its harsh droplets subrged once again into despair.
The scene of the police, detectives and all important personnel that later ca to our ho that day flashed into my eyes like a movie. Their horrible words reverberated in my ears just like how they say them in my nightmares.
"Mr. Jeon, I’m afraid your eldest son is..."
"N-No... this can’t be."
"He’s dead."
"Mr. Jeon Young-Soo... is no longer alive."
Despite the number of tis I saw this scene, the wound in my heart was still very much fresh. Along with it was the great hatred, anger, and injustice I felt.
For my dear, kind, and gentle brother to die a grueso death... just like that?
NO! My conscience would never be at peace until I avenge him! NEVER!
They said he was a thief and a psycho who enjoyed killing his prey. Because of that, dad used his connections to hide our identity from the killer lest he cos toward us and kills us next. Therefore, a trusted family attorney represented us in court in order to catch the culprit and make sure he received what he more than deserved! DEATH!
It didn’t take long for us to receive the great news of his death sentence.
It would have been a sweet vengeance knowing that... but then...
"Mr. Jeon," the Chief Investigator visited my dad and , one afternoon several years later. "I’d like to have a word with you about sothing important—if you don’t mind."
I was already in my early teens at that ti, so I had a little more mind and wasn’t too naive about everything. Dad brought him to his office, but I sneaked in, wanting to listen to their conversation, for I knew there was only one reason "that" Chief Investigator would co to our ho again.
"This..." he said, handing over sothing golden to my dad.
It was the golden pocket watch—the exact sa one with an image of an octopus monster engraved on it. With its lustrous shine, it hid its darkest secrets.
"Would you happen to know if this belongs to your late son, Mr. Jeon?"
"That wretched thing! The investigators asked that years ago, and I said no!" dad answered in a heightened tone.
Bringing up what happened to my brother or anything related would always reopen our biggest wounds.
"I don’t understand why you co here to simply ask sothing I answered years ago," dad added, with his voice shaking and his face red in anger.
"I understand this is hard for you to take, Mr. Jeon, but—"
"The culprit has been sentenced to death! What more do you want by bringing this up again? Do you want to torture us?! Remind how my son died?!"
"No! Certainly not, Mr. Jeon. It’s just that... a request for reinvestigation ca from the family of the culprit, and it’s not sothing we can simply ignore."
"Why reinvestigate sothing that has been judged already? All evidence has been presented! What more do they want?! To find out our identity and what? Go after my youngest son and ? I already lost a son, so NO! I am NOT going through this again!"
"We can hide your identities, so there is no need to worry about that. But we may need your cooperation to answer a few more questions once again, the sa with everyone else involved, and the witnesses, and—"
"Enough! No! I will not participate in this!"
"Mr. Jeon, I’m afraid we don’t have much choice in this. You see... the request not only ca from the culprit’s family, but it also ca from Mythos. As you may already know, any case they touch... will follow their process."
At those words, dad’s eyes widened.
"Mythos... Hah! I see..."
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