6
I walked down the hallway toward the office with double wooden doors. With my hands in my pockets, I watched a woman leave the room accompanied by a tall, robust man. The woman stared back at me as she approached, her black eyes narrowing.
Kuren was a short and slender woman, but she had a stern expression. She was Shin and Kenji’s mother.
"Ryuuji," she greeted me coldly without stopping to walk.
I didn’t knock before entering the office, and the first thing I felt was the soft scent of incense. My attention was drawn to the man sitting in the leather chair near the glass wall. I approached, stopping in front of the desk, earning the attention of the dog lying in the corner of the room.
My father turned his head toward me, his brown eyes analyzing me silently, and his white hair was identical to mine—an inheritance passed down through the entire Hataki family, the great Hebi Clan.
"You look well," he commented, breaking the silence. "Where have you been? You should have come to see me as soon as you arrived," he reminded, relaxing in the leather chair, making me notice his dark suit and silver vest. He also wore a Snake pin on his lapel.
"I never received a visit from you at the reform school. I thought you weren’t in a rush to see me," I shot back, frowning.
"Still angry?" he accused with a calm smile. "The reform school was a punishment, and a very light one compared to what you did, Ryuuji," he declared, making something cold crawl down my spine.
I bit my lip, refusing to think about the incident, refusing to think about all the blood and the scream.
"Now, that’s in the past. We don’t need to revisit it," he said, crossing his long legs. "You’re home, and that’s what matters," he reassured with another smile.
I walked around his office and threw myself onto the comfortable sofa, his dog following me in search of affection. My father approached with quiet steps, and I didn’t move away when he sat next to me, making me feel his familiar warmth.
"Since you’re home, you need to get back to your duties as soon as possible," he explained, revealing a tablet. "Since you’ve been gone for so long, you’ll be under supervision."
He handed me the device, and I read the long list of my obligations for the coming week.
"The younger ones were lost without you; it was hard getting them back on track," he commented, resting his arm on the back of the sofa behind me. "They’re as rebellious as they are impulsive, and they need a leader to keep them in check."
I put the tablet aside, remembering the black girl with angular eyes I saw earlier.
"Is that why you called her?" I asked, not looking at him.
"She came to me," he corrected gently. "Have you met her?" he asked, touching my hair.
"No, but I saw her in the courtyard," I said, forcing myself to ignore his touch. "Why is she here?" I asked, caught by his gaze.
"The mother died in an accident, and she needed a place to belong," he answered, holding my gaze. "Artemis is an intelligent girl. She learned our customs and rules, she knows how to defend herself, and she’s become the best in training," he explained, removing his hand before standing in front of me. "Artemis has taken on all your responsibilities, and you know what? She’s doing quite well."
"But she’s not a Hataki," I retorted angrily.
"Artemis has my blood. She may not have inherited our legacy, but I’m still her father, and you, her half-brother. You should treat her as an equal," he said in a low and severe voice.
"Treat her as an equal?" I murmured, forcing a smile. "She needs to earn that, don’t you think, sir?" I challenged, holding the weight of his gaze.
"This is not a competition, Ryuuji," he pointed out, hiding his hands in his pockets.
"Then don’t act like she could replace me," I declared, stepping in front of him.
"Maybe when you start acting like a Hataki again, like the leader you were raised to be, I won’t consider someone else as my heir," he declared, tilting his head without changing his expression.
I clenched my jaw, forcing my body to stay still, but the anger burning in the emptiness of his eyes was disturbing.
"You broke the first and most horrible rule. You spilled your own family’s blood. Do you know how shameful that was?" he asked, making me step back and avoid his gaze.
I walked toward the door, feeling my heart pounding in my ears. The image of the blood burned back into my thoughts, making me nervous and restless.
"I’m not done!"
I stopped abruptly, gripping the doorknob.
"You want their loyalty back? Earn it and go back to being my damned heir."
Sitting on the wooden floor, I watched the training on the other side of the central garden. The open doors allowed me to see the white kimonos, the perfectly synchronized movements, and the sweat shining on the exhausted faces. It made me feel at home for the first time since I arrived.
I watched Artemis at the front line. She wasn’t sweating like the others and didn’t look tired at all. Her movements were flawless; it was like watching her in a disgustingly beautiful dance.
Kenji and Shin had told me many things about her: the night she arrived and got a room, her first day of training, how in two months she managed to double the sales and earned the respect of half the younger members... and my father.
Artemis had gained power while I was gone.
The training ended, and everyone relaxed. Still sitting, I watched my friends approach, both sweaty and tired.
"You should’ve joined in," Shin commented, pointing to the training room.
"Give me a break, I just got back," I grumbled, raising an eyebrow.
Kenji extended his hand, helping me to my feet.
"It’s gonna be nice to train together again," he smiled, untangling his belt excitedly. His platinum hair, wet with sweat, fell onto his forehead.
"Do you miss getting beaten up?" I teased, following him down the long hallway, away from the judging stares. We walked together through the empty house toward my room.
"Ryuuji."
The confident voice made me stop at the top of the stairs. Kenji and Shin fell silent, waiting for my reaction. I wet my lips and turned around, finding Artemis with her platinum hair loose and the kimono still perfectly aligned with her slim body.
"Artemis," I greeted her, noticing we were alone.
"Dad said I should introduce myself," she commented, not breaking her gaze. "I’m glad you’re back. I’m looking forward to working with you," she said, extending her hand toward me.
I just stared at her, ignoring her greeting.
"We’re not working together," I declared seriously, my gaze moving to her long, wavy hair. It looked like a beautiful silver waterfall. I reached my hand toward her and waited for her to step back, but Artemis stood firm.
Without rushing, I touched her hair, feeling the soft strands slip like water through my fingers.
"What are you doing?" she criticized.
"Dad’s wrong," I started, returning to her eyes, identical to mine. "No matter what you do, you’ll never be a Hataki." I smiled, watching her face twist into fury. "Looking for a place to belong?" I asked, leaning toward her, amazed she remained still, glaring at me with clenched teeth and a furious look. "You’re in the wrong place, little girl. You’ll never be one of us."
I stepped back, feeling the tension rise, but I kept smiling as I turned my back and headed up to my room.