~~

Rayver POV

My head was pounding with the new information, so I did the only thing I could.

I ran.

I know, how cowardly.

But what was I supposed to say?!

'Oh, that's cool. You guys kill people, sell drugs, and much more. Stay safe!'

Yeah... Might not be the best idea. I might even get a bullet through the head.

You're just exaggerating now.

I really don't think that they'll waste a bullet with you.

Did you just agree with me?!?

You know it was unclear...

Hey! Aren't you supposed to shut up?

...

Good boy.

I don't think my brain will ever be silent.

Anyway, here I am now in my room. My sanctuary.

But now that I think about it... I don't think I'm even safe here. What if they put a hidden camera here? Or a bug?!

Oh god... I might start hyperventilating now.

I should get out of here. But where would I go?! I can't go to any of my friends' places; I won't have a proper excuse to give them.

What about just the streets..? Nah, I'm not that stupid.

A--

Shush!

So the last option is... Nowhere.

I'll just have to stay in a house full of murderers.

I can only hope that I won't be their next victim.

~~

Regina POV

"How could you drop it just like that?! You should've thought it through before telling him that!" I just rolled my eyes.

"Then what? The result will always be the same, Padre. He took it better than I expected." I said, shrugging nonchalantly.

Padre didn't give me an answer but instead just slumped down on his seat, looking stressed as fuck.

I rolled my eyes, "Oh, come on, Padre. He'll come around soon. It's not like he should be expecting us to drop all of our Mafia positions for him."

My weds caused him to freeze, then he looked up at my emotionless eyes.

"Regina... I am going to ask you a question which I wish you will answer truthfully." Padre said slowly and carefully as if he was talking to a wild beast.

I gave him a single frown but kept my face stoic and impassive. I nodded for him to continue.

"If ever the day comes... That you would be given a choice... Whether your brother or the Mafia, what would you choose, and what will you give up?"

Little did my father know, I have already made my choice.

I silently stared at him before giving my answer.

~~

Inhale.

Exhale.

Inhale.

Hold.

Exhale.

The cycle went in and on until the cigarette lost its life. I stared at it, fiddling with the stick with my hand.

How could something so small end up killing millions and millions of people?

The sound of a door opening and closing intrigued me. Mostly because the sound came from the outside of my balcony.

I walked towards it, seeing a figure down below on a marble garden bench.

I watched for a good five minutes what he was doing, then I exited my room to head to the garden.

Not making a sound, I opened the door leading to the backyard. As I did, a gust of wind crept to my arms. Good thing I haven't taken my leather jacket off.

Still not speaking a word, I walked up to him, seeing that he was in deep thought, he didn't notice me sit down beside him.

I think he soon noticed my presence because a small gasp was heard. Inaudible to most, but my training let me hear the slightest of sounds.

He didn't make a start to any conversation, so I did not say anything as well.

Finally, after I watched a caterpillar crawl on a leaf for seven minutes and forty-eight seconds, the silence was stopped.

"Are... Are you guys really part of the Mafia?" I didn't miss the hesitation and fear in his voice.

I felt a weird feeling in my chest, like someone pricked it with a pin when the fear reached my ears.

What was that?

"Rayver, we aren't part of the Mafia. We are the Mafia." I answer him.

From the corner of my eye, I see his face slowly contorted into a frown.

"But... Isn't that the same thing?"

Still not facing him, I replied, "No, it's not. Being a part of the Mafia means that you work for it. It means that you are just one in a million. While being the Mafia, means that you are the leader. Without you, there is no Mafia."

He nods, looking distracted. I discreetly turn my head to him to get a better view of his expressions, but what I saw was his face, looking like he was having a mental battle with himself.

What's up with him?

"So... What now?" He asked after a period of quietness. I turn to him, raising a questioning eyebrow. "I mean, what do I do? Do I even need to do anything? Like, I know I'm not very good at this thing, it is your thing, but do you guys want me to--"

"Rayver," I say sternly, stopping him from rambling.

He blushed in embarrassment. "Sorry."

I rolled my eyes at him.

What a cutie.

Wait, what?

Ew. What is happening with my brain?!

I think he has brainwashed me. That asshole.

"Training."

He looked at me, surprised that I spoke, but confused at what I said. Idiot.

"That's what I want you to do. I want you to train." I explained.

He then grew slightly pale, "U-um, train? Train for what?"

I studied his face. He looked like he thought I would train him to be the next Mafia leader or to be an assassin.

"Self-defense, of course. What did you think?!" I snapped, making him flinch.

Again with that weird prickly feeling. How do I get rid of that?!

"O-oh. Yeah, self-defence... Right." He stammered out. I grew quiet once more after that.

After a while, I stood up and prepared to leave, but before I did, I gave him final instructions for tomorrow.

"It's Sunday tomorrow, so I expect you to be in the gym at 0700. Got it?" Without waiting for an answer, I continued, in my most stern voice, "Tomorrow your training begins."

Then, I left.

~~

Rayver POV

What just happened?

What did she mean by zero-seven-hundred? Am I supposed to know what that even means?

It's the military time for seven am, you dork.

Oh.

~~

"You. Are. Late."

I gulped loudly in fear, my eyes wide as they could get. I stood frozen at the doorway, wondering how in the world she knew I had arrived before I even got in.

I kind of got lost, so I had to look everywhere before I finally remembered where I'm supposed to go.

Taking a deep breath to calm my nerves -not that it worked- I pushed open the door, frowning as I looked around the place.

It was empty.

She was nowhere to be seen.

But didn't I just hear her speak a few seconds ago?

Then all of a sudden, I felt my feet detach themselves from the ground, the gravity pulling my back soon after.

I shrieked, shocked at what happened, then sat up, rubbing my butt which cushioned the fall.

"No sixth sense." I heard her voice say. It wasn't taunting or disappointment, she was simply stating the fact. "Get up." She ordered.

I scrambled up quickly, not wanting to anger her. She walked in front of me until she was a few meters away.

She looked at my body, which was clothed in a dark green wife-beater, grey sweatpants, and white Nike shoes.

Looking at her, I noticed that we had the same types of clothes. She was wearing an all-black. tank top, joggers, and also Nike shoes.

I'm slowly starting to notice that all clothes she has are the colour black. Never once saw her go any shade lighter or any colour at all.

Just dark black.

"Did you hear what I said?!" She snapped at me loudly, causing me to break out of my trance. I sheepishly shook my head with an apologetic look. She sighed, "I said, go get that big ball over there."

She pointed to the corner of the gym, where I saw a big dark brown ball which looked very bouncy.

I wonder what we're gonna do with this...

"Put it here in the middle." She then said once I picked it up.

Following her instructions, it came to my notice that unlike my first time entering here, there wasn't a punching bag hanging on the chain which was in the middle of the room.

"I want you to lie down with your back on the top of the ball." I decided not to defy her, instead following wordlessly. "Now, as far as you can, stretch your fingertips until they can't reach anymore. The same goes for your toes."

I did what she told me, but both ends didn't get to reach much before my body started to complain.

Once she allowed me to stop, after some protests from me, she muttered, "No flexibility."

I felt myself falter with her words, but I didn't let myself get down because of that. We soon continued with other things that my body didn't enjoy doing.

~~

"No agility."

"No speed."

"No power."

"No endurance."

"No pain tolerance."

"No muscle."

"No strength."

Useless. That's what I am.

I couldn't even do anything she told me to do right. I failed every single thing that she made me do.

I can't even pick up the medium-sized dumbbell!

She let me go right before noon, telling me that even though there was school on weekdays, we still had to train.

She told me that the first thing we had to work on everything except pain tolerance, so she made a schedule.

At five in the morning, or '0500' as Ina likes to call it, we were going to go on runs which lasted for one hour and forty-five minutes.

For the next fifteen minutes straight, we were going to do some push-ups, sit-ups, squats, and some other things.

After that, I was free to get ready for school. But not for the day, though.

At night, seven pm, or '1900', we were going back to the gym, this time, we were to use the dumbbells which ranged from small to medium for me.

Not only that, but she also told me that we were to use the punching bag.

But the weird slash best part was that she told me that she was going to do all these at the same time as me.

She wasn't going to just stand by and lean on a wall and watch, no. She was actually going to do the exercises with me.

In the end, I just nodded in reply, panting too much to be able to conjure a proper answer.

Once she exited the door, I let gravity take my body again, this time, willingly.

I laid there, my eyes open, just staring at the ceiling.

I searched through my memory, thinking of what to do for the day, when I remembered that I'd been somewhat slacking off on studying for the scholastic decathlon that was in early December.

It was now in the middle of October, meaning that the school had a month and less than three weeks before the decathlon.

Hurrying out of the gym, I took the stairs to my room, preparing myself for a bunch of studying.

~~

Regina POV

Two weeks.

Two whole fucking weeks, and still no progress made with him.

I don't believe that now. He did them with me. I was there to train him, so it's fairly impossible that there is not even a smidge of improvement. More importantly, he has Luciano blood in him.

Unless...

Well, there's only one way to test out that theory.

"Look, today I'm going to do some things. I might be busy, so just work on the punching bag, alright?" I ordered him.

After receiving a confused look and a hesitant nod, I walked out of the gym.

Yeah, I lied. But I have a reason.

It's Saturday today, meaning that we usually have until noon to train as we do on weekends.

I went up to my room and stayed there for an hour, then I walked back down to the gym.

With the help of my own training, I crept up to his back without making a possible sound.

Still quiet, I raised my fist backwards to sneak a punch at him, but then he did something.

He did exactly what I expected him to do.

Before my fist made contact with his body, he turned around, grabbed my fist, and swung me on his back.

Before I would lose my balance, I caught it just in time, and stood behind him, my back facing him.

He did it. He flipped me over, and he did it subconsciously.

I could hear his gasp, but I was busy glaring at the punching bag which was just a few inches away from me.

With all my pent-up anger, I reeled back my fist again, but this time, towards the punching bag.

And in one strong punch, it detached itself from the chain, falling towards the floor.

I was breathing heavily, and if usual I don't show it, I did now.

Am I mad? No. I'm not.

I'm furious.

"Why."

That word came out of my mouth. I wanted to know. Why?

"W-why what?" His answer said.

I shook my head, "Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you let show that you were getting better?" He stayed silent, so I turned on my heel and faced him, then shouted, "Why?!"

"Because you wouldn't pay attention to me anymore, okay!" He yelled, "Because if you see that I don't need your help anymore, you won't even glance at me! I know I sound petty, but I also need to see that you would spend time with me! I would do what I needed to..."

I stood there, stunned, but not letting any feeling creep up to my face.

Does he think that I don't care?

For fuck's sake.

Does he think I don't give a flying shit about him?!

I licked my lips, and crossed my arms, just staring at him.

God... He actually thinks that I don't care even a little bit about him.

He actually thinks that I'm just talking to him because of this goddamn training!

Silence rang through the room after that. A silence quiet that the only thing you could hear was our breathing.

After a while, that annoying silence was cut by my words.

"Go change."

He looked up, confused and a bit scared. "What?"

Do I have to repeat every single word I say around him?!

"I said go change. We're going out." I waited for him to understand what I said, then he took his exit.

Once I was sure he was gone, I let out all the weird feelings that I'd been feeling.

My legs buckled, giving me no time to get my balance. Instead, I fell to the floor.

I raised my hands to look at them. They were shaking.

I furrowed my eyebrows, then I reached one hand slowly to my chest.

Why was my heart pounding so fast?

Why did it hurt so much when he said those? When he confessed what he felt I was doing to him?

That prickly feeling in my chest had become a full-blown wrecking ball.

But among all of these thoughts and feelings, his words kept on ringing in my mind. Never stopping.

"You won't even give me a glance."

Is that what he was seeing?

Or is that what I was showing him?

~~

[2658]