ONE DAY LATER :

Mira and Anya walked into the gardens on Mira's house, going towards the patio that had been set up with tea and variety of snacks for them.

Anya smiled and chatted lightly to the Butler who talked to both the girls and directed the maids to pour the tea and ask after them. Once every maid retreated, Anya took her teacup and swirled the tea around it, the animated emotion in her face draining faster than parchment soaking up water.

Mira did not even reach for her tea.

Both girls sat together, both with opposing thoughts in their minds that they sensed but did not want to voice.

"I don't want to help you."

"I need you to do me a favour."

Both of them spoke together, making the most prominent thought clear from the start.

Anya smiled, "My, how the shades have changed opposites."

Mira did not share her amusement. She did not even have a little bit of humour she could spare once she knew it all, "You were right Blueberry. The reason for the glass shattering is important."

Knowing it was coming, Anya still laughed. Fortunately, no tears came this time. She had cried it all out that night in his arms, "No Mira." She let her voice lightly soar through the bright morning filled with blooming colourful flowers in a green garden under the clear blue sky. "You were the one who was correct."

"It does not matter. Once a glass is truly broken, those shards need to be thrown away. Otherwise, everyone in contact with them will be hurt."

"Anya! Drop the metaphors!! It may be right but this is Namjoon!!"

"Precisely." Anya cut off her hysterical sentence with a calm word. "It is because it is Joon that—"

"That what?? What Anya??? You want him to be abandoned by us too?? Like every single of that damned Kang family did?? Like Narie did??? Do you understand that he has become this way because of the same history being repeated again and again??"

"Mira." Anya sipped her tea, not moved a bit by her outburst, "Have you seen him yet?"

Mollified by the out of the way question, Mira blinked her eyes, "Namjoon? Uhh no, not yet. So Hyun is meeting him right now, right? With Soyeon?"

"Why do you think he is not letting you see him?" Anya asked casually, "Why specifically you?"

The question, so carelessly spoken, chilled Mira with its implication.

"I am not abandoning him Mira, I am trying to protect him. And I need your help in achieving it." Anya picked up Mira's cup to physically make her hold it. To warm her bloodless hands, as pale as her face after the cognizance hit her.

"I asked him if he understood you all cared for him, I asked him if he was fond of the three of you. Do you wish to know his answer?" Anya placed her elbows on the table in front of her then rested her chin on her joined fingers, looking sideways with a bleak smile.

"Don't tell me." Mira's replied quietly.

Pretending not to have heard her, Anya continued, "He said, you three were the things that caused me to remain happy, which was why he would always make sure you all remain protected. But," Anya paused, speaking through the emotion clogging her throat, "but, the day any of you cause me to cry will be the day you breathe your last."

Turning her face skyward to soak up the warmth of the sun that she could no longer feel anymore, Anya said, "He has no connection to anyone except me. He doesn't understand or even feel your emotions though he has been with you for thirteen years. He is detached from everything in this world, his only attachment is me. Do you understand what it means?"

Glazed eyes, ramrod straight spine. Silence continued emitting from Mira who realized the utter horror of the fact.

Anya lightly brushed back a strand of her hair, "Help me. I want you to find something out for me, ask your grandfather, consult your family history journal. I think I had heard about it from one of your grandfather's stories in my childhood."

She got up from her seat, still feeling as empty as that night, "And till then, pray that things don't get worse. . . . than it already is."

Because there is nothing we can do to stop it.

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TWO DAYS LATER

KANG RYONG :

The lawyer knocked on the door before opening it and entering the private room in the hospital. He saw Kang Ryong lying on the bed, casts and bandages wrapped around his limbs and chest. It was a miracle that the man came to his consciousness as fast as he had after surgery was performed on him for his broken ribs having penetrated his lungs and liver.

"Sir. You asked for me." He bowed his head after coming to stand beside him to make it easier for the man lying down to watch him.

"You came! Good! Its been more than an hour since I woke up but beside my medical condition no one is saying anything to me about what happened that night! Why has my son not visited me yet? Is he okay?" he spoke quickly, his guilt for abandoning his own son forgotten in the thoughts of what he really wanted to do.

"Sir, please calm down. I will let you know." The lawyer sighed in his mind, thinking if the news would completely shake the man. He was still one of their firm's major clients, which meant, he did not want to accidentally push the man to have a cardiac arrest.

"Do you perhaps. . . remember a bit about that night? An employee of yours committed mass killing that night after luring you all in the same place."

Kang Ryong stayed quiet, his watchful eyes guarded. He nodded his head as an indication for him to continue.

Sensing that the man seemed to retain some memories of that night he had his accident filled with horrible events, the lawyer spoke with a detailed, organised and rehearsed speech.

"Yoon Soo was a man employed by Mr. Kim Namjoon as the assistant manager of his main estate. He was the son of Mr. Namjoon's nanny and Mr. Kang Sejun's butler. He was present in the gathering you had. For reasons unknown, he held a deep grudge over every single attendant of the evening get together, including his parents.

He dug the eyeballs out of Hong Yi and. . . . your eldest son Jong Gi. Then he broke Jong Gi's arm." Hesitating in even mentioning what had happened, the lawyer blotted away the sweat that had gathered on his forehead. What had been done had to go beyond the scope of even a psychopath.

"Mr. Kang, he broke Mr. Jong Gi's right arm, then peeled the flesh from the two bones of his forearm. He then roughly used the bones to. . . proceed and stab Mr. Hong Yi and your son in non fatal places causing a heavy amount of blood loss. Their tongues have been cut and they were left on the floor with burnt foot.

You were found thrown out of the house.

He outright killed Ms. Ji Oh and his father. His mother came to the villa to find him in a mad haze hacking his father's body with a piece of glass shard. Seeing his mother, he attacked her too. She is seriously injured.

Fortunately, Mr. Hong Yi and your son have been saved, but their conditions. . . are not stable. There were six servants in the house that were the witness to the crime being committed and they have given statements while they were hiding. They saw it all happen, which means you will not have to go through the trauma of being questioned.

Although I should also let you know, despite our best efforts, this news has been leaked outside and has caused quite a sensation in the public. Mr. Namjoon has sent his CEO Kim Min Hwang who is the one dealing with everything, including managing your hospital stay.

Yoon Soo has been apprehended and charged with murder and manslaughter and I can assure you, even though his mental state is being called in question, such a dangerous psychopath will be no doubt put down for the society to stay safe."

Although they did have witnesses and the crime scene, it still completely baffled the detectives on the case as well as him. It was just physically impossible to have done it all in the span of less than an hour, not to mention Yoon Soo did not have the strength to tear off a limb or to peel off the muscles attached to it.

The whole house was combed and no weapons were present that could have let him use it to cut off a limb. Added on top of it, from the pattern of the way the remaining part of the arm looked, doctors said it had to have been torn up, not cleanly cut by a sharp instrument.

Another puzzling matter was that there was no trace of any flammable liquid, neither was there any signs of fire. No fireplace, no bucket of coals, no nothing. But the burn on the soles of their foot was third degree. Just how?

He paused a bit, not sure how to drive the truth home, but when he saw Kang Ryong looking calm and composed, he told him in a straight manner, "Mr. Kang, as things stand, your younger son is for all intents and purposes, in a coma, while your eldest is in a bad shape. When he regained his consciousness. . . . he seemed unmanageable. He was screaming and crying in horror but due to his absent tongue. . . Well, His mental state has collapsed. At this point, the legacy of your inheritance is—"

"Anya. Kim Anya. Can you reach her? I want to meet her." Kang Ryong suddenly stopped the lawyer from talking further.

Hearing the question actually made the lawyer happy. He stopped talking about the situation right away and nodded, "In fact sir, Ms. Anya coincidentally came with me. She is right outside your room. She came to pay her respect. Shall I call her in?"

Hearing the response, Ryong's entire expression brightened, "She is outside? Why? Call her in! she came to see me?? Why did you not tell that first??"

The lawyer paused. Meeting the young woman was more important than knowing about his sons? The news of his son did not even perturb the man who became visibly perked up at the mention of a girl?

It seemed, Mr. Min Hwang's instructions had some merit to them after all.

The lawyer bowed, but informed the injured older man in a firm voice, "I will be waiting to escort Ms. Anya back. I wish you a speedy recovery."

"You do not need to do that. There is a lot I need to tell her and it may take up a lot of your time."

"Ms. Anya informed me that she will not be more than 10 minutes." This time, the lawyer's voice had an edge to it, "And it will be advisable to seek rest for your recovery rather than tiring yourself out."

Kang Ryong's brows furrowed, "Is this the manner you talk to your clients?"

"Our Client is your company, not just your division of it. As I have had my instructions clearly spelled out to me by both the chairman and the CEO, I will naturally abide by it. Have a good day sir." He turned and left without giving Ryong a chance to talk back.

But the disgruntlement in his eyes did not last long, when he saw the closed door to his room opening again, and Anya stepping inside.

A smile naturally formed on his lips, tugging them upwards. He forgot the pain in his body, forgot about his sons, forgot the events of the night that ended with him being here.

All he knew was that this was the first time that the girl he had loved so much from afar, had come to visit him. Him. not an excuse, but to visit him.

"Anya!" his voice was filled with a bright welcome, "Have you come to see me?"

Anya walked towards him with a steady gait, placing a bouquet of flowers on his bedside.

"You brought me flowers? Thank you so much!"

Anya placed the bouquet in the vase and stepped back, "Do you recognise the flower?"

Ryong looked over at them, then looked back at the girl, his joy slowly seeping out.

White chrysanthemums.

Funeral flowers.

Anya spoke again in a detached, blank voice, "These are not for your sons. Your sons, will not die. Originally, you weren't supposed to either. I apologise for my mistake, but it seems I might have instigated your upcoming death."

Ryong looked at her closely, seeing the things he had missed in his excitement. He had watched this girl for years now, always finding a way to keep tabs on her. He knew her. He loved her.

But the girl he loved was a colour in herself. A colour of life. Bold, beautiful, bright and filled with passion.

The girl standing in front of him, was a lifeless white.

Filled with extreme distress, Ryong felt a lava of anger boiling within him, "Did that Monster do this to you? Are you aware that—"

"I have recently been told that you have loved me for quite sometime now." Anya asked as she wandered to the window, looking outside through the closed glass. She peered outside for a while, before sitting down on the sofa, facing Ryong's side.

The simple way she said the most profound secret of his life, disoriented him, "Yes. For years now."

Anya said nothing. Her eyes appeared lost as they stared unseeingly at some point on the wall.

Filling in the silence, words poured out of his mouth which he had supressed for so long, "I have loved you for years now. True Love Anya. Truest I have ever felt. I always dreamed of you belonging to me while I belonged to you as well, a crazy dream, considering my age. But I still cant help it. Since years, I wanted you to be my beautiful young bride, a bride who would be known by all because i would never stop boasting about you. I would have made everyone know how much I adore you, for generations to come. My love for you would become a running joke even after we would die, becoming a legend that all the world would know.

Because I really do. Everything about you. I would have given you the world Anya, everything that you would ever want. I am not capable of ever wronging you. All I want is to see you be happy and I would strive everyday to make it happen."

When he stopped speaking to draw in a shaky breath from the throbbing in his body, he noticed Anya still sitting blankly.

"You are aware that Namjoon is dead, right?" he asked, "Even before death, he was a monster disguised in sheep skin in front of you. Anya! I wanted to let you know, what he really was like! He wasn't the gentle and patient man you knew. He was manipulative with the most ruthlessly cold streak of a merciless being. I couldn't tell you because he would always be watching you."

"What makes you think he still isn't?" Anya softly asked. She finally focused her eyes on him, "Why do you think he is not watching you, right now?"

Her words evoked a spine chilling horror in his veins.

The red glint of his demonic eyes and sinister smile remained etched in his brain from that night. His heartbeat sped up, while an involuntary shiver shook his frame.

Anya curiously watched his reactions, saying nothing.

"Y-you n-need t-t-to stay a-away from h-hi-him." Kang Ryong said between puffs of breath as fear clouded his mind, fear for her safety, "You n-ne-need to hide somewhere."

Sitting and observing him, Anya understood his emotions for her. But she just smiled bitterly in reaction.

"I am amazed by how calmly I am sitting here, talking with you, when every cell in my body wants to strangle you to death." She whispered with a mocking chuckle.

"Anya?"

"I never knew, hatred could be so deep." She shook her head lightly, then stood up. "I came to pay my respects to you because your death, will be a direct wish that will be fulfilled for me."

Anya stepped forward to stroke the white chrysanthemums, "Frankly, it is not a burden that my soul will carry. I think I will take it as an incident I will be proud of. And for him? This will be the one death he will not be judged for." Smiling at his face, Anya conversationally said, "I asked him to make it horrible for you. He happily accepted. But do not worry, I wont let his soul be tainted from the blame. The method, is mine, not his."

Saying so, she bowed to him, then turned around to walk away.

But, Ryong's words stopped Anya. For the life of her, she could not have guessed that to be his response.

"You wish me to die? Then for you I will follow though Anya." Ryong called from behind, "But I hate that you are not taking my love for you seriously. You think it is something meaningless. . . . fleeting? Then I will prove it to you.

Someday, in some life, I will show you. I will marry you Anya, I will make you my young bride. I will belong to you."

Anya turned around to look at him, "In no life, in no death, in no afterlife will I ever be yours. And if you do claim me, it will only be a living corpse. Know this."

"At least I will still be there Anya, Namjoon won't. The sins, the deaths, the suffering staining his soul will send him to an everlasting hell. This was just the beginning, he will become someone—"

"—Someone who is no concern of yours." Anya coldly said, "His soul, is mine to protect. Happy death."

Anya walked out without another word.

Ryong watched the door close as he felt an inexplicable pain in his chest. His love, walked away. He meant the promise he made to her, he would be with her one day. He would let the world know about his love for her. One day, he would surely get her. If his love was strong, he would surely reach her.

And unlike this time, he would never let anyone gat in his way. He would remove every obstacle instead of thinking a way to balance it. May it even be killing whoever stood between them. He would get her to acknowledge his love, however it may be.

Thud.

Disturbed by the unexpected sound blocking his thoughts, Kang Ryong looked over to his window, watching a little sparrow trying to enter the closed glass.

Thud.

His body made the sound again when it crashed on the glass. Few more sparrows gathered and sat on the sill, unerringly watching him with beady eyes.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud!

Thud!

THUD!

THUD!

The sparrow kept increasing the force, until it started banging hard on the glass, its body crashing so hard, that blood started staining the glass.

It kept banging itself hard, until the window became bloody and its body sloped down, dead.

The rest of the sparrows sat still, watching him. not a single one moved.

Kang Ryong was breathing heavily, his broken ribs shattering his breath as he sat still, horror climbing in his heart not just for the bird outside, but because like a broken porcelain doll, he couldn't move either.

All of a sudden, the mass of sparrows sitting still, flew away.

Before his heart could recover, the glass was hit again.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

THUD! THUD! THUD!

THUD! THUD! THUD!

THUD! THUD! THUD!

THUD! THUD! THUD!

THUD! THUD! THUD!

THUD! THUD! THUD!

THUD! THUD! THUD!

The window became covered with scarlet ruby as countless birds fell down dead one after the other. The glass kept moving from the impact, violently trembling against the onslaught, until it finally broke.

The sparrows all flew in with shrieking fury, going straight for his body.

Kang Ryong felt fear choke him, petrified into a statue as the birds densely covered his body.

Alerted by the horrific screams coming from the room, the nurses all rushed in and immediately called for the doctor on the sight that greeted them.

Kang Ryong was screaming, shouting in utter despondent fear with his wide horrified eyes seeing something invisible to others, as he scratched and clawed his own body.

His nails tore into his flesh, clawing the skin from the muscles, his bandages torn up, covered in blood.

His gut wrenching fear filled cries for help did not stop, neither could his hands be restrained from digging into his own body, perceiving and battling against an unseen danger.

The doctor came hurriedly and commanded at once, "Restrain him!! I was afraid this would happen! After the trauma he underwent, I knew his mind might break once he got to know what happened to his sons!"

The nurses and doctors tried with all of their might to stop his hands while Kang Ryong vehemently fought against them all, screaming the entire times, "GET THE BIRDS AWAY FROM ME!! THEY ARE TEARING ME APART! HELP ME!!!"

A lone sparrow sat on the sill of the closed hospital window with an intact glass and watched silently as the doctors sedated Ryong and put him in a psychiatric vest after treating his injuries, transferring him to the psychiatry ward.

After some time, it flew away.

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A/N : Vote and comment if you like it!