Legacy Of The Forgotten Heir

“And to my dear grandson, Daniel Hayes.” He continued. “My fountain pen belongs to you now.”

The room fell completely silent the moment the words were spoken, even the sound of a pin dropped on the floor would be heard

But the silence didn’t last. It vanished the moment it came. Laughter, harsh and mocking, filled the room as many of them laughed, with one woman pointing at him.

A fountain pen?

Daniel felt his entire world fall apart with just a few words said to his face. He froze for a second, not able to put the words together.

It had to be a joke.

The lawyer looked closely at the pen and back at the will, then started again.

“The specific item left behind by Harold Hayes is described to be—” he caught Daniel’s horrified gaze and continued, “a rare fountain pen from the 1980s with my initials engraved on the side. It’s a generational item passed down through many generations, and I want my dear grandson, Daniel, to be the next one to hold it.”

Someone snorted immediately.

“Don’t bore us to death with Grandpa’s silly fantasy lines.”

 Daniel shook his head, he felt so embarrassed and just then, someone had walked in. A girl with long dark hair, adorned in a red gown. Daniel saw her and was happy for some moments, 

 'Sarah.' he managed to say, spreading his arms for a hug,

 He thought she was heading towards him, he really felt she was going to hug him but to his dismay, she walked past him, ignoring his entire existence.

 Daniel's world tilted a halt. He turned quickly and met her hugging someone else.

 And that someone else was his Cousin, Victor. 

 But it wasn't just a hug, the girl, Sarah, pulled Victor in for a kiss in front of everyone, it looked like forever till she stopped, both breathless as she said. "Congrats baby, I knew you'd get the best of Grandpa's will."

 Then, her head half turned, written with disgust. "Unlike that loser over there."  

 Daniel's skin went pale, his heart almost stopped working, a cold dread bathed him. He staggered backwards, 'Sarah?' He held his head as if he was experiencing a migraine. "How could you?"

 Sarah spun to him. "How could I not?" She was now a few feet away. "I strongly believed you would claim something better... something worth owning for us, I stood by you all these years and all you have to get from your grandpa is a pen?" She rolled her eyeballs and turned her back to him. "Better luck next time." 

  "Poor boy, he had served his grandfather like a slave and all he got is a pen!"

  "Forget about the pen honey, he lost his girlfriend too!"

 "How unlucky of him!" 

  Ugly laughter filled the conference room, Daniel couldn't breath. He resented them, even his parents laughed at his predicament. 

 "I heard you cleaned Grandpa's poo as well..." Victor's towering frame overshadowed Daniel as he leaned closer and asked. "...was it worth it?"

 Daniel couldn't say a word back to them. He knew better than anyone to speak where lions were gathered, the Hayes family excluding him were the lions.

 For months, Daniel took care of Harold Hayes when no one in the family volunteered. Daniel did it because he had genuine love for his grandfather. 

 But, everyone tried to convince him to stop, they tried a lot, telling him Harold Hayes, regardless of if anyone cared for him, he'd still die and everything he had worked for, will be theirs.

 Yes, Harold Hayes died about Five days ago and the news was just getting to Daniel just today. And he wasn't allowed to see his corpse. In fact, no one attempted to check on him, except Daniel. 

 Later that evening, Daniel returned to his apartment in coast city. This is one the place he based because he had no place in the Hayes mansion. 

 Even his own parents ignored his existence. Everyone turned a blind eye to Daniel because he chose to help Harold Hayes.

 Greed. 

 Daniel pushed the door open and saw a lot of furniture overturned. Belonging being trashed outside. Everything felt out of a movie. 

 "Hey!" 

 Daniel stormed into the living room, he tried to stop them but they didn't listen, they were donned in black tactical combat suits. Had these black combat glasses too and a red X mark was plastered on the top side of their shoulders.

 "Faction X?" Daniel shook his head in disbelief, he was pushed and almost trampled on by these hulking men as they quickly emptied the entire apartment. 

  Faction X, a super military operation underneath his father's control. His heart sank fast as he wondered who he'd pass down the authority to.

 "Get out of my house, Daniel." A voice so familiar it made Daniel blood run cold. 

 'No fucking way!' 

 He s quickly and met Daniel heading toward his belongings with Sarah, holding onto him like the golden boy he is. 

 Daniel still couldn't believe it. "Grandpa gave you faction X authority?" 

 But, Victor didn't answer that question. 

 "Leave this premise with your worthless fountain pen paper boy else you want to be crushed." He gestured at the men in combat suits.  

 "But you can't do this to me! it's not fair!" Daniel started yelling. "I haven't done anything to deserve all this!"

 Victor rolled his eyeballs. "Of course you did, remember helping grandpa when we said not to? yeah that's what you did."

   "Oh oh and one more thing..." Victor snapped his fingers trying to remember. "Right! Your accounts have been frozen, and your scholarship has also been revoked."

 Daniel's heart crashed into his stomach, A word unable to form on his lips.

  "Your brother, uncle and I worked it out." Victor wore a menacing grin that made Daniel sick. "And besides, a brat like you can't understand how the world works, imagine even being hated by your own parents!" 

  An ugly air of laughter consumed the environment but it infuriated Daniel, it pumped his adrenaline and without giving it a second thought. Daniel rushed past the guards, his hand cocked backwards, aiming to punch Victor's head off !

 But midway, Victor catches his Daniels fist with precision, whilst laughing like the monster Daniel saw him as. 

 Victor stared down at Daniel with his menacing gaze, His irises flashed red. Brilliant, burning red. The color of blood. Of danger. Of something wrong. Of an inhuman figure. 

 Worse, an oppressive aura filled the environment, everyone was affected including Sarah.

 "What made you think you could land a hit? Do you even have any idea what I am capable of?" Victor's cold inhumane voice filled the field. 

 Daniel's breath itched, his skin standing with his blood turning cold within seconds. “Let me go Victor!"

 "Oh?" Victor tightened his grasp over Daniel's hand, exercising the pain that consumed Daniel. "And if I don't?"

 Daniel gave it his all to break free, he even kicked Victor several times to hurt him but Victor felt nothing. 

 "Let me go Victor! Somebody help me!"

 Victor faced wrinkled with immediate disgust, was the latter really calling for help? 

 "Someone please help!" 

 "Shut it!"  

  Victor snapped and gruesomely crushed Daniel's fist with absolute force, the boy's hand no longer existed, but what immediately succeeded afterwards was an agonizing cry that tore through Daniel's throat.

 But, no one came to his aid. 

 Sarah herself stood there, savoring every bit of the scenery. Daniel, whilst in tears looked up past Victor to Sarah who only playfully waved her hand at him

 'Is this some sort of dream?'

 Daniel's knees buckled and met the ground, writhing in pain, tears tickling down his cheeks.

 This wasn't how he planned his life. 

 If there was one thing he wanted, was another shot at life, the heavy bowl of resentment within him needed to to be let loose but in this state, he wanted revenge, he wanted to make everyone pay.

 "You are all going to —" A punch came out of nowhere, so fast it caught Daniel on the side of the head.

 Daniel's vision exploded in white light. The sound of impact was like a rifle shot, silencing his lips completely.

His neck whipped sideways, and for a moment he thought, he really thought that his neck had broken.

The world had gone dark almost immediately. Daniel laid lifeless on the ground with the fountain pen next to him. Due to his broken fist, blood filled him like a pool and soaked the pen. 

The very moment it did, the second reality itself churned and a glass shattering sound enveloped the environment, even time itself

had come to a halt. 

 Words boldly written above his corpse.

[LEGACY SYSTEM PROCESS INITIATED]

[NEW HOST DETECTED!]