Vengeance In His Veins

Chapter 8: Penance and Purgatory

Three days later, he was standing in front of a mirror, rearranging the tie of the suit he was wearing as the doctor flipped his file over. He turned around and faced the doctor after he was done. He was dressed in a corporate suit, covering up his entire body and naturally shielding the random gaze from the burnt marks that covered his entire arm.

He wore a facemask on his face, and it shielded most of his scarred face. He sighed wondering if he would ever heal enough to have his normal face back, but something in him told him it was impossible. Even then when he was still the son of a very rich man and had access to the best medical care he didn't think he could fix this.

“You’re stable enough to travel,” the doctor said, “but there are things you need that I can’t provide here. You’re on your own for the rest of the recovery.”

He gazed at the doctor, a man barely in his late fifties with so much promise and happiness. He could see it radiating around him. Yet he has barely spent more than two decades on this planet and it was already tearing him apart.

Lucas simply nodded a reply. He could feel something change within himself, a darkness that he didn't think ever existed was crawling up in his chest and he didn't shy from it. He was never a good person to begin with and he wasn't about to start now. To him, he was already dead, his continued existence was merely penance.

The boy named Lucas who was a party boy without regards for anyone else was what he would ever be and that boy was now dead. The only thing existing now was a soul stuck in purgatory and paying for his sins.

Kenji thanked the doctor and his wife for their help, offering a deep bow of gratitude. Lucas, in turn, gave a curt nod. He felt a little guilty for not being more appreciative, but there were too many thoughts going through his mind.

Soon enough they left the house and headed to the airport. Due to being stuck in the apartment for months, Lucas found his eyes squinting the moment he stepped out into the bright morning sun. He didn’t ask where they were going; he didn’t care much.

Before they reached the airport, Kenji handed him a passport that contained his picture and a fake name was written on it. He shrugged when he saw the name, Levi Kishimoto. “Why did you change my name?” He demanded.

“We can't leave traces of you boarding an international flight after your death, can we?” He chuckled and Lucas didn't bother trying to inquire further. Funny enough the airport security didn't even check them twice as they passed through.

After a long flight, they landed in Japan. The air here was different but he couldn't really put his hand on why, but it was obvious he was far from home. Lucas followed Kenji silently, his feet dragging slightly as they navigated through the airport and hailed a taxi. He barely noticed the vibrant life of Tokyo as the taxi zoomed past. His mind for the first time in a while was blank, it was as if his mind couldn't process thoughts anymore. They eventually arrived in Kyoto, the pace of life slowing down considerably as they entered the more traditional parts of the city. The taxi dropped them off at a secluded house peeking from behind a large compound. The area was quiet, peaceful even. If this was a normal excursion, he would probably be smiling and inhaling the air, although the next minute he would be looking to sneak off and smoke.

A man approached, dressed in traditional Japanese attire. His long robe swayed slightly as he moved, and he greeted Kenji with a bow before they exchanged words in a language Lucas didn’t understand. The man’s voice was calm, steady, and there was a sense of familiarity between him and Kenji. After a brief conversation, the man led them deeper into the compound.

As they walked, Kenji began to explain.

“This is where your father’s company started,” Kenji said, his voice low. “It’s the roots of everything you should have inherited. Your father never forgot this place, even after all his success. It was his sanctuary, a place to reflect.”

Lucas glanced around, taking in the vast compound, the gardens carefully tended, the traditional architecture. His father had kept this hidden part of his life away from him, and now, standing here, Lucas realized just how little he truly knew about the man.

“The man leading us,” Kenji continued, “is my brother. He’s the reason I met your father in the first place. We were all children back then, but we became friends. Your father… he wasn’t born in the West like you. He was born here, in Japan. His mother abandoned him after his birth. She couldn’t tell her family that she had become pregnant by someone they didn’t approve of. He grew up on the streets until my family took him in. My brother was the first to befriend him, and eventually, your father became part of our family.”

Lucas felt a tightening in his chest. He had never heard this part of his father’s story before. He had grown up thinking of his father as a powerful, untouchable figure, someone who had built his empire with unwavering strength. But now, hearing about his father’s difficult childhood, Lucas saw him differently.

It made sense why Kenji and his father had such a close bond. They weren’t just business partners. Although the japanese man barely said any words, he was usually with his father during important deals and even at odd hours of the night. It was one of the few reasons Lucas could easily sneak off to a party night with his friends.

“So I hope you understand now. You were not the only one who lost something that day. I did too. I lost my brother and my cousins,” Kenji said without giving much explanation.

Kenji led Lucas down a narrow hallway toward a set of stairs that descended into the basement of the house. The air grew cooler as they went lower, the stone walls closing in around them. Finally, they reached a large vault door at the far end of the basement.

Kenji stopped, his hand resting on the heavy metal door. “This vault,” he said, “contains everything your father left behind for you. But there’s a catch.”

Lucas frowned. “What do you mean?”

Kenji stepped aside, gesturing to a small panel next to the door. “Only his bloodline can open it.”