Ashes. A promise beyond death

Chapter 3 - Truth and Consequences

Yu Bin walked quickly through the wet streets, the soft drizzle continuing to fall, as if the sky itself shared in her unease. Her phone was gripped tightly in her hand. She dialed the number she had obtained for the victim’s son. It rang once, then stopped. No answer.

He knows. He's scared... or maybe planning to run.

She took a sharp turn and entered the corner café she knew he often visited. The place smelled of coffee, rain, and worn wood. Her eyes scanned the room, and there he was — sitting in the far booth, hood pulled low, staring into a cup he didn’t drink from.

She approached slowly.

“Good evening,” she said, standing next to the table.

He looked up, surprised at first, then weary. “Detective Yu… I figured you’d come.”

“Mind if I sit?”

He shrugged, and she took the seat across from him.

“You saw the video?” he asked quietly.

“Yes. I saw it.” She kept her voice calm, neutral. “I also heard what the neighbors said. They spoke well of your mother. And they spoke of your father.”

The young man clenched his jaw. “They don’t know the half of it.”

“Then tell me the truth.”

Silence stretched between them, broken only by the soft clinking of cups and muffled conversations in the café. Finally, he spoke.

“I went home to check on her. I knew he wasn't supposed to be there, but when I got there…” he paused, rubbing his face with his hands, “he was yelling at her again. She had bruises. New ones.”

“What happened then?”

“I lost control. I pushed him. He staggered, lost his balance, and fell down the stairs. I didn’t mean to kill him, I swear. I just wanted him to stop.”

Yu Bin studied him. There were tears in his eyes, but no denial, no excuses.

“Why didn’t you say anything? Why let your mother take the blame?”

“She made me leave. Told me to run. Said she’d handle it. That the world would believe her more than they’d believe me.” He looked up at her. “She’s always been the strong one.”

Yu Bin’s heart twisted at his words. She had seen this too many times — love twisted by fear, protection that became sacrifice.

“Listen,” she said firmly, “I believe you. But if you really want to protect your mother, you need to tell the truth. She could spend the rest of her life in prison.”

He closed his eyes for a long moment. “Okay. What do I need to do?”

---

Meanwhile, Moon and Xian Chen were at the modest apartment where the mother now stayed. She opened the door slowly, her body still carrying the weariness of years of abuse and, more recently, of guilt.

“Mrs. Lee,” Moon began gently, “we need to talk.”

“I already told you everything,” she said, avoiding their eyes.

Xian Chen stepped forward. “No, ma’am. You told us what you wanted us to believe. But we know your son was there that day. We saw the footage. We heard the neighbors.”

She flinched but said nothing.

“We know you took the blame,” Moon added. “But we also know the man who hurt you, who hurt your son, didn’t fall by accident. And it wasn’t you who pushed him, was it?”

Tears welled in her eyes, but she shook her head slowly. “I couldn’t let him be taken. He’s my boy. My baby…”

“He’s a grown man now. And he’s ready to take responsibility,” Xian said. “But he needs you to stop protecting him.”

She crumpled into the chair behind her, her body shaking with silent sobs.

“I didn’t want him to carry this burden. Not after everything he’s been through.”

Moon crouched beside her. “You’re not alone anymore. Let us help you both.”

---

Back at the station, Yu Bin stood by the window in the interrogation room, arms crossed, watching the rain trace lines across the glass. Behind her, the quiet scribble of pen on paper continued. The young man was almost finished with his written statement.

The silence was thick with emotions—regret, grief, and a quiet kind of peace. After all the pain, someone had finally spoken the truth.

He stood up slowly and handed her the paper.

“It’s all there,” he said. “Everything.”

Yu Bin nodded and took it from him gently. “Thank you. You did the right thing.”

He laughed bitterly. “Doesn’t feel like it.”

“It rarely does.” Her voice softened. “But your mother… she’ll be proud of you for not running anymore.”

He looked at her with red-rimmed eyes. “She always said I had his anger. I used to be afraid of that.”

“You’re not him,” Yu Bin said, her voice steady. “And you proved that today.”

Just then, the door opened and Officer Moon stepped inside.

“She’s here,” he said quietly.

A moment later, Mrs. Lee walked in, escorted by Xian Chen. She looked older than just a few days ago. But when she saw her son, something changed. Her shoulders relaxed slightly. Her eyes filled with tears.

“I’m sorry, Mom,” he whispered.

She walked straight to him and hugged him tightly. “No more sorry. We’ll carry this together.”

Yu Bin stepped back, giving them space. Her own heart felt heavy, not from sadness, but from the weight of justice done. It was rare — but today, something had been set right.

Later that evening, the team gathered in Yu Bin’s office. A gentle calm had settled in.

“So,” Moon said, placing a cup of hot tea in front of her, “you were right. Again.”

Yu Bin smiled faintly. “It wasn’t about being right. It was about stopping the wrong.”

Xian Chen, sprawled lazily in a chair with a bag of snacks, added, “Still… you’ve got some serious instincts, boss. I thought you were going nuts yelling about resentment earlier.”

Yu Bin chuckled, sipping her tea. “That’s how truth feels sometimes. Loud and sudden.”

“Will the son go to prison?” Xian Chen asked quietly.

“Most likely not,” Moon replied. “Voluntary manslaughter with strong mitigating circumstances. It was a push in the heat of the moment. Not premeditated. The court will consider the years of abuse.”

“And the video footage helps,” Yu Bin added. “Plus the mother’s injuries, neighbor testimony, and his confession.”

Silence followed for a few seconds.

Then Xian spoke again, more thoughtful this time. “It’s still sad. That a family had to break this much before someone stepped in.”

Yu Bin looked down at her hands. “There are too many like them. People hiding pain behind walls and silence. We can’t fix them all.”

“But we fixed this one,” Moon said gently.

She nodded.

Then she whispered more to herself than to the others, “And maybe next time… we’ll be faster.”

Outside, the rain finally stopped. The clouds thinned, revealing a shy sliver of moonlight. Yu Bin stood alone at the station’s back entrance, looking up.

Master, she thought, if you're watching... I did it. Not perfectly. But I did it.

Her phone buzzed again, pulling her out of her thoughts. This time, it was a message from the district attorney.

"Case officially closed. Well done, Detective Yu."

She smiled softly.

Another case. Another truth. Another small piece of justice.