The Light That Follows Darkness

Lana's face turned a deep shade of red as she listened to my words. In a playful manner, she lightly tapped my shoulder, trying to conceal her embarrassment. I couldn't help but chuckle at her adorable reaction. Little did I know, she had a surprise in store for me.

Without warning, Lana leaned in closer, her warm breath grazing my cheeks. She tilted her head slightly, closing the distance between us. Our lips met in a gentle, soft, and sweet kiss. Though brief, its impact lingered long after.

Blushing, Lana pulled away from me and mischievously said: "As Ryuji mentioned before, this is my second gift for you. I hope you like it and that you'll take responsibility for it. I know I'm older than you, and it might be unsettling, but it's a token of my love and appreciation for you and everything you do. Oh, and just so you know, this is my first kiss, so consider it an honor."

I was completely taken aback. It was my first kiss too, and she surprised me with it. But it felt incredibly sweet and filled with emotion, causing me to smile and blush uncontrollably.

I tried to find the right words to say, but they eluded me. Taking a deep breath, I calmed my racing heart and spoke to Lana: "Thank you for this precious gift, and I love you too, Lana. However, I'm not ready to think about love and relationships right now. I have ambitious goals and other things I want to pursue. While I can't promise a romantic relationship, I can promise that you'll always be by my side, even beyond death. I'm that possessive. Does that answer satisfy you, Lana?"

Lana smiled and replied: "Yes, that's enough for me right now. And I hope you'll always include me in your goals and plans moving forward. But I have one more thing to say. I know you have a reputation as a playboy, effortlessly attracting women. But let me warn you, I will always be number one in your heart, no matter how many women you have. If you ever forget that, well, you know what will happen, right?"

As she uttered those words, I could have sworn I saw a dark, menacing shadow with glowing eyes lurking behind her.

My survival instincts kicked in, and I instinctively nodded, signifying my agreement. "Yes, ma'am. I've engraved it deep into my soul."

Satisfied with my response, Lana smiled and settled back into the chair beside my bed. We exchanged stories and laughter in hushed tones, ensuring no one could hear our conversation. Then, I remembered something important and said to Lana: "Speaking of goals and plans, could you please call for Ryuji? I need to discuss something crucial with both of you. Also, ask him to create a large ruckus, enough to drive the guards away so we can talk in peace, without fear of being overheard."

Lana nodded and swiftly exited the room to summon Ryuji. Time seemed to stretch as I awaited his arrival, and suddenly, a furious scream pierced the air. Ryuji stormed towards my bedside, his anger palpable, and bellowed: "I can't take it anymore! Where is that piece of shit?"

Without hesitation, Ryuji barged in, with Lana trailing behind, her face drained of color, desperately attempting to intervene. I couldn't help but be captivated by their theatrical performance unfolding before me.

In a hushed voice, Ryuji managed to utter an apology before unleashing a flurry of furious punches upon me. Though the blows landed, I endured, knowing it was all part of the act. As Ryuji and Lana's screams echoed and the sound of punches reverberated, the guards and nurses outside rushed to intervene.

Yet, with a menacing glare, Ryuji declared: "I'm seething with anger, and I need an outlet for my rage. If you object, either take his place or get lost. What's it going to be?" Overwhelmed by Ryuji's fury and aura, the nurses and guards chose to turn a blind eye and retreated for their lunch break.

With the room now empty, Ryuji immediately assumed the seiza position and began apologizing profusely. He pleaded: "Boss, I'm truly sorry, but I had to create such chaos to make it believable."

Spitting blood from my mouth, I retorted: "Couldn't you have held back a bit on those punches, you shit? Did they really have to be that brutal?"

"Well, you see, boss," Ryuji explained, "It was a little payback for receiving your second gift from Lana. Jealousy got the best of me!"

That little troublemaker orchestrated this entire spectacle out of jealousy. I'll teach him a lesson.

With that thought in mind, I infused mana into the skin of my palms, transforming them into rock. I proceeded to deliver a few solid smacks to Ryuji's face, matching the swelling of my own, if not surpassing it.

Witnessing our exchange and our swollen faces, Lana erupted into uncontrollable laughter, gasping for breath. Once she regained composure, she remarked: "I can't believe how close you two are. Your antics and fights make you seem like siblings."

Embarrassed by her observation, Ryuji and I both retorted simultaneously: "Who would ever consider that idiot a brother?" And in that moment, we burst into laughter together.

Done with our antics and laughter, I sat back on the bed and I said with a serious look: “Okay now, enough of all of this. Now is the time to get down to business. In three days, I’m going to take over this facility and finally have my long-awaited revenge. And I need the two of you to follow my instructions carefully and precisely. Since this is important for the success of our plan, I won’t accept any failures clear?”

The two of them looked at me seriously and nodded their heads indicating approval.

Once I saw that I had their full attention I went on telling them the details of the plan, their roles in details, and the time of the operation which was in three days. Emphasizing that if anything goes wrong, we will be in deep trouble and that our plan would fail miserably leading to jeopardizing our families’ safety and our friends’ and comrades’ safety.