1 Chapter 1: Crooked Road

"Shying away, are we now? Hmm, i thought we had a deal?"

A person with physical makeup of a teenager spoke in a soft tone whilst fiddling with a pointed object in his hand, shrouding him in a pseudo-gentle aura.

"What!? Shut your sweet mouth, you set me up! Then you steal my shit, you god damm cocksuckers!"

"This F- "

A looming figure of a bald man stepped forward, raising his fist to the tied man.

"Calm down gentlemen."

The only sitting person in the room stood up, raised his hand at the glabrous man. He wiped the screwdriver in his hand using a handkerchief, then he stuffed the blood stained cloth inside his luxurious tuxedo. He raised a finger to the bald man.

"We did had quite a few bad moments... You break in the target, we 'organize' the loot, isn't that how this thing works?"

"Don't fucking screw with me!"

The 'boy' put down his finger and the men around them pulled the restrained man out if the room. After a few moments, gunshots can be heard in another place.

The bald man approached the boy and spoke in a manner that differs from his demeanor.

"Señor, i'm impressed the negotiation broke down even before it even begun."

The boy scoffed at the man's sarcastic remark, and stared out the window.

"Judas, surely you jest. Rivals camped overnight for that deal and i just went and ruined it, shocks, and please don't give me insincere applause."

"Ah, Sure.. sure. Even though we earned 15% more profit from your actions. I'll turn a blind eye to that. Because i'm sure this is your way of saying 'I want to take a vacation.' Si."

The boy in the extravagant suit, Leonardo Ajustus. A man of unknown origins paced out of the room and into the cold air outside.

He adjusted the bangs of his smooth-golden hair, making sure it's in a perfectly comfortable position. Leonardo smacked his lips in an elegant manner then sang.

"Who knows, sire.. Who knows... "

Then just like that, the door went shut and left the bald gentlemen collapsed in the only chair in that room.

"Maid, please bring me alcohol.. Warm. kind, thank you."

---

Out on the streets, Leo stood still staring at the sky, thinking about bits and pieces of the past, all but which is regretting to him.

"I wish to have kids."

Leonardo prayed, een though Leonardo is an aethist, he still thought that some unknown god could fulfill those little wishes of his. But alas, he knows it's futile since his body is incapable of procreation.

He moved on and walked serenely along the concrete pavement. The air made him blink a couple of times in cold, his pricey outfit isn't that much fit for resisting the cold. But with his strict training and addiction to cold baths, this kind of breeze was nothing.

Soon enough, as though to challenge him, snow fell. The sky opened and gentle snowflakes glided downwards, piling the ground with thin layers of snow.

Leonardo opened his mouth with a sigh.

"This ought to thicken sooner or later... Hey A1."

"Yes sir!"

A person in a pitch black outfit appeared from nowhere and took a kneel beside Leo.

"... It's cold. Don't you think?"

"Yes, the temperature sharply declined to single digits and will soon approach negative after a few hours. Sir, if i may suggest, it is best to return home and soak in a geyser for a while."

"No, no. No need for that, i won't fall from mere cold. I wanna sightsee for a while.. "

The way Leonardo whined is similar to the act of a spoiled young boy from a rich family. The woman in a dark suit frowned and turned stiff before continuing.

"In that case, we shall have portable heaters at places you go, i'll go assemble my- "

"Selena, will you nag more? Calm a bit."

Selena, the head of Leonardo's personal security team and also taking part of Leo's large business chain, knows better than to nag excessively in front of this man. She breathed sharply before exhaling in an exaggerated manner.

"There, you half calm now? Good. Because i want you to get your girls and head back to the mansion first. I'll be heading back after a little walk."

"But- "

"I'm invoking my master status here."

Selena couldn't talk. No, she knows that her employer is a thick-headed arrogant man who listens to no-one. Even going as far neglecting his own bodyguards who protects his ownself.

"Suit yourself... Sir. "

"Good girl."

She really didn't have to worry about this man's safety because this man could take on a 100 of herself and come out unscathed. A real monster he is, and she just hope today's event won't end up reducing her salary.

---

'The snow is deep on the ground. Always the light falls, softly down on the hair of my belovèd.'

Leonardo recalled words from a poem about winter, a poem of love and warmth, though he couldn't understand both.

Winter is here, so as christmas. Leonardo felt somewhat gloom after the thought of the word christmas. His thoughts on that topic are certainly NOT giving presents to former comrades and his bestfriend and brother Mihcael, surely not.

"Christ is Santa? Maybe i should convert to christianity."

After a chuckling at a silly thought, Leo walked passed by cars with windshields full of snow. The more he steps he take the more his stomach was filled with an unpleasant feeling. Not a physical one but one that frosts his heart and giving him a sense of desolation.

"Something isn't right... "

Leonardo thought of the thing missing in his life. Something to fill up the vacant spot in his chest. Was it lust? Was it anger?

He scoped forward while thinking and found himself in an alleyway between two large condominiums.

"This place is... "

Surprisingly dry? Isn't it? Leo thought. Maybe it was the balconies of the rooms above hanging by the ledges or the roof themselves.

"Or maybe god pities the souls that seek shelter here."

He saw forlorn figures of humans, some small and big. But what makes them all similar is are the dark shadow over their faces. It's either from dread of having to starve in the cold, or the fear for the numerous hostile elements in their surrounding.

'Maybe like them.'

Leonardo stared at a group of men in large shabby coats, exchanging goods with quivery hands.

"I had my time at a place like this."

The wind carried his whispers as he continued treading in this familiar yet foreign territory.

The smooth smell of human waste lingers, same as the toxic stench from the heap of garbage. All of them are neglected here, away from the world so they cannot be criticized by the world. That applies too for humans themselves.

What a world of suffering, is what he thought as his feet unknowingly stopped at one point.

"Oy kid, you hear me? Hey, wake up!"

A bulky man crouched down on one of the stairs. His face cannot be seen, only the wool hat on his head.

He appears to be slapping someone awake, a child.

"Oy, Wake up brat! I told you not to sleep on the job."

He slapped her again and again until the tiny girl finally aroused from her slumber. She neither cry or scream in terror or shock but instead she looked up and bowed her head to the ground.

"I'm... S-Shorry, i c-cuden't ern any mune.. "

Even with teeth chattering in cold the girl managed to speak with voice devoid of any life.

Leonardo's mouth curved up. The land of dread, huh? The strong devours the weak. He thought. One could already imagine what punishment the man would give to the poor girl, first he'll open her ripe to get every bit of value he could and maybe sell to those people with sick tastes.

"Not that it got anything to do with me... "

He slowly walked away, the small wails and pleads of the girl slowly grew far.

"P-pleas... Gib- mi w-wan... One mor day."

"Shut up you wretch, no second chances for you, you crippled fuck. Should've known you ain't worth shit. Should have sold you off to them sick f**ks while i had the chance. Even if you're real hideous."

The man started talking to himself ignoring the crying girl grovelling at his feet.

"Now where do i- "

His words were cut off short as a loud crash echoed in the area.

The head of the man flew towards the wall and made a violent noise before being followed by defeaning screams and shout of forsaken souls around.

"Seriously... Blood of dirty people such as these are filled with an inelegant stench.. "

Leonardo tried wiping blood off his suit to no avail. His hands and well-proportioned face were dyed with streaks of red.

Obviously he was the one who punched the man over to the wall. The impact of the crash lingers and Leonardo could clearly see the small girl shaking.

He noticed this late but she had rag over her eyes, it is unknown if she is truly blind but her dim violet eyes were revealed after the shock blew away the rags.

"H-Ha... I-i'm sh-orry... don't hit.. don't hit... no mor."

The girl begged restlessly, Prostrating at Leonardo's feet. He kneeled in front of the girl then spoke words that seemed to surprise the girl.

"Child, i destroyed that man who troubles you earlier, are you satisfied?"

Leo thought he was going to be met with a grateful expression silled with joyful tears but instead he was shown tears of sorrow and resentment.

"N-No.. W-whay.. Did u took him..? T-tat mister... Let me hab food.. H-he gibs food.. So i do.. n't hungry... P-pleas... B-bring.. B-back.. "

The girl, shaking from either hunger, cold or hate, perhaps all of the above. Her frail little fingers grabbed onto the hems of Leonardo's suit.

"Hahahaha! Is this a challenge?"

Leo's laughter brought spine-chilling fear to onlookers that all of them flee except the ones who are crippled or are cold corpses.

His words confused the trembling child, but Leonardo's inner thoughts were convinced of something.

"Very well, child! I shall give you food, i shall bring you wealth! I shall give you everything and we'll see if you would want to return to this life of despair."

Leonardo lifted the girl in his arms. Her shallow breathing reaches his ears and her trembling figure is a pitiful sight to look at.

Today, Leonardo Ajustus made a vow -a bet- to give this poor soul, everything and anything it needs or wants. Even at the cost of everything in his life.

END