Chapter One

Hope's POV:

"Get up!", was what brought Hope out of her nightmare. It was the voice of her impatient and grumpy teacher, Mr. Lee. She quickly sat up from her desk and wiped away any trace of sleepiness from her eyes. " This is unacceptable! You should not be sleeping in the middle of a lesson! This lesson specifically! This lesson is based on legends pertaining to the dark beings of our history! You…" but before Mr. Lee could continue his rant, Hope quickly got up from her seat and bowed politely, "I sincerely apologize sir and promise not to do it again.", she said smiling sweetly at her teacher. He instantly felt a wave of calmness and gave a taut nod of his head towards Hope indicating that she was let off the hook, but still under his radar.

After Mr. Lee walked back to the front of the class Hope let out a sigh of relief. This nightmare that has been troubling Hope has occurred every night since her 17th birthday. It is the same nightmare( the prologue ) each and every night, every time she closes her eyes. Why? Why did this specific dream keep on reappearing each and every night? And why only after her 17th birthday? What did this dream mean and what did it have to do with Hope? These questions have been bothering Hope for the longest time. "These dark beings have been written about in the books and journals of our ancestors. About 100 years ago any trace, any belief, any knowledge of these beings were completely erased. No one knows why and how, but all of a sudden it just happened. Nowadays we consider these beings as a rumor, a myth.". And that was the last words Mr. Lee could get in before the bell rang.

"Okay class, that is it for today. But be prepared for the next class because you are going to be taking a pop quiz about what we have learned so far from these past weeks.". Great! Another stupid quiz! Was all that came to mind when Hope heard what Mr. Lee said. Hope quickly jumped out of her seat as soon as the class bid Mr. Lee farewell. "Hope! Where are you going?!" yelled Youngji, Hope's best friend. "I have to go! I'll see you later!" hollered back Hope as she was sprinting her way down the hallway. "Ok... oh yeah! Happy Birthday! I love you!" Youngji hollered back making a heart shape above her head with her arms. Before Hope disappeared around the corner she made the same shape back and yelled, "Thank you! I love you too!". And with that Hope was off.

Rome's POV:

"Hope! Hang on! I'm coming!", is what Rome heard but in the sound of his own voice. He's running as fast as he can, almost desperately towards the screaming. He feels pain throughout his body but pushes the pain aside. All he could worry or think about was getting to Hope on time. There! He spots Hope struggling against these two men as they grasp both sides of her arms. Then he sees it, he sees the dagger.

"No!", Rome shouted in horror. Hope glanced at Rome from where she was and as if she knew he could hear her she whispered in her thoughts, "I love you.". As if those men were stabbing Rome's heart, he felt the pain that Hope was enduring. "NOOOOOO!", Rome shouted with agony as he ran towards Hope. The two men vanished into thin air leaving Hope's body sprawled out on the cold concrete floor. When Rome had gotten to Hope he quickly lifted up her upper body so that she was being cradled in his arms.

"Hope! Stay with me! You can't! You can't leave me! Please!" was the sad cry that came out of Rome's mouth as he caressed Hope. With the last ounce of strength Hope had, she lifted her right arm and cuffed Rome's left cheek with her hand. Rome instantly grabbed onto her hand and gave it a kiss. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. But you have to promise me that you will be too. Promise me that you will move on beyond all this, even me…", Rome started shaking his head rigidly. "Never, I can't…" but before Rome could finish Hope brought his face down to hers and gave him the lightest kiss she could manage. As Hope pulled away she couldn't help the tears that were escaping her.

"I love you so much. Please, you have too. For me. Keep on living. For me…" and with that Hope slowly shut her eyelids and had breathed her last breath. Rome felt the love of his life body fall limp into his arms. "Hope... Hope… HOPE!", Rome yelled as he shook Hope's now lifeless body as if any life would return. "Please no! Hope! I love you!..."

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

That was the sound that had woken Rome out of his recurring nightmare. Rome sat up in bed, trying to calm his breathing. Even though it was nothing but a dream, he couldn't help but feel like it was real. "Sir, you are needed.", hollered one of Rome's subordinates from the other side of his bedroom door. "I'll be out soon.", Rome replied. He got up from his bed and started walking towards his closet to get ready.

On his way to his closet, he paused by his mirror. He saw himself, his bare tattooed chest, his disheveled black as night hair, and his chiseled facial features. But he was still having trouble trying to identify who this person was. Who this person looking back at him really was. Was he Rome the son of one of the most notorious mob bosses? Or was he Rome the grandson of one of the wealthiest chaebols in South Korea? Couldn't he just be Rome, and if so, who would he be?

After Rome had gotten ready he went downstairs to his living room. There he was met with the sight of his father. "About time. What took you so long?", said Rome's father as he stood from the couch. Rome simply walked past him making his way out to the car. "I guess someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today. Or did I disturb any action going on up there? Sorry.", Rome's father said with a sarcastic tone to his voice. But Rome kept on ignoring his father's comments and made his way into his car. "You aren't taking your bike today?" his father asked leaning in on Rome's window. "No. It's going to rain today.", Rome replied simply with no sort of emotion in his voice.

"Smart kid. Oh yeah! I almost forgot. I need you to go pay a visit to an old friend of mine. Make sure to greet him as if I would and let him know I said hi.", his father said grinning the only way he can, and he slipped a piece of paper into Rome's lap. "Alright, and what did I say about barging into my place. How did you even get in?", and Rome instantly regretting asking the question that had the most obvious answer. "I have my ways, you know that." and with that, his father walked away and was escorted to his own car by two subordinate men. Of course, he knew that after all his father was the mob boss. And he was the mob son.