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"Please spare my parents!" Elias yelled, jumping in between his parents and an unknown gang of men who had barged into their house unannounced, pointing a gun at them.

Elias trembled as he stood with the pistol pointed to his forehead. He didn't know where he had gotten the confidence to rush out of his hiding place, but he knew one thing, there was no way he was willing to hide and observe his parents get murdered before his eyes.

"Get out of the way, son!" Benjamin ordered, glaring eyes filled with fury as he observed his son's reckless actions. He held his weeping wife as she weakly collapsed in his arms, witnessing their son's actions. 

"You should obediently listen to your father, boy. Although I'm only to do my job, I don't mind mistakenly releasing a few more bullets against anybody who obstructs that path," the unknown man advised, lightly smirking with a ting of bloodlust in his gaze.

Elias firmly shook his head. " No—" he attempted to say, but just as he was about to complete his sentence, a considerable force slammed against the side of his waist, knocking him to the side. 

Only when he recovered did he discover that his father had kicked him out of the way to the other side of the room. 

Elias winced and gritted his teeth in pain; however, before he could get back to his feet—

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Three resounding gunshots resonated across the room.

Elias raised his trembling gaze, filled with fear and shock, observing his parents as they fell on the floor lifelessly.

"We'll be back for the remaining debts!" a loud, responding voice resonated across the room before the door opened and closed.

Almost instantly, Elias shot upwards and rushed in their direction. He kneeled and stretched his hands towards their injured parents.

"Dad, Mom, please don't go… Don't leave me…" Elias's voice cracked as he sobbed weakly.

"...Elias… your bro…" his mother spoke weakly, pointing a figure towards the couch on the other side of the room.

Following her pointed finger, Elias's expression grew stiff as he observed the current state of his junior brother, who also appeared to have been shot and was out of his hiding position. Unlike his parents, who had both been shot in their foreheads, he had taken a bullet in his shoulder, causing him to bleed profusely.

Elias trembled in place, not knowing which action to take. A firm grip suddenly tightened around his wrist, forcing him to shift his attention downwards. 

"...Elias, this is my fault… Your mother warned me, but I didn't listen… I didn't! I'm sorry, Elias, but I'll have to leave the burdens on your shoulders, so you must be strong for yourself and your brother. Today, I'll be joining your mom in the afterlife…." Benjamin responded with a forced smile as the blood trickled down his forehead, painting his expression with a grim, haunting picture that Elias would never be able to forget.

"DAD! MOM!" Elias sobbed profusely as he shook both of his parents to wake up; however, no matter how much effort he put in, they remained lifeless, their bodies growing colder by the second. 

"….Please, come back…" Elias wept; however, seeing no hope of them ever waking, he stood up and dragged his feet over to check up on his younger brother. 

…....

Three hours later

"After a thorough investigation, it appears that a gang infiltrated the victim's home, resulting in the tragic murder of not only the intended target but also his wife. The remaining casualties were the victim's second son, who had sustained a gunshot injury on his shoulders; he was rushed to the hospital for immediate medical attention. Meanwhile, the victim's first son is alive and had only sustained minor bruises; he is undergoing questioning as part of the investigation," the Police officer reported to his superior, the Chief Officer. 

"Also, a substantial stack of cash was discovered at the crime scene, suggesting a possible motive behind the gang's ruthless actions, potentially tied to illicit dealings or internal disputes within their criminal network." 

The Chief Officer nodded his head, sighing. "You know this is one of the reasons why I hate this city," he responded. "And how is the investigation going with the boy?" he asked.

"The investigation is progressing smoothly, and at present, there is no evidence implicating the victim's first son in any criminal activity or knowledge of his father's affairs. Also, according to his criminal records, the victim's first son has a clean record."

"That's good. Once the investigation is over, have the victim's first son rest here for the night before releasing him tomorrow morning. We don't want to hear about any accident shootouts and mistakenly finding his corpse in case they return. Also, inform me when we make progress on the case," the chief officer responded.

"Alright, Chief," the Police Officer responded, nodding affirmatively.

…....…

Morning

Elias walked out of the Police station weakly, ready to clean himself properly and look presentable before he headed to the hospital to check on his younger brother's condition. 

He had calmed down slightly after spending the night in the police station and understood that he didn't need to worry about his brother but instead find ways to cheer him up while he was in such a critical condition.

"Hey, kid over here," a voice shouted at Elias.

Elias shifted his attention towards the direction of the voice and saw a middle-aged man in a police uniform staring at him in direction. Elias hesitated a bit as he knew he was the Police Chief who had approached him the night before when the police officers were questioning him about his parents' murder yesterday. 

However, Elias couldn't ignore his gesture, so he gathered some courage before approaching the middle-aged man. He arrived before him.

"I know you feel like it is hard right now, but cheer up; you must be strong for yourself and your junior brother. Also, suppose you ever need a comfortable shoulder to cry on, I have an amazing therapist that we'll be willing to lend you one," the Police Chief said, looking at Elias's despairing and cautious expression.