Black Online

The flashes of red and blue lights reflected off the clean windows. An ambulance was parked right in the middle of the courtyard.

Two paramedics lifted Aizen’s body onto the stretcher and then covered his corpse with a sheet of white fabric.

"Sniff... sniff..."

Anna held back her tears as she watched her father being pushed inside the ambulance on a stretcher.

She had been acting like she wouldn’t care if Aizen died, but now that this day finally came, even she couldn’t hold back her tears.

Raizen’s expression was grave. He held back his emotions. However, his hands were clenched into tight fists, betraying the facade of composure he was trying to maintain.

Meanwhile, Raikou was sitting on the steps of the porch, holding the side of his face with a grieving expression.

"..."

Fang Raon watched as the paramedics climbed inside the ambulance and then hurried off with the flashes of red and blue lights disappearing into the distance.

"Master, we’ll get the funeral arranged as soon as possible. We’ll make sure that it reflects the great life that Aizen had."

Sebastian said.

"Mm."

Fang Raon nodded.

He noticed that his title had already changed from "young master" to "master," as he was indeed now the head of the family.

The whole Fang Family’s future was now in his hands, which wasn’t an easy burden to bear.

"...Brother, you’re now head of the family. We will all look for answers from you. I know you’ll do great."

Anna said, eyes still slightly red.

"Yeah..."

Fang Raon sighed, and then he pulled out his phone from his pocket and saw that there were several messages from Chaewon and Della.

He quickly checked the time.

"It’s getting late. Go to sleep, everyone. An important day tomorrow."

Fang Raon said.

Anna and Raizen were surprised by his words. Even slightly conflicted.

"You still want to participate in that stupid raid? Father is dead, so shouldn’t we spend the day to grieve at least?"

Raikou said angrily.

"You can if you prefer to sit around and do nothing. Or you can grieve another way. Kicking the ass of the hackers, I believe, is a good way to get your mind off things.

"Relieve some of that anger in your heart."

Fang Raon said as he looked at Raikou, who was full of anger, with most of that directed straight at him.

"Raon is right. We’re needed there. We can’t just abandon everyone because we’re sad. It doesn’t help anyone.

"And besides, if Father sees us doing nothing but mourn, he would be very disappointed."

Raizen said.

"Tch, whatever."

Raikou said, and then he kicked a rock and stormed back inside the mansion, slamming the door behind him.

"Let’s go."

Raizen touched Anna’s shoulders, and they also went back inside, as it was getting cold outside.

"...Sebastian."

Fang Raon suddenly said.

"Yes, Master?"

Sebastian folded his arms behind his back and listened closely as if Raon’s words were more important than God’s.

"Have you informed Mother about Father’s death yet?"

Fang Raon asked.

"Not yet."

Sebastian said.

"I want to be the one to tell her. I’d like to go meet her."

Fang Raon said.

"...I’ll get the car."

Sebastian said and headed off to fetch the car.

He didn’t question Raon’s intentions, as it wasn’t his place to do so, but he believed there was a reason for him to do this.

"..."

Fang Raon looked towards the sky with the stars sparkling, as if they greeted him.

A short while later, Sebastian came to pick him up with a car, and as Raon climbed inside, they drove off the mansion’s grounds.

While driving towards the village, Raon looked out of the window towards the vast open fields and the tall mountainsides that surrounded the village.

Fang Family retreated here to get away from everything. To do their business in peace and solidity.

Their very own paradise.

Yet.

Even though it was all beautiful and peaceful, this wasn’t a place that Raon preferred to be at.

He longed to be back in the Megaworld. The obnoxiously loud, smelly, and crowded Megaworld Apartments.

"Do you have Nero’s phone number?"

Fang Raon asked.

"...Nero Rain? I don’t have his, but I believe Aizen stored the number somewhere in his study. I can contact one of the butlers to get it for you."

Sebastian said and looked from the front mirror to see Raon sitting in the backseat, still staring out of the window.

"Do that."

Fang Raon said.

Sebastian nodded and typed something on the touchscreen at the car’s dashboard, and he dialed one of his butlers via the touchscreen.

The call connected.

"Head butler Sebastian!"

An energetic-sounding butler answered.

"Head over to Aizen’s study and find a number for Nero Rain, then text it to me."

Sebastian said.

"Alright!"

The butler said.

The call then ended, and Sebastian kept driving until they reached the village, and he slowed down till he was barely driving at 20 km/h.

A short while later, Sebastian turned the steering wheel and rolled into a yard of a modest-looking house.

It was a one-story house with two bedrooms, a kitchen, a living room, and a bathroom. It had a little yard, and that was pretty much it.

It didn’t feel like a place where the wife of Aizen would be living, but this was Fang Sara’s living place.

"Wait in the car."

Fang Raon said, and then he stepped out of the car and walked to the front door and gave it a few hard knocks.

He then waited.

A short while later, the door opened, and drowsy-looking Sara blinked at him, looking like she just woke up.

"Hello, Mother."

Fang Raon said.

"..."

Sara didn’t respond to that, as if she was just thinking about what he was doing here, especially this late at night.

"May I come in?"

Fang Raon asked.

Sara looked inside her house and honestly looked like she didn’t want to let him in, but eventually she stepped aside and gestured for him to enter.

"Thank you."

Fang Raon stepped in, took off his shoes, and walked to the living room and saw how clean the house was.

It looked like Sara was a proper clean freak, never letting the house go untidy for even a minute.

"Tea?"

Sara asked as she walked into the kitchen.

"Sure."

Fang Raon said and went to the living room and sat down on the couch while Sara put the kettle on.

While waiting for the water to boil, Sara didn’t try to hit up a conversation with Raon and instead just stood in the kitchen.

Waiting and waiting.

Eventually, the tea was ready, and she poured it into two cups, bringing one to Raon on the couch while she sat across from him.

’This might be the longest conversation I’ve ever had with her.’

Fang Raon thought and took a sip of the tea and then put the cup down on the table as it was still a little hot.

Sara kept just drinking. Didn’t even try to look him in the eye. It was very awkward.

"Father is dead."

Out of nowhere, Fang Raon dropped the news and saw Sara’s hand twitch for a second, before she regained control and kept her expression blank.

She put the cup back down.

"Oh? How did he die?"

Sara asked, her voice slightly shaky.

"He’d been battling an illness for a while. Not sure if you were aware of it."

Fang Raon said.

"...No."

Sara shook her head.

’Father never really told her? I guess they were pretty much strangers to each other.’

Fang Raon thought.

"So you are the head of the family now. Congratulations."

Sara said.

It wasn’t easy to tell whether she really meant it, and even with Raon’s powerful Read, he couldn’t really tell.

’I can tell that she meant it, but at the same time, not as well. It’s like she has two halves of her emotions that are conflicting with each other.’

"Thank you. I am not exactly sure whether it is a position to be congratulated about, though."

Fang Raon said.

"You’re rich now. You got the keys to the kingdom. Anybody would be envious of your current position."

Sara said.

"Even you?"

Fang Raon asked.

"Hah."

Sara laughed.

"I know you’ve never liked me. You see me as Aizen. The hate you have towards Father got transferred to me.

"That’s fine. I am not asking for your love.

"However, Anna and others would really need a mother figure in their lives. They are broken children.

"I want you to move back to the mansion for them."

Fang Raon said.

"...Is that an order, Master Raon?"

Sara asked.

The head of the Fang Family had power to command anyone in the Fang Village to do whatever he wanted.

Even kill someone.

"Of course not. I don’t plan on staying here. I will be leaving in a couple of days, and I am sure there will be a lot of unrest in here.

"They’ll believe that I abandoned them all and that the Fang Family will fall apart.

"People of this village trust and love you."

Fang Raon said.

"...What exactly are you asking of me?"

Sara asked.

"I want you to be the acting head of the family. I want you to handle the things in here during my absence."

Fang Raon said.

"...Your father’s dying wish was for you to become the head of the family, and your answer is to leave?"

Sara asked with a frown.

"The head of the family doesn’t have to be in here. He can lead from anywhere. I don’t want to be stuck in this place.

"I will still do everything in my power to make sure that the Fang Family prospers for years to come.

"However, I need you to calm down things in here during this restless time. You are the only one that can."

Fang Raon said.

"...You really do resemble Aizen a lot. He was also a selfish bastard."

Sara said with a scoff, and she then finished her tea and finally looked into her son’s eyes for the first time ever, maybe.

"Fine, go do what you want. I’ll handle things in here. However, I will not be acting head of the family. You are the head of the family."

Sara said.

"That’s settled then."

Fang Raon said and also finished his tea.