Run Away, Astrid

viii. wonders will never cease

vii. wonders will never cease

━━━━ •◦இ•◦ ━━━━

TW: Mentions of violence and suicide.

The sun was shining so faint in the morning of December 2034. The radiance and warmth of its light yellow had gone through the windows of the office of the Gavi's eldest heir, Ares Gavi, with snow crystals brushing the glass of his hazy windows.

Ares switched his focus from his papers to the window beside him, realizing that he had spent so many hours at work that he witnessed the rise of the sun. He dropped his pen and leaned against the backrest of his office chair, loosening his necktie as he groaned and closed his sunken eyes.

Ares massaged his forehead. It was a seemingly peaceful morning with a bunch of office papers scattered around his desk, waiting to be reviewed and signed.

He took his mug of coffee and drank it. He continuously consumed his drink until he saw shadowy figures behind the drapes of his front door. It was probably his men, and so he asked, "What do you need from me, Damon?"

'Damon' didn't respond.

Ares rolled his eyes and smirked. "Are you shy? Come on; show yourself and your little friend to me, Damon." His voice was deep but playful.

The shadowy figures took modest movements in the direction of Ares. The sneer on Ares' face vanished as they passed through the drapes.

Ares clenched his fist and tightened his jaw as he spotted a woman holding his unconscious Damon on the collar with a knife poised at his neck. His eyes darkened. "Who are you?" he asked in a deep, threatening voice.

"It doesn't matter," the woman answered him. "I'm just here to warn you that if you harm or kill Astrid, I will kill you along with your loyal dog."

"Your identity matters." He looked at Damon, and then to the woman holding him. "You infiltrated my territory and harmed my men—particularly my favorite one."

Ares placed his elbows on his desk; his hands folded together—his grin hidden behind them. He released a chuckle. "Oh, Astrid? I see. You're her girlfriend, aren't you?"

Athena's eyes widened. She didn't expect that Ares would know who she is. Then she recovered from the temporary shock and pressed the knife on Damon's neck, causing it to bleed slightly. "How come . . .?"

"I've been tracking down every family member recently." He exhaled a sigh and grabbed his pen, shaking his head. "I have every detail of their lives, from their pasts to the present. I have information on the people they know and have lately engaged with—even if they just met in just a matter of seconds. I know their interests, activities, and crimes."

He looked at Athena and smiled. "I know them very well, even you."

Athena glared at him. "Astrid is your sister, so why kill her? Are you a devil or some sort?"

On her way to see Astrid, Athena encountered two guys following her girlfriend. They were about to harm her when Athena intervened. When she asked what their intentions were for Astrid, they replied that someone had instructed them to do so, and their responses brought her right in front of Astrid's elder brother, Ares.

"What makes you any different from me?" Ares snickered. "Astrid is not the only one I plan to kill. I'll wipe the rest of the family members' existence out of this world. I mean . . . What's the reason for them to continue living?

"Demeter, a renowned successor of affluent entrepreneurs since the 1950s, wife of a multi-millionaire and a mother of unworthy heirs—not me though. People respect her not knowing what a lousy mother she is or how much of a jewelry junkie she is. She even hired slaves as her miners, abusing them to death just to get her desired gemstones.