RISE OF THE EMPIRE

Where It All Started

It had never been this painful before, the constant vacuum created by the hole in the heart that was formed a few hours ago, was more than Yoongi had ever imagined to bear in his life. His hands and shirt were still tinted with Yonwoo’s blood. While his pale cheeks were stained with dried tears, that every time threatened to spill out more whenever he would peek through the gap created by opening and closing the door. There laid a dead body that was very much alive a couple of hours ago. Yoongi was still holding Ari’s fragile body, while the little girl was fast asleep out of exhaustion. 

He has been sitting at the local nursing home for straight five hours now, unable to move an inch. When he brought Yonwoo to this shady-looking nursing home by the end of a kilometer’s search into alleyways, the doctors said she had very little chance to survive. And unlike Yoongi, Yonwoo was not born as a survivor, soon she gave up. Yoongi was still hoping his sister would come out of that dead people’s place, and run into his arms saying she was just playing dead to test her brother's love.

Yonwoo and Ari, Yonwoo’s daughter, were the only family Yoongi was left with. But he knew the seeds his family sowed almost a century or two ago would ripe every generation and the family would continue to bear the burden with the fruits. This time the price was paid by Yoongi’s sister, Yonwoo. 

Yoongi’s father was a well-reputed government official, but before retirement, he faced the most disgraceful event, where he was blamed for taking bribes and stacking money at a safe place, while his name was also dragged into the drug circle. The only person who helped him other than his family was Jang Haneul, a poised, and civilized gentleman who went out of his way to help Yoongi's family, but the Jang family would step up always if there was any trouble with the Min family, after all it has been the tradition. 

If any Min faces any issue that seems impossible to solve on their own they would ask Jang’s help. And they will help, without a question but the Min family would contribute a member of their family and send them with the Jangs’. It started when Yoongi's father’s grandfather, a Min and a Jang became best of friends, always ready to take bullets for the other. They both grew up in an orphanage in Busan, that's where the story started. They were survivors of war, orphaned, with no one at their back, both decided to build their fate and one night they both snuck out of the orphanage when Min was at the age of 15 and Jang was 17. 

That night was a devil in disguise, whose wings and horns were revealed to them but were too late. While staying in orphanage they never allowed any revolts, sometimes that created an issue and sometimes that solved issues. The orphanage knew about their friendship, the whole orphanage was united. The teachers, helpers and other caregivers at the orphanage knew that they were born to lead. The night’s evil showed its horns for the first time when they were gathering more and more at the factory they worked in to protest against the management for poor sanitation and hygiene, which had caused deaths. The management threw them out and dismissed the team they formed. After days of hunger, Min tried to steal some food, but he was spotted by the local police. That is when both Min and Jang decided to leave Busan for good. They stuck to the outskirts of Seoul, getting involved in things the kids weren't supposed to do. Small thefts, selling low-level drugs to college goers and those who sought. They decided they were going to take over the areas one by one and this time quietly, they waited for every opportunity where they would meet more people like them, gain their trust, make them loyal and then plant a seed of their own dream of ruling the area into other’s head. Convincing them with a priceless thing called 'freedom'.

Slowly and steadily, they made their dream come true. The two of them took the drug dealing under them and even dealt with arms at a basic level, moving at a rapid pace now to acquire the entire arms dealing, but it wasn't an easy task. They were getting targeted by sharks of the underworld now as well as the police were constantly tailing them. That’s when Min came up with a perfect plan to create a clean slate for them. It will not only make their work go easy at the underworld but they will earn a reputation among the higher-ups of the city and it would then easy for them to corrupt the system to carry out their business underground. While Jang took control of the underground business, Min with his connections made from their earlier business started to set foot to build up a business to survive in the world and co-exist with noblemen. Though the decisions were taken by both Min and Jang but at an unofficial level. Soon Min filled his men into the local administration and law. 

Both sides' businesses were running well enough for them to focus on their personal lives and strengthen their bond as a family. At least that's what Jang thought. Min had other plans, however. When Jang came to take his share, Min threw him into the eternal abyss. While Min was able to live and breathe freely during the daylight, Jang and his family became slaves to the night. The two best friends become each other’s worst enemies. One night when Jang and Min again had a duel again, Min managed to bring Jang to his deathbed. Both the families gathered. That's when Min understood the extent Jang went for him to secure his place in the underworld as well, Jang had the papers ready for Min to be his partner officially. But the damage was done and it was irreversible. Jang’s wife decided that the Jang family would continue ruling the underground and strengthen their roots. Min's family won’t ever meddle with their life again. And if ever Min family required any help from the Jangs they would help without a question but with a price. Min's family will be sending off a family member as a gift for the help to be useful to the Jang family in every possible way. In simple terms, that particular Min will be a slave to the Jangs. 

Yoongi knew about his family history but he has never felt this helpless and lonesome. The cold iron bench was now bothering him. But he didn't even have the energy to pull himself up together. There was minimum traffic in the hallway. He wanted to doze off there and open his eyes somewhere else, anywhere but this horrible site. He felt broken. He felt exhausted. He was just about to close his eyes, when he heard his name being called …. "YOONGIII!!!"