The Devil's Justice ( 🔞 )

| P R E - P R O L O G U E |

August 13, 2003, at 20:32 hours:

On the dark and ominous night in LarksVille, Boston, USA, rain fell relentlessly, creating a symphony as it crashed down on the pavement. It was unexpected rain at an unexpected time, just as it was an unexpected situation that transpired that night.

There were three men standing in front of a mansion, watching it burn into ash. Their faces were hidden under long-sleeved coats and the raindrops mixed with the blood in their hand, blotting out all traces of the heinous crime they had committed. They watched the house burn to the ground, then silently walked to a spot where they could witness its final crumble.

Inhaling the last of their cigarettes they tossed them into a puddle of rainwater. Satisfied with their view, they quickly hopped into a black vehicle parked near the house.

There was no expression on their faces, no hint of guilt, no hint of fear.

The car roared to life, and they drove away into the night leaving behind the scene of terror and despair. The house they destroyed still burned its last, crumbling into shattered dreams and disintegrating cement.

That night, every truth was buried alive, and every sense of justice met a brutal demise.

No one bore witness to the heinous act they had committed.

The rain and thunder wove a theatrical tapestry of suspense and mystery as if the very darkness mourned the tragic event. It wasn't supposed to be like this. This mansion, once echoing with the laughter of children and the joy of a happy family, now lay in ruins. A tragedy that was never meant to be.

Even Lucifer would have shed tears if he had witnessed the devastation. They did not deserve this. No one does.

These men showed no mercy.

They came. They took. They killed.

They made sure all the evidence was buried and burned inside the house. Leaving them as the honoured men of the society hidden under a mask. Criminals.

****

Inside, three children huddled together in a closet of the burning mansion. An 8-year-old with dark, ebony eyes and wild, jet-black hair sat beside a wide-eyed five-year-old girl, whose eyes were as deep and endless as the ocean. In the arms of the boy was a fragile four-year-old, her golden-blonde hair cascading in delicate waves around her cherubic face and soft brown eyes.

What just happened?

Two hours ago:

"Mommy, look!" The ebony-eyed boy squealed in joy as he showed his recent family sketch to his mother – his superhero father, a lovely mother, a little sister, and himself. A complete, happy family. Alongside them, a little girl with ocean-blue eyes, his dear friend.

"That's wonderful, honey!" His mother, currently in the big kitchen making dinner, smiled. Despite the odd, rainy weather casting a gloomy and dark atmosphere, she adored her children before her. Her husband was supposed to return from the trip soon with good news. All the hard work would finally pay off. The Winstons and Romanos would finally forge a business tie, and with that, Romanos would enter the international market very soon.

All the dreams her husband and she had woven would soon come true. With hope in her heart, she encouraged, "Why don't you teach your sister and..." Before she could finish, a woman rushed into the house. Her blond hair was wet from the rain, her deep blue eyes worried, and her breath ragged from running. She was distraught.