Sempiterno VI (AlanxJeff)

Boss Hemmawich

Alan 

Kluer appeared amidst the chaos, with that predatory gleam in his eyes that had always bothered me. This was no longer just a war between families—it had become personal. He knew about my connection with Jeff. And I knew about the offer Tony had made to him, as if Jeff were a mere object of exchange. The mere thought of Kluer touching him ignited something inside me, made my blood boil. He'd pay dearly for just desiring him.

"Don't let him provoke you," murmured my father beside me, with a calm that didn't match the intensity of the situation.

"Unload all the weapons onto the cars. We'll cover you. We're heading to Thaily Mansion," my father ordered, his authority resonating even amidst the deafening noise.

I nodded. Thaily Mansion, a place we knew inside out, could be our salvation. On an exposed road, we desperately needed an advantage, and the mansion would give us that. My thoughts were quick, sharp. We had to move fast.

Among the clamor of bullets and explosions, my father called out to me. I turned to him just as Kluer, with a mocking grin, yelled from the distance:

"Running away?"

I smiled back before getting into the car. Moments later, I tossed my lighter toward a line of fuel we had set up. The fire raced along the ground to the ammunition truck, exploding with force. I could see the fury painted on Kluer's face and his men in the distance. But my momentary victory faded quickly when I saw a convoy of black cars approaching.

"They want to end this once and for all, huh?" I muttered, my mind working at full speed.

"They outnumber us," one of my men said.

"They're just numbers," I snapped back. The mansion would give us the advantage if we played our cards right. If we lured them inside, we could turn those numbers to our favor. "We'll crush them," I said, flashing a grin that made my man look at me, perplexed.

My father chuckled beside me.

"One of the reasons they say my son is crazy," he commented, amused, but with that respect only a man like him could show in the middle of a war.

We got out of the car and reorganized our forces. Way had texted me, announcing reinforcements; not just more of our men but Pete as well. We just had to hold out until then. Every minute counted, every shot fired could be our last.

"Everything ready?" my father asked, his voice colder than ever.

I nodded, my eyes fixed on the horizon, waiting for the signal. But his voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

"You..." my father murmured, his eyes locked onto mine.

I turned to him, confused. "That's why you don't have powers. You don't need them," he continued. "I told you that before, didn't I?"

Why was he bringing this up now?

I stared at him, puzzled. My mother had powers, and my brothers, Way and Babe, had inherited them. As a child, the frustration of not being "special" had eaten me up inside. Why not me? Then, my father had looked at me the same way he did now, with unwavering pride.

"It's because you're already so talented that, if you had powers, it would be unfair. Your brothers need them to survive. You don't." His voice, so firm and sure, brought an unexpected warmth to my chest.

I said nothing, just nodded. I never again wished to have powers. My father's pride was enough.

The announcement of Kluer and his men's arrival brought us back to reality. I spotted Winner, who was approaching as reinforcement. The outlook was grim. We were outnumbered, surrounded, but not defeated.