Arising

The dragon is dead

Rain.
I could hear the raindrops falling on the window glass. It wasn't a soft sound, not at all. They seemed so angry, like they were purposely attacking the glass and accepting to loose their life in the end.
I bet if I got outside my body would hurt from the magnitude and strength of those raindrops.
It wasn't windy though, just raining. Lots of rain, it was like both the weather and my mother were mourning today.

I get out of my bed, the sheets sliding off my naked body. Last night I chose to stay in the smallest room of the house. It gives me a sense of comfort and I need to feel that in order to be strong today.

My father died three days ago, natural causes of course, but his death wasn't just any ordinary death.
Of course for a child the death of a parent feels like the end of the world, and in this case it would feel like that for me and about more than 100.000 other people.

In an hour I was ready and got out of my room. As soon as I opened the door the voices that I could hear from inside now became more clear. There must've been at least five hundred people there to say goodbye to my father. And more would come.

As soon as I see my mother I gather my strength. I come close and embrace her.
She felt so small in that embrace, I could feel she had lost so much weight, her health wasn't in a good state.

I felt so powerless in that moment and then my mind started to wonder. From the pain of my father gone to the fear of what awaits us in the future.

What was going to happen with us? All I knew was that I had to protect what I had. I just didn't know how.

I was never close with my father, I hadn't seen him these last seven years and now his lifeless body stands in front of me.

My father was the head of the most powerful criminal organization of all time, Yakuza. Well at least that's what the outsiders call us, but we prefer to call ourselves ninkyō dantai meaning chivalrous organizations.

For about six hundred years my ancestors have ruled the streets of Tokyo and all of Japan. But not just Japan, we have expanded in China, South Korea and the United States. So basically we are everywhere leaving our mark.

After saying our last goodbyes to my father it was time to get back home. Life had to go on, well at least that's what I thought because my mother didn't seem to think so. It seemed like her life began and ended with my father.

She wasn't thinking about anything else and honestly she didn't care about anything else. If these were other times I think she would've accepted to dying and being buried with him.

I guess she loved him, to her that ruthless man was the best thing that came in her life. And with him gone the spark in her eyes was gone too. It was like life was drained out of her and I couldn't do anything about it. I don't think I've ever felt so powerless.

I take a look around. Criminal heads, politicians and other people that had made a name for themselves were here today. Some of them to express their condolences, some to pave a way for themselves and others to witness with their own eyes that my father was dead.

"I'm sorry for your loss. If there is anything you need I will be more happy to help you."-the minister of internal affairs says to my mother and me.

"We appreciate it."-my mother says to him, trying to hold herself together.

I just shake his hand and keep my focus on mother.
An associate of my father's comes towards us: "This is a great loss. I have no words, he was a great man."

"Thank you Shao," my mother says shaking his hand.

"I will help you with everything from now on."-he says then turning to me.

"We appreciate it Mr. Shao. We will get through it and stay strong like my father." I say to him.

"Still, with everything that is going to happen, I want you to know that you will always have my support."-he says shaking my hand.

Going to happen? What was going to happen?

***

Somewhere in Osaka...

"The Dragon is dead."

"Well  about time, his reign lasted like the queen of England."

"What are going to do now?"

"Us? Nothing. We're gonna let them kill each other and then get rid of whatever's left."

A/N Wellcome back! Hope you enjoy this new book!