“Father?” said Daniel and he hurried next to the bed, beside his sister. “What’s happening?” he only realised the seriousness of the situation.

The old man looked like a defeated corpse who refused to embrace fate. Bitter his face expression, yet still sounded strong as he spoke.

“I know. I’m not good looking. But I want you to put aside your pity for now. I have things to discuss, and not much time to do it so,” he pointed at his bleeding chest. The cut sitting there was direful, forming a bottomless void above the man’s heart.

Elizabeth was thinking, “Damn it. Joseph… right for the first time,” She knew it was the mark of a well-placed dagger.

Daniel turned his head to look at Elizabeth. She noticed it and looked away.

“Ahh fuck...” Daniel whispered and started to walk around the room. He knew Elizabeth could read injuries precisely. Finally he grabbed a chair and sat on it, as discomfort was reining his face. ”So, what’s up old man? How did you get that?” he asked.

”That’s not important,” the wounded man answered.

“You think so?” Daniel replied with an attitude.

“You will see, once I’m done talking. I’ll give you better concerns, boy. “

Daniel raised his palm, showing he’s no longer intending to ask questions and grabbed the bottle of wine from the table, next to him.

“I ordered you here to have a discussion, but first things first.” the old man ringed the bell on the nightstand. Soon after, a young girl appeared with large lenses on her face. Her eyes were barely visible, as the glass bent the white light into a plain vortex. She carried a thick book and a pen in her hand. The book had an ornamental crest decorating its front cover.

“This is Sarah. She’s been working hard in my office for a while now.” Said the old man.

“Hi,” said Emily with a brief but honest, and welcoming smile. She was capable to forget her tragedy, for mere seconds.

“Pleased to meet you all.” the accountant responded with the same gesture.

Elizabeth’s eye recognised something there. The face of etiquette, but more like a role-playing one. It seemed like the mask of an actor to her, something she saw a lot through her life. “I don’t recognise her. Since when was she around...”.

Daniel raised his bottle” Pleased,”.

Elizabeth only nodded.

The young accountant sat down on a chair, on the other side to the bed. “I’m ready, Lord Gregory”.

“Excellent. Let’s begin then.” He took a deep breath “I am Gregory Blackhart, third of my name, leader of the Blackhart mafia, highborn of the Explored Lands. Cause of death: fatal wound on chest. The culprit is unknown. Weapon of murder: a dagger. Time of..” he was speaking continuously.

Meanwhile, Emily was crying. Quietly, releasing bitter air while she exhaled.

Daniel was already gone through half of the bottle. He was somewhat emotional, but he knew how to keep his things inside. He looked at Elizabeth. “El. We gonna sort this out, right?”

“Of course. “ she replied coldly.

“Aye. With knife and guns. We shall then” he swung the bottle again.

Lord Gregory’s speech stopped. Then he looked at his watch and carried on” Right. I, Gregory Blackheart, will leave all my legal and mostly illegal properties on my son, Daniel Blackhart, on my daughter, Emily Blackhart and on my adopted daughter, Elizabeth Blackhart. Each will carry out actions and take roles tied to their strengths and in accordance of their weaknesses. I name Daniel Blackheart to be the leader of the mafia. His job will be to keep the lead and maintain the bloodline. I name Emily Blackhart to be the Advisor. She will ease the leader’s responsibility and serve as the symbol of duty. And finally, I name Elizabeth Blackhart to be the Commander Assassin of the Blackhart Mafia. She will fight for us; obliterate our enemies and manage the missions that serve the crest. I, Gregory Blackhart, third on my name, leader of the Blackhart Mafia and House Blackhart, can confirm, that this is my honest will that shall define my resting grave, once I’m no longer.”

Gregory looked at the accountant and said, ” This is it. I wish to be with my family now.”

“As you please, Lord Gregory.” The accountant closed the book and walked out of the room.

“Now I’m officially dead, according to that. What I’m about to say never happened, as I was dead by this point. Understand?”

“Yes father,” Emily spoke with weakening voice.

“Yes dad,” Daniel took a sip and put the bottle down.

“Understood,” said Elizabeth in her normal voice.

“Good! Now, let me address what is probably in your head right now. The men who attacked me are dead. I threw them in the canal myself. So don’t waste your time on plotting a Reavang. However, who sent them on me, is a real mystery. I was searching for something. Unfortunately I went too deep and found myself in trouble.”

“Searching for what?” Elizabeth interrupted.

“For what you haven’t told me, my trouble maker. You may know what I’m about to tell you”

Emily turned around fast to face Elizabeth. Her eyes were hateful. “You? You pushed father into this?!”

Elizabeth was surprised and shocked in the same time.

“Speak when I’m talking to you!” Emily screeched.

“Perhaps I have,” Elizabeth finally replied.

Emily completely lost her manners.

“Perhaps you have? Look at him! How dare you speak like that?! We might be here so father could tell us you betrayed him. We don’t even know your origins. I knew you would break us one day. If father won’t get well, be sure that you’re finished!”

Elizabeth looked at her stepfather’s chest, “Well then. You might as well try me now,” her eyes were lit and her voice was a murmur of intimidation. Emily stared, with a mouth half open, strangely exhaling from anger.

“Oy, that’s enough!” Daniel interrupted the two “Emily, father just began his story, and she clearly knows nothing. You can’t assume with so little information. This judgemental attitude is not needed right now,” he then turned towards Elizabeth “El, you have something useful to say? If you don’t, your attitude alone doesn’t make you any better.” His fingers were pointing at her, with half of his eye lids descended.

Elizabeth’s fists were closed tight, her muscles flexed. Yet her face remained unemotional. She opened her lips to say something back at Daniel.

“Let’s not get carried away!” Lord Gregory’s voice scattered through the room like a bolt of lighting. “Girls, you act like immature children. Exact the same bloody way, like ever! I want my fate to have meaning on you, so you all can work together. Because what’s about to come is not to be mixed with selfish views. And Daniel, son, I want you to keep this up.

“Some things never change…” he replied quietly and swung the bottle again.

Lord Gregory looked at his raging daughter. She was still maintaining the eye contact with Elizabeth, but hasn’t spoken a word. “Your sister has worked hard for me through many years. Risked her life for our house, so you can have all that expensive dress and the warm meal on the table, Emily. You really dare to accuse her as our enemy? Show more respect, or I will take your status and write it on her name. For real!”

Emily turned her head down, ”I’m sorry father. Didn’t meant to let you down, with childish accusations,”

Lord Gregory hesitated, thinking busy about something.

“Good. Although your concerns are invalid, it targets a case beyond it,” he spoke in a warmer tone now “More or less, this is what I wanted to talk about.” He looked at Elizabeth again “The forgotten past.”

“Forgotten for good reason,” Elizabeth clearly didn’t like what Lord Gregory was hinting.

“For good reason. How is that?” Gregory sounded quizzical.

“You have no idea what you’re digging yourself into” she replied.

“But you do?” he asked back.

“No. Looking at you, nobody should, really,” Elizabeth replied again.

He continued, “I believe you had a very good reason to hide yourself. If your secret became public, or only known amongst the wrong ears, we all would have been doomed by now,”

Elizabeth felt a haunting, chilling touch stroking her spine. She grabbed a chair and moved with it to the bed. She placed it backwards, sat down on it and leaned forward ”So you got yourself into this, because you couldn’t figure out what has happened. If you know as much as I do, then you know how big this is. And the reason why it’s better left alone,”

The twins were speechless. They never saw Elizabeth being so open. And they had no idea what they were discussing.

“Yes. This is big. This is bigger than all of us.” Gregory agreed possessed, and seriously.

“Then why?” Elizabeth’s brief sorrow showed up in her words.

“I made a promise to someone. I promised I would look after you. I would take care of you, love you and treat you as my own blood. But above all, I promised to make you strong. I’m only making sure, the promise will be kept,” He looked at the watch and continued, “Elizabeth, I see you can mourn me later. That’s good. Every moment is precious now. It’s about time to play the game with open hands.”

Her iris enlarged but she still kept a straight face. “My stepfather never told me about this kind of promise. You’ve known him. Haven’t he told you that I escaped from the orphanage? Or that my parents died in a fire accident?” She pointed at her metallic face cover “Do you actually know how I got these?”

Lord Gregory smiled ”Oh I know the old story, and I suppose the real one too. Thing is, your stepfather was my good old friend, so he told me about the day he found you. It was on a day when a catastrophe hit the city, wasn’t it. On a day, when our magnificent skies turned black. So I began to wonder, how exactly would such a girl like you, turn up at his shop, on the exact same day,”

He spoke seriously now “Tell me what you know. Tell me, how the most powerful Great Descendant family lost their daughter on that tragic day”

Silence followed the talk. Lord Gregory just kept on staring at Elizabeth, along with his children who were frozen. Emily’s grasp on the bed cover loosened slowly. A huge swallowing sound came from Daniel’s direction.

“Father?” Emily broke the stillness. “What are you hinting with that?”

She looked at Elizabeth. Her eyes were wide open, staring into space.

“The aristocrats of our country are sure a strange breed. Solemburg, Runhild, Bathory…Sitwell,” said Lord Gregory. “ Yet, believe me or not, they aren’t so different. Human from top to toe. You wouldn’t notice her if she wouldn’t get their manner in time,”

“…all I see is that you’re a fool, and you have killed yourself. What even is the trade off for it? What would worth this sacrifice?” Elizabeth was emotionless, sharply talking to lord Gregory. It revealed how personal this case is to her.

“Oh you have no idea, how much have I obtained. Besides…it’s not the blood that chooses the family,” he spoke warmly again. “Yes, it did worth, every single drop of blood. So you finally get what you have the rights for. You have a lot to find out, Elisabeth. And you have to be the one who brings a change to this world.”

Elizabeth went looser “I don’t want any change. What if your troubles were for nothing?”

“I know what you think. But my troubles will put you out of this thinking, soon enough. Since you’re no longer a helpless little girl. You’re the most efficient, strategically trained warrior of Holdan, and I dare to say, of the entire Explored Lands. With Emily and Daniel on your side, you can do anything now,”

She kept looking at Gregory “How long have you been watching me for? Was becoming your assassin part of this plan?”

“Yes, it was my decision, to give you what you needed the most. It is strength, and discipline. Sooner or later, that fate you were supposed to meet will come, once again. I’m certain. You had to be prepared.”

Sharp pain resonated in Gregory’s wound. He hissed then carried on talking.

“You must take on this final mission, which I began to pioneer for you. All three of you.” He pointed at the other two.

“Hold on a second, father. There are a few things I didn’t catch, one of them is your evidence to think Elizabeth is one of them, and the other one is what’s this mission is about?” the alcohol showed in Daniel’s voice, but it did not transgress his curiosity or his focus.

“I see. I can’t get to the point without you two being actually updated. Elizabeth, would you mind enlightening your slow-headed siblings?” Gregory sounded somewhat amused.

After a transparent sight, she replied, “If I must.”

Silence followed.