𝙫𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙨 | Lee Felix | Mafia

t w e n t y - f i v e

It was cold. Yet the bedsheets were soft and comfortable. I felt a little weak, but besides that, it seemed that everything was fine.

I slowly open my eyes and glance around the dimly lit darkness to only find out that I'm in a bedroom, but not a familiar one. The room was pretty big and simple, a small wooden bookshelf filled to the brim was near the door. That was all I could see since the brightness of the sun was absent, letting the moon illuminate my view as much as it could. Lightning flashed across the freezing sky, brightening the room out of its darkness for only a single moment. The rain pounded on, jolting the windows that thudded against each drop.

I don't know how I got here or who brought me here. I can't seem to recall it. The last thing I remember is the fight. Now that I'm thinking about it, I'm wondering what happened after that. I shake my head as I burry my face in the palm of my hand, feeling overwhelmed by everything.

I slowly get out of the cozy bed, stopping my movements for a second, trying to find my balance. I find a glass of water on the nightstand, and I immediately take it and bring it to my lips. But before I start to drink, I sniff the liquid, making sure it is not something else. I put the glass back in its place after drinking the transparent substance and slowly approach the door. I grab the doorbell and slowly twist it open, preventing any noisy sound, as if I was scared of someone hearing it. Hesitantly, I suck in a deep breath and push the door wide, stepping out into the hallway and down the stairs. There I find a standing man, probably a body guard. He turns his head in my direction after feeling my presence.

"Where am I, and... who are you?" He slightly raised an eyebrow before simply pointing to one of the rooms in the hallways.

"Let me escort you, he's surely waiting for you." I frowned, not comprehending who he meant.

I still guardedly approach the man, who seems to register my moves, as if he were trying to grasp if I had any intention of doing something that could take him off guard. But then he turns around and leads me to the room while I simply follow him behind. As we come closer to the door, it surprises me to see him knock on it to ask the man he described for permission before opening it and letting me inside. I give him one final uncertain glance before taking a few tentative steps toward the door. When I reach it, I notice him giving me a slight encouraging smile.

I walk in the door with the man's back to me. He seems to stare out of the window, contemplating the electrifying lightning zipping across the night sky. Even with the dull light ruling in the piece, it doesn't take me long to figure out who he is. My brother.

"Do you think thunderstorms are frightening?" He asks, not budgeing an inch from the position he had adopted, hands clasped together behind his back. "I could watch this for hours, it's so beautiful." But I do not respond to that, I simply stand there, waiting for his next move.

"I hope you were able to rest a bit. I know your preferences when it comes to bed qualities. When we were kids, you used to complain all the time about how soft your bedsheets needed to be in order for you to have a good night." That for sure was true.

My brother and I used to share everything when we were kids. The age difference between us wasn't big. He was older than me by a few years, and I believe that is why we had a strong connection, he was my role model. He was not only a teacher to me but also a companion and a caretaker. We shared our deepest emotions. He was just like my best friend. That was how everything was until our father decided it was time for him to step into the mafia world as well. It was hard for me to accept it because I knew what it meant and how our connection would look from there. But even under the circumstances, I still knew how much I meant to him.

He finally turns around and faces me. That's when I truly realize how bad I had missed him, how much I had missed his bright and comforting face.

"Won't you come and hug me?" He says it with his usual soft smile glued to his face. And that's when I return his smile and immediately run towards him, throwing myself into his arms. He embraces me tightly before softly striking my back. God only knows what I feel right now.

"Joshua." My eyes start to water as I take a glance at his beautiful face. "I had missed you so much."

I bury my face into his chest, afraid he'll see me like this. I don't know why, but I hated to cry in front of him, no matter what the reason was. I always wanted to look strong in front of him, as he had taught me to be.

"It's okay little sister, let it all out." He takes my face in his hands and whips away the few tears that were resting underneath my eyes, on my cheeks.

"When did you come back from the States? Why didn't you write me?" I asked him as his hands slowly let go of my face to find their usual spot.

"It's actually a bit more complicated than you think." I frowned, not being sure what he exactly meant.

"Regarding the situation with me?" I inquire as I settle into the chair placed behind the desk.

"Well, yes. Father made me come back because he needed my help." I simply nodded to that without adding anything.

"I was so worried." He muttered, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning his head back on the wall behind him. "All this time, I..." He paused and took a deep breath before he ran his hands over his face. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there to protect you."

"No, it's okay. You don't need to apologize for that. After all, dad kind of forced you to become part of his world." I try my best to reassure him. I knew how he was feeling about this, and I needed him to know that I wasn't his responsibility after all and that I was able to take care of myself. "I want you to know that it is not your duty to protect me. I know that's how you feel and what you want to do for me, but I assure you that I'm more capable than you think. Besides, I have my friends beside me. Even if I wasn't aware of it all this time." I whispered the last part to myself.

"Now that you know more than you were supposed to, things are going to be different." I immediately understood that he was referring to the eighteen, the circle, the entire elite group, and all of the problems that came along with it. "You have to be more careful. And I'm here to help you out with it. I'm here for you. I know how angry you are at dad and at the situation in general, but you have to know that you are part of the family and that you cannot escape this situation that easily. After all, you are a perfect target for our enemies." Our enemies. It sounds so strange to me, but maybe I'll get used to it someday.

"I hope you like my new place. It's safe here for you. And we're actually pretty close to your university." Right, it's like I almost forgot that I was a student. Ironic

"Tell me, what happened the other night?" I paused, looking my brother in the eyes. "The last thing I remember is the fight between... " I hesitated to say the names out loud. "And then I lost consciousness." He undid his crossed arms and put his hands in his jeans pockets before he began to speak.

"It was Felix. Yeah, Felix brought you here. He was the first one I texted when I arrived here." So he got out of the fight?

"And about Hongjoong and the others? Where are they? Are they safe?" He nodded without letting me finish my sentence.

"They might come see you later." I simply nodded. I wanted to ask about Felix, where he was, and how he was doing, and it was as if my brother instantly understood.

"You don't need to worry about Lee." I scoffed at that, trying to hide my worry about him.

"I don't really care about him." I instinctively reached for my shirt, clutching the sleeve of it. A notification appeared on his phone before he could respond.

"Speaking of the devil." He lifted his phone in the air to show me the screen.

"He says he's gonna be here in an hour. We have a few things to discuss."

The problem was that I wasn't prepared to meet him like this, let alone now.

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Hello beautiful people!
The last few weeks were quite hard for me. So many things happened, good and... let's say, bad. One of the positives was that I was able to attend Ateez's concert for the second time, which was fantastic. I know I have to work on my time management, but honestly, I've been feeling down these last few weeks, and my motivation regarding the writing process was not there, and I'm sorry for it. But I will try my best for you! <3