XXVII

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ULTIMATE BETRAYAL

Mijako stood in front of the mirror, holding the pregnancy test in her trembling hands

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Mijako stood in front of the mirror, holding the pregnancy test in her trembling hands. The two pink lines now held the secret she had suspected for days. Her heart pounded with a mixture of dread and hope - dread for what it meant for her future, and hope that perhaps it could be a new beginning.

She knew she had to tell someone, and her sister Lola was the obvious choice. Lola was her confidante, someone who held her hand through their family's criminal exploits.

Setting down the test, she made her way to the warehouse where Lola was working that day. It burned away at her insides - the need to tell someone before she said anything to Siraj.

Upon entering the warehouse, Mijako watched as Lola hurriedly moved between shelves filled with dubious cargo. Their father had put them to work for his mafia family since they were teenagers. Accustomed to chaos and danger, Mijako found solace in her relationship with Siraj amidst the darkness of their lives.

"Lola," Mijako called out, waving a hand to grab her attention. Her sister halted mid-step, concern flickering across her expression at Mijako's tone.

"Miya? What's up? You look like you've seen a ghost," Lola said as they retreated into a quieter corner of the warehouse.

Mijako hesitated for a moment before spitting out the truth. "I'm pregnant, Lola."

Lola's eyes widened in shock before she wrapped her arms around Mijako. "Oh my God... have you told Siraj?"

"Not yet," Mijako admitted, her voice cracking. "I- I don't know how he'll react."

Lola gently grasped Mijako's shoulders, meeting her gaze with fierce determination. "Whatever happens, we'll face it together. As sisters."

But unbeknownst to them, their father lurked in the shadows nearby, eavesdropping on the intimate exchange between his daughters. His ebony eyes narrowed in fury, betrayal gnawing at him. Mijako was no longer just a pawn in his game - she carried a potential future that veered out of his control.

Before Lola and Mijako could resume their duties, their father appeared in front of them, his face a storm cloud of rage.

"Mijako," he spat venomously, "come with me."

Panic filled Mijako as her father dragged her away, leaving Lola to glare daggers into their departing backs. She struggled to break free from her father's firm grip as they approached the family dome.

Immediately inside, Mijako felt the cold sting of a needle plunge into her arm and darkness quickly enveloped her.

Mijako's heavy eyelids slowly blinked open but her body lay still, paralyzed yet acutely aware of her surroundings. The faint glow of a lamp cast eerie shadows on the sterile white walls of the room. Her brain struggled to make sense of where she was and how she got there — until she heard the cold, deliberate voice that sent shivers down her spine.

"Make sure you get it done swiftly," her father commanded firmly as he paced towards the window. "I don't want her to suffer... too much."

She tried to call out, but no sound emerged from her throat, choked with fear and disgust. Mijako realized with a growing sense of panic that she was unable to move a single muscle, leaving her utterly trapped in this sickening nightmare.

The door swung open, revealing the stoic face of Dr. Akiyama, who Mijako had once trusted with her health and wellbeing. He entered the room with a hushed demeanor and efficiently unzipped his black medical bag, producing shiny instruments that gleamed menacingly under the yellow light.

"Just take deep breaths and try to relax," Dr. Akiyama murmured quietly as he placed a gloved hand on Mijako's shoulder. She wished she could recoil in response, but all she could do was muster silent incredulity at his feigned empathy.

Her father, hands clenched behind his back, stared emotionless at the unfolding scene. "You know we discussed this at length before," he reminded Dr. Akiyama without a shred of humanity in those ice-cold eyes.

As Dr. Akiyama prepared for the procedure that would violate and strip Mijako's choice away from her, every fiber in her immobile body screamed and revolted against this intrusion—but there was nothing she could do to stop it.

Throughout the agonizing procedure, Mijako's senses were filled with the sounds of metallic clinking and her own stifled cries, each one crushing any hope she had of ever trusting her father again. The experience was a hollow, unending agony that shattered her spirit and rendered her helpless against the whims of those in control.

And yet, throughout the harrowing ordeal, she vowed to herself that somehow, someway, she would make her father answer for the atrocity being committed against her. Her mind raced with thoughts of escape and vengeance as it provided her a semblance of hope in this sea of darkness.

As Dr. Akiyama finally completed the unwanted procedure and wiped the sweat from his brow, Mijako's father smiled in a twisted satisfaction. "It's done," he whispered maliciously as if the insidious moment had sealed Mijako's fate forever.

Nevertheless, deep within Mijako's broken spirit burned an indomitable fire — a smoldering defiance that promised to never forget, never relent, and ultimately overcome the monstrous acts that had been inflicted upon her.

Mijako, lying motionless on the cold operating table, felt an unbearable anguish tear through her heart. Memories of the torment she had endured at the hands of her father flashed through her mind – the merciless monster who had forcefully taken her unborn child away from her.

As beads of sweat formed on her forehead, Mijako clenched her fists tightly, desperate for some form of solace in this cruel reality. Silently in her heart, she cried out, calling upon Aphrodite – the dormant demon residing within her – to bring forth salvation from this unspeakable misery.

Throughout the harrowing procedure, Aphrodite had remained unresponsive – a soul-stealing silence that now tormented Mijako. She prayed fervently for a response, anything to shatter the deafening silence and guide her through this dark period.

Unbeknownst to Mijako, however, deep within her being, Aphrodite began to stir from a timeless slumber. The goddess was displeased by the agonizing loss that had befallen the young woman who housed her divine essence. Her fury simmered beneath the surface as she started to gain consciousness.

Slowly but surely, Mijako could feel Aphrodite awakening within her. A spark of hope ignited in Mijako's heart as she began to sense an unfamiliar warmth within herself – embracing her and soothing her pain.

In that moment of desperation and grief, Mijako found solace in Aphrodite's presence. The unwavering bond between them fortified Mijako's spirit as she braced herself for what lay ahead.

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