My heart jumped at the sight of numerous guns pointed at my dad. Even with all of this intimidation, he didn’t even flinch or moved. His figure stood still, keeping his head tall, unnerved by the snatchers of life aimed at him.

 

“Submachine and one-handed guns, illegal ones at that. Every firearm that comes to Bremerwood should have been registered in our list, Someone must have sneaked around to obtain those, I have never seen those types of guns before at the South port several days prior.” Kalem muttered as he peered towards all of the guns.

 

“Two can play at that game, Corleone” 

 

With dad’s voice sounded loud and clear, when his sentence ended, the front lines from our side began to also wield their guns at the opposing side, including Kalem. The tension in the crowded space was enough to make a grown male lion whimper in fear. Bloodlust was spreading everywhere as glares of men peered towards one another. Kalem pulled and hid me behind his back, just like Adrian back at the mansion lobby.

 

“Aren’t you the one who wanted to discuss this rather than ending it up with corpses lying on the ground?”

 

“Of course I do, if your men lower their guns first, that is” The Godfather of the Flammia family mentioned with a sly smirk on his face.

 

“You’re the one who raised the flag first, it would be “wonderful” if you treat your guests with respect. Not with guns sticking up at their faces” Dad replied with a scowl

 

“I treat my guests like how I treat my subordinates. As welcoming as an open Venus Flytrap, get too close and you lose your head”

 

“Still on about your own ways, Corleone. No wonder “he” was disappointed in you,”

 

What does dad mean by “he”, who is “he”? It looks like they had known each other before, maybe that’s why dad was going all-out in this matter. 

 

“So what? I don’t care about him, after he “shoo” me off the family, it’s still attached to my head as if it happened yesterday. Well, he’s a coward anyway, not able to at least kill his enemy”

 

“At least have some respect for your former mentor, Corleone,” Dad replied, I heard a click as his right arm extends forward. Pointing his own customized golden streaked gun on the Godfather’s forehead

 

“I dare you to mock him again and I swear I would blow your head off right this instant” Dad hissed as his nemesis chuckled.

 

“Go ahead, Roderick. Shoot me and I’m sure my men will do the same to you”

 

None sides were willing to put their guns aside, the intimidation was about to tip off the edge. It felt like any of us could be dropping dead with a bullet in our skulls in a matter of seconds. I turned to look back and saw Adrian standing still with a stern look on his face as others around him are pointing their weapons to the opposing side.

 

His gaze softened when he glanced at me, staring at me with a smile on his face. I wish I could be like him, calm as the wind even in this type of situation. I sighed and kept peeking at dad and the other Godfather from behind Kalem’s back. If someone doesn’t do something….

 

“If the deal doesn’t go well, a turf war, no… a full-on battlefield will likely be the end of it, and we absolutely don’t want that to happen.” 

 

What Adrian said earlier can come true, dad, Kalem, and he would be in danger as well as Alphonse. Forget about being on the sides! I’m a member of this family too! I don’t want to sit here and see what’s going to happen.

 

“Lenna, what are y-”

 

I shoved Kalem to the side and stepped in front of him, directly standing behind dad. His fur coat made his shoulders broad and solid. I quickly gripped the smooth fabric and pulled to get his attention.

 

“Dad put the guns down!” I spoke up, catching dad by surprise as his head turned to the side to look at me.

 

“Stay out of this, Lenna” He replied, still pointing his gun towards the man’s head.

 

“Lenna, get back here” Kalem approached me frantically

 

“No” I glanced back at Kalem and back to my dad’s back

 

“Please, dad… Listen to me...” I pleaded, my grip on his coat tightened, he stayed silent for a moment as he briefly turned around to face me. Lowering his right arm while still holding the gun within his hand.

 

“We should lower our guns, you know that this isn’t going to solve anything if we point these at each other” I sandwiched my hands between the dad’s hand that was holding the gun.

 

“If one of them starts to shoot, lives will get taken. And Al might be even be executed as soon as it starts”

 

Dad stared down at my hands holding his and looked at me in the eyes. His eyes still filled with anger, however, there’s a slight glint of empathy in his Emerald irises. As Kalem stood by my side, dad pulled his hand back, too, under his coat, scribbling around as I assumed he put the gun away. He let out a sigh and gazed over the sea of men from his side with his posture tall and straight.

 

“Lower them down, all of you,” Dad commanded, just as he finished that sentence, the men from our side gladly put their guns aside.

 

When I turned over to the opposing side, they still hadn't let theirs down. The Godfather glanced at me with a smile and nodded.

 

“If that’s what the fair maiden wants, I, too, shall lower our guns.” He lifted his left arm halfway and waved it down, and the tension choking me earlier has been settled down.

 

I stared as each man lowered their guns, including the short Capo beside the Godfather. He glared at me with a scowl on his face for a second before he forcefully lowered his gun down. I gave him a smirk in return, making his face more annoyed. 

 

“But I must say, you’re quite bold to stand up in the middle of a ceasefire. Even with all of these tensions and the chance that you’re going to be shot down. I gave my earnest compliment to you, my dear, and I’m sure you’re going to love meeting my son.”

 

“Son? I don’t recall you ever having one, Corleone, or even have someone to procreate with” Dad interrupts and glared at the man with brows furrowed down.

 

“There are many things you don’t know about me, Roderick. And you’re going to be surprised once you see him for yourself.”

 

Moments after that, I started to hear tapping sounds of the heel of shoes coming from the far side in front of me. And it seems everyone was alerted by those sounds, especially the crewmen on the other side. Their faces turned pale and the confidence from them vanished into thin air, except for the Godfather and the midget Capo.

 

“Speaking of which, here he comes,”

 

The steps grew closer and closer as I could see a figure taller than the rest of them. Drawing closer as people began to shove themselves aside for the huge figure to pass through. Their bodies barely touched the tall figure, I just saw one of them got bumped through and the look on the man’s face…. Filled with horror and fear…. 

 

Then it unveiled in front of my eyes, the shine of his white suit overlapping his shoulders down to his knees. Covering his arms and most of his top part, open in the middle as I saw him wearing a layer of white shirt and dark grey suit vest with an Indigo Purple tie tied with a golden clip underneath it. His tall figure stood high, taller than dad and Kalem, like a tower overseeing us all. Judging from his body, he’s well built on the upper parts.

 

His hair as white as snow, strands of it moved around in the night breeze in front of his temple. With the rest of it tied to a long ponytail, it lays behind his head. It looked like the man is in his mid-twenties, he’s either the same age as Alphonse or a few years above him. I could slightly see the size of his hips, rather narrow and a little bulky, maybe a little bigger than mine.

 

Eyes of Golden Amber glared down at me, the emptiness within those half displayed pupils lunged into me, making red flags rise up in my head.  His eyelashes are as pure as his hair, fluttering like snow as he blinks. Although they are elegant and transparent, it displays a certain chill in them. His thin narrow lips crooked into a light frown, his shoulders are like the Pacific Ocean, overwhelming the Godfather in terms of size. 

 

“You’re quite late, why is that?” The lighthearted voice I heard earlier from the Godfather turned more of a threatening one.

 

“I was only cleaning up, nothing more” The man in the white suit replied with a deep and husky voice, I couldn’t help but be distracted a bit by his tone.

 

 “...It can’t be”

 

A mutter came from my dad’s direction when I took a peek, I was in total disbelief. The face he’s making, was none other alike from his usual ones. The look on his eyes and brows, it was as if he saw a ghost. His face became pale, lips trembling as he mumbled inaudible words. 

 

As I was about to ask Kalem, he was in shock, his eyes went wide and his mouth gaped at the man. I was in the eye of this confusing storm, what’s going on? Why do they look like they had seen something that would likely be their worst nightmares?

 

A few murmurs started to rise up behind me, I couldn’t listen to any of them as I was focused more on the man in front of me. His menacing aura and the emotionless look on his eyes made my hands balled into fists anxiously. 

 

“Have you been a good boy and tried not to finish him off? Did you push your boundaries?”

 

“No, sir” He replied directly as soon as the Godfather’s question finished.

 

The Godfather then turned over to me, Kalem, and dad with a smirk on his face, ”Surprised, aren’t you, Roderick? You looked like you needed a chair to sit down, shall I get you one?” He mocked playfully before my dad snapped out of his current situation and turned back to his usual self.

 

“Funny you should ask, you looked like you needed a stool to even talk to me. Your neck must be piled up with lots of fat that you can’t simply look up even an inch” My dad talked back with a hiss while he crossed his arms, and the Godfather just gave him a smile.

 

Suddenly, when I glanced over to the man who he mentioned as his son, his left shoulder lifted up slightly as if he was trying to grab something from his waist.

 

“It’s fine, you don’t need to get all riled up by his words. It means nothing to me, now put away your gun before I lose my patience, boy” The Godfather’s interrupted and his voice went deep at the words before he stopped speaking. 

 

The man stopped in his tracks and quietly followed the godfather’s words, letting out a frustrated sigh as he settled down.

 

“Oh, where are my manners? Most of you might have known him by name, but I suggest I should introduce him again to all of you. Especially to the gorgeous young lady joining us tonight”

 

He cleared out his throat and extended his left arm to the man beside him with ease.

 

“Let me introduce you to the underboss of the Flammia family, my right-hand man, and my eldest son, the future Godfather of the family,”

.

.

.

 

“Alvar Flammia”