"Ah, damn that Vangeance. Why did he have to confess to the public like that? Was it his own idea or Travis's?" Lachlan shrugged, wearing his calm and pleasured face as he turned off the television in front of him. 

While reclining comfortably on the couch, he drew a cigarette from his pocket and lit it with his blood-splattered lighter. Putting his leg above his other, he spoke, "Either way, I have to celebrate later with Trav."

Spreading arms on top of the couch's backrest, he grinned genuinely as if he was satisfied with something. 

It was dark. 

The only thing flashing in the entire bar was the flickering violet lights and the dangling disco ball. Closed doors, pitch-black surroundings, no windows, and just strong walls. All was dubious, and it felt like secretly living in a netherworld. The atmosphere seemed devoid of life, but it was far from silent.

The scene was awash with blood.

Party music continued to play while all of the partygoers, staff, bodyguards, all of the people lay lifeless on the ground. Some bodies were piled up to one another and some scattered in every spot as well. Not a single soul made it out alive, all trapped and perished in one room. The only person alive and sitting right now was Lachlan. 

Only him.

"U-Ugh. H-h-help..." almost a soundless voice coming from the exit doorway. It was a desperate call from a helpless man in his thirties. He was one of the partygoers. One of Lachlan's targets.

Trying so hard to crawl to reach out the door, he vomited blood twice that he didn't get the chance to feel the doorknob on his fingers. At the same time, his stomach ached and he puke blood again and again. 

It was so painful... painful that he rolled on the ground while tightly hugging his own weak body to at least ease the pain. 

It was no use in escaping. He's nearing the end of his life.

"Let me give you a tip on how to survive," after sitting still, Lachlan stood up and slowly came after the hopeless man.

While walking like some royalty, he didn't hesitate on walking over the dead bodies he passed by. Every stride he made was accompanied by the sound of wet, viscous water and breaking bones rather than ordinary footsteps.

"Don't move..." Lachlan spoke when he finally reached the man. He glanced down at the man, putting his hands inside his pocket.

Trembling, the man wanted to speak up so bad. He didn't want Lachlan to come any closer to him. Or so... he wanted to get rid of him if he had the chance. But he's depleted of all vitality. He couldn't even breathe properly as he was left almost lifeless on the ground.

"Do not move, or the poison inside you will take your own life," Lachlan smoked a cigarette and breathed heavily.

"W-why are you..." the words were like air, there's nothing clear within it.

"Hmm?" he didn't clearly hear it so Lachlan squatted with his hands above his knees, just to hear the man's words. There's no need for the man to expand his words, Lachlan was sharp enough to understand him. "Please don't talk. I get what you mean. You're going to die if you want to live."

"The world is already too cruel for you, okay? You've got no job, you're divorced, and you're a hopeless drug dealer, and you've killed countless innocent people too. Do you think someone will come and rescue you if you made it out alive? You're still going to rot in prison if you continue on living, Sir," he stood up and raised his head to release a deep-seated sigh.

"... I also received news stating that all prisoners are being tortured by the policemen. Although tortures are also an inhumane act... I want to kill those people who are fond of that kind of habit too... whether it's for justice or not..." he looked at the man having a great blood loss, "So I suggest, Sir... you just die in here rather than strolling around the world doing some inhumane deeds."

"Here's a thing, you're going to die in here anytime soon. The poison lasts one minute anyway. In the meantime, I'll share a secret, yeah? I don't care if this will matter to you or not. As your killer, the one responsible for your death, I'll tell you some truth."

The man on the ground became pale and almost out of life. He's far from surviving. The only thing he can think of right now is the memories of when he was still living a normal life. He couldn't get it back after the mistake he'd been committing. It's no use, he's going to die in here.

The man realized he still had energy left on him. So for his remaining time, he used it to get something behind his coat. He was shaking as if his energy got already drained.

Lachlan then took a glimpse at the picture the man was holding. 

It was an old picture of a girl. Judging from the looks of the developed picture, it somehow went through a lot because of its crumpled texture. Still, the girl's smile didn't fade or change. It's still a pure smile as it used to be.

As seconds passed by, the man became lifeless while clenching the picture of his late daughter. Laying on the ground, breathless, he failed as a father as he once thought. If only his ex-wife didn't cheat on him, if only his daughter didn't run into a car accident, all of this might not be a fate for him.

There can be no such thing as a lovely strength after life has captured the soul. No such thing as a romantic corpse exists. Death cannot be avoided. The flesh rots, followed by the bones, and the hair becomes twisted in the dirt. It is the life that is attractive, and it is the life that must be valued, and it is the soul that should be cultivated. 

Either a sinner or a redeemer, a beauty or a hag, intelligent or dumb, worms will still crawl onto graves.

"There are almost 500 people in here who are dead. But before I planned this, I did a little bit of research to all of my guests," Lachlan squatted again and barely looked at the man's cold body on the floor, "Your ex-wife was sent for execution two days ago. She killed countless lives as you did, Sir. And as for your daughter..." he paused and sighed, shaking his head five times, "...no need to tell you. You already know the answer to that, dear drug dealer." 

After he was done with his business, he stood up and looked at all of the cold bodies lying on the floor. "This is what happens when drugs are already within you. With just one drop of my solution, you will die right away."

As the music still goes on, Lachlan felt something vibrating in his right leg. That's when he knew someone was calling him by phone.

"Papa," As soon as he saw the registered name on the screen, he answered it right away, "Oh, papa? What's up?" 

For better hearing the voice of his papa, he went out to the club and stood beside the street light. It's still afternoon, almost sunset.

"Are you done there?" the voice on the other line.

"Of course. It took me five minutes anyway."

"Then proceed to your next target. There are still a lot of names on your list," his papa commanded in a strict manner.

This made Lachlan appear a little depressed. He anticipated being applauded or praised, but that does not appear to be the case as always. But he's OK with it.

"Of course, papa. You have my word. I will go back home maybe at---"

"Don't go home."

Disheartened as always, Lachlan still overcame it and just didn't fuss about his papa's words. "All right, papa. Take care."

Without missing a beat, his papa hung up the phone call. This made Lachlan feel quite dismayed, but he had to get used to it. His papa is always like this even though he always accomplished something just for him. Whether he'd do his will or not, his papa will never acknowledge everything he does.

Or so... that's what Lachlan thought.

Living is a wonderful thing for people, but it is seldom always beneficial to others. Others may live because they are told to, others also live because of their own free will. Others may say life is all about surviving, but where is happiness in that? 

After a few seconds, Lachlan received a call again. This time, the name registered on his contact was different. It was Travis who called him.

"Wassup, sugar pumpkin?" he turned his voice into a lively one.

It made Travis click his tongue. It would really annoy him when Lachlan calls him that way.

"Your papa called you?" the person on the other line, Travis, asked him politely. "Don't make your voice that way, it won't work on me." 

"Yeah, he told me to proceed to my next guest."

"Oh, maybe you're done with your business in the club? How was it?"

He was proud of himself. "It's fine though. I managed to poison them all by disguising myself as a bartender, Hehe. Easy-peasy."

"Then, let's celebrate?"

It was a small offer but Lachlan really felt happy about it. "Of course! You have to tell me that thing in the news too."

 "Yeah, I got something on my sleeve. But let's celebrate after the event later though. Remember the thing I asked you about?" while on the phone, Travis put a Jack, Queen, and double King on top of the table as his bet. This made his opponent, Liam, get his turn upon betting his cards.

"Oh, in the hotel-casino? Of course, I'll go. I have gotta release my chest too sometimes," Lachlan put his hand on his arm and leaned on the wall behind him.

"Then we're good. Let's meet at the casino." 

In the meantime, his student which was his opponent, Liam, bet double Jack, Queen, and a King. This made the whole viewers or the whole class gasp. They had no idea it'd be great as this.

It was almost a tie.

Lachlan smiled. "Okay then, sugarpie---."

With his response, Travis didn't hesitate to turn off the call. It really pisses him off anyway. 

For so many years they've been friends, both Lachlan and Travis were never apart since they've met. So long they've been pals, they got the chance to know each other. But no matter how close do friends get, there's always a secret in each of them that would limit their friendship.

After they're done with the game, Victor counted the total of their scores. It was 24-23. Mr. Travis got 24 and Liam got 23. That was almost a tie.