Blood Runs Home

CHAPTER 1 : The Shadow of Revenge

The car finally came to a stop in front of the Grayhusk family residence. The large lamps lining the driveway reflected off the mansion's magnificent marble walls, enhancing its aura of opulence and cold, untouched ambiance. The gentle night breeze seemed to carry dark whispers of the mansion's past.

“We’re here, young master,” Garren said softly, trying to hide his nervousness. He quickly got out of the car to open the door for Piku.

Piku stepped out quietly, his hand touching Garren's shoulder for a moment. "Thank you, Garren," he said, with a small, unreadable smile. "And don't forget what I said earlier," Piku added, his voice low but filled with a clear threat. His eyes stared directly at Garren, piercing his thoughts.

Garren felt the stares weigh heavily on his chest. He tried to swallow, but his throat felt dry. “Y-yes, Young Master,” he replied in a trembling voice, bowing his head.

Piku turned around and walked towards the mansion's main door without looking back. Then Andrew and Toby, the guards at the door, approached Garren. "What happened to you, Garren? It seems like the young master is angry with you," Andrew asked. "What did you do to the young master, Garren?" Toby asked Garren.

Garren answered Andrew and Toby's questions with a feeling of regret and a broken tone, "I-I... A-actually..." Toby was surprised by the words that Garren wanted to convey. "Actually, what’s wrong with you? Just say it, instead of having to keep those feelings bottled up for a long time," Toby asked again with a convincing tone to Garren.

“I made a big mistake, I-I was late picking up the young master today, he threatened that if I was late again, I would be reported to Mr. Victor,” Garren said with fear.

Toby and Andrew felt sorry for Garren's trembling condition and were afraid that he would make the same mistake. They tried to calm Garren down in a gentle tone.

“Calm down Garren, don’t worry, the young master will never report it to Mr. Victor, it’s probably just a joke from him,” said Toby in a confident tone.

"What Toby said is true, the young master could not have reported it to Mr. Victor, he was probably just joking with you," said Andrew, confirming what Toby had said.

Piku, who was eavesdropping from behind the door, began to sigh, "huft..." He felt guilty for what had happened. He didn't mean to make Garren feel like that. "Next time I won't be so hard on him; he's helped me a lot all this time," Piku said in a soft and gentle tone.

Piku walked slowly to the dining room, as if the earth were pulling his body harder than usual. While he was in the dining room, his face was expressionless, but his eyes held a thousand unspoken stories. Victor and Fiona, his parents, were astonished and wondered what had happened to Piku.

“What’s wrong with you, Piku?” Victor asked sternly. “What’s wrong with you, dear? Are you sick?” Victor asked affectionately.

Piku replied in a nervous tone, trying to sound calm, “I-I’m fine, Dad. Just a little tired today, that’s all.”

"I see. After dinner, you should go straight to your room to rest, Piku," Victor ordered firmly. "Okay, Dad," Piku replied weakly, as if he really was sick.

Then, after dinner was over, Victor escorted Piku to his room. When Piku opened the door, he saw a black shadow figure coming out through his bedroom window; the shadow immediately disappeared from Piku's sight through the open window. He then checked out the window but he found nothing. "What was that thing? It disappeared so quickly," he was amazed at what had happened.

“What’s wrong, honey? What do you see?” Victor asked Piku, who was looking out the window in amazement.

“Eh... nothing, Dad, maybe I just saw something,” Piku replied, carefully closing the window, but his gaze remained fixed on the darkness outside. A strange feeling came over him, as if something wasn’t supposed to be there.

“Really, dear?” Victor's gentle voice broke Piku's reverie. He leaned over, touching Piku’s shoulder affectionately. “If something is bothering you, don’t hesitate to tell me.”

Piku smiled faintly, though his feelings weren't completely settled. "No, Dad. I'm just tired. Maybe it's the aftereffects of studying so much at college," he said, trying to appear relaxed. However, his mind was still replaying the dark image he'd seen earlier.

Victor nodded slowly, though his eyes suggested he wasn't entirely convinced. "Okay then. If you need anything, just call me, okay?"

After Victor left the room, Piku locked the door and turned on the table lamp in the corner. He walked slowly to the window, opening the curtains slightly to look outside. However, only the cold night air and silence greeted him.

“That shadow... was I just hallucinating?” he muttered as he stared up at the dark sky.

Suddenly, his eyes caught something on the floor near the window—a black feather that seemed to be stuck in the window frame. Piku carefully picked it up. The feather felt rough, like it belonged to an animal.

Piku frowned, staring at the feather with a serious look. “Whose feather is this… or is it the shadow’s?”

With curiosity now mixed with caution, he tucked the feather into his desk drawer. “I have to find out what this is. But not now.”

Piku decided to keep his discovery for the time being. However, he felt something strange about it, worried that something untoward might happen to his family.

Piku took a deep breath, trying to calm his thoughts. He knew it might not be a good idea to talk about this with his family right now. Especially with his parents, adding to their worries would only raise more questions than answers.

After putting the feather in the drawer, he walked over to the bed and sat on the edge. His gaze drifted to the now tightly closed window. However, the dark shadow continued to haunt his thoughts, as if warning him of something big.

“Who does that feather belong to?” he murmured softly. “Is this just a coincidence, or is someone trying to convey a message?”

Piku tried to distract himself by picking up a book from the small bedside table, but his concentration was short-lived. Every small sound outside his room alerted him. He began to feel as if he were being watched, even though no one was there.

In the midst of his silence, his phone suddenly vibrated. A message notification appeared on the screen.

“Be careful, young man. Because the real game is about to begin.”

The anonymous message sent a shiver down his spine. Piku gripped his phone tightly, rereading the message several times.

"What is this? What does this mean?"

He immediately glanced at the drawer where the feather was kept. His mind was filled with questions. Who sent the message? What were they planning to do?

A sudden urge made him want to go out and find out more. However, he knew that would only bring more risks. Anxiously, he put his phone on the table and lay down on his bed, trying to sleep, even though his mind was still a mess.

In his heart, he vowed to find out what really happened—whether with or without his family's help. This secret couldn't be left untouched.

The night felt longer than usual. As the night breeze gently blew through the curtains, Piku knew his life was about to change. Big questions loomed, waiting to be answered.

At night, while everyone was fast asleep. Suddenly, “AAAAA…..” Fiona screamed hysterically in her room, waking everyone in the mansion. Piku, who heard his mother scream, immediately rushed to his parents’ room, but when he got there, he saw the same figure—the figure that had escaped through his bedroom window at that time.

“Maybe this time you’ll be safe, Mr. Grayhusk, but next time you won’t be so lucky,” said the black cloak, as he fled through the window.

With tears welling in his eyes, Piku ran to his parents. His hands trembled as he hugged them tightly, as if to make sure they were really there. "Dad, Mom, are you all right?" Piku asked, hugging them both.

“We're okay, dear,” Victor replied with a gentle smile as he patted Piku's shoulder.

Suddenly, Mr. Karlo came and said, “Mr. Victor, Mrs. Fiona, what happened? Are you all right? Is anyone hurt?” Mr. Karlo seemed very worried about Mr. and Mrs. Grayhusk because he was Mr. Victor’s confidant.

Victor took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. Although his face looked calm, there was a glint of worry in his eyes. "We're fine, Karlo. But... that guy, he came into our room," Victor said, pointing to the window, which was now wide open.

“Husband, your hand is injured,” Fiona said with a worried look, noticing the blood flowing from Victor's hand.

"It's okay, wife. I have to find out who did this," Victor replied in a gentle but firm tone.

"I'll immediately have the guards check the entire property. That person won't be able to get far," Karlo said confidently, then rushed out to set up guard.

Piku still held his father tightly, unable to let go of his worry. "Dad, Dad, how did that person get into this mansion? Isn't our security very tight?" he asked in a trembling voice.

Victor looked at his son and then gently touched his shoulder. “Piku, this person is definitely no ordinary person. He knows how to penetrate our security system. But don't worry, we'll catch him.”

Fiona nodded in agreement, though her face was still pale. “Piku, dear, you have to calm down. We will find out who he is and what he wants.”

A few moments later, Mr. Karlo returned with a brief report. “The guards found tracks outside the window, but they lead into the woods behind the mansion. It seems he had his escape route well-prepared.”

Victor nodded, thinking for a moment. “Karlo, make sure the mansion's security is beefed up. Double the guards and install more surveillance cameras. I don't want something like this to happen again.”

“Yes, Mr. Victor,” Karlo replied in a serious tone.

After Karlo left, Piku still couldn't calm down. The black-robed figure kept flashing through his mind, especially the threatening message it had delivered: "Be careful, young man. The real game is about to begin."

Meanwhile, outside Grayhusk's residence, the black-robed figure, stood in the shadow of a large tree, surveying the imposing mansion with a hateful gaze. "You may have gotten away with it tonight," he muttered under his breath. "But our game isn't over yet, Grayhusk." With that, he strode off into the darkness of the forest.

As Talon returned to headquarters, cold sweat suddenly covered his hands. “Why are my hands suddenly wet? Is it because this mission isn’t complete? What will the Boss do if I fail to kill the Grayhusk family? Will he kill me? No way… this must just be my negative emotions,” Talon thought. With a confident tone, he continued his steps towards headquarters.

Arriving in front of the headquarters, he felt a foreboding, as if death was waiting for him at the doorstep. "Calm down, you'll be fine. The Boss won't kill you," Talon muttered to himself, trying to reassure himself.

After managing to calm himself down, Talon immediately stepped into the headquarters and rushed to the Boss's room.

As he stepped through the dark, winding corridors of the headquarters, the silhouettes of his comrades became dim, each busy with their own tasks. However, the atmosphere felt quieter than usual. He sensed something was amiss, but he forced himself to remain calm.

When Talon arrived at the large door to the Boss's office, he paused. The door was made of thick wood and intricately carved, reflecting the power and assertiveness of its owner. He reached out to knock, but his hand trembled. Cold sweat broke out again on his forehead.

With a trembling voice, he knocked on the door three times. “Boss, it's me, Talon,” he said in as calm a tone as possible.

“Come in,” replied a deep voice from inside, full of authority but cold.

Talon opened the door slowly and stepped inside. The room was dark, lit only by the dim light of a desk lamp that shone onto a pile of documents on a large table. Behind the table sat the Boss with a piercing gaze, his face hidden behind a mask shaped like a herbivorous animal that looked alluring yet mysterious.

“Report,” the Boss ordered matter-of-factly, his tone like a stabbing knife.

Talon took a deep breath, trying to gather his courage. “I failed, Boss. The Grayhusks are still alive,” he said, his voice trembling despite his efforts to appear strong.

The room was silent for a moment, except for the ticking of the clock on the wall. The Boss looked at Talon with disappointed eyes. "Failed, huh?" he said softly, almost whispering, but his tone held a clear threat.

“Boss, I… I almost made it,” Talon tried to explain, but the Boss raised his hand, stopping him from speaking.

“Enough,” said the Boss, slowly rising from his chair. “Failure is something I cannot tolerate. You know that, right?”

Talon lowered his head, not daring to look directly at him. “I know, Boss. But give me another chance. I swear, I won’t fail again.”

The Boss approached Talon with slow, heavy steps, like an executioner approaching his victim. “A chance?” he said with a cold grin. “You want a second chance? You know what happens to those who fail, don’t you?”

Talon shivered, fear gripping his body. “Please, Boss. I’ll make up for this failure. Just give me some time.”

The Boss stopped in front of Talon, staring intently. After what felt like an eternity, he said, “Fine. I’ll give you one more chance. But remember, this is your last chance. If you fail again…”

The Boss didn't finish his sentence, but the threat was clearer than any words.

“Thank you, Boss. I won’t let you down,” Talon said, bowing deeply, a mixture of relief and fear washing over him.

“Get out,” the Boss ordered flatly, then returned to his chair.

Talon walked out of the room with heavy steps, his back drenched in sweat. Although he had a second chance, he knew the stakes were higher now than ever. One wrong move, and his life would be at stake.

“Luna.” The Boss called one of his subordinates in a firm but calm tone.

“Yes, sir. How may I help you?” Luna replied in a respectful voice, her head slightly bowed in deference.

“Please keep an eye on Talon,” the Boss ordered coldly, pointing to the door Talon had just passed through. “I want to know his every move. If he shows any signs of failing again… report everything to me without hesitation.”

Luna's eyes flashed coldly, indicating she fully understood the instructions. "Understood, sir. I will ensure everything goes according to your wishes."

"It's good that you understand. Go. Keep an eye on Talon, and report anything suspicious to me immediately," the Boss said firmly, before returning his attention to the documents scattered on the table.

“Yes, sir,” Luna replied before turning around and leaving the room.

Outside, Luna strode confidently, her mind beginning to map out a plan for carrying out the task she had just been given. Deep down, she knew that overseeing her own teammate was a risky undertaking, but she would not disappoint her boss. To her, orders were everything, and her loyalty to the organization was unquestionable.