Chapter 4 Empire of Guilt

The rain fell like a curse from the heavens-thick, relentless, as if trying to wash away the sins gathering beneath the black umbrellas and polished shoes.

Huyan gave a crooked, chilling smile, the kind that didn't reach his eyes. The kind born from blood and betrayal. "He would've died eventually-by age, or by one of the enemies he made over decades. But... isn't it fitting? A man like that, dying not by fate... but by the hands of his own son?"

He stepped closer, the rain soaking the shoulders of his coat. Their faces now only inches apart.

"When you killed him," Huyan whispered, his voice sharp as a blade behind silk, "did you see guilt in his eyes?"

Jake stood unmoving, his boots collecting small puddles beneath them, soaked in the storm. His expression was calm, but his jaw twitched.

"He was a bastard," Jake said, almost too casually. "That man didn't know the meaning of guilt."

A soft chuckle escaped Huyan's lips, but it held no joy.

"Let me tell you what guilt is," he said, voice low, slicing through the rain like a scalpel. "Guilt is raising a heartless son who can choke the life out of his own father... and not blink. That's guilt."

Something flickered in Jake's eyes-anger, unmasked for just a second. His fingers flexed at his sides.

Huyan caught it.

"Oh... there it is," he said, smiling wider. "You're cracking, big brother. Don't let it show-it's such a rare sight to see you rattle."

Jake straightened his tie slowly, composing himself like a man covering a wound. "Do you know what Father's last command was for you?"

Huyan's smile vanished. His tone dropped. Cold. Dangerous.

"No. What?"

Jake smirked, stepped back with calculated confidence. "Ask your pet dog. I'm sure he knows. And next time..." he leaned forward, his voice venom, "don't bark at me. I'm not your brother anymore. I'm your Lord now. Remember that."

He turned to walk away, but after a few steps, he stopped. The rain thickened.

Then Jake turned back. His steps were quick-urgent.

He leaned in, whispering near Huyan's ear, and this time, his voice held a different weight.

"I did see guilt in his eyes."

Huyan's breath caught.

Jake's grin turned devilish, dripping with poison. "But not for what you think. He didn't regret what he did to you. No, little brother... he regretted killing her."

Huyan's heart stuttered.

Jake continued, savoring every syllable. "He killed your mother with his own hands... the night she begged him to keep you out of this world. He snapped. She defied him, said her son would never become a monster."

A pause.

"He proved her wrong."

Something inside Huyan snapped. His hand shot forward, gripping Jake's collar and yanking him close.

"Take it back," Huyan hissed. His voice trembled-not from fear, but fury. "Take back every word you just said. You're lying."

Jake laughed in his face. "Careful," he said darkly. "Watch your actions, boy. I'm no longer your sibling-I'm the head of this empire now. The next time you lay a hand on me, I won't be so forgiving."

Huyan's grip faltered. His fingers loosened. He stepped back, face pale, chest heaving.

Jake adjusted his collar, now damp and rumpled. He looked at Huyan with something between pity and menace.

"I'll tell you this," he said with a twisted smirk. "He begged me-begged-not to let you find out. Said the guilt was too much. Ask your dog. He'll tell you the rest."

With that, Jake turned and walked into the funeral hall, his silhouette swallowed by the black-clad crowd and flickering candlelight.

Huyan stood frozen at the entrance. Rainwater splashed against the tip of his shoes, soaking his soles. It was cold, but he didn't feel it. His throat tightened. He couldn't breathe.

His hands rose to his tie-it suddenly felt like a noose. He loosened it violently, gasping as if the truth had strangled him.

Then he collapsed to his knees. Rain mingled with sweat and tears that never fully formed.

He killed her...?

His fists clenched on the ground. The storm outside mirrored the one building within him.

Slowly, Huyan rose. His legs wobbled, soaked to the bone. He grabbed an umbrella from the steps but didn't open it. The rain hit him like a punishment, and he walked through it like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.

"I don't understand," he muttered, voice trembling. "Why does it feel like I've lived this pain before? Like these memories are bleeding into each other... Everything hurts, but I can't tell if it's grief... or guilt... or love. I don't know if I'm mourning my mother, or furious at my father. Or if I'm satisfied that bastard's finally rotting in a box."

He stumbled toward the car.

Yan stood waiting, umbrella in hand, his face unreadable.

"Boss, get in," he said quietly.

Huyan looked at him, his gaze hollow, as if seeing something deeper than skin. "You knew," he said, his voice cracking. "You always knew. And you said nothing."

Yan tried to step forward, to shield him from the downpour.

Huyan raised a hand. "Don't. Don't touch me. I trusted you. I thought... you were the only family I had left."

His lips trembled.

"You're more dangerous than anyone else in my life, Yan. Because you watched me burn... and didn't say a word."

He turned and walked off into the rain, not looking back.

Yan stood there, motionless. The umbrella hung limp in his hand. He watched Huyan disappear into the sheets of water.

He whispered, "Boss... you know more than you think. But I... I can't help you yet. This war inside you... you have to fight it alone. And when you're ready..."

He didn't finish the sentence.

He got into the car. The door closed with a heavy thud.

And the storm rolled on.