Calm Wanderer
patreon
(AKJ) Chapter 94 - The truth behind his mother's death
🕑 Added 2024-12-20 11:11:54 +0000 UTCMolvograd, Molkovia, Earth.
Demian's P.O.V.
When did Demian start to blame himself for his mother’s death? He could not tell exactly. For the first few years of his life, his Aunt repeatedly claimed that his mother Izabella passed away due to catching a rare disease. However, she never went into much detail despite asking her for it many times, something he could not understand then. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how one viewed it, the woman let slip the truth one night when she had too much to drink, the alcohol being used to numb the pain of losing her sister first and then her husband. The exact details were slightly vague in his mind, but the young man still recalled how waking up late at night to go to the bathroom, he had suddenly heard his grandparents and Aunt talking about his mother, which had piqued his curiosity. Despite being only around eight years old back then, he was still sensitive enough to understand that the three were hiding something from him. Thus, by discreetly listening to their conversation, his young mind hoped that he would finally be able to find out more about the matter.
Well, his wish was granted, but the result was not what he expected. From their words, Izabella died during labor, her body’s vitality too weak to bear the birth of her child. In other words, his mother died because of him. For an introverted child like him, someone who simply sought his parents’ love, it ended up being a crushing blow. And it grew worse as he also learned from the same conversation that his father had actually abandoned him. Before that day, the young man was told that his father had to leave for a secret mission and could not come back to see him for a long time. ‘Is he a secret agent like in the movies? That’d be so cool! I wish he could come see me though’ the young boy thought at the time. That delusion, however, crumbled instantly when he learned that, unlike his son, Roman had no interest in meeting him, opting to leave him in the care of his sister-in-law, Adeliya.
From then on, the young boy’s fragile spirit broke down completely. His mother died because of him, his father despised him so much that he abandoned him and his body was so weak that even walking for a few minutes winded him... Any self-esteem he previously managed to gather vanished, prompting the young man to close himself off from everyone else. With constant guilt and sorrow, the young Demian began to have constant unhealthy thoughts, coming close to ending it once and for all a few times. It was only thanks to the deep care of the three Mikhailov women, and even that was barely enough to keep his head above water. Paradoxically, the accident three years prior during which he lost his grandparents while the four Mikhailovs, himself included, ended up with heavy injuries had a somewhat positive effect on him. The passing of his loved ones notwithstanding, the necessity of helping Seraphine through the loss of her sight, in particular when it came to day-to-day adjustments, gave him a goal to strive for. Finally, Demian was needed by someone, his existence in this world finally had meaning...
At that point, his mental state, although not truly healthy, was stable enough to help him go through the following three years without having any more suicidal thoughts. He did experience dull pain, though, but he learned to ignore it by distracting himself with all those Cultivation novels he read to Seraphine. Who would have thought that he would end up living in that kind of fantasy world? ‘Now that I remember what I’ve been through, I really wonder where I found the strength to go on... I guess I wasn’t as weak as I thought at the time.’ He thought wryly before concluding inwardly. ‘Whatever, I can’t really change the past... But that doesn’t mean I can’t investigate it.’ Although that contemplation seemed to have taken a long time, in reality, only a fraction of a second went by, displaying how inhumanly efficient the young man’s brain had become after raising his cultivation base to his current level.
Despite having a sliver of his attention directed inward, the major part of his focus was on observing Roman’s reaction to his words, whether it be the man’s body or energy fluctuations. Noticing the startled look on the older man’s face, Demian continued. “I’ve always had doubts about my birth and mom’s death. But recently, I’ve started thinking about all those incoherences I’ve been subconsciously ignoring in the past.” As those words left his lips, Roman’s body grew visibly tense, his fists tightening while traces of what seemed to be guilt and sadness appeared in his gaze. Narrowing his eyes at the older man’s reaction, Demian continued speaking. “The first thing that boggled my mind was Mom’s supposed death from childbirth. I’m not saying it’s impossible, but with my grandparents’ money and influence, they would’ve provided her with the best medical care available. And from what I know, she was perfectly healthy before...”
Now that he had started to confront his biological father, he became certain that the man was hiding the truth. There had to be something behind the event, and from the guilt he spotted in the man’s gaze, Roman might even have played some part in those events. “I...I don’t...” Roman’s previous confident aura was crumbling, leaving him stuttering guiltily. However, Demian intended to ‘strike’ while the iron was hot, not leaving the man any leeway for more lies. He came for the truth, and he would get it. He thus resumed his assertions in a cold voice. “The second thing I never understood was my body condition. Before I started cultivating, I just couldn’t understand why I was so physically weak. I can tell now that it was because of a severe Vitality deficiency. Correct me if I’m wrong, but that condition should only happen with premature babies. But Liya told me a few years ago that Mom was pregnant with me for almost ten months...”
At that point, the man had lowered his eyes, avoiding his son’s piercingly deep gaze. Despite not knowing the specifics, Demian had no more doubts when it came to the older man’s culpability, prompting him to add the last nail in the man’s coffin. “The last thing I’ve recently considered is why you abandoned me but still ordered some of your subordinates to protect us. And don’t tell me it was for Sera and the other two. I’m not that naive.” Pausing for a second, he finally shared his conclusion. “After hearing Danilov’s words a week ago, I’ve been considering the problem again and again, and I finally reached a conclusion, as lacking as it may be. I believe it has to do with you feeling massive guilt. You’ve done something you shouldn’t have or not done something you should have, and you’re terrified at the idea of telling me the truth. But now, you can’t run away anymore. I won’t let you... Father!”
Although the word ‘Father’ was said in a calm tone, the sound waves created from that same word were anything but. With every object in the room shaking intensely, even Roman’s powerful Tier 2 Body seemed on the verge of breaking, especially with the young man’s crushing Aura falling on him. Only Seraphine was completely spared from the ‘attack’, his mind subconsciously avoiding her. In the meantime, his presence grew with his whole body emitting massive fluctuations, his eyes revealing powerful depths usually hidden behind his signature casual smile. Even his silky black hair started floating slightly from the wild Aura escaping his body, creating an illusion in others’ minds that they were not facing a Mortal but an angry young God. Despite the cold anger flooding his heart, Demian was still rational enough to control his Aura’s output. After all, his goal was not to kill his biological father but to learn the truth behind his mother’s death. Thus, he kept it strong enough to heavily pressure the other man without actually injuring him. Naturally, the warm and soft hand holding his own did have a great effect on his mind, helping him rein in his wild emotions.
On the other side, Roman could be seen quivering uncontrollably under the incredible strain he was put under, with sweat running down his face and creating patches of wetness on his stylish clothes. Through gritted teeth, the older man suddenly exclaimed. “Okay! Okay! I’ll tell... you! Re-Retract... Your... Aura!!” As soon as those words reached Demian’s ears, he withdrew his Aura inside his body, which put an end to all the strange phenomena happening in the room. His expression was still as cold as ice, though. “I’m listening.” He declared while gazing at the man sitting in front of him, the latter taking deep breaths to calm the tremor wracking his body. After a few seconds, Roman seemed to have mostly recovered, and if it was not for his damp clothes and the glint of apprehension in his gaze, no one could have guessed that something strange had just happened.
As his eyes met his son’s, Roman started. “You were right. Bella... Your mother didn’t pass away from childbirth. Or at least, not the way all of you thought.” Pausing for a second, he then moved his eyes away briefly when he added. “I’m to blame for her death.” Those words, words he had both dreaded and longed to hear, violently shook his mind. ‘I wasn’t guilty... He was the one!’ He thought as a mix of fury and relief washed over his heart. The raging emotions were so strong that he almost lost control of his Elemental Energy, but a few soft words from Seraphine helped him regain control of his emotions. “Let’s hear the rest, Babe. I’m sure it’s not as simple as Uncle just claimed.”
Taking a deep breath to calm himself while subconsciously noting Roman’s grateful look directed toward her, he then ordered the older man. “Explain.” Nodding his head, the latter continued, his tone turning slightly reminiscing. “The both of you may not know, but I’ve spent my whole childhood in an orphanage in Molvograd until I turned 18. In case you’re wondering, I don’t know who my parents are or even if they’re still alive. I’ve never even tried to look for them, to be honest.” As if those words triggered something in his mind, he briefly gazed in Demian’s direction before shaking his head and resuming his story. “Anyway... That orphanage was funded by the Organizatsya and was used as a sort of recruitment center by it. They didn’t force us to work for them, mind you, but not everyone is talented enough to get a scholarship to a prestigious university or lucky enough to find a well-paying job. Most children from that orphanage would‘ve ended up doing some back-breaking, low-paying jobs, so with the option to work for the Organization for relatively decent pay and with no real skill needed, most people took that offer. Even with the high risk of injury and death involved.”
Despite not yet understanding why the man was digressing so much, Demian kept silent and listened with interest. After all, he knew next to nothing about his biological father besides the fact that the latter was currently an officer in the Organizatzya. After letting out a wistful sigh, Roman continued. “So I also took the offer at that time. I worked for a few years as the lowest grunt with no real way to climb the ladder. It was only after I reached my thirties that I was ‘lucky’ enough to kill a Low Chi Gathering Cultivator with a few gunshots, saving another Cultivator from the organization in the process. Although I ended up heavily injured in the confrontation, the man helped me heal and took me under his wing from then on. With his help, I not only started to climb the organization ladder, but also cultivating, something that I was relatively talented at.”
Tilting his head slightly, Demian asked. “What does that have to do with Mom?” Turning his gaze back toward the young man, Roman replied calmly. “I’m getting there.” Pausing for a second, he then said. “Because of the heavy injuries I received during the confrontation I just talked about, I had to go to the Molvograd National Hospital where I met Bella. She was working there as a nurse, by the way. I’ll pass on the details, but after I was discharged, we kept in contact, and a few weeks later, we started dating. Our relationship was great, although Adeliya and her parents didn’t hold me in high regard. I don’t blame them, though. After all, who would accept having their precious daughter or sister dating a low-life criminal like me?” That last question was muttered in a low tone, filled with self-mockery.
A brief moment later, he shook his head and continued. “It didn’t stop Bella, though. I guess she could see some things in me that no one else could. Even I...” His voice grew quieter with the last few words before returning to a normal volume as he added. “A few years later, she became pregnant with you.” His gaze focused on Demian’s face before adding. “At that time, I had reached the Peak of the Body Strengthening and was one step away from reaching the Chi Gathering Rank, but I was finding it really hard to take that step. That’s when Danilov contacted me...” Noticing the older man’s tone and hesitation, Demian prepared himself mentally for the rest of the story. Taking a deep breath, Roman resumed talking. “You need to understand that the Organizatsya, despite being officially a criminal organization, is actually also under the Crimson Circle, making Danilov and me colleagues of sorts. The only difference being that I was in the shadow while he was in the light.”
While the blue-eyed man was comprehending the man’s words, Seraphine asked. “What about the Danilov Family? Were you under them then?” Shaking his head, Roman explained. “The Crimson Circle is different from those powerful Families. They only employ useful and talented people. Anyone useless, even if they come from a powerful Family, will be discarded. In a way, it’s a relatively fair system. Although it’s also incredibly ruthless.” He paused for a second as something seemed to come to his mind, and then added. “Speaking of which, this is why Danilov was able to attack me despite the two of us being under the same organization. The higher-ups not only don’t mind internal competition but even promote it. Even if many people end up dead as a result.” Scrunching her brow, Sera commented. “That sounds barbaric.”
Chuckling wryly, the older man replied. “Unfortunately, it works. The strong keep growing stronger, and the ones dying are constantly being replaced by an inexhaustible amount of desperate people like me. Seeing how their policies have ‘positive’ results, why would they want to change them?” Despite feeling some mild curiosity about the inner workings of the sprawling organization, it was not what he wanted to know at the moment, prompting him to state in a cold voice. “You met Danilov, and Mom was pregnant with me...” Startled, Roman briefly looked at Demian’s face with complicated emotions before nodding slowly and saying. “I’m sorry for the digression, but it was necessary for you to understand the rest of the story.”
Nodding his head to acknowledge his words, Demian stayed silent nonetheless, and thus, the older man continued. “So, Valentin Danilov and some members of his family were in charge of a special experiment...” At that point, his courage seemed to falter for a second, but a single look at his son’s frosty expression prompted him to take a deep breath and keep speaking. “That experiment involved granting Powers to people, or more specifically babies. It was done through the injection of a special serum to pregnant women, which is supposed to mutate the unborn baby’s physique and grant it superpowers.” With Demian’s superhuman intelligence, it was not difficult to guess what the man was about to say. However, he decided to keep silent and listen to the end, doing his utmost to stamp down the growing fury rising in his heart.
“What Valentin offered me was to use one of those serums to grant you superpowers along with a Chi Sensing Pill to help me break through to the Chi Gathering Rank.” Those words and the implied meaning behind them instantly destroyed any semblance of control Demian had over his raging emotions, leaving only blind wrath clouding his mind.
