"Those who deny freedom to others,
deserve it not for themselves."
____
Several ambulances and fire trucks were already in front of the police station; the girl named Bella was the one who had called them.
She sat on a long bench, still staring blankly. A hand began to tap her shoulder, breaking her reverie. Her gaze shifted to the young man in front of her, dressed in a sharp police uniform; he was Han, a young inspector in Tokyo.
"Bella, I'm sorry, but I have to tell you this. Stevan Drew was killed in this tragedy!" Han looked down, not daring to witness what would happen to Bella after hearing that Stevan had died in the tragedy.
"What about Mr. Brad?" Bella asked.
"He's also dead." Han felt terrible saying it, but Bella had to know.
"Who did this, Han?" Bella asked Han.
"You know the organization the American military is hunting? They fled here. A genius detective infiltrated their headquarters! But, we haven't heard from him recently. However, he did send a file and some of the money stolen by that organization a few days ago," Han explained.
"Does that mean this is a warning to us?" Han said to Bella.
"Perhaps, and that detective might be dead now!" Bella guessed.
"Include me in your mission, Han, I can't stand by this time!" Bella pleaded with Han. She wanted to be a part of the investigation.
"That's impossible! Leave it to us!" Han replied, finding Bella's request too dangerous.
"Should I just stay quiet? When I see family members punished for a crime they absolutely did not commit? I will not stay quiet!" Bella exclaimed furiously this time, getting up from the spot, walking off to an unknown destination, her chaotic and shattered heart guiding her steps.
Her steps fell upon white sand; she didn't know why her heart had led her to the beach.
The wind blew fiercely tonight, coldness was all Bella felt right now. But her feet kept walking. Not long after, she lost consciousness and collapsed.
The morning sun now shone brightly. A young man opened his eyes; he was Brian. His sapphire blue eyes were now visible as he opened his eyelids.
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Brian woke up and stretched both arms, then got out of bed. Brian opened the curtains covering the window, letting the sunlight stream into his house.
His sharp eyes began to enjoy the beauty of the beach this morning, watching the calm and rhythmic ocean waves, until he accidentally saw a girl lying unconscious on the shore.
Brian immediately opened the door and went out to approach the girl. He carried her and brought her into his house.
The girl, who was none other than Bella, was laid on the bed. His hand pulled a blanket over Bella's body. Brian stood up, walked into the bathroom, and began to clean himself up.
A few minutes later, Brian looked neat and refreshed. His slightly damp blonde hair made him look handsome.
Brian approached Bella, who was fast asleep on the bed, his eyes studying her. Strands of hair partially covered her face; his hand gently brushed away the hair hiding her beautiful face.
Brian was lost in the beautiful face created by the Creator. Not long after, Brian shook his head.
'What's wrong with you?' Brian thought. He then stood up and left his room for the kitchen, his hands busy preparing a drink.
While Brian was busy making the drink, Bella, who was asleep, began to open her eyes. Her gaze scanned the surroundings, her hand touching her head, which ached slightly. Not long after, the sound of footsteps shifted her attention.
Brian entered the room, approaching Bella with two cups of drink.
"You're awake?" Brian looked at Bella, who was sitting leaning against the bed; Bella gave Brian a puzzled look.
"Who are you?" Brian didn't answer that small question. His hand offered a cup of warm drink to Bella, the girl he didn't know at all.
Bella took the drink Brian gave her. Meanwhile, Brian sat in a chair not too far from his bed, facing the window.
"Thank you!" Bella's small utterance slightly surprised Brian, but he only responded with a small cough. Bella began to sip her hot chocolate.
"Do you live here alone?" Bella asked Brian.
"Yes," a short answer from Brian without looking at Bella.
"Where is your family?" Bella asked him again.
"Family? What is family?" This time, Brian turned his gaze toward Bella.
"People who are with you, and they love you!" Bella explained to him.
"I don't have that and don't want to have it! There is no true affection in this world! Everything in this world is an illusion to me!" Brian explained to Bella.
Bella gave Brian a look of confusion, many questions in her heart about the young man in front of her. Bella began to place the cup of hot chocolate on the table beside her.
"True affection exists in this world, but only a few among the many people in this world get it! Because not everyone in this world has a pure heart! Everything you receive depends on your actions in the past. People who get true affection are the lucky ones; don't waste it!" Bella said to Brian. Brian fell silent for a moment, trying to digest Bella's words.
"Are you one of those lucky people?" Brian asked Bella. A question that immediately made Bella look down.
"Yes, but not anymore. Those who loved me are already with God," Bella answered Brian. Brian smiled faintly at Bella's answer.
"The world is an illusion!" Brian said to her.
"Everyone has a different time to stay in the world. This world is God's facility created for us. God gives them time and watches over them, depending on how they live. But still, when the allotted time runs out, whether we like it or not, we have to go!" Bella explained to Brian. She was trying to change this young man's mindset. At that, Brian chuckled after hearing it.
"Miss, how about you clean yourself up?" Brian asked her. Bella was too noisy for him.
"Alright!" Bella answered Brian. Bella then got up and went into the bathroom.
"I have long closed my eyes to see the world; all I see is my goal! One goal that I desperately want to realize! I move based on my ambition and my principles! No matter how many times this hand moves to kill, it still doesn't feel anything because I live in the illusion I created and desired. And I walk in the darkness! Trying to find Light, but I realize no ray of light dares to enter a Storm! Therefore, I create an illusionary light that only I can see inside the storm; that light is my goal!" Brian said, he began to sip his hot chocolate, enjoying it until the last gulp.
The splashing sound of water was no longer heard from inside the bathroom. The bathroom door slowly opened; Bella now looked clean and refreshed.
Her pale face looked very beautiful. Brian's eyes remained focused on the window in front of him; his gaze never once shifted to Bella, who was still standing at the doorway.
"Are you leaving after this?" Brian asked, trying to talk to Bella with his gaze still focused on the window. Bella watched the man.
"May I say something to you?" Bella asked Brian. Bella received a small cough from Brian again.
"Try to look at your conversation partner when you talk to them!" Bella advised Brian. At that moment, Brian felt heat creeping up his ears.
Enough! For Brian, Bella seemed to have annoyed him now. His gaze shifted directly to Bella, his hand clenched tightly. He put the empty cup on the floor, stood up, approached Bella, and stared at her coldly.
"Remember, I don't need any advice from you! And you should know I am not a good person! Leave before something bad happens to you!" Brian furiously told Bella. Bella only smiled faintly in response.
"You need advice to fix your life. You are a good person! If you were a cruel person, you wouldn't have brought me here when I fainted!" Bella said, answering Brian's words.
"Why is your judgment so narrow?!" Brian answered sharply, then Brian moved away from Bella.
"Thank you! For saving me. Thank you for the refreshment you gave me!" Bella said to him.
Slowly, Bella began to step out of Brian's house. She gently closed the door behind her. She then went down the steps and left.
Her feet were truly moving away from the old house. The sound of the waves accompanied her departure. Brian was lost in thought inside his house. Not long after, he received a call on his cell phone, and he answered the call.
"Hello."
"Brian, everything your men said truly makes me very happy, we're going to celebrate, do you want to join?"
"No, let me off duty for a while."
"Oh wait, off duty? That's impossible, there's another task for you."
"What is it?"
"You've blown up the Tokyo police station, and killed two detectives and two members of the Military. it turns out they were important people sent here to find us. you know us, right? We not only cut off the head, but also the tail and the others."
"So you want to kill all their descendants?"
"Yes, exactly!"
"You are so evil, old man!"
"Are you giving up?"
"No, I never give up!"
"Yes, that's right, you live in the illusion you set yourself, surely doing that won't be difficult!"
Brian hung up the phone. This time, he was determined to complete his mission well, even though his heart felt heavy to carry out the given mission. He briefly took a breath and exhaled roughly.
"Shawn has lost his mind! Killing all their descendants, does that mean I have to go to America? No, I have to send someone to complete this heinous mission!" Brian thought.
Brian began contacting a few people he trusted to undertake the task Shawn had given him.
Elsewhere, Bella was in a taxi; Inspector Han had just informed her about the funeral for her Dad and her sister.
Before he died, her Dad had requested that if he were to die while on duty in a foreign country, he wished to be buried in that country, as did her sister. The taxi she was riding in had arrived at a cemetery. Many people were visible there; Bella got out of the car.
Although her steps felt heavy walking toward the two coffins containing the corpses, Bella steadied her heart and walked closer to the crowd.
"We were waiting for you; now we must begin the ceremony. Mr. Brad and Mr. Stevan were good soldiers. They were not only strong and brave soldiers but also very clever detectives. It's hard to find people like them," Inspector Han said when Bella stood beside him.
"Please begin!" Bella said.
Han signaled his soldiers to give their final respects to the two coffins containing the lifeless people.
The funeral ceremony went smoothly without any problems until the end. When everyone had left the cemetery, only Han and Bella remained there faithfully.
"Are you still determined to find that fugitive and deal with it yourself?" Han asked.
"I'm just helping you find out about the fugitive, and I will only punish the one most guilty in this tragedy!" Bella answered Han.
"So your target is only the boss?" Han asked her. Bella shook her head slowly.
"No, everyone will definitely be caught! But the boss will receive the heaviest punishment!" Bella explained.
"You are the child of a great American soldier and detective; your analysis must be very sharp, just like your father and your sister!" Han said to Bella. Bella smiled faintly at Han's words.
"The sharpness of analysis is not based on whose descendant they are or their family background. But on how they think and calmly conclude a problem!" Bella said, conveying her wise argument.
"Wow, even the way you speak now is like Mr. Brad. Did he teach you?" Han asked Bella curiously. He was intrigued by Bella's words.
"Yes, everything Dad taught was good and useful lessons!" Bella answered Han.
"Are you going back after this?" Han asked Bella.
"Going back, where?" Bella asked Han, surprised.
"San Francisco, USA!" Han replied to her. However, Bella only responded with a faint smile.
"No, I will only go back once this international fugitive has been dealt with!" Bella answered Han firmly. Hearing this, Han tried to surrender this time; he gave Bella a chance.
"Alright, I allow you to participate in this mission!" he said to Bella. It felt like good news for Bella.
"Thank you, I'm leaving now, Han!" Bella said to him. Bella then walked away from Han.
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"Light always comes when the Storm is gone; they cannot be united. It is their destiny to live diverging lives. When two individuals with diverging personalities are indeed united, their love becomes an interesting thing to observe."