Chapter 6
Amaya had been busy with school for an entire week.
The Mafia Academy was nothing like a normal school. The lessons were harder, the students were competitive, and the amount of homework seemed endless. Every day she returned to the mansion exhausted.
That afternoon, after finally finishing another pile of assignments, she stretched on her bed and sighed.
"Finally."
Just as she was about to enjoy a few moments of peace, a soft knock sounded on her door.
"Come in."
The door slowly opened.
A small head peeked inside.
It was Santi.
"Hey, Santi."
"Hey, Auntie Amaya."
His voice sounded unusually quiet.
Amaya immediately noticed something was wrong.
She sat up and patted the spot beside her.
"Come here."
Santi climbed onto the bed.
"What's bothering you?"
The little boy lowered his gaze.
"Nothing."
Amaya raised an eyebrow.
"Santi."
He sighed dramatically.
"Everyone is busy."
"What do you mean?"
"Dad is always working. Uncle Sylvester keeps staring at his computers. You're always studying."
His shoulders drooped.
"No one plays with me anymore."
Amaya felt guilty.
The poor kid had spent most of the week alone.
She gently ruffled his hair.
"I'm sorry."
Santi looked up hopefully.
"You are?"
"Of course."
His eyes widened.
"Then can we play?"
Amaya smiled.
"Not just play."
She jumped off the bed dramatically.
"We are going on an adventure."
Santi gasped.
"A real adventure?"
"The greatest adventure ever."
Within seconds, Santi's sadness vanished.
"Let's go!"
---
For the next few hours, the mansion transformed into an imaginary kingdom.
Using blankets, pillows, chairs, and boxes, Amaya and Santi built an enormous castle in the living room.
"This tower belongs to King Santi," Amaya announced.
"And this one belongs to Knight Amaya!"
"No," Santi said seriously.
"You are Queen Amaya."
Amaya nearly choked.
"Queen?"
"Yes."
"Who is the king then?"
Santi thought for a second.
Then he grinned mischievously.
"Dad."
Amaya almost dropped a pillow.
Meanwhile, Santi burst into laughter.
"You're blushing!"
"I am not!"
"You are!"
"I am not!"
The two continued arguing until both collapsed into laughter.
---
A few minutes later, the castle came under attack.
Or at least, according to Santi.
"There are dragons!"
Amaya grabbed a toy sword.
"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I'll protect the kingdom."
The two raced around the mansion.
Servants had to move out of the way as Amaya dramatically fought invisible monsters.
Santi laughed so hard his stomach hurt.
For the first time in days, the mansion echoed with joy.
Even some of the guards smiled secretly.
---
Meanwhile, inside his office, Kim Dan sat behind his desk.
A stack of documents waited for his attention.
Unfortunately, his brain refused to cooperate.
He read the same sentence three times.
Then four.
Then five.
A few moments later, Sylvester looked up from his laptop.
"You've been staring at that paper for ten minutes."
Kim Dan frowned.
"No, I haven't."
"You have."
"No."
"You definitely have."
Kim Dan sighed.
Sylvester smirked.
"You know, only a man in love looks that distracted."
Kim Dan nearly threw a file at him.
"I'm not in love."
"Interesting."
"What?"
"I never said a name."
Kim Dan froze.
Sylvester immediately started laughing.
"Got you."
"You're annoying."
"And you're in love."
Kim Dan stood up.
"Sylvester."
"Yes?"
"Shut up."
The hacker grinned.
"I'll take that as confirmation."
Kim Dan left before he actually strangled him.
---
When he arrived home later that evening, the mansion felt unusually peaceful.
The sound of laughter reached his ears.
He followed it toward the living room.
Then stopped.
The entire place was a disaster.
Blankets covered the furniture.
Pillows were scattered everywhere.
Boxes had somehow become castles.
Kim Dan blinked.
"What happened here?"
One of the maids smiled.
"Miss Amaya and Young Master Santi were playing."
Kim Dan looked around.
For some reason, he wasn't angry.
In fact...
The place felt warm.
Alive.
Just like it used to.
His chest tightened slightly.
He hadn't felt this feeling since Anita died.
---
As he walked farther into the room, he found them.
Santi and Amaya were asleep on the couch.
Santi's small hand held onto her sleeve.
Amaya's head rested against the back of the couch.
The television played quietly in the background.
Kim Dan stood there silently.
The sight was unexpectedly comforting.
A gentle smile appeared on his face.
One he didn't even realize was there.
He carefully picked up a blanket and covered both of them.
For a brief moment, he brushed a loose strand of hair away from Amaya's face.
Then he froze.
What was he doing?
Immediately, he stepped back.
A faint blush appeared on his ears.
Fortunately, nobody saw it.
---
Far away, inside a heavily guarded mansion, several men sat around a massive table.
The room was dark.
Only a single chandelier illuminated their faces.
"It's been eleven years."
The leader's voice echoed through the room.
"Eleven years since we lost the weapon."
Another man frowned.
"We've searched multiple countries."
"And failed."
A third man slammed his fist onto the table.
"We cannot fail again."
An elderly man slowly stood.
"The child is approaching adulthood."
Silence filled the room.
Everyone understood the danger.
"If she reaches eighteen..."
His eyes narrowed.
"...her abilities will fully awaken."
The room became deathly silent.
"Find her."
Nobody dared argue.
---
Later that night, Kim Dan sat alone in his room.
His phone suddenly rang.
"Uncle."
"Have you found the girl?"
Kim Dan rubbed his forehead.
"No."
"You still haven't found Anita's sister?"
"No."
His uncle sighed heavily.
"We are running out of time."
Kim Dan's expression darkened.
"I know."
After the call ended, he stared out the window.
Rain had begun to fall outside.
His thoughts drifted toward Anita.
He still remembered her final moments.
Her trembling hand.
Her tear-filled eyes.
Her desperate voice.
"Promise me you'll find her."
The memory haunted him.
Immediately, he dialed another number.
"Any updates?"
"Not yet, sir," the investigator replied.
"But we're close."
"How close?"
"We recently discovered a lead connected to Abuja."
Kim Dan's eyes sharpened.
"Follow it."
"Yes, sir."
The call ended.
Kim Dan leaned back in his chair.
Exhaustion filled him.
Then he remembered Amaya laughing with Santi earlier.
A small smile returned to his face.
For some reason, thinking about her always calmed him.
Unknown to Kim Dan...
The girl he had spent years searching for was already living inside his mansion.
And somewhere in the darkness, powerful enemies had finally begun moving.
The hunt had officially begun.
