Akira took her old grandpa to the music and study room. She helped him onto a rocking chair overlooking the balcony. He was not a frail man, but life had taken a toll on him lately, especially after his wife was sent to a hospital.

The most crushing thing was that the cause of his wife's devastation was one of their children. He always knew that Makiko had a dark heart and dark grudges. However, he never thought it would end as it did.

"You are a good child, Little Akira." The grandpa said with loneliness. "If you want to leave the Yamazaki family, you should do so as soon as possible."

Akira occupied the seat beside her grandfather and looked outside the balcony with him. She felt deep melancholy in her heart because she sensed the heaviness in the old man's soul. He seemed to be grieving something.

"I was against you returning to this place. I thought that if you had managed to survive through these years, you had escaped a calamity. Perhaps, you were not meant to experience the heartbreak that comes when people have too much." He continued.

Akira understood the meaning.

Money cannot buy happiness.

The statement was highly controversial. The poor believed it was a ploy from the rich to keep them poor, while the middle class thought the saying was wrong. If one had money, they could create more opportunities, avoid stress and give their children a better life.

However, at some point, when some people got money that exceeded their needs and wants, they spiralled into a destructive life that was worse than struggling for every coin. Sometimes, the best thing was having just a little more than enough.

"Do not trust people just because they are family." The old grandpa added heavily.

"Mmmh," Akira agreed.

The two of them continued sitting in silence. The grandpa felt a little more relaxed. As expected, his granddaughter was not a simple person. But she was still a darling.

"How were your days away from the family?" He asked.

Akira glanced at her grandfather before looking back through the balcony. It was strange. No one asked her this question. Everyone made assumptions based on the investigations they had, without a doubt, conducted.

However, no one wondered about the truth in the report or the intricacies of her actual life. Perhaps they thought they were sparing her feelings. But she could not help but wonder why they did not ask about her kidnapper, her escape and her general life.

Her heart warmed up a little more towards her grandfather.

"Not bad." She answered happily.

The old man turned his head to look at her. "Are you placating me because you are afraid that I will have a heart attack like your mother? I am telling you, I am much healthier than your father. He eats meat daily and drinks. He does not exercise. If anyone is having a heart attack, it is him."

"Pfft!" Akira burst out in muffled laughter. "Do you think I suffered?"

Elder Yamazaki sighed. "It is inevitable for you to have experienced hardship. You are too mature for your age. Your life couldn't have been simple."

Akira was amused. "It was not. But it was not bad. And now, I am independent enough to live my life the way I want. I don't lack anything, and I pursue things I like. I have the freedom to live without worrying so much."

"You are really arrogant." The old man said. "But that is the spirit my granddaughter should have."

"Aren't you even more arrogant for saying that?"

"Of course, the grandfather must be more arrogant." The elder puffed his chest. "Now, play me a tune. It would be a shame if I did not hear you playing after coming here."

Akira stood up and sat at the piano. She had not played the instrument since it was sent to the house. The people who had gifted it were probably that group of eccentrics who lived and died for music. She saved them while she was on a special brigade mission in Poland.

They were not thankful when she helped them avoid being crushed by rocks in some old underground ruins. But their tune changed when she gave them what they were looking for in the dangerous zone: undiscovered manuscripts of Chopin's music.

Akira placed her fingers on the delicate piano, and the soft tunes of Chopin's Barcarolle flowed out softly. The piece was not difficult, but it required a subtle gentleness and tempo to capture the right feeling. Akira caressed the keys of the crystal piano without pause.

Her grandfather felt the indulgent tones flow through his soul like a gentle, cool river. He felt re-energised as the earlier frustrations as he faced his useless members of the family ebb away. As expected, his granddaughter was the best.

Unknown to the two people relaxing in the room, another person was listening to the piano music. Her eyes had an animal-like savage air as the sweet notes reached her. Even though the music was calming, it was like a blow to the chest for her.

Hanae's hands formed into tight fists that she could hardly breathe. Her short nails dug into her palms until blood flowed out. She could not suppress the monster within. She wanted desperately to turn away unaffected, but her body and mind did not listen.

She was confident in herself because she had always believed that her piano playing was unrivalled in Mountain Ridge. Even when Akira played her violin, she was angry until she experienced a breakdown in mentality.

She could only recover and hold her head high because she was a piano prodigy. She was still valued by everyone because her skills were unrivalled.

Hearing Akira playing, she understood the meaning of effortless and moving music. Everyone praised her music for being so beautiful and perfect. But some experts had told her during competitions that her music lacked soul.

She always thought that they were looking for a fault because her playing was too flawless. But it seemed it was not the case. She always thought that classical music did not need feelings. It did not need meaningless emotions like the music composed for commoners.

She was wrong.

She was wrong.

Akira breathed life into the simple music and made it into a real living force.

She could not compare.

She tried to remember the Serenity Prayer, but she could not. Her mind spiralled deeper and deeper into the darkness.

"What are you doing here?" A voice broke her out of the trance.