Numinous (adj.)

|Being both fearful and overwhelmed by the things yet to come..|

"Damn it" muttered Donghae to himself as he climbed up the the moth eaten curving staircase of Cosa Nostra's current headquarters. Two burly guards stood positioned in front of the door, holding loaded riffles. They gave him a piercing stare before bowing low in unison; making Donghae clear his throat in utter nervousness.

"Capo" grunted the guards,

One of these days Jake will definitely find out about him... his heart began to race uncontrollably... how slim were the chances of getting out of the Falcon Manor without anybody noticing that he was gone in the first place? Good thing Jake and Luca went somewhere together, or it would've been a complete disaster...

"Apri la porta" commanded Donghae, glancing steadily at the guards. Again he was surprised at the tone of bland authority his voice held.

The two guards gave a nod and pulled open the ancient double doors. Taking a deep breath which did nothing to calm his strained nerves, Donghae walked in...

The room was exactly how he remembered seeing a couple of weeks back, the only difference was that his mother and LaVéré being the only individuals present at the table.

"Hey everyone" said Donghae, in a desperately lame attempt to lighten up the mood in the room.

"Sit down Aiden" said his mother, her pearl black eyes taking him in from head-to-toe. Donghae did what she said, lowering himself on to a chair which was considerably far from both of them. He did not like the aura of the room, especially with LaVéré having a smug smile.

"I will get straight to the point here" said his mom. Donghae gave a small tight lipped nod. He wasn't sure why he was feeling afraid.

"Jake Maranzano is supposed to be dead, but he clearly isn't" said his mother. "And all of our attempts to destroy the Falcons keep failing... the question is why donghae! Why does the Cosa Nostra fail all the time?!"

Donghae felt as if a shard of glass was painfully moving down horizontally inside his throat. He tried invain to look at anything except his mom, but knowing her all his life, it wasn't that easy...

"Answer me Aiden" she commanded while Donghae raked his brains to defend himself. He always thought the name Aiden made him obey his mother, now he fucking hated his name!

"I was supposed to kill the leader of Falcons, which I thought was Leonard Maranzano mom" said Donghae, trying his best not to waver his voice. "But he is already dead! And I entered the Falcon grounds because my teacher told me to, only to find out that you were involved all along!"

"Don't you remember the other reason why he sent you?" She hissed, "Don't you remember what Galine told you!?"

"He told me that it'll be the end of me" drawled Donghae as if he was reciting what he'd already learnt, "he told me to 'expect the unexpected' which by the way; is quite actually unexpected seeing you here like this" scoffed Donghae, he had to; if it wasn't for the stupid family heirloom that they've so carelessly lost, he wouldn't have been suffering like this!

"Your father died because the Falcons stole our ancestry!" shirked his mother making Donghae flinch, "Do you think that the Lucianos were poor from the start!? Do you think we came out from the strada like the others?! No Aiden!! The Luciano family name was pronounced with respect! and it is the cursed Falcons who took it away!

Donghae watched as she spit out the word 'respect', nothing felt real anymore, his body shook with anger, both at himself and at his mother.

"How the fuck do you know they stole it!" shouted Donghae, "tell me one good reason why I should find that stupid Jade pendant for you!" screamed Donghae while his mother took a sharp breath, even the silent LaVéré looked stunned.

"Because it's your authenticity Donghae! It's who you are for God's sake! That pendant is everything to the Luciano family! We are nothing without it" she growled.. "do you hardly remember your life before your father died? We were filled with riches Donghae, did you know you first cut your teeth with the Russian Imperial Crown? That's how rich we were Aiden! All that should've rightfully been yours! And I'm trying to make your future!"

"Donghae" said LaVéré's quiet voice, making him jerk back into reality, "tell me your family crest"

"la vera luce si svela" pouted Donghae almost without thinking, since the day he was born that sentence was carved into his brain by literally everybody around him.

"Exactly" smiled LaVéré, "you truly will be the light that unveils the Cosa Nostra once again"

Donghae was stunned, he always wanted to get away from the mobs, but something inborn kept pulling him back; just like the sea waves being pulled back to the sea, a desire to restore his family wealth, to gain his mothers trust.. to actually show who he really is...

But at what cost?

"Do you want to know how your mother confirmed that was the Falcons Donghae?" crooned LaVéré, her soft voice, instantly adding fire to his curiosity. Donghae nodded.

Donghae's mother tried to interrupt, but LaVéré held up her fingers gracefully, "let me Maria" she said softly...

"Back in 1994, Rafaël Maranzano, who was then the current leader of the Falcon Circle, found the directions to one of the secret heirloom that was stored deep in Greek mountains, that is where it all started" She said slowly, reaching for her pack of cigarettes she had laid on the desk.

Donghae carefully watched her as she lit one up. Her first big puff of smoke already making him gag.

LaVéré smiled at him through the thin white streak of smoke. Perfect setting for her to tell her side of the story.

"I'm listening LaVéré" growled Donghae, his patience ebbing away.

"As you know I used to be part of the Falcons in the early 90's. And just like your familiy, the Falcons had their riches. But, unlike your parents Aiden, they were greedier, much greedier"

LaVéré watched as Donghae give a perfect eyeroll at her dramatic entrance.

"When they found out about the Luciano Family fortune and how they could get their hands on it, they hired me to steal the Jade pendant from your grandparents. Rafaël Maranzano; Jake's grandfather, knew what I was capable of and he knew how to manipulate me, because-" she paused for a moment and looked at Donghae,"because he knew I'd do anything for Leonard. So, yes I took the pendant from your family, which I very much regret"

Lavéré's slowly tapped her cigarette on the small ashtray in front of her and continued.

"Donghae, if you'd only know how far your fortune goes... the pendant itself is worth billions, maybe trillions of dollars depending on its age. The Jade Pendant holds the coat of arms of the Lucianos, and it is the signature crest of your family. But only a Luciano would know where the safes are, but without this pendant, you simply. have. nothing." She snapped the cigarette into two and put them into the ashtray, making sure Donghae felt the weight of what she'd just said.

Donghae continued to look at the ashtray, where the buring stump set fire to all the other little peices those were in it.

"So why did my father die then?" whispered Donghae, his hands shaking, "what happened to him?"

LaVéré looked down, almost avoiding his eyes, "The Lucianos had no idea they were being robbed" she said slowly,

"It was I who told them; years after when I found out that I cannot become what I really desired in the Falcon Circle. When your father heard about it, he immediately went to the safe that stored the Luciano Family Jade, but as you can imagine, the pendant was also gone by the time he arrived, after he came back to korea, he searched for Leonard, but in the end Leonard refused to acknowledge that the Falcons have stolen anything, which resulted in a bloody fight"

Donghae felt a fine surge of anger towards the Falcons, he felt a blinding hatred towards them like a slow pit of larva running through his veins, but he held himself back, because his pure love for Jake stopped him. He loved Hyukjae enough to know that he wasn't even a part of this... they both weren't a part of this...

"Your father actually died an unfair death Aiden, which is why he gave information on where to find the Falcons, but he was brave enough to save you and your mother, and the fault will always lie with the Falcons" continued LaVéré, not breaking her eye contact with Donghae.

'But not with Jake' thought Donghae desperately, almost in the verge of tears, 'it's not either of our faults our families fucked up like this!'

"So you see Aiden?" said his mother, using her softest voice which always had an effect of convincing him, "you have to find that Jade pendant, it's the only way to restore Cosa Nostra and our lives and pay those dratted Falcons back for what they did to us"

His mother suddenly stood up an came near him, "you will do it won't you Aiden? You will end this torture, you will restore our family pride won't you?"

Donghae felt speechless, he felt torn between his hatred for the Falcons and his equally passionate love for Jake,

"I won't hurt Jake" said Donghae suddenly, his eyes staring readily back at his mother, "I will find that motherfucking pendant if you want, but I won't do anything to him"

His mother went white as a sheet of paper, "but your family, your pride! Donghae-!"

"It's not Jake's fault or mine that both of our families fucked up!" yelled Donghae, "and it's you who's still stuck in revenge!"

"Why are you always defending him?!" screamed his mother, while LaVéré gave Donghae a knowing smile while examining her perfectly taloned nails,

"Can I talk to him for a moment Maria? If you will let us?" asked LaVéré's smooth voice.

Donghae's mother gave him one last piercing look before storming out of the room. When the double doors closed behind them, Donghae let out a deep breath that he hadn't realized that he'd been holding.

"And what exactly do you want to know?" spat Donghae, his chocolate brown eyes flashing luminous with pure hate.

"Oh" said LaVéré calmly, "I think I have a lot to know from you" she said, still wearing a charming smile

"You can start by telling me about what's exactly going on between the you and the leader of Falcons, who; as you very well know, happens to be our main enemy?"

Donghae felt as if somebody had kicked him in the gut, try as he might to control any type of emotions from crossing his face, one second was enough for LaVéré,

She tutted lustily, "hmm forbidden love am I correct?" she whispered "not a credible thing for a descendant of the Luciano Family, so who's cheating on whom? Are you the cheater? Or are you being cheated on Aiden?"

Donghae couldn't take it any more, at lightning speed, he took out his gun and pointed it at LaVéré slender throat,

"Don't. Ever. try to talk as if you know us" hissed Donghae, his voice dripping with pure loathing

"Oh dear" said LaVéré, "I do know what you feel, I felt the same once, but dont forget that he is a Maranzano by birth, all they do is lie"

Donghae clicked the bullet in to place, he could do it, just one pull and he wouldn't have to listen to her gloating voice ever again...

"Go on shoot me if you like Aiden, but first take a good look around you"

Breathing hard, Donghae glanced around him to see five geishas pointing their guns at him from all angles. Where they fuck did they come from?

Donghae looked back at LaVéré and gave her a freezing cold stare.

"I thought everyone in Cosa Nostra bows to me" scoffed Donghae, although his insides were strained to breaking point, "look who's controlling them"

"And look who wants to become the leader of Cosa Nostra" crooned LaVéré, her small laugh sounding like pearls hitting the floor,

She got up from her chair and glided closer to him, her hands sliding down from his chest,

"You will become a leader Aiden" she whispered in his ear, her lilly scented body uncomfortably close to him, "after you find the Jade Pendant and kill the last Maranzano, a leader should be made Donghae, they are never just born into Cosa Nostra..."

"If I dont?" said Donghae, already dreading the answer.

LaVéré's red tinted lips raised from one corner, "then I will Aiden, believe me, you don't want to know"

A/N : It's a new beginning...

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~LustyShadows💋