MIDNIGHT PRINCE: Empire of Sin

When Adam walked out of the shower, he found a pair of clean pajamas placed on the clothing rack not far from the bathroom door. Clearly, courtesy of Cecilia, his mother.

His lips naturally formed into a wane smile as he witnessed the kindness and consideration his mother constantly showered him with, however, he was not in the right state of mind to relish in those indulging feelings right now.

Nevertheless, he took those clothes from the rack before swiftly changing into them. They were quite comfy to wear. He did not really remember having a set of comfy pajamas like these but he was sure that it must be something bought by Shuri, his dear aunt.

He stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom and looked at his face for the first time after leaving Natasha's place. Unlike the relaxed expression that was donned on his face when he was in Natasha's house, he found his current expression to be quite hollow with an absence of any positive emotions.

It was as if he was previously walking in auto mode. But now that he was back to manual mode once again and he didn't like what he was seeing in the mirror. It was the face of a man that had lost a part of his soul, a look that no one would wish to witness.

'No wonder she called me like that.'

With a face like this, it would have been a pipe dream for Cecilia to not feel that something was wrong with him currently.

'I thought I did a good job hiding it.'

He had tried to be as nonchalant as possible. But Cecilia was simply too perceptive. Or he may have just thought too highly of himself. Who knows…

'Well, let's face the music.'

He walked with reluctance, ready to receive a barrage of questions from his concerned mother.

This was why, when he came down to the drawing room and saw Cecilia making popcorn in the attached kitchen and taking out cans of soda from the fridge before plopping on the sofa, he was quite astonished by the contradiction of the scene in his mind and the one that was transpiring in reality.

'What the hell…'

"Oh! My little boy. Bring your ass over here. It's time for us to binge-watch some shows. It has been a while since we tried doing something like this. So, let's do it together"

He wanted to say no as he was quite tired mentally but in the end, remembering some childhood memories, he simply sighed and complied with her wish. Perhaps it would help him relax and recuperate his strained mind?

He took a place on the sofa and Cecilia switched off the lights of the room before bringing the popcorn, drinks, and a shawl then sat next to him.

"Now then, let's start, shall we?"

She winked and placed the large shawl on their legs while dragging the lethargic boy close to her before starting the movie.

"Hehe. How long has it been since our last movie marathon?"

Neither Adam nor Cecilia were avid TV watchers. But when he was younger, Cecilia would make a game out of watching the worst and greatest shows with him before comparing them and having a debate.

This was a pretty stupid game, all things considered. But even as a kid, looking at his mother exploding in laughter while watching some stupid scene always put a smile on his face.

"I think we stopped after I started high school."

"Hah, Indeed, during your rebellious phase."

Adam coughed slightly to hide the embarrassment and shame that his dark past evoked in him, "Let's watch the shows?"

"Let's go!"

Cecilia seemed quite excited about this movie marathon and they started strong in the trash department — A show that was the adaptation of an anime.

Even after all these years and despite the rapid technological advancement. Most live-action adaptations were still so trashy that they could be barely considered to be watchable.

The night was already falling and deepening with each moment, but the two of them did not care about the outside world. Slowly, ever so slowly, Adam started to let go of his worries as he simply focused on having fun with his mother after a long time.

They laughed when they saw something stupid, laughed when they saw something good, and still laughed even when they watched something mid.

There was no deep meaning behind their watch. They were just happy to live in this moment.

But then Adam suddenly started to wonder.

—What was the price of this happiness that he was currently feeling?

The reason he could sit here and laugh with his loved ones was only because he killed other people and destroyed the lives of the ones that loved and cherished them.

He had sacrificed their life and happiness to assure his own life and happiness.

Did he truly have the right to sit here and laugh as if nothing happened? As if everything was alright and perfectly normal?

"Adam?"

Adam glanced at Cecilia with his gradually hollowing expression as he felt her hand on his head.

It was a gentle caress— one filled with tender love and affection that only a mother that dearly loved her son could provide. He closed his eyes and savored this feeling quietly, even ignoring the sound from the movie running on the TV.

"Will you tell me what happened, my boy?"

Cecilia's quivering lips formed a sad yet gentle smile as she asked this harrowing question to the person she loved the most in the world.

She already had an inkling about what happened. Even if she did not know the exact events that led to that conclusion.

She could see it in his eyes when he walked past her. The kind of look she wished to never witness in her life again, How could she not see it? She had the same eyes after what happened to her when she was a kid.

Those were the eyes of someone whose innocence would never come back for all eternity. Someone who had killed, someone who had been the cause of the demise of others' lives, could never truly be the same.

Cecilia watched as Adam fell silent and the hollow look in his eyes deepened.

She did not insist and simply brought his face to her bosom and hugged him tightly. Showering him with all the love and care she could muster in her as her arms trembled against him.

The little boy of yesteryear was no more. He was now taller than her and was becoming a proper and responsible adult, unlike his old woman.

He was also slowly but surely becoming stronger and she knew that one day, he would be so strong that even at her peak, she would only be able to look up to him.

But in her eyes, even if a dozen more years went past, even if he became so strong the whole world trembled at his feet, as long as she stayed alive, Adam would always be her little adorable boy that just some time ago needed her to have his diapers changed.

"Adam, do you wish to hear a story?"

She had never shared her story with anyone. Not even Mei. The only ones who knew about her past were Musashi, the old man who took them in, and Theresa, her little sister.

But she had not told them their story of her own volition. One witnessed it, and the other lived through it alongside her. So, this was the first time she was going to unfold her life in front of someone. It was daunting, to say the least.

But if her past could help Adam lighten the weight he seemed to carry on his shoulders, she would not hesitate to re-open those wounds buried deep in her heart.

The scars that never truly healed even to this day.

"This is the story of a nine years old girl who lived with her parents and little sister."

It was a sad story.

But at the same time, it was a story so common that it could be found anywhere in the world.

When viewed from afar, life was a lighthearted comedy. But when viewed from up close, it was the saddest tragedy one could ever bear to witness.

.

.

.

.

(AN: Hope you liked the chapter. )