The street was crowded.
A sea of faces formed a circle around a single figure lying on the cold, bloodstained pavement.
A man, no older than twenty-five or thirty, was sprawled on the ground, motionless. Blood oozed from deep wounds, staining the road red.
Yet, no one stepped forward.
People only whispered.
..
"Is he dead?"
"No... he's still breathing."
"But he won't make it. By the time the ambulance gets here, he'll be gone."
"What bad luck. Someone call the police!"
"How did this happen?"
"Probably a hit-and-run... maybe a car smashed into him and fled."
"I doubt he'll survive."
..
They stood, stared, and talked. That was all they did.
Everyone kept their distance. No one dared get involved.
Why would they? Why ruin their own lives for a stranger?
They all had families. They'd already done their part—someone had called an ambulance.
That was enough, wasn't it?
And so, the man lay there, taking the final breaths of his life... alone.
Moments passed. Then came the siren.
"SIREN—SIREN—SIREN—"
The crowd stepped aside as the ambulance pulled in.
Two paramedics jumped out with a stretcher.
They worked swiftly, lifting the bloodied man and placing him inside.
The ambulance roared away, leaving behind a road still soaked in red.
---
It reached Phoenix Care Hospital—the most advanced medical facility in the northern district of the city.
A towering six-floor building, surrounded by polished streets and lush greenery.
The emergency room doors flew open.
The paramedics rolled the stretcher inside.
Doctors rushed forward.
They examined the man.
One of them sighed.
Then spoke, coldly.
"He's dead."
The room fell silent.
No words. No reactions. Just two paramedics exchanging a glance.
---
Now you must be wondering—
Who am I? And how did I die?
Was it an accident? No.
Did I die from blood loss? Not exactly.
Let me tell you the truth.
My name is Kang.
My father's name is Lucion Morningstar—
the richest man in the entire city.
A man of power. A man of legacy.
But I... I am his illegitimate son—Leo Morningstar.
Born from an affair, an unwanted truth in a wealthy family.
My father's legitimate children despised me.
Especially my half-brother—Zephyr Morningstar.
The golden boy, the rightful heir, the perfect son.
He never wanted to share our father's empire.
And when Lucion fell ill—hooked to machines, barely alive—
Zephyr saw his chance.
He made his move.
He wanted me gone.
He arranged the attack.
Turned my life into a target.
And I fell right into his trap.
Some people did help. They called the ambulance.
I thought, maybe, I'd survive.
But what I didn't know...
was that I'd already bought myself a one-way ticket to the afterlife.
---
Flashback: Inside the Ambulance
Blood still poured from my wounds.
I lay on the stretcher, dazed and fading.
Two men sat beside me, both smoking.
The one in black—black shirt, black pants—looked at two nurses nearby.
Or rather... people disguised as nurses.
He turned to his companion—dressed in white from head to toe.
His face wore a twisted smile.
His eyes gleamed with something darker than death.
"Brother," the man in black whispered, tilting his head.
"Shall we?"
The man in white smiled.
"Price?"
"Ten million dollars."
"Alright. Then do it."
"Okay."
A moment later, I felt it.
New wounds.
New pain.
Something sharp.
Something being taken out.
My vision blurred.
The world turned black.
And I...
died.
---
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