The thirteen-year-old him hadn't wanted to leave his mother after finding out her plans of leaving him with the father he had never met and had no affection or attachment to.
However, Mary had been cruel and ruthless to both herself and him back then by telling him that his existence was a burden to her and it restrained her from having her own personal life.
She had told him that she planned on getting married and her partner said he couldn't tolerate his existence. Even now, he still remembered clearly how his mind had gone blank as he listened to the words that sounded harsh in his ears as it came out of her mouth. At that time, he couldn't fathom where something had gone wrong - why his loving and caring mother suddenly turned hateful and wanted to abandon him.
Yet, she gave him no time to understand as she left without saying goodbye after entrusting him to Anderson. He could only watch her leave with a blank expression on his face whilst he couldn't help but have a tiny hope in him that she turns back and tell him it was all a joke.
But... She never came back.
That also marked the last time he saw her alive.
He had only been faced with an overgrown grave when he next heard of her. Even now he still found it incredulous that the woman he had spent almost half of his youth hating had long been dead.
Turned out she had lied to him about getting married, but he rather wished she was alive and living blissfully because atleast that would make him feel that her abandonment of him was worth it. But no, she had to die such and obscure and ridiculous death!
He also couldn't help but blame himself.
'Why had he taken so long to look into her situation?'
However, he knew deep in his heart that he didn't have that ability prior to this time as he and Ryan had been undergoing inhuman and devilish training in the Blood Gang then and subsequently going on missions.
It wasn't until after he and Ryan had gained absolute control over the gang that he had been driven by curiosity with vengeance in mind to investigate her, with the result leaving him dumbfounded and grief-stricken.
And it was only at the moment that he stood in front of the grave engraved with her name that he realised just how ridiculous his hatred for her was.
He also fervently wished he could go back in time to stop her from sending him away no matter what and to tell her that he would rather stay and accompany her during her last moments on earth than to go that pace which she thought could provide him a 'better' life!
Unfortunately, time has always been the cruelest to mankind and he could no longer have the chance to say that to her...
However, the thirteen year-old Dan had no idea lf how much he would regret today in the future and had given birth to an emotion called 'hate' in his heart. Hating her for leaving him alone on unfamiliar grounds, especially when he turned out to be a child born out of wedlock.
His identity represented one of the lowliest status in the aristocratic families's circle and this meant he could never blend into that circle, atleast not without the strong and full support from the man he wasn't even qualified to call father, help.
So from then on, he had changed, becoming someone he still despised every time he remembered that memory. He grovelled and tried to please that man and his sons, who were also his half-brothers but how had that turned out?
He had only been treated with more indifference, more disgust and more contempt!
The disgust and contempt were from Luke and the indifference came from Mr. Anderson, Ryan on the other hand... seemed to be living in his own world and never really paid attention to him.
Yes! He knew that his existence was intolerable in the eyes of the man's two sons, after all his mother was the mistress and his existence also constantly reminded them that their father had cheated on their mother while she had still been alive.
He could accept that.
But anyone could ignore him but not that man! Because he could only be brought to life due to his and his mother's promiscuity, so why should he be the only one suffering from their mistake? And why had he agreed to raise him when he knew he couldn't pay him any attention?
Was he only meant to be a humanoid decoration in the house?
Hate grew in his heart as days went by, with the turning point in his gloomy life arriving on the day he turned 14 and Ryan 18, that was also when he knew that he and Ryan happened to share the same birthday.
He could still remember that on that day, the skies had been blue with not a single cloud visible. It was as if it was trying to send a message across to him that the storm was over.
That day had been the day that Ryan had been sent to train at the Blood Gang. The older teenager had been walking indifferently towards the door whilst ignoring the gloating and delighted look in his biological brother, Luke's eyes which he tried hiding but failed to, and the cruel look in his father's, when he had suddenly turned around.
"Would you like to follow me?", He had turned to Dan and asked coldly.
But at that time, Dan didn't even mind his coldness as his frozen heart had jumped in excitement before he suppressed it with difficulty. Fearing he had heard it wrongly, he raised his eyes up and asked him disbelievingly.
"You.. are... talking to me?"
Dan had an illusion that he saw the older teenager roll his eyes at him but he quickly denied that thought, as who didn't know that Ryan Anderson had a not-ever-changing face.
"If you don't want to, then forget it", Ryan turned around after saying this as he thought to himself.
'After all, not everyone could find it in their heart to give up the prosperity the Anderson could offer.'
Still, he couldn't help but find it a pity. It just so happens that he had witnessed the way this half-brother of his had been treated in the past year since he had arrived and couldn't help but offer a branch of olive to him as he was leaving, though even he had no idea what he would be facing at where he was being sent to. But he still knew that following him would be better than staying in this tiger's den since after he left, there would no longer be anyone protecting and helping him from the dark.
He would be all alone.
Eighteen-year-old Ryan sighed inaudibly like an old man and strode towards the door, no longer looking back.
Well, this was his choice...
"Wait!!!", Just about as he was about to step out of the hall, he heard a panicked shout followed by messy footsteps from behind him.
He turned around and came face-to-face with an equally panicked face which belied the brightly shining gaze.
"Do.. you mean what you just said? About me following you?"
Ryan kept silent for a while before answering on seeing the increasingly anxious look on the younger teenager's face. This showed that his black-bellied nature had existed since he was a teenager. For some reason, he found out that he just loved tricking the people, especially the person standing in front of him and seeing him look anxious.
"Yes", His answer was curt and straight to the point.
Dan's eyes shone even brighter at his words and he replied with a resounding 'Yes' that showed his excitement.
Ryan's lips curled into an indiscernible smile at his answer as he turned his back towards him and stepped resolutely out of the door, not worrying that the younger teenager wouldn't follow after him.
On the other hand, Luke felt euphoria in his heart as he watched his younger brother walk out of the house but then soon after, he remembered the fellow that had also tagged along and turned to his father.
"Father.. that fellow.. Is it alright to allow him to head over to that place, after all, that is supposed to be our family's secret..."
Mr. Anderson squinted his eyes before saying lightly.
"You don't have to worry about him. And remember that he is also your brother so it is justified that he also knows about that place. Moreover, the two of them being there might just bring us an unexpected suprise.."
And indeed, the duo did bring him surprise in the end but it was a surprise he couldn't even bring himself to feel happy over. In fact, he wished he could go back to this day and stop the both of them from leaving and keep them firmly within his control.
....
Stepping out of the Anderson's door, Dan slightly tilted his head up and the sun stone brightly on him. Feeling the warmth on his face, the smile on his face got brighter and brighter even though he had no idea where they were really going - he still didn't know that they would be heading to Blood Gang but thought that Ryan was just leaving or running away from home. This was because Mr. Anderson had only told this to Ryan in the confines of the study as the fact that the Blood Gang was related to the Anderson's was considered a dark secret of the family.
A secret that would lead to the destruction of the family and them drowning in the spit of the citizens of the country and others upon being revealed to the world.
But even the unknown future couldn't stop him from feeling relaxed and liberated. He had lived in the Anderson's house for a year now, yet he had never felt this way. Instead he felt repressed, gloomy and hateful which was a far cry from the high-spirited and optimistic teenager before.
"So where are we headed to?", He asked Ryan cautiously.
Ryan glanced at him with a dark look before saying calmly.
"You'll know when we get there."
....
Dan blinked away the faint mist in his eyes and snapped out of his memories before staring straight Ryan with a curious but serious expression on his face.
"Do you know why they suddenly became p anxious by sending those killers after you?"
Ryan put down the document in his hands and looked up with a frown on his face, looking pensive. Then he seemed to have thought of something as he looked at Dan.
"Did they contact you before today?"
Dan nodded in affirmation, wondering what this has to do with the issue on ground.
"Then did you go?", Ryan asked while scanning his face at the same time for any change in expression. So, on seeing Dan freezing before a guilty expression appeared on his face, he knew the answer to his question.
He instantly felt an imminent headache as he looked at the man who still looked clueless even though he had ruined a large part of his plans.
Leaning back powerlessly, he gritted out of his teeth as a way to explanation to clueless Dan while trying to restrain the violent impulse to beat him up.