14. The Ignis Scintilla [Part 2]
GangWars: A Tale Of Turmoil
14. The Ignis Scintilla [Part 2]
The Ignis Scintilla: "The Fire's Spark"
"I need to know what happened to trigger..."
She is curious about the ignis scintilla.
"... all the chaos and rivalry in the first place."
The BloodLust Brotherhood, despite being thirsy for fights and domination, also had a side wanting to build and establish. This was the trait taken by Song Kyuhan as he broke down BloodLust once and for all, bringing to life another brotherhood called ReapedSouls. This group was the defensive half of BloodLust, the offensive part being the SkullBeaters.
Though their handled business still involved ion in the underground scenario, more of their businesses had involved clubs and weapon manufacture. The gang also bravely took hold of conglomerates in the visible eye of the public, hiding under corporation names. Thus, the brotherhood had been supported through hidden transactions, and affiliation transactions 'above-ground' as well, being the first brotherhood to do so.
Currently holding the Goshuko Japan and China Affiliations, the largest international group in Weapon Manufacturing, the brotherhood had also established its power with about forty-seven or so subgroups under it, and with about thirty international conglomerates and corporations behind it.
My eyes widened at the next sentences I read, and in surprise I blurted out a question.
"Seriously?! Thirty international companies?!"
A hand flew towards my mouth at the exclamation, and Taemin-ah just chuckled before reaching out to my hand and taking it off its clamped position in front of my mouth. With a smile, he had an arm wrapped around my shoulder before speaking again.
"Yep. Actually, Kim Corporation, the company that Jaejoong Hyung holds, is part of those thirty international companies that is bound in alliance with our brotherhood." He said, before inclining his head momentarily to the direction of the book, and I took it as a signal to continue.
The power and responsibility of keeping ReapedSouls one of the most feared groups had been passed down through different high-ranking members of the brotherhood. However, most of the leaders had been from the line of Song Kyuhan's descendants. Though, in certain instances, the power of ruling ReapedSouls had been passed to members of the Lee or the Kim families, descendants of the people in the ReapedSouls Corporate Affiliations.
I then looked Taemin-ah, thinking back at the instance that I first heard his full name. My brothers had mentioned it to me a few days before I made the proclamation regarding their rest from leader duties, and for 'Taemin-sshi' and I to take over for them.
"Taemin-ah?" I softly called for my colleague who just faced me with a small smile.
"Hmm?" He let out a hum of acknowlegdement. His arm was still around my shoulders, bringing me a sense of warmth.
"Your surname is Lee, right?" I asked him again, and I nodded in understanding when I heard his soft "Mhmmm."
"Truth be told, Taemin-ah is the son of the current CEO of Lee Media Association, one of our closest affiliates." Seunghyun Oppa revealed, and my jaws dropped instantly.
"Seolma! Chinja? You're a CEO's son?" I asked in disbelief to Taemin-ah to be greeted with laughs from three men.
"Yep. My parents don't care so much about me, though, because they're okay with me risking myself in brotherhood wars. I'm not complaining though, because when I finally got into the brotherhood, I found myself some cool hyungs: your brothers. I found a family that I thought I didn't have." He just said with a smile.
"Oh, I see. But did it occur to you that you found a cute little sister like me when I got in, though?" I teasingly asked Taemin-ah, and I noticed that for a moment, the smile on his face faltered before being replaced with a slightly fake grin.
"Of course. Now, read the next paragraphs. It would be a great discovery for you." He said before taking my chin into his right hand and making me look back at the book.
At the rise to power of BloodLust, there also rose to power an all-female brotherhood, or sisterhood in this case. It was named CrystalShards, simply because the young women who founded the sisterhood had been heiresses to famous jewelry companies who were forced to take lessons on self-defense in case someone tries to hurt them. With the power given to them, they took control of strip clubs, jewelry companies, and wine districts. They dominated over all female groups that had tried to rise to power, manging to pull thirty all-female subgroups into their side.
Their skills weren't just in handling weapons and hand-to-hand combat. The members or CrystalShards were also exceptional con artists and masters of disguise. Even the forces of the Korean Central Police had been twirled around the fingers of these women who had set their own standard in brotherhood history.
I was stunned with what I read.
Seriously.
I thought I was the first girl to actually handle a brotherhood. Turns out, in brotherhood history, there already rose a sisterhood to rival the best group that had dominated the sities and suburbs.
CrystalShards.
Those girls are sure my idols from now on.
Upon the demise of BloodLust, about one-third of the whole population under CrystalShards joined the forces of the SkullBeaters, acting as the brotherhood's assets and comfort women. The remaining two-thirds of the women joined the ReapedSouls forces, wherein they were given the power to co-exist and co-rule the brotherhood with the males of the group. This has continued over the years, and in some selected times of power succession, women had ruled over ReapedSouls.
"Read it already, Shirin-ah?" I heard Chanho Oppa's voice invade my thoughts, and I nodded as a reply.
"These women are going to be my idols from now on. Seriously." I said, which caused all of us to laugh.
My peals of laughter were now subdued to just smiles and I breathed deeply as I took in the history of everything I am standing up for now... brotherhood.
But my mind was still clouded with one question, and in search for answers, I dared to turn the pages of the book under the UV lamp.
I braced myself for revelations as I found myself reading the words that introduced me to the answers to the question in my head.
What started the war between the Skullbeaters and the ReapedSouls was... envy and jealousy.
During the peak of BloodLust's reign of supremacy among all other male brotherhoods, the brotherhood had a rift that tore the group apart. Everybody would have said that it was because of a rivalry between Kim Baekjo and Song Kyuhan who were the two choices for the next leader. But not everyone knows about the spark that led to the flame of the rift.
It was because of envy and jealousy. Unbeknownst to many of the members of BloodLust during the rule of Cho Sukyoung, the two candidates for the position of being the next leader were actually cousins. However, Kim Baekjo was only related to Song Kyuhan through the bloodline of Kyuhan's father, thus, they were classified as half-cousins. Kim Baekjo was born an illegitimate son of his family. Therefore, he wasn't given a treatment as proper as how Song Kyuhan was in his family, since Kyuhan had been the one and only son of his father.
This was where the envy had begun.
What had added fuel to fire was the fact that in university, Kim Baekjo and Song Kyuhan were the rivals in the MVP position in Basketball. Kim Baekjo had gotten the award, but not the "prize" that came with it. Lee JooHae, the head cheerleader of their university, fell in love and later on became the wife of Song Kyuhan.
This was where jealousy had gripped him.
The breaking point was reached when Song Kyuhan was pronounced as the next leader. Many who supported Kim Baekjo expressed their disgreement on the choice of successor. So, those who were in favor of Kim Baekjo withdrew from the BloodLust brotherhood.
And that... was the birth of the rebellion of brother against brother.
It was the beginning of BloodLust's destruction.
And the war between the SkullBeaters and the ReapedSouls began.
Many of the young men and young women who had decided to join in the two rival brotherhoods also had bitter pasts with his or her environment, and with one another.
And until now, the fire of hatred between the SkullBeaters and the ReapedSouls blazes on.
I couldn't help my mind when it once more went to Kai-sshi and the words he said before he kissed me.
"I have lost her once. I won't let go of her again."
My mind worked double time as I tried to piece whatever assumption is forming in my head. I might have looked idiotic in front of my brothers and Taemin-ah, but I was in no way caring about what they were saying.
There is something that I need to find out. For the sake of clarity of Kai-sshi's character and my peace of mind.
"No. This couldn't be. She's already dead. Dead. Lifeless. You shouldn't think of her anymore."
Could it be that... Kai-sshi had a traumatic experience with a woman he loved? And that became the reason why he entered into the world of brotherhood and murder?
Who was that girl then?
What had happened to her?
I know that she died. But what could be the cause of her death?
Could that be the cause for Kai-sshi's internal suffering... one that he thought could be lightened by me?
For Kai-sshi, and for people like him...
... what could have been the the matchstick to the flame?
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