Chapter 774: Let’s go crazy
Admit it or not, many members of the Reapers could clearly see the stark contrast in their lives before and now. In the days preceding Hera’s demise, every waking moment seemed like a ceaseless revelry, albeit not of the enjoyable type. Peace eluded them entirely. Genuine, enduring peace had been a rare occasion.
Hera’s departure left an agonizing void, a hollow in their hearts that remained untouched by anyone or anything else. This is precisely why they mourned her loss for as long as their memories could stretch. Yet, her absence also exposed them to a life devoid of her presence. Hence, having her back and everything restored wasn’t an unmitigated cascade of rainbows and butterflies.
"I may have you now, but I no longer have complete dominion over the Reapers," Heaven lamented with a heavy heart. "No matter how hard I try, I will never succeed. Not in this body. Not as Heaven Liu."
Tiger observed the billowing smoke as he listened to her sentiments quietly. It took three arduous days of persuasion, lungs polluted by secondhand smoke, and sacrificed sleep to convince them. If she aimed to rally the remaining Reapers, three days wouldn’t suffice. Their skepticism could become insurmountable, especially with Dragon hot on her trail. That man would catch up before she could achieve anything.
"I hate this feeling, Clark," she continued in a subdued tone. "This sense of helplessness; the feeling that I must act, even if it entails compromising my principles, risking my family, and assuming a persona I abhor."
Heaven paused, her hand gently grazing her neck. "I can feel it again. The noose. I feel it brushing against my shoulders with every movement, a depressing reminder that one misstep could send me toppling into the abyss as a consequence of my own recklessness."
"Even after running — sprinting so tirelessly, this inferno managed to catch up with me somehow." A brief, bitter laugh escaped her lips as she lowered her hand from her neck. "Isn’t that freaking depressing?"
Normally, Tiger would respond to her sentiments with either a witty remark or profound insight. However, at this moment, all he could do was consume the last remnants of his cigarette in silence.
"Let’s do it," he declared after taking a final, long drag, dropping the cigarette butt on the concrete ground, and extinguishing it beneath his shoe.