God of Contracts: Strongest Businessman

"BROOOOOTHEEEEEEER!!!!!!!!!!!"

Elian let out a heart-wrenching scream, his voice echoing through the vast emptiness of his room. Tears streamed down his face as he collapsed onto the floor, his entire body wracked with sobs. The room around him blurred into a haze of grief and sorrow, and he was oblivious to the two women who rushed to his side, their words of comfort lost in the deafening roar of his anguish.

Time seemed to lose all meaning as Elian remained curled up on the floor, his tears soaking into the rug beneath him. His mind was consumed by the disappearance of his brother, El, a thought so unbearable that it threatened to tear him apart.

El had been Elian's rock, his confidant, his best friend. They had been inseparable since childhood, sharing an unbreakable bond that transcended words. But now, El was gone, vanished without a trace, leaving Elian alone and adrift in a world that suddenly felt cold and empty.

Elian's mind reeled, grappling with the agonizing realization that his brother was no more. His sudden ability to conjure lightning, an ability that has now been confirmed to be unique to El, served as the final, chilling confirmation of his worst fears. The absence of El's familiar presence in his mind, an unwavering connection that had inexplicably vanished, had already triggered alarm bells within Elian. Despite his desperate attempts to suppress the gnawing unease, the truth became irrefutable when he caught the eraser.

Elian's tears flowed freely, the only outlet for his overwhelming sorrow. Before this week, he had never experienced such raw emotions before, a stark contrast to his usual composure. Sylv's observation was spot on: Elian was a man of logic, a problem-solver by nature. He had always believed that crying was a pointless waste of time, a mere attention-seeking mechanism. Instead, he preferred to focus on finding solutions, to take action and make a difference. In the past, he had even looked down on those who succumbed to tears, dismissing their behavior as unproductive and self-indulgent.

But now, in the face of such profound loss, Elian found himself shedding tears without reservation. The pain was too intense to ignore, too overwhelming to suppress. Crying was no longer a sign of weakness or inefficacy; it was the natural expression of his grief, a cathartic release of the emotions that threatened to consume him.

While Elian's father's passing brought sadness, it didn't hit him as deeply as the unexpected loss of his brother, El. His father's frequent warnings about the possibility of not returning had instilled a sense of acceptance, leading to a mindset of treating each departure as a potential farewell. Still, Elian genuinely mourned his father's death, shedding tears throughout the night.

However, El's death was a different kind of blow. The suddenness and the incongruity of a young man dying in his own room sent shockwaves through Elian's being. The closeness of their bond, akin to that of Siamese twins, intensified the pain to an unimaginable level. It was a loss that struck deep into his core, leaving an indelible mark on his soul.

The weight of his brother's death pressed down upon Elian, crushing his spirit and casting a dark shadow over his world. The notion of continuing life without El, his confidant, his anchor, seemed utterly pointless. He would have given anything to have taken El's place, to have borne the burden of death instead of his brother.

"Why?" he whispered, the question echoing in the vast emptiness of his mind. "Why him? Why not me?"

Over and over, he repeated these questions, a relentless refrain that echoed the agony of his grief. The pain was a relentless torrent, threatening to drown him in its depths. Yet, amidst the turmoil, a chilling realization dawned upon him: he didn't know how or why his brother had died.

Elian's rational mind, usually a fortress of logic and reason, was shattered by the devastating news of his brother El's passing. Overwhelmed by grief, he found himself momentarily abandoning his analytical approach, succumbing to the raw emotions that surged through him.

As the initial shock subsided, a glimmer of clarity emerged from the depths of his sorrow. He acknowledged the undeniable reality of El's death, but a nagging question lingered in his mind: How had it happened?

Without realizing it, Elian began to entertain the possibility that his brother's fate might not be irreversible. Since the emergence of mana, extraordinary occurrences that could be considered miracles have become commonplace. There have even been whispers of individuals capable of resurrection. Contemplating this possibility, Elian's sobs gradually subsided, and a glimmer of hope began to rekindle within him.

Elian sat up, his body trembling from the weight of his grief. He wiped away the tears that streamed down his face, his eyes red and swollen from crying. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, trying to steady his racing heart and calm his tumultuous thoughts.

With a heavy heart, Elian posed the question that had been burning within him, "So what happened to him?" He was determined to delve into El's memories, to gain a deeper understanding of the events that led to his brother's tragic demise.

Elian and El possessed a unique ability to access each other's memories, a bond forged from their shared experiences. However, they rarely utilized this ability, as they could often observe each other's actions and thoughts directly.

When Elian's memories returned, he discovered that El's memories had also become intertwined with his own. These memories were now seamlessly integrated into his consciousness, eliminating the need for the conscious effort he previously required to access them.

Despite this newfound access, Elian had hesitated to explore El's memories, fearing that doing so would amplify his grief. Yet, now, driven by an urgent need to unravel the mystery surrounding El's fate, he resolved to confront these memories, harboring a glimmer of hope that perhaps, just perhaps, El's fate was not irreversible.

As Elian prepared to delve into El's memories, a sudden interruption halted his progress.

"~Ding~" A chime, as crisp and clear as a crystal bell, echoed through the room.

Astonished, Elian turned his gaze toward the source of the sound. There, suspended in mid-air, was a book, its cover as dark as the depths of space. It hovered about a half-meter in front of him, its presence as tangible as the very air he breathed.

As Elian's eyes met the enigmatic book, a flood of memories surged back, washing over him like waves crashing upon the shore. The towering library and his encounter with Ark, an event so significant yet relegated to the back of his mind in the wake of El's tragic demise, reemerged with vivid clarity.

Elian's mind raced, desperately trying to recall the details of his conversation with Ark, convinced that Ark's words held the key to unlocking the mystery surrounding El's fate. But a persistent doubt lingered in his thoughts. If Ark's apprehensions had indeed come to pass, then Elian himself should have succumbed to the same fate as his brother.

Amidst this turmoil of thoughts, the book before him began to stir, its pages rustling and turning on their own. A single page unfolded, revealing a title that sent a chill down Elian's spine: "Twin Contract."

.............

Edited by Moonsterdark