01 On my way home from Uni
Sakura Kai stepped out of the lecture hall wearing one of the school's uniforms. The uniform consisted of a navy blue blazer with a fox emblem embroidered on the pocket paired with a grey skirt. Sakura felt the weight of her family's legacy pressing on her slender shoulders.
Her long black hair swayed with each step, her demeanor poised yet alert. She adjusted her glasses, surveying the bustling university campus through eyes that missed nothing. The sun was setting, casting a golden glow over the modern buildings.
A discrete nod to her security detail, a team of four burly men in dark suits-set them in motion Her father, Tetsuya Kai, the feared and respected head of the Kai Syndicate, had insisted on the protection. Sakura, at nineteen, was used to it. In the world of the Japanese mafia in the United States, being the daughter of a powerful mafia lord meant constant danger.
As she walked towards the parking lot, Sakura sensed the usual mix of curiosity and fear from her fellow students. Whispers followed her, rumors about her family's power and influence weaving through the student body like an invisible current. She ignored it, focusing on the path ahead.
The black SUV awaited, its tinted windows hiding the drivers and the heavy armament they carried. Kenji, the head of her security, opened the door for her. Sakura slipped inside, the familiar scent of leather and cologne comforting in its familiarity. Kenji took the front passenger seat, and the convoy began its journey back to the family estate. Sakura gazed out of the window, her mind drifting to her studies. She was majoring in international business, a choice that pleased her father. But her true passion lay in art. In another life, she might have pursued it openly, without the weight of expectation. But in this life, she played the role assigned to her.
Her phone buzzed, pulling her from her thoughts. It was a message from her father: "Be cautious. Word is out. Rivals might make a move."
Sakura's heart tightened. She knew what that meant. The Shinjuku Clan, the old rivals from Japan, and the rising factions within the States; the Gorman Family, a ruthless Irish mob, and the Salvador Cartel, eager to expand their influence, were all vying for control. And she, the daughter of the Kai Syndicate's leader, was a valuable pawn.
The convoy moved steadily through the city streets, the sun dipping below the horizon. Sakura Kai sat in the back of the black SUV, her mind still occupied with her studies and her father's warning. She glanced at Kenji in the front seat, his eyes constantly scanning their surroundings.
Suddenly, from a side street, a Ford Bronco barreled toward them, its headlights glaring like twin orbs of doom. The driver of the SUV barely had time to react before the Bronco smashed into their side with a deafening crash. Metal twisted and glass shattered as the impact sent the SUV flying.
Sakura felt a sickening lurch as the vehicle flipped through the air, her world spinning in a blur of chaos. The SUV hit the ground with a bone jarring thud, skidding on its roof before coming to a halt.
The cacophony of the crash was replaced by an eerie silence, broken only by the distant wail of sirens. Sakura's head throbbed, and the coppery taste of blood filled her mouth. She struggled to orient herself, realizing she was upside down, her seatbelt the only thing keeping her from collapsing into the twisted metal of the roof. She looked to the front seat and her heart froze. The driver's head was skewered by a metal pole, the result of the collision's brutal force. His lifeless eyes stared blankly ahead, blood pooling around him.
Kenji!" she croaked, her voice barely audible over the ringing in her ears.
