Friendship

At that moment, deep inside a grand, dimly lit mansion, Kihyun's patience finally snapped.

In one swift motion, he sent everything on his ornate desk crashing to the floor—papers, books, and delicate ornaments shattering on impact. His voice, filled with barely contained fury, echoed through the vast room. "Those useless fools! They failed to kill the heirs of the clans, and they couldn't even capture Dong Hae!"

The frustration burned inside him, feeding a deep-seated disgust that twisted his features into a scowl. His mind flickered back to Byung, the man he had once relied on, but now considered nothing more than a failure. "I should have never trusted that trash," he muttered under his breath, venom dripping from every word.

Turning to the butler, who stood silently in the corner, Kihyun's voice was cold and commanding. "I should've expected nothing from Byung. He's worthless."

The butler bowed respectfully, not daring to meet Kihyun's gaze.

After a moment, Kihyun took a deep breath, steadying himself before issuing his next order. "Increase the bounty on Dong Hae's head. Double it. No—triple it. The moment he steps foot outside that academy, I want him dead. Do you understand?"

His words sent a shiver down the spines of his subordinates, who stood in the room with him, their fear palpable. Though they trembled, they quickly nodded and responded in unison, "Yes, sir!"

As they hurried to carry out his orders, Kihyun's thoughts drifted back to the events that had brought him here. He clenched his fists as memories flooded his mind—how the king had once imprisoned him, how his family had died during his absence. He could still remember the exact moment he learned of their deaths, the burning hatred that had consumed him since that day. It had been the king's fault, along with the clans who had refused to understand his research. They had mocked him, treated him like a madman, all because they couldn't comprehend his vision: to turn ordinary people into Awakened.

Now, it was his turn to make them suffer. The King, Joon, would soon know the agony of losing a child. And after him, the clans would fall, one by one, until they too experienced the same unbearable pain.

A sinister smile tugged at Kihyun's lips as he savored the thought. With a dark gleam in his eyes, he called out to the shadow that had silently entered the room. "Take this research to Guardian Mina. She will be most... intrigued by it."

The man, though visibly uneasy at the mention of Mina, nodded and moved to fulfill Kihyun's command without question.

Elsewhere, in the calm of his private quarters, Jaemin was lying on his bed, recovering from the wounds he had sustained during the recent attack. His body was still sore, but his mind was restless, thoughts swirling in his head. Just then, he sensed a presence in the room. Without turning, he recognized one of his father's shadows lingering nearby.

"What's the message?" Jaemin asked, his voice calm but laced with curiosity.

The shadow didn't hesitate. "Master has instructed you to watch over a new student. His name is Ethan."

Jaemin raised an eyebrow at the name. He couldn't shake the strange feeling that surfaced again—he had heard that name earlier. Then it hit him. The boy who had fought fiercely to defend his friend... his name had been Ethan.

Jaemin paused, his mind racing as he pieced it together. "Why does my father want me to look after him?"

The shadow remained emotionless, responding simply, "I do not know."

Dismissed with a wave of Jaemin's hand, the shadow disappeared into the darkness. Alone again, Jaemin couldn't help but wonder. What was it about this Ethan that made his father, a man who rarely took personal interest in anything, want to protect him?

Unknown to Jaemin, his father was hiding a secret that would shake his very core—Ethan was his brother's son, alive all this time, concealed to keep him safe from enemies who would stop at nothing to destroy their bloodline.

Meanwhile, Ethan, deep in a peaceful slumber, was unaware of the whispers around him. He could faintly hear voices—Oliver and Shadow, the two figures who never left his side, were chatting near his bed.

"I think he'll wake up soon," said Oliver, excitement evident in his tone.

Shadow, more cautious, sighed in relief but remained concerned. "Yes, but he needs to be more careful with his power. He nearly overdid it. If he doesn't find a proper master soon, we won't be able to help him as much as we want."

Ethan's eyelids fluttered open slowly, and with a groggy voice, he muttered, "Could you two be a bit quieter? Someone's trying to sleep here…"

The second they heard him speak, Oliver and Shadow practically jumped on top of him, their faces lighting up with joy. "Master! You're finally awake!" they shouted in unison.

Ethan laughed weakly, surprised but glad to see them so happy. As they peppered him with questions, he soon found out that he had been unconscious for four days. In that time, Jinwoo, Seojin, Professor Jaemin, and even Dong Hae had all come by to check on him, worried that he wasn't waking up.

Catching up on everything that had happened, Ethan felt a wave of relief. The attackers had been dealt with, and the academy was safe again. For now, at least, the danger had passed.

As Ethan continued to chat with his companions, the sound of footsteps in the hallway made him turn toward the door. Seojin slowly stepped into the room, trying not to disturb him, but the moment Seojin saw Ethan sitting up, he couldn't contain himself.

"Ethan! You're awake!" Seojin cried, rushing over and throwing his arms around his friend.

"Easy, Seojin!" Ethan chuckled, though he winced a little from the sudden pain. Seeing Seojin's overwhelming joy made him smile.

Just then, Dong Hae walked into the room, smirking as he saw the two of them hugging. "Looks like you two have a pretty close relationship, huh?"

Seojin immediately let go of Ethan, his face flushed with embarrassment. "Shut up, Dong Hae! Just because you're a prince doesn't mean I can't beat you up!"

Dong Hae burst out laughing at that, his grin widening. "I'd like to see you try."

Watching them banter back and forth, Ethan couldn't help but laugh along. As the three of them continued to tease one another, the tension in the room melted away, replaced by a sense of camaraderie.

Without realizing it, something new began to take shape between them. Through shared hardships and laughter, a bond was forming—a friendship that none of them expected, but one that would soon become unbreakable. They were bound not just by circumstance, but by a growing connection that neither Ethan, Seojin, nor Dong Hae fully understood yet. It was the beginning of something meaningful, a friendship that would shape their futures in ways they couldn't yet imagine.