The clock struck 2AM.
A thick silence coated the Eron estate like fog, that kind of silence that hides wicked decisions behind its stillness, In his dimly lit study, Eldric Eron stood with a whisky glass trembling slightly in his fingers. His face, once dignified with power and pride, now carried shadows heavier than age could explain.
He stared at the fire, watching it dance like it carried his secrets. The photo on his desk hadn't changed in years a frozen memory of a family that no longer existed, his eyes fell on the boy in the frame.
Kael..
His son.
His heir… until he wasn't.
He clenched his jaw, eyes narrowing into slits, then, without warning, he slammed his clenched fist into the photo frame, cracking the glass. "You shouldn't have come back, boy," he growled through gritted teeth.
Across the room, a man in a dark suit stood silently. His name was Corsen, he didn't need introduction, only orders.
"You know what I want," Eldric said, voice low but sharp.
Corsen nodded once. "Permanent?"
Eldric turned fully, his eyes cold and unreadable. "Accidents happen. But not until he remembers everything. I want to know how much he's seen… and who's been whispering in his ear."
Corsen's lips barely moved. "The girl?"
"She's a distraction. Handle her only if necessary. But Kael..." he paused. "Kael must disappear. Again."
The silence returned, but this time it felt heavier.
---
Meanwhile, in the Asoluka mansion, Kael sat by the window, watching the night breathe quietly and effortlessly. He closed his eyes, taking in every breath and the chill that came with it, letting it rest gently on his skin like a balm.
"I wish my life could be this beautiful," he muttered softly, his eyes still closed. "Filled with silent rhymes..."
It was as if he were having a heart-to-heart conversation with the night — with the breeze that danced past him like a lullaby.
But peace doesn't last for men like Kael.
Suddenly, the mirror across the room shimmered. This time, not a flicker or a dream. It was his father's reflection staring back at him, Eldric, in full fury, just behind him, speaking words Kael had buried for years.
"You'll never be enough."
Kael's eyes flew open. He stumbled back, chest heaving. "Get out of my head!" he screamed.
Rage boiled in his chest. He grabbed the flower vase from the bedside table and hurled it at the mirror.
It shattered into a thousand sharp stars.
"There!!" he roared. "No more shadows! No more taunts! Peace! Let me live right!"
He began tearing through the room, scattering books, knocking over drawers.
"No one will be spared!" he yelled.
Sai woke with a jolt, her heart hammering, she sprang from the chair and ran to him, wrapping her arms tightly around his back.
"Shhh… calm down," she whispered, breath trembling. "It's all in your head… you're safe."
Kael froze, her warmth pressing against his storm.
His hands slowly dropped to his sides.
---
Back at the Eron estate, Eldric opened a drawer in his desk, inside, a faded letter from the Crimson Chamber, the same seal Kael had seen.
He stared at it long, as if it still held power over him.
"I warned them once," he muttered. "This bloodline… should've died with me."
---
And elsewhere, in a hidden chamber beneath the city, Madam Elsie stood over a table lined with scrolls and red wax seals.
"The two of them… they're awakening," she said.
The pale man beside her nodded. "And the girl?"
"Too late to split them now. But not too late to break one."