Your father advanced to a remarkably high stage of power… but after Roger was born, he suddenly withdrew and isolated himself for a while. I always wondered why. Did he end up with postpartum depression instead of me?"
Adel let out a sarcastic laugh as Isabel continued. "Instead… he spent that entire month contemplating. And when he finally emerged… your father was different."
She looked at her children with the eyes of both a mother and a knight before adding, "Your father… may be an old man when it comes to the stages of perfection, but his heart is still that of a young man."
Silence settled over the table until Henry absentmindedly asked, waving his spoon, "So… they allowed you to advance?"
The moment the words left his mouth, he nearly choked on his food.
He froze. Then realization struck.
His face flushed bright red as though he had accidentally insulted someone.
Arthur stopped moving.
So did Kayden. The brothers exchanged a brief glance. Even Adel stared at Henry before Isabel turned toward Arthur and quietly asked,
"What happened?"
Kayden hurried to explain. "It's just… we heard someone during work mention that certain people tried to stop others from reaching new stages of power…"
Halfway through the sentence, he realized he was telling nothing more than a harmless white lie to cover up something far bigger.
Arthur neither questioned who this "someone" was nor pressed the matter.
Instead, he simply shook his head.
"I can't lie in front of your mother… I'd probably end up sleeping on the streets if I did. So I'll just tell you."
"I hadn't yet reached the end of the Fusion Stage. I was incredibly close… then I felt pain. A kind of pain I had never experienced before. It felt as though my body was being torn apart from the inside. Is that what you mean?"
"No," Henry replied bluntly. "I'm talking about the war. Definitely not that."
Arthur looked surprised. "Oh… By then, Lady Eleanor and Sir Ron Feng had already begun their campaign to stop anyone who supported Lord Edminael. Since I was counted among his followers… every path forward was blocked."
Kayden nodded in understanding, though he couldn't suppress the question that had lingered in his mind.
"Was Lord Edminael really evil? I mean… why was he hated so much?"
Arthur answered in a calm, somber voice. "He was hated because he wasn't like the others. He granted his followers far greater freedom… perhaps even privileges they shouldn't have had. But at the same time… he possessed certain twisted inclinations, even if he never displayed them openly. He was far from perfect, but he kept those desires buried within himself."
Arthur's gaze settled deeply on Kayden before he continued. "But during the war… he hid nothing. He was more savage than anyone else. He possessed an overwhelming urge for destruction… pure violence, as though a monster had been waiting inside him all along. Yet somehow… he inspired everyone around him to fight. He and Ron Feng were extraordinary."
Arthur fell silent for a moment.
Then Henry quietly asked,"What about Lord Magnus?"
Arthur answered with complete simplicity. "He was sealed."
Kayden's eyelids twitched.
He exchanged a glance with Henry. This ran far deeper than it first appeared.
Kayden remembered Edminael's old words. Beneath the table, he nudged his brother with his elbow, only to find Henry giving a subtle nod that seemed to say:
'There's no avoiding this.'
Arthur spoke in a calm voice that nevertheless sent chills through both twins. "Do you know why? You already know… anyone who lies will receive a thorough beating from me."
Isabel instinctively pushed her chair back a little.
Adel looked toward her father with obvious unease, though she remained silent.
Kayden looked to Henry, silently asking him to decide.
Finally, he drew a deep breath. "I found some journals… the autobiography of Lord Magnus. They were written in his own hand."
Arthur raised an eyebrow. "And who found those journals before you? I saw you bringing home several boxes two weeks ago."
Kayden realized denial was pointless now. "Adam… Adam found them. They mentioned your name… and included the sentence: 'Arthur Bryce and Jasper must be prevented from advancing.'"
Henry spoke next, his tone noticeably calmer. "As for Lord Magnus's sealing… it only said, 'When you witness your own end in the future, and see the one destined to destroy you… you will collapse in shock.'"
Arthur slowly nodded. "That's correct. That is exactly what happened. Our Lord warned him… but Magnus became greedy. He wanted to defy his own prophecy… and instead walked straight into it."
Kayden suddenly asked, never taking his eyes off his father. "Did you ever meet him? I mean… Lord Magnus?"
Arthur paused for several seconds before a faint smile appeared on his face.
"I honestly don't know. I can't really remember… he wasn't particularly strong."
After they finished eating, Arthur took the twins outside. The sun was beginning its slow descent, while a cool breeze carried the scent of old streets.
Kayden, however, had eaten far more than he should have and suddenly clutched his stomach in pain.
Holding his abdomen in one last attempt to endure it, he grimaced.
Without even looking at him, Henry muttered sarcastically,
"You eat like a starving idiot who hasn't seen food in years."
Kayden didn't answer. He simply stared blankly ahead with half-lidded eyes, as though the pain had dragged part of his consciousness away.
Their carriage rolled past a familiar building their workplace.
But instead of stopping, it continued without hesitation.
Arthur finally broke the silence.
"You both know the fundamentals of combat and weapon handling, don't you?"
Kayden nodded. "Yes. We learned everything from you and our previous instructor. Ayrton taught us a great deal as well. Training with him was brutal… but effective."
A faint smile crossed Arthur's face.
"Good. But there's one important thing I forgot to teach you… pursuit."
He glanced at the two of them.
"It's an indispensable skill, and today you'll learn it in the field. Opportunities like this are rare. Just don't break your leg like Adel… or your nose like Roger… George even broke his jaw…"
His voice softened near the end as old memories of his children's injuries resurfaced.
The carriage stopped in front of the police station.
Arthur stepped out first.
Kayden followed more slowly, while Henry casually wandered off, already inspecting the area with obvious curiosity.
Everyone inside immediately recognized Arthur.
His face was well known thanks to his generous donations and frequent support of military training programs. He wasn't merely a wealthy man—he was someone highly respected within both the military and law enforcement.
Arthur entered one of the offices and instructed Kayden to wait outside.
Henry, true to himself, took the opportunity to roam the building without any clear destination.
Only a few minutes later, Arthur emerged carrying a stack of papers.
He separated two sheets before looking around with mild annoyance.
"Where's the other one? Where did Henry disappear to? Did he decide to make up for lost time by introducing himself to every person in the building?"
Almost on cue, Henry returned, staring up at the sky as though it had delivered some unfortunate revelation. "I don't think I ever want to visit this place again."
Without looking at either of them, Arthur tossed the papers into their hands.
"The assignments are somewhat random, but they'll do. Your job is simple capture the target and bring them back here alive."
A small smile appeared on his face.
"If you succeed, you'll receive a respectable reward. You're also allowed to rough them up a little… breaking an arm or a leg is acceptable."
Kayden lowered his eyes to the paper.
A blurry photograph of a middle-aged man stared back at him.
Below it, in sloppy handwriting, was a single destination.
The Slums.
Before either twin could leave, Arthur stopped them once more.
This time his voice carried unmistakable authority.
"Distribute your spiritual energy properly. Don't concentrate it only in your arms or back. Push it into the soles of your feet as well."
"That's where your balance comes from… and it's the key to agility."
After another brief silence, he spoke more gently. "One more thing… Have either of you ever learned under pressure? I mean, when your body is forced to understand because your life is in danger?"
Kayden quietly raised his hand. "I have."
"Adam said violence forces me to react faster. He says I only understand things when I'm under threat… though I feel like that's an insult."
Arthur looked at him for a long moment before slowly nodding, apparently agreeing with Adam despite himself.
"Sometimes… the clearest lessons are born from chaos."
He hesitated before speaking again.
"One last thing about hiding your presence…"
His explanation came awkwardly, the words difficult to arrange.
"You can suppress the leakage of spiritual energy through concentration… mental control… and calmness. Convince yourself that you can do it."
His uncertainty was obvious.
It sounded less like a lesson and more like someone trying to describe a deeply personal experience.
He had learned it alone, without guidance or a teacher.
Unable to explain it properly, Arthur simply reached into his pocket and handed each of them a talisman.
"These will help conceal your presence… but don't rely on them too much. True mastery begins from within."
With that, he turned and walked away.
Kayden examined the talisman before glancing toward Henry, who seemed completely absorbed in his own endless thoughts.
Without warning, Kayden jumped.
He landed atop a nearby rooftop.
For a brief moment…He stood completely still.
The sun was slowly disappearing beneath the horizon, painting the sky with colors that resembled burning silk.
Kayden had never seen a sunset this beautiful.
The city itself seemed to have fallen silent, as though the entire world had paused to watch the sun's final farewell.
He slipped the talisman into his pocket and whispered to himself, 'I hope you actually work.'
Then he leaped forward.
Unfortunately, the landing looked nothing like it had in his imagination.
He nearly crashed into the ground before desperately grabbing hold of a rusty chimney atop a nearby building.
His heart pounded violently. "I feel like a monkey…" He jumped again.
Awkwardly, he moved from rooftop to rooftop. With every leap, his confidence grew a little.
With every landing, so did his doubts.
Eventually… The rooftops ended.
Kayden stopped at the edge, staring into empty space.
Only the street lay below. He didn't hesitate.
He jumped. He landed heavily before slowly raising his head.
Now the city stretched before him. The sunset glowed behind him.
The talisman rested quietly in his pocket.
Kayden headed toward the slums. His clothes were far too clean, his appearance far too refined, and his eyes instinctively examined everything around him.
After a moment, he looked down at his clothes and frowned.
They didn't belong in a place like this.
They didn't suit the person he needed to be.
His eyes wandered until they settled on an old house standing near the edge of the neighborhood, isolated from the others, with a small field and a neglected garden surrounding it.
Without making a sound, he vaulted over the fence.
A clothesline stretched across the yard.
Kayden quietly stole an old pair of trousers and a faded green long-sleeved shirt whose cuffs were slightly torn.
The clothes offered no warmth, nor did they fit him properly. The trousers were slightly loose, while the shirt was noticeably too small. Kayden was built just a little broader than its previous owner.
Still, comfort wasn't the goal. The goal was to disappear.
He stopped beneath the shade of a large tree and quietly removed his old clothes. Carefully folding them, he placed them beneath the trunk as though burying a piece of his identity.
Then, out in the open, he changed into the stolen clothes before silently walking away without a single glance back.
A short while later, he found himself standing before a small tavern tucked between narrow streets, as though it had sprouted from nowhere.
He took a seat at the bar and ordered a drink.
'He's a wanted man… Did he choose the most isolated place? Or the busiest one? If I were him… what would I do?'
'If I were him, I'd probably leave the city altogether… But can he? He looks poor, and this all happened so suddenly. The arrest warrant was issued only recently. He definitely won't return home he isn't stupid. His crime required someone capable of planning. In a village like this, the only crowded places are the market and the taverns… So would I find his trail here?'
A faint prickling sensation stirred inside him.
He slipped a hand into his pocket and pulled out a small lighter.
The kind that reflected its owner's personality. It was Adam's stolen lighter.
Kayden studied it for a moment, turning it between his fingers before wrapping his hand tightly around it.
Only then did he realize… He had forgotten to remove his wristwatch.
The bartender noticed where his eyes had drifted and approached while polishing a glass. "Looking for something?"
Kayden slowly raised his head. "Yes?"
The bartender smiled gently before lowering his voice and leaning in slightly. "You're not from around here, are you?"
Kayden raised an eyebrow but remained silent. The bartender continued confidently, speaking almost as though he were revealing a secret. "I know because you don't belong here. Not just because I've never seen you before… Even your silence feels foreign."