The crutches bit into Kael's armpits—a blunt, aching reminder of the price he'd paid. It had taken a solid month of agonizing physical therapy just to reach this point: standing on his own two feet, ready to face the world again.
He slid awkwardly into the passenger seat of Renjiro's car, letting out a sharp exhale as he wrestled his injured leg into the footwell.
Renjiro watched him out of the corner of his eye, his hands resting lightly on the steering wheel. He didn't offer to help—he knew Kael's pride wouldn't tolerate it—but the tight tension in his shoulders gave him away.
"You look like hell," Renjiro said softly, pulling out into the morning traffic. "Sure you're ready for this?"
Kael leaned his head back against the headrest, staring out the window as the familiar scenery drifted past. "Ready or not, I can't stay cooped up in that house anymore. The walls were starting to talk back."
"Fair enough." Renjiro tapped his fingers rhythmically against the wheel, glancing at Kael again, his tone dropping into something more serious. "Speaking of the house... I saw the news. Your old man's business is exploding. New contracts, massive territory expansions across the country... it's all anyone in the upper circles is talking about."
A bitter, humorless smile touched Kael's lips. Every sacrifice has a price. His father's sudden, astronomical success wasn't a coincidence. It was the payout for what had happened to him.
"Yeah," Kael murmured, his voice dropping a fraction. "Business is booming."
"You don't sound very excited about being a billionaire's heir," Renjiro noted, keeping his tone casual, though his eyes narrowed slightly as he sensed the heavy undercurrent.
"Money can buy a lot of things, Ren," Kael said, looking down at his hands, which were still faintly trembling. "But it doesn't fix what's already broken."
Renjiro fell silent, the low hum of the engine filling the space between them until they finally pulled into the crowded school parking lot.
The morning air was alive with the ambient chatter of arriving students. Renjiro cut the engine, breaking the heavy silence with a smirk. "Well, look at the bright side. At least I finally turned eighteen this month. Just in time to chauffeur you around."
Kael looked over at him, letting out a soft sigh that quickly melted into a smile. "Yeah, yeah. Rub it in. I'm eighteen too, but a lot of good that does me when I can't even use the pedals with these legs."
Renjiro placed a reassuring hand on Kael's shoulder. "Alright, fair point..."
For a moment, Kael hesitated. He looked at the daunting distance from the parking spot to the school entrance. The stubborn weight of his pride fought against the reality of his physical limits. Finally, he swallowed his pride and gave Renjiro a quiet, vulnerable look that subtly signaled for help.
Seeing this, Renjiro completely dropped his usual cold, arrogant demeanor. A bright, genuine smile broke across his face, replacing his mask of indifference with pure warmth.
As they both stepped out of the car, a light breeze swept through the parking lot. Renjiro's vibrant red hair shifted in the wind, contrasting beautifully with Kael's silky white hair. The striking image instantly caught the attention of the surrounding students. A few whispered in awe, one even murmuring, "Wow... talk about a cinematic entrance. It looks like a painting."
"Lean against the car for support," Renjiro instructed gently, his tone warmer than anyone at school had ever heard it. "I'll grab your crutches from the back seat."
Kael nodded, gripping the edge of the car door tightly as Renjiro retrieved the crutches and carefully handed them over. Once Kael was securely propped up, they began the slow, measured walk toward the building, drawing stares from every direction.
As they passed a group of guys, one of them whispered loudly to another, "Hey, did you see Kael yesterday? He was walking around with this insanely cute girl. Green hair, green eyes... I swear she looked like an angel that just dropped out of heaven."
Overhearing them, Kael gave a wry smile and muttered to Renjiro, "They're putting way too much energy into stressing over my life."
Renjiro rolled his eyes playfully. "Don't let them get to you, Kael. No need to feel guilty or awkward about anything. You saved my life last time, so consider this payback. I've got your back."
Kael looked at his friend, a genuine sense of gratitude warming his chest. "Thanks."
Just then, one of the braver classmates broke away from the crowd and jogged up to Kael, his eyes wide with burning curiosity. "Hey, Kael! Word on the street is you were hanging out with a gorgeous girl yesterday. Who was she?"
Kael didn't even blink. He offered a calm, effortless smile and replied, "My partner."
The boy froze in absolute disbelief, his jaw dropping so fast he instinctively slapped a hand over his mouth. He blinked, completely stunned by the casual, matter-of-fact confession.
"Alright then..." the boy stammered out, backing away slowly to report back to the whispering crowd. "Holy crap... Kael already has a girlfriend!"
Later that afternoon, the school day finally ended. Renjiro drove them back toward Kael's neighborhood, a trailing security car from his father's estate following them at a distance. As they neared the massive gates of Kael's bungalow, Kael looked around the sleek, high-end interior of the vehicle.
"Hey," Kael asked, breaking the silence. "Where did you actually get this car?"
Renjiro sighed, his gaze fixing on the road ahead. "My family is basically a noble house back in the Demon Realm. My sister used to be the queen, but... we hit a massive snag. Our bloodline was struck by a severe curse. She was advised by an oracle to manifest a physical form on Earth and save a specific host body to break it."
Kael stared at him, utterly deadpan. "Are you just trying to see how much you can shock me today?"
Renjiro glanced at him, a sheepish smile breaking through. "I know, it sounds insane. But listen—the Goddess of Destiny explicitly told us to do this. It's the only way we'll ever be free from the curse."
Kael raised an eyebrow, gesturing vaguely to the dashboard. "That's wild, Ren. But where is the actual answer to my question?"
"Oh! Right, sorry," Renjiro chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Basically, my family gave me a massive amount of our realm's currency before I left. When I crossed over to Earth, the magical baseline automatically converted it into local currency. I went to check the balance and nearly choked—it translated to roughly a million dollars. So, I bought the car."
Kael didn't press him on how demon currency exchange rates worked. Instead, he looked out at the passing trees, his mind drifting to the supernatural reality his friend belonged to.
"When I'm fit and fine," Kael said softly but firmly, "I'm going to your realm with you."
Renjiro snapped his head toward him, eyes wide. "Really? You mean it?"
Kael nodded, his expression resolute. "Yes. I owe it to you."
Renjiro let out a breath, a mixture of relief and amusement on his face. "Man... that's exactly what my parents were demanding from all of this."
As Renjiro pulled the car up the long driveway of the Kael estate, the trailing security car parked smoothly behind them.
Meanwhile, in a realm far beyond human comprehension, a violent darkness was tearing through the fabric of reality.
The Shadow Lord had launched a brutal, unprovoked invasion into the heart of the Void Realm. Shadows bled across the obsidian architecture, shattering the realm's defenses in a matter of hours.
Inside the grand citadel, the Void King sat battered on his fracturing throne, gasping for air as the dark entity approached him.
"Hey..." the Void King gasped out, his voice trembling with a mix of fury and terror. "Who the hell are you?"
The Shadow Lord didn't bother to answer. Moving with terrifying, fluid speed, he stepped directly onto the dais. Without a shred of hesitation, he raised his leg and slammed his boot heavily onto the armrest right next to the King's head, pinning him against his own throne.
Leaning in close, the Shadow Lord's face twisted into a dark, venomous smile.
"Kael," the Shadow Lord whispered into the cold air, his eyes burning with ancient malice. "You will die this time."