Chapter 83: The Prince's Move and the Parasite's Hunger
The sleek, black sports car glided through the neon-lit streets of the Inner City. Inside, the driver gripped the steering wheel with practiced ease. To the world, he was just Go, a wealthy merchant's son with a knack for finding rare Vane artifacts. But beneath that persona hid Prince Enoki, the son of King Zero. His eyes, usually sharp and calculating, were clouded with thought. He was thinking of the girl he had helped—Hana—and the boy who would do anything to protect her.
Suddenly, his encrypted phone vibrated on the dashboard. Go slowed the car, pulling into a quiet side street before picking up. "Speak," he said shortly.
"It's Adam. Ren's friend from the Vane Academy," the voice on the other end said, sounding breathless and urgent.
Go's eyebrows shot up. "Adam? How did you get this number?"
"I found it written on a scrap of paper in Ren's house. He had it filed under 'Potion Contact.' Look, there isn't much time. Ren has been arrested. He's been taken to Rollv 13."
Go's grip tightened on the phone until his knuckles turned white. Rollv 13 wasn't just a prison; it was a black hole for Vaners. Most who entered never saw the sun again. "Rollv 13? On what charges?"
"Interfering with a high-level mission and harboring a cultist. The orders came directly from Miss Hima. Go, I'm calling you because I know you're the one who provided the stabilization potion for his sister. You clearly have resources. If there's anything you can do... Ren doesn't belong in that cage."
Go remained silent for a long moment. He knew more than Adam could ever guess. He knew that Ren and Hana weren't just random Forsakens; they were his father's own flesh and blood. His own aunt and uncle.
"I understand," Go said, his voice dropping into a princely tone that he rarely used. "I'll see what can be done. Stay low, Adam. If Hima is involved, she'll be looking for anyone connected to him."
He ended the call and stared out at the sprawling city. Rollv 13... Father, what have you done? Or rather, what has Hima done under your name? He restarted the engine, his mind already spinning a web of political maneuvers to infiltrate the prison without revealing his royal identity.
The Dinner of Deception
In another part of the city, the atmosphere was far more domestic, yet no less tense. Inside the home of Kimo, the veteran Master, the family was gathered for dinner. Seo Yun, the mother, had prepared a lavish spread, and the steam from the dishes filled the air.
Lai, Mina's older brother, was already digging into his food. He was a bright young man, but often lacked the stoic seriousness of his father. Across from him sat Mina, who was staring blankly at her plate.
Inside her mind, a voice hissed—a cold, oily sound that only she could hear.
"I am hungry, Mina," Michael whispered. The parasite coiled around her consciousness like a serpent. "That roasted chicken... the fat, the marrow... I want it."
Mina shivered. I don't eat chicken, Michael. You know I hate the taste.
"You do not have a choice," Michael growled, his influence flaring. "Eat. Or I will make you scream in front of your mother."
Mina's hand trembled as she reached out, picking up a large piece of roasted chicken. She tore off a piece and began to chew.
Lai stopped eating, his fork halfway to his mouth. He blinked in surprise. "Whoa, since when does the sun rise in the West? Mina, you haven't touched meat in years. Why the sudden change?"
Mina forced a thin, strained smile. "I... I just felt like I needed the strength today, brother."
Seo Yun smiled warmly at her daughter. "It's good, dear. You've been looking a bit pale lately."
"Listen to your mother," Kimo said, his voice deep and stern as he entered the room, still wearing his heavy coat. He looked exhausted, his shoulders sagging under an invisible weight. He took his seat at the head of the table.
"You're home early, Dad," Lai remarked. "Is everything okay at the Academy?"
Kimo didn't answer immediately. He took a sip of water, his eyes fixed on the table. "My student... Ren. He was arrested today. He's been sent to Rollv 13."
The news hit the room like a physical shock. Lai dropped his fork, while Seo Yun gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.
But it was Mina whose reaction was the most visceral. She stood up so abruptly that her chair screeched against the floor. "Jail? Rollv 13? But why? How did this happen?"
Kimo looked at his daughter, his expression neutral. "He broke the code, Mina. He protected a threat during a mission. He defied the Higher-ups. Now he has to pay the price."
"But you can help him, can't you?" Mina pleaded, her voice rising in panic. "You're a Master! You promised me you'd look out for him!"
Kimo narrowed his eyes. "Why are you so worked up about a Forsaken, Mina? He'll be fine. He'll serve thirty or forty years. If he has the money for a good lawyer—which he doesn't—maybe ten. It's the way the world works."
"It's not fair!" Mina shouted. "He saved my life, Dad! When you weren't there, when those thugs tried to take me... Ren was the one who stopped them. He put himself in danger for me when he didn't even know who I was!"
Kimo slammed his hand on the table, making the plates rattle. "That was a simple debt, Mina! If you start carrying the weight of every person who does you a favor, you'll be exploited until there's nothing left of you. The boy made his choice. He chose his sister over his duty. In this city, that is a death sentence."
Seo Yun tried to calm her husband. "Kimo, dear, she's just grateful. There's no need to be so harsh."
"He is a weak man," Michael whispered in Mina's ear, his voice full of malice. "Your father speaks of duty, yet he cannot even see the monster sitting at his own table. Let the boy rot. He is of no use to us."
Mina ignored the parasite, her eyes stinging with tears as she looked at her father. "He isn't just a 'Forsaken' to me. He's a person. And I won't let him rot in there."
She turned and ran from the room, the sound of her footsteps echoing down the hall.
Kimo sighed, rubbing his face with his hands. "She's too soft. This world will eat her alive."
Lai looked at the empty chair where his sister had been sitting, then at the half-eaten chicken on her plate. "Something is wrong, Dad," he muttered quietly. "And I don't think it's just about Ren."
As the dinner continued in a heavy, suffocating silence, the prince in the Inner City began making calls, and the prisoner in Rollv 13 began to bleed. The gears of fate were turning, and none of them were ready for the storm that King Zero's bloodline was about to unleash.