Night had begun to fall when the convoy entered downtown.
Neon lights illuminated the streets.
Towering skyscrapers rose on either side of the road.
Everything looked almost exactly as it had five years ago.
But to Kael-
the city felt foreign.
Cold.
Rotten.
And crawling with traitors.
Inside the vehicle, Edward was still studying the tablet in his hands.
"Boss, we've arranged a temporary residence."
"No hotel," Kael replied curtly.
Edward nodded.
He had expected that answer.
Kael had never liked crowded places.
And besides...
this city held too many painful memories.
Suddenly-
SCREEECH!
Edward slammed on the brakes.
The armored vehicle came to an abrupt stop.
Several cars behind them screeched to a halt as well.
Edward's expression sharpened.
"There's a kid!"
Kael slowly opened his eyes.
Under the glow of a streetlamp-
a small child lay sprawled in the middle of the road.
He was painfully thin.
His clothes were torn and filthy.
Blood ran from one knee.
But the most disturbing thing-
were the bruises covering his arms.
Edward immediately stepped out.
"Hey, kid! Are you crazy?! You almost got yourself killed!"
The child didn't answer.
He scrambled to his feet and immediately clutched something tightly against his chest.
Bread.
A cheap loaf that had fallen onto the pavement.
Yet somehow, the boy seemed more distressed about the dirt on the bread than the blood on his own knee.
"Don't step on it..."
"Please..."
His voice was barely audible.
Hoarse.
Like a child who had spent far too long crying.
Edward frowned.
Then the rear door opened.
Kael stepped out.
And when the boy looked up-
time seemed to stop.
Their eyes met.
Kael froze.
Because the boy's eyes...
looked remarkably like his own.
Dark.
Sharp.
But filled with pain.
For one impossible moment, Kael felt as though he were looking at a younger version of himself.
The boy went completely still too.
He stared at Kael without blinking.
As if he were looking at someone who had existed only in his dreams.
And for some reason-
a strange warmth spread through his chest.
Slowly...
the boy took a step toward him.
Edward immediately became alert.
But Kael raised one hand, stopping him.
The boy stopped directly in front of Kael.
His small body trembled.
His face was streaked with dirt.
Yet his eyes never left Kael's.
Then-
in a tiny, trembling voice-
he whispered,
"...Dad?"
Silence.
Edward's eyes widened.
"W-What?"
Kael didn't move.
His gaze remained locked on the boy's face.
His heart was beating strangely.
Hard.
Uneven.
But that was impossible.
His son was dead.
Five years ago.
"S-Sorry..."
The boy swallowed.
"I mean... sir."
His voice trembled.
Kael slowly crouched in front of him.
"What's your name?"
The boy looked nervous.
As though he were afraid of giving the wrong answer.
"A-Aiden..."
Kael stopped breathing for a moment.
Aiden?
The name Luna had once chosen with a bright smile.
«"If we have a boy... I want to name him Aiden."»
Back then, Kael had simply laughed.
But now-
the name struck him like lightning.
Edward began to realize something was wrong.
His gaze shifted between Kael and the boy.
And the longer he looked...
the more obvious the resemblance became.
Their facial features were almost identical.
"Who gave you that name?" Kael asked quietly.
Aiden lowered his head.
"Mom..."
His answer was barely audible.
But inside, another thought followed.
My mom... in my dreams.
He often dreamed about his parents.
His mother would call him by that name.
And the father in those dreams...
looked almost exactly like the man standing in front of him.
That was why he had called Kael "Dad."
For a moment, Aiden had thought he was dreaming again.
"Where is your mother?" Kael asked.
Aiden's small body immediately stiffened.
Fear filled his eyes.
"I... I don't have one. I-I don't know..."
Kael narrowed his eyes.
Before he could ask another question-
a harsh voice shouted from farther down the street.
"THERE HE IS!"
"THE LITTLE BRAT IS OVER HERE!"
Several large men came running toward them.
Their faces were rough, their skin covered in tattoos.
And the moment Aiden saw them-
all the color drained from his face.
He instinctively hid behind Kael.
His tiny body began trembling violently.
Edward raised an eyebrow.
"Hmm?"
One of the men pointed angrily at Aiden.
"Get back here, you little bastard!"
Kael's gaze slowly dropped to the small hand clutching the edge of his coat.
And for the first time since returning-
something inside him stirred.
He could feel the boy's fear.
A fear far too deep for a child his age.
The tattooed man approached, spitting onto the pavement.
"Stay out of this. That kid belongs to our boss."
Edward's expression immediately hardened.
"Belongs to...?"
But Kael spoke first.
"Why is he hurt?"
The man snorted.
"None of your damn business."
Kael's eyes slowly moved over Aiden's bruised face.
Then to the old wounds covering his arms.
Then to the faint scars around his small neck.
The air around them began to change.
Colder.
Heavier.
Edward recognized the signs immediately.
Boss was angry.
And that...
always ended badly.
The tattooed man still had no idea what kind of danger stood in front of him.
He stepped forward and pointed directly at Kael.
"I said hand over the kid!"
Kael slowly stood.
His height immediately made the tattooed man look smaller.
Kael's dark gaze settled on him.
"What if I refuse?"
The man gave a rough laugh.
"Then-"
CRACK!
His sentence never finished.
His body flew backward and slammed into the hood of a car hard enough to dent the metal.
Blood sprayed from his mouth.
Everyone froze.
No one had seen Kael move.
All they could see was-
their leader lying half-conscious on the hood.
Kael stood completely still.
His expression was emotionless.
His gaze was terrifying.
"Who..."
His voice was quiet.
Deadly.
"...dared to lay a hand on this child?"
...
