2023-06-01 11:15:56The classy tuxedo, neatly combed hair to the left side, and bright face made Andrew look different. His steps appeared calm as the elevator door opened. The brown-haired man immediately captivated Erica and William, who had been waiting for him.
"Oh my goodness, Andrew! You look so perfect!" Erica ran towards her brother, a radiant smile on her face.
"Not only are you surprised, but I am also quite amazed by my appearance. You look beautiful too, Erica, your red dress is perfect. We should thank Mr. William for making us look classy."
William lowered his head with his cane, accepting the praise given by Andrew.
"You both deserve a luxurious appearance. By the way, we should leave now. And Erica, I would like to speak briefly with your brother on our way to the car.
"Sure, Mr. William." Erica hastened with one of William's guards, leaving her brother with the middle-aged man wearing sunglasses.
"So, Andrew, how is it? Are you satisfied with the service I provided? You can tell me if there's anything else you find lacking."
"Nothing is lacking; I feel all this is too excessive. But considering that you will be using 'my services,' it feels well worth it."
Andrew replied firmly, trying to find an opportunity to discuss the book he found earlier.
"I like your way of thinking. This world is too cruel if we only rely on kindness. It would be best if you were someone who weighs the pros and cons. But, from what you said, you have found a way to heal me. Is that true?"
William lowered his glasses and looked at Andrew with a smile that hinted at something.
Andrew gave a crooked smile and said, "One step closer. But, by the way, I think something belonging to you or someone in this house was left in my room."
"Really? What is it?" William changed his expression to curiosity.
"A book, a black book that looks like a diary...."
Andrew's heart pounded, questioning whether his question was right or wrong. Honestly, he feared that the book was intentionally left behind and William would take it back. But on the other hand, Andrew also wanted to know if William deliberately gave the book.
"A book? It doesn't seem like anyone in this house has a diary. That room used to be where I trained my body. So, it's certain that no one has ever written there. I only recently converted that room into a guest room a month ago. Or it's my trainer's book that was left behind. Yes, that seems reasonable, doesn't it?"
William's answer made Andrew slightly confident that the book was unintentionally in that room. However, a lingering suspicion remained, albeit faintly.
"Ah, I see. Well, in that case, the book is safe for me to have. I'm used to writing something to drive away my loneliness. So, having a medium to pour out my thoughts while finding the best way to heal you is best. May I?"
William patted Andrew's shoulder while chuckling and said, "Of course, Andrew! I would even give you thousands of dollars if it could help you in getting rid of this damn illness of mine. You see, using a cane like this is not my style. It feels pathetic and repulsive!"
"You just need to be patient, Mr. William; soon enough, you will regain your healthy body."
William grinned again and nodded his head. Their steps had arrived in front of the house.
Two black luxury cars were seen parked in front of the house with their doors already open. Andrew and William were going to use different cars. Andrew's smile widened as the car door closed tightly. He held Erica's hand and said, "It seems like our lives are truly going to change."
**
Camera flashes welcomed Andrew's arrival. So many paparazzi were taking pictures of everyone getting out of the car that Andrew and Erica felt frightened.
"This is insane. Are we at the Met Gala? Or a movie premiere? What are they doing?" Erica looked nervous.
"Please, Mr. Andrew."
Amidst the confusion that engulfed the two siblings, the car door was opened by one of William's guards.
William stood up, extending his hand to Andrew and Erica. He waved his hand towards the busy paparazzi who were photographing him. Andrew was amazed by this strangeness, feeling like he was trapped in an event he used to see on the internet.
"Don't be surprised; just smile. This is an important event for the wealthy people in this city, so it's normal for many paparazzi to want coverage," William murmured.
Andrew looked at Erica; his sister still looked confused. The flashes were indeed blinding, but following William's guidance, Andrew tried to walk confidently as if he was used to being exposed to paparazzi cameras.
With so many lights attacking, when Andrew was already inside the banquet hall, his vision turned green and purple. It took him a few seconds to close his eyes and return his vision to normal.
"You'll get used to it. I will introduce you to the business world; you will often attend dinners held by billionaires, and I will help you build relationships, Andrew. At least, this is one of the proofs, something you will gain when you successfully heal me," William whispered to Andrew.
"Andrew! Look!"
Erica then redirected Andrew's gaze to a girl who Erica was pointing out.
The girl in a pink dress with neatly tied hair also appeared to be looking at them; her eyes widened. Next to her stood a man wearing sunglasses, supported by a crutch. The man's expression seemed fierce. They were none other than Nadine and Orlando.
"I beg you, don't do anything bad, Andrew. Take it easy, please!" Erica pleaded, panic evident in her voice.
Andrew smirked. "I can't promise that. We need to see what they will do. If it's good, then I'll stay quiet. If it's bad, I'll make sure he ends up in a wheelchair."
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Latest Chapter
4-18
The world blurred. Not for Andrew— but for Yuki.She sat on the far edge of the ruined outpost, Sahara’s unconscious body protected under layers of reinforced warding. The others were nearby—tending wounds, patrolling the perimeter, arguing about William and Seraphel and the seventh relic.But Yuki couldn’t hear any of them clearly.Every sound came muffled. Distant. As though she were underwater.Her hands shook.The vision from Sahara had touched her—brushed her—triggered something she’d spent years avoiding.Her Sight.The ancient, cursed power bound to the White Abyss inside her.She pressed a palm over her chest, breathing shallowly.“No… not now… not again…”But the Abyss stirred.Writhing.Hungry.Her reflection in the broken metal panel across from her flickered—her pupils shimmering silver-white, glowing faintly like stars trapped inside frost.She closed her eyes.Too late.The vision slammed into her.She stood on a battlefield of ash.Not sand.Not dirt.Ash.The sky was b
4-17
Night fell over the savanna like a heavy curtain, drowning the horizon in ink-black darkness. The team made camp in an abandoned outpost—crumbling stone walls, rusted radio towers, and dust-covered supply crates long forgotten by whatever expedition once called this place home.Sahara slept under Yuki’s protective wards, her breath shallow but steady. Emerald Shadow pulsed beneath her skin, responding to every fluctuation of Andrew’s aura—every flicker of the dying Sapphire, every spike of Noir’s unstable Phoenix fire.Andrew watched her from the doorway.“You’re restless,” Noir murmured behind him.Andrew startled—he hadn’t heard Noir approach. Phoenix fire made Noir’s presence erratic. Sometimes he radiated heat like a furnace; other times he felt cold, ghostlike.Tonight, he felt both.Andrew didn’t look away from Sahara. “She saw our futures.”Noir’s voice dropped. “I know.”Andrew clenched his jaw. “She said I die under a sky with no stars.”“And?” Noir asked quietly.“And she sa
4-16
Andrew didn’t remember waking.He only remembered the sensation of drowning in fire—Phoenix fire—and Noir’s scream echoing inside the collapsing cavern. Then weightlessness. Then nothing.Until now.He gasped sharply, sucking in air that tasted like earth, dust, and humidity. Not fire. Not brimstone. Real air. Damp, almost cold against his burned lungs.His vision blurred, then adjusted.He was lying in a tent.Canvas walls swayed gently. Rain—real rain this time—pattered outside like a thousand tiny drums.Yuki sat beside him, dark circles under her eyes, hands resting on Andrew’s chest, her aura woven into weak healing lines. Jiro stood near the entrance, arms crossed, staring at the storm. Rayan snored on the floor. Mika polished blood off her gauntlets, jaw tight.Andrew tried to sit up.Yuki pressed him back down instantly. “No.”He croaked, “Noir—”Yuki’s expression twisted—fear, grief, confusion. “He’s alive. But changed.”Jiro answered without turning. “Phoenix didn’t consume
4-15
The storm had followed them.Not rain—not wind—but heat.Dry, metallic, suffocating heat that smelled like scorched feathers and old blood.They reached the edge of Mount Vaelor at dawn, the sun barely strong enough to pierce the iron-red haze. The mountain’s surface resembled a giant slag heap of volcanic stone, cracked into patterns that glowed faintly with crimson fire.Andrew’s steps faltered at the base.The Sapphire in his chest flickered—once, twice—then dimmed almost completely.Yuki caught his arm. “Andrew—stop. You’re not stable.”Andrew shoved away the pain and forced a breath. “The residue of Red Phoenix is up there. I feel it pulling me.”“It’s not pulling you.” Jiro’s voice dropped. “It’s pulling Noir.”Rayan scanned the glowing crevices. “Or both of you. Soul twins. Great. Love that for us.”Mika frowned. “We need a plan. Phoenix residue isn’t like Crystal Sol. It doesn’t explode. It invades. Corrupts. Burns anything it touches.”“And Noir might be trying to absorb
4-14
Andrew awoke inside a memory.Not a dream—not a vision—a memory.Except it wasn’t his.The world around him shimmered like wet paint. Colors bled into each other. The ground felt weightless. The sky rippled like fabric in slow motion. Andrew blinked, disoriented, as the shapes solidified into something familiar:A long white corridor.Cold lights.Footsteps echoing against marble.He knew this place.This was the Helios Research Wing.Thirty years ago.Before he was born.Except—Andrew had never been here.Not as himself.He looked down.He was smaller. Weightless. Like watching through the eyes of something that wasn’t fully alive yet.A voice echoed down the corridor.Calm. Commanding. Too familiar.William.Andrew’s father.Andrew tensed as the man came into view—a tall figure in a dark coat, posture strict, eyes cold enough to freeze molten stone. Another figure walked beside him: a woman with long raven hair—Andrew’s mother.She was shaking.Andrew’s breath hitched. “Mom…?”She
4-13
They reached the outskirts of Vessela at sunset.The city should have been alive—markets busy, lights turning on, traffic flowing, the usual hum of an evening settling in. Instead, they were met with silence. Not peaceful silence, but a suffocating blankness that made the air taste metallic.Andrew slowed.Yuki whispered, “Something’s wrong.”Jiro unsheathed his blades. “Noir.”Andrew didn’t answer, but he already knew.Noir was here.Hours ago.The Sapphire in Andrew’s chest pulsed weakly, flickering like a dying candle. Each beat felt thinner. Fainter. He pushed forward anyway, because the call—those scattered pieces of his missing soul—pulled him deeper into the city.They turned a corner.And froze.The streets were full of people.Standing perfectly still.Men.Women.Children.Old, young, workers, students—all frozen mid-step, mid-motion, mid-breath. Hundreds of them. Their eyes were open, staring forward, but empty—hollow glass marbles with no light behind them.Rayan swallowed
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