Chapter 31: Scars
Tap. Tap.
Inside a dim conference room, silence weighed heavily over the round table. The darkness alone did not make the atmosphere oppressive—the grief, tension, and restrained fury in the room did.
"A disaster. A complete disaster."
A man's fingers tapped slowly against the polished surface of the table.
Around him sat men and women of influence within the Awakened Association: elders, generals, executives—people who held enough power to shape entire nations from the shadows.
Yet now, every face carried the same expression.
Unease.
"The destruction of Varhel Island alone is catastrophic," the man continued calmly. "We lost an Energy Vein, dozens of Awakened, one of our generals, and representatives from multiple organizations." His fingers tapped faster. "And now the responsibility for their deaths falls directly onto us."
Despite the composure in his voice, murderous intent leaked from his eyes like poison.
He was the leader of the Awakened Association.
One of the most powerful Awakened on the planet.
The room remained silent.
No one dared interrupt him.
What happened on Varhel Island was not merely a failed operation—it was a blow capable of destabilizing the balance of power across the world.
At that moment, the conference room doors opened.
"Leader, this is all the information we've gathered so far."
A man entered carrying several files and electronic reports. After distributing the documents, he quickly stepped back.
The room filled with the sounds of pages turning.
Satellite images.
Recovered communications.
Krauss's final statements.
And one name repeated itself throughout all of it.
"Eclipse…" the leader muttered.
His expression darkened further.
As if the situation weren't already bad enough, abnormal phenomena had begun appearing around the globe with increasing frequency. Sudden awakenings. Environmental distortions. Entire regions becoming unstable.
If not for those crises, another high-level Awakened could have been sent to the island.
Perhaps then, this humiliation could have been avoided.
"Leader… what do we do now?" one elder finally asked.
The anxiety in the room became palpable.
Everyone could feel it.
The world was changing.
And they were losing control over it.
The leader slowly rose from his chair.
"Continue the investigation. Increase surveillance on all suspicious organizations and monitor every unusual awakening." His eyes narrowed. "I'll attend the meeting with the other leaders personally."
He already imagined the chaos waiting for him there.
The old monsters leading the other organizations would not stay silent after this.
---
Far above the city, a drone cut through the night sky.
Attached beneath it were three figures.
When the drone finally descended beside Kirishima's house, Reyna immediately supported Rael's body before he could collapse completely.
"Careful!"
Rael groaned in pain as his feet touched the ground.
Inside the house, Reyna helped him sit against the wall while Kirishima hurried to shut down the drone.
Rael pressed a trembling hand against the wound in his chest.
Blood seeped between his fingers.
"Rael-san, that wound is serious!" Kirishima exclaimed. "I'll get medicine—"
"No need," Rael interrupted weakly. "Thanks."
"At least let us stop the bleeding."
Reyna quickly grabbed a clean cloth and pressed it against the wound. Rael barely reacted.
His eyes remained distant.
Empty.
"I killed someone…"
The room fell silent.
Reyna paused for a brief moment before continuing to apply pressure to the wound.
"It was either you or him," He said quietly. "You didn't have a choice."
Rael lowered his head.
His hands trembled faintly.
The sensation still lingered.
The warmth of blood.
The resistance of flesh.
Krauss's final expression.
"Rael," Reyna continued, his voice firmer this time, "those people won't stop. If you break now, more people will die."
…
Before Rael could answer, Kirishima suddenly raised the television volume.
"Everyone—look at this."
On-screen, a visibly shaken reporter spoke urgently.
"Attention, Kyōtoshu residents. Earlier today, multiple prominent families were targeted in coordinated attacks across the country. Among the confirmed victims are members of the—"
Several names appeared across the screen.
Political figures.
Executives.
Influential families.
And among them—
Reyna's family name.
Yet Reyna showed almost no reaction.
Then suddenly—
A man burst into the frame.
"MURDERERS! THEY WERE ALL MURDERERS!" he screamed hysterically while grabbing the reporter's microphone. "YOU MONSTERS DON'T KNOW ANYTHING! LET ME GO!"
Security guards rushed toward him as the broadcast devolved into chaos.
The transmission abruptly cut off.
Silence filled the room once more.
Reyna stared at the dark screen.
"That person…"
Kirishima swallowed nervously.
"He's one of the prisoners we freed from the island."
The weight of those words settled heavily over everyone.
Rael slowly stood up.
His body trembled slightly from blood loss, but his eyes had changed.
The hesitation from before was gone.
"Rael-san?" Kirishima asked cautiously.
Rael walked toward the table.
"I started this," he said quietly. "So I'll see it through to the end."
He threw several documents onto the table.
Research papers.
Old files.
Notes.
His parents' research.
Then he raised his hand toward the inactive drone nearby.
A small recording device detached itself and flew directly into his palm.
The footage from Varhel Island.
Proof.
Evidence.
Truth.
"If this became a war…" Rael said, gripping the device tightly, "then I'll end it."
Kirishima and Reyna exchanged glances before approaching the table.
Kirishima let out a long sigh.
"Well… we're already involved now anyway."
"We'll help you," Reyna added.
Rael looked genuinely surprised. Especially at Reyna.
"Reyna… your family—"
"They meant nothing to me," He interrupted coldly.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then Rael gave a small nod.
"All right," he murmured. "Then we do this together."
But even as he said those words, his hand unconsciously tightened over the blood staining his shirt.
---
Deep underground, far from the eyes of the world, a group walked through a dim metallic corridor.
At the center of them was Edward.
"Leader," one of the women behind him asked carefully, "was it really wise to let those prisoners go?"
She referred to the captives Rael had freed from Varhel Island.
Normally, Eclipse would never leave loose ends behind.
Edward continued walking calmly.
"It's better this way."
Before anyone could ask what he meant, another figure approached from the opposite side of the corridor.
Eramus.
"Leader!" he said excitedly. "The mission was a success. So… what about the boy? Did you capture him?"
Edward stopped walking.
Silence.
For several long seconds, he simply stared at Eramus.
Then—
"There's no need anymore," Edward replied calmly. "Besides, your contributions were significant. I should reward you."
Eramus's eyes brightened immediately.
"Really?!"
He stepped forward eagerly.
And then—
Slash.
Several black shadows pierced straight through his chest.
Eramus froze.
Blood spilled from his mouth.
Before he could even process what happened—
Slash! Slash!
More shadows tore through his body from every direction.
His expression remained frozen in confusion until the very end.
He died without understanding why.
Thud.
His corpse hit the floor.
The surrounding Eclipse members stiffened in shock.
"Your reward is reincarnation," Edward said emotionlessly. "Dispose of the body. And kill everyone associated with him."
No one dared question the order.
But Draven understood immediately.
'It's because of that boy,' he realized.
Edward had no intention of letting Rael direct his hatred toward the organization because of Eramus.
How far ahead had this man already planned everything?
---
Later, alone inside a secluded room, Edward finally removed his hood.
In the corner of the room stood two figures.
A woman.
And a child.
Their bodies were decayed, their skin pale and lifeless like corpses left untouched by time.
Yet the moment Edward entered, both figures slowly stood up.
"Welcome back, Husband."
"Welcome back, Daddy."
Their voices sounded unnatural.
Empty.
Like puppets mimicking life.
But Edward smiled gently.
"I'm back."
His appearance shifted.
His face… changed into that of the ordinary man Rael had encountered long ago at the market.
"I'm home, my loves."
He embraced the rotting bodies as if they were completely normal.
As if nothing was wrong.
"Daddy," the little girl asked innocently, "did you punish the bad people?"
Edward stroked her hair carefully.
"Yes," he answered softly. "Daddy punished all of them."
His eyes darkened.
"And one day… not a single one of them will remain on this planet."
A strange object materialized in his hand.
Ancient. Mystical. Pulsating with unnatural energy.
The Artifact of Awakening.
The true objective behind the massacre on Varhel Island.