The three friends had been at The Eden Protocol Hospital for the past four days. Their wounds were almost healed, but their minds still carried the scars of what had happened. In another room, Kaito Fujiwara was also being treated. Kaito, the father of Isamu's father, had always been a hot-headed man, a storm in human form. Alongside him were Kenji Sato, Kei's father, and Renzo Tanaka, Tatsuo's father.
Though their injuries from the fight were only minor, none of them returned to the academy. Their pride had suffered wounds far deeper than their bodies. They had been humiliated by someone they once refused to even acknowledge as human, and that realization cut deeper than any blade.
It wasn't just about the children anymore; the shame had stained the reputation of their entire families. On the fifth day, they were discharged from The Eden Protocol Hospital. But the moment they stepped outside, the calm of recovery was replaced by a storm of rage. Their pride burned like wildfire, and in the silence of their return home, one thought echoed in all their minds, revenge.
Kei sat alone in his room, holding a small dagger. It was special to him, a gift from his grandfather on the day of his first hunt. Behind him, mounted on the wall, hung the head of his first kill, a deer. His grip on the dagger tightened until his palm turned red.
He remembered his father's words and Atlas's warning. Even his father, a man who feared no one, had spoken of Atlas with caution. That could only mean one thing: Atlas was no ordinary man. He was someone not to be reckoned with.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Kei turned his head just as it opened, revealing a tall, broad shouldered figure stepping inside.
"Zento," Kei whispered, a menacing laugh curling off his lips.
Zento strode forward, leaped onto the desk, and grabbed Kei by the hair, pulling him close.
"How are you, cous?" Zento asked, his tone deceptively pleasant.
"I heard one bastard beat you to a pulp, huh? What a shame." His laughter echoed through the room.
Kei's expression hardened.
"Why? Came to gloat at me?"
Zento's laughter died, his eyes narrowing.
"You could say that. Tell me, where did all that ego of yours go? I always knew it, you're just a failure. And I'm here to fix the mess you brought upon us."
Zento wasn't like the others. He wasn't good, he was simply evil.
He picked up a steel cube from Kei's shelf, rolling it lazily between his hands.
"What happened to your training, Zento?" Kei asked.
"Training? It's over. I'm on a brief leave before I get assigned," Zento said, smirking.
"I don't need your help, cousin. I can deal with him alone," Kei shot back, standing up.
"Alone?" Zento tilted his head, the smirk deepening. "There were three of you before. What use did that have?"
"He just caught us by surprise, that's all."
Zento's expression shifted, his voice lowering.
"Even if that's the case, how do you plan to deal with Atlas?"
Kei tightened his fist. "Atlas, that old worm's become an itch now."
Zento placed a hand on Kei's shoulder.
"Patience is the greatest virtue. All that rage and anger will not go to waste. But learn to use it in a way that never backfires on you." He turned toward the door. "Well then, I'll be leaving now."
He set the steel cube on the table and walked out.
Kei turned back toward the desk. The cube caught his eye. He picked it up and froze.
"The cube, one of its sides is crushed. How is that even possible?"
Heart pounding, Kei rushed to the window. Outside, he saw Zento gliding away on his Clipper, a sleek and fast flying bike far superior to the bulky gliders used by Watchers. Only the elite could afford one.
That night felt endless for Kei. Sleep never came.