Aaron stood frozen under the pale moonlight.
His fingers slowly lifted—
trembling—
touching his lips.
Warm.
Still warm.
"…what… was that…?"
His voice barely existed, swallowed by the forest.
It hadn't been just a kiss.
No.
It was something far more dangerous.
Something that lingered not only on his skin—
but inside him.
A pull.
A heat.
A strange, unsettling ache.
Someone had… sucked his blood.
"Young Master!"
The sudden voice shattered the silence.
Vivan rushed toward him, breath uneven, clearly shaken.
"Why did you come this deep into the woods?" he asked, eyes darting around nervously. "You know how dangerous it is here… There could be beasts… ghosts… even unknown evil creatures—"
But Aaron wasn't listening.
Not really.
His mind was still trapped in that moment.
That presence.
That touch.
That breath against his lips.
Slowly, he turned toward Vivan.
"…beasts?" he asked, voice distant.
Vivan blinked. "Y-Yes… why, Master?"
Aaron's eyes darkened slightly.
"…are there any creatures… that drink blood?"
Vivan froze.
"…what?"
A chill ran through him instantly.
"M-Master… don't say such things…" he stammered, stepping closer instinctively. "It's already terrifying enough here… the darkness… the silence… even the insects sound strange…"
He swallowed hard.
"And look… everyone is asleep. Not a single soldier awake… it's like the entire forest is holding its breath…"
Aaron didn't reply.
Because deep down—
He knew.
That presence…
Was real.
🌄 Before dawn — around 4 AM
The journey resumed.
The sky was still dim, painted in soft shades of blue and grey as the chariots began to move again.
This time—
Aaron sat with his parents.
And unusually—
He pulled his brother along too.
His brother raised an eyebrow, amused.
"What's this? Why are you so clingy today?"
Aaron didn't answer.
He just stayed close.
Quiet.
Watching them.
Listening to their voices.
The warmth—
It felt unreal.
His parents exchanged knowing smiles, laughter filling the chariot.
Happiness.
Simple.
Unfiltered.
Something he had lost once before.
And refused to lose again.
⚔️ Then—
It happened.
Without warning.
A sharp whistle cut through the air—
And—
THUD! THUD! THUD!
Arrows rained down.
The chariot behind them—
Empty—
Was instantly pierced through.
Dozens of arrows.
Like a storm of death.
"ASSASSINS!" someone shouted.
Around thirty figures in black emerged from the shadows, faces hidden—only their eyes visible.
Cold.
Deadly.
Precise.
Their chariot was struck too—
two… three arrows embedding into the wood.
Aaron's heart didn't race.
Not anymore.
Not like before.
Because he had already faced death once.
His parents stepped forward instantly.
Even if they weren't as terrifying as Lusian—
They were still generals.
Warriors.
Protectors of the empire.
Steel clashed.
Blood spilled.
His brother moved like lightning—
Hidden daggers flying from his sleeves—
One pierced straight into an assassin's throat.
A sharp gasp.
Then—
Blood.
Spraying into the air.
The battlefield erupted.
Screams.
Metal.
Chaos.
But Aaron—
Stood steady.
Watching.
Learning.
This time—
He wouldn't stay weak.
"I need to change," he thought.
"I need to be strong enough… to protect them."
The fight ended.
But not without loss.
Seven soldiers…
Gone.
They buried them quietly.
Planting trees beside their graves.
A silent promise.
A mark of respect.
Then—
The journey resumed.
🏡 Grandmother's Estate
A peaceful contrast.
Warm.
Grand.
Alive.
An elderly woman stepped forward—
Adorned in gold, jade, and elegance.
Her white hair neatly arranged.
Eyes sharp.
Yet full of life.
"Aaron!" she called.
And just like that—
Aaron ran.
Throwing himself into her arms.
"Grandmother…"
His voice softened.
Fragile.
Real.
She laughed warmly, patting his back.
"Where's grandfather?" he asked.
Her expression changed instantly.
Annoyance flashing across her face.
"That old man?" she scoffed. "Probably at that gambling den again, wasting our hard-earned money!"
The entire hall burst into laughter.
For a moment—
Everything felt… normal.
They stayed for several days.
Peaceful.
Calm.
But—
Peace never lasted.
📜 The Letter
One evening—
Aaron's father received a message.
Sent by pigeon.
From the capital.
From Lusian's side.
"The Emperor requires us back immediately."
The air shifted.
Heavy.
Urgent.
Aaron looked up.
But—
Strangely—
His heart didn't react.
No pain.
No longing.
Just—
Stillness.
Like a quiet ocean.
"Master…"
Vivan approached him, holding a letter wrapped in dark red cloth.
"This was given to me for you."
Aaron frowned slightly.
"From who?"
"Your childhood friend… Smithan Ju. His parents passed it."
"Oh…"
Aaron took it.
But didn't open it.
Just placed it aside.
Uninterested.
Because his mind—
Had already drifted elsewhere.
Back to the forest.
Back to that night.
His fingers unconsciously brushed his lips again.
Lost.
"Master… Master!"
Vivan's voice snapped him back.
"…what?"
"Are you alright?" Vivan asked, worried. "You seem… distant."
Aaron blinked.
Then shook his head slightly.
"I'm fine."
A pause.
"…let's pack."
🚶♂️ Return Journey
They left soon after.
No stops.
No delays.
By the time they reached home—
It was 3 AM.
Exhaustion wrapped around everyone.
🌙 That Night
Aaron lay on his bed.
Staring into darkness.
Memories flooded in.
His first life.
The loneliness.
The silence.
The fake smiles Vivan used just to comfort him.
They had both suffered.
Alone.
But now—
Things were different.
"…I've been given another chance…"
He whispered.
Yet—
A strange ache lingered in his chest.
Unfamiliar.
Unsettling.
🌅 Morning
Life resumed.
Servants moving.
His father and brother practicing sword.
His mother tending to plants before joining them.
Everything—
Alive.
Normal.
Aaron stepped forward.
"I want to train too."
Silence.
Surprise.
His brother blinked.
Then smiled.
Placing an arm over Aaron's shoulder.
"Come. I'll teach you."
Steel met steel.
For seven minutes—
Aaron trained.
Focused.
Determined.
Until—
⚔️ Marching footsteps echoed
Sharp.
Precise.
Unmistakable.
Soldiers flooded in—
Clad in silver armor.
Disciplined.
Fearless.
And at the center—
Him.
Lusian Kiren.
Dark brown hair.
Sharp features.
Half-mask covering part of his face.
But his eyes—
Red.
Cold.
Dominating.
The kind of presence that silenced entire rooms.
Even the Emperor—
Feared him.
Aaron looked at him.
And for the first time—
Felt nothing.
No love.
No longing.
No pain.
Only—
Anger.
Their eyes met.
Locked.
For a brief moment—
Time stood still.
But Aaron—
Didn't look away out of love anymore.
He looked at him—
Like someone who had already died once.
TO BE CONTINUED… 🔥