Master Lee was not a man who enjoyed being kept waiting.
Seated upon his cobbled stone throne, he repeatedly tapped his foot against the floor, unable to wash away the bitter taste left behind by a recent meeting with his fellow Reapers.
Master Ono.
Master Taki.
Together, the three ruled the Hidden Cave of Untold Shadows.
Each controlled one of the cave's three underground valleys, while the fourth remained neutral territory.
The Valley of Light.
A rare place where natural sunlight filtered into the depths of the cavern through a massive opening overhead.
"Those rotten vultures..."
Lee growled.
"How dare they covet what is rightfully mine?"
The armrest of his throne cracked beneath his grip.
The source of his frustration was simple.
Ono and Taki had proposed reducing the Valley of Order's budget and resources.
Naturally, Lee had raised hell.
The argument escalated until both men chose to postpone the discussion altogether.
Returning to his territory, Lee's foul mood only worsened.
As he struggled to regain his composure, he sensed two approaching presences.
One belonged to Kado.
The other...
Unexpected.
A moment later, a voice echoed from beyond the hall.
"Master Lee, permission to enter."
"You may."
The towering stone doors slowly opened.
Kado stepped inside first.
A long chain rested in his grasp.
At the opposite end stood Zeke, his wrists bound in iron shackles.
The pair walked through the dimly lit hall, illuminated by rows of blue flames dancing along the walls.
Upon reaching the throne, Kado bowed.
He jerked the chain downward.
Zeke followed suit.
Lee observed the boy silently.
Then he asked,
"I see you've retrieved him. But where are Kei and the other fool I sent?"
Kado hesitated.
Only briefly.
"Master, I believe this boy can answer that question better than I can."
Lee's gaze settled fully upon Zeke.
Once upon a time, he had held high expectations for him.
The boy possessed talent.
Potential.
A bloodline worth cultivating.
Unfortunately, he also possessed what Lee considered a fatal flaw.
Compassion.
The moment Zeke refused to execute an unarmed prisoner, Lee's interest began to fade.
In the Hidden Cave of Untold Shadows, hesitation was weakness.
Mercy was weakness.
Sentimentality was weakness.
When confinement failed to break him, Lee ordered his execution.
Not merely death.
An example.
A head mounted upon a pike for all to see.
A reminder that every life inside the cave belonged to him.
Yet somehow...
The boy standing before him now looked different.
His posture.
His eyes.
Even the air around him felt altered.
"Speak."
The command echoed through the hall.
Zeke lowered his head respectfully.
"My gratitude, Master Lee. However, before I explain, would you mind having these shackles removed? It would be easier to show you rather than describe the situation."
Kado immediately frowned.
Lee remained silent for a moment.
Then waved his hand.
"Release him."
The shackles fell away.
Without hesitation, Zeke reached into his robe and retrieved a spatial pouch.
Kado's hand instantly moved toward his blade.
Zeke ignored him.
A faint glow emerged from the pouch.
Two objects rolled onto the floor.
Thump.
Thump.
The hall fell silent.
"Kei..."
Both men stared.
Mounted upon sharpened stakes were two severed heads.
Kado's blade flashed from its sheath.
The edge stopped mere inches from Zeke's throat.
His killing intent surged.
Back when Kado discovered Zeke inside the confinement chamber, the boy's attitude had already felt wrong.
Different.
Dangerously different.
Now he finally understood why.
"What exactly is the meaning of this?"
Kado asked coldly.
Zeke looked entirely unconcerned.
"If you're referring to the heads, Senior Brother, I thought I explained already."
A faint smile formed.
"We parted ways."
The mockery in his voice only made Kado's expression darken.
"You little—"
"Enough."
Lee's voice boomed throughout the chamber.
Kado immediately withdrew his blade.
Though his glare never left Zeke.
Lee leaned forward slightly.
"Explain."
"Certainly, Master."
Zeke picked up the stakes.
"It's simple."
He shrugged.
"It was either them or me."
"So I took out the trash."
The statement earned complete silence.
Then Lee asked,
"You're aware one of those pieces of trash was my nephew?"
"Honestly?"
Zeke nodded.
"I wasn't aware until after he died."
He retrieved the letter.
"I found this on the body."
Kado snatched it away and handed it to Lee.
The Reaper read the contents.
His expression never changed.
When he finished, he looked back at Zeke.
"If you had known beforehand, would you still have killed him?"
"Yes."
No hesitation.
No fear.
No apology.
Just a simple answer.
For a brief moment, Lee simply stared.
Then he laughed.
A deep, booming laugh that echoed through the entire hall.
"Heh."
His grin widened.
"So you've finally decided to reveal your true colors."
The letter crumpled within his hand.
"Excellent."
Lee rose from his throne.
"The world has always belonged to the strong."
He tossed the letter aside.
"If I wasn't honoring my late brother's final wishes, that useless boy would've been discarded years ago."
Kado wasn't surprised.
Unlike most people, he understood Lee's priorities.
Talent.
Strength.
Ruthlessness.
Everything else came second.
Even family.
Eventually, Lee's laughter faded.
His eyes narrowed.
"However..."
The atmosphere grew heavier.
"You still owe me a debt."
Zeke remained silent.
Lee looked toward Kado.
"Gather the Class of '88."
A small smile tugged at his lips.
"And summon Unit One to the training grounds."
Kado bowed.
"At once, Master."
His figure vanished without a trace.
Watching him leave, Zeke already had a rough idea of what awaited him next.
And judging by the smile on Lee's face...
Whatever came next would not be pleasant.