Before long, his mother emerged, and they began walking again.
"I'll send the letter myself," she said softly. "You don't have to worry about it."
Kayden nodded, then asked, "Mom, why did you marry Father?"Mrs. Bryce slowed her pace, her expression distant.
"Your father… I truly loved Arthur. I loved everything about him. He always wore a serious face, but he was constantly exhausted—still is. We married, had so many children… who would believe it?"
Kayden thought to himself, 'Five children… why would anyone do that to themselves?'
"You deserve a medal, Mrs. Isabelle," Kaiden teased lightly.
They continued walking at a steady pace.
"There's a family gathering today," she reminded him. "You remember the etiquette, don't you? Make sure you follow it properly."
"Mom… how could I forget the etiquette? That would be unthinkable," Kaiden muttered, sarcasm tinged with quiet frustration.
In the evening, during the family gathering—
The five siblings sat with their parents around the table. Kayden noticed that he had only one sister, Adele, the eldest among them. She appeared calm, but she hadn't been that way in his memories; she used to lose her temper quite often.
Every time Kayden looked at his siblings, he felt a strange sense of bewilderment. They all looked so alike—it was almost disturbing. Why are this family's genes so strong? Everyone looks the same. This is terrifying… these are Arthur's genes.
He glanced at George, his second brother, who looked tired, with faint dark circles under his eyes—a near copy of Kayden himself.
His third brother, Roger, hadn't changed much from what Kayden recalled in his memories. He seemed cheerful and carefree, resembling his older brother, except for the small mole on his cheek.
Henry, the youngest, was exactly as Kayden remembered him. He was special to him—his twin. Kayden had been born just a few minutes earlier. Even their eyes were the same brown—the only difference being that Kayden's leaned toward hazel, while Henry's carried an amber
It wasn't hard for people to mix them up—except for their family. That was why they were always together, bound by an unbelievable closeness.
Kayden remembered how Henry used to visit him constantly during his breakdowns, yet the "original Caden" had rarely responded to those visits — his interactions were faint, almost nonexistent.
A quiet sense of gratitude stirred within Kayden toward his new memories.
During dinner, they exchanged light conversation, though the atmosphere occasionally grew serious.
He heard his father's voice, firm yet calm.
"Your mother told me you've recovered. Is that true?"
Kayden lifted his head, then stood and gave a slight bow.
"Yes… I'm sorry for everything."
George asked with concern, "Did you see the doctor? You didn't go last time."
Arthur replied calmly, as if putting things into perspective,
"There's no need. He wasn't insane — he just couldn't accept what happened. Being deceived isn't easy, especially for someone intelligent."
Everyone nodded in quiet agreement.
Caden murmured hesitantly, "Acceptance… wasn't that easy."
Adele set her fork down on the table and said sharply, "This was your fault from the start! I told you not to trust that girl… there's something off about her. And you—did you really think she was even worthy of holding your hand?"
Caden wanted to laugh, but he didn't have the luxury of doing so at that moment. Instead, he replied dryly, "I never wanted to hold her hand to begin with. How did you even come up with that?"
Adele glanced toward Isabelle before answering calmly, "People say you were in love with her. That's why you couldn't handle the news of her marriage."
Silence fell for a few seconds, until Caden muttered in disbelief, "Me?"
"Yes, you," Adele said quietly, then added in a reassuring tone, "But don't worry… trust me."
Caden tried to defend himself, "Everything between us was about my research. She was the one who asked about it, and after I explained, she stole everything related to it. So why are these rumors spreading?"
He remembered how many times he had tried to reclaim his research — and failed each time.
After dinner, they sat together in the garden. The maid came silently, placed a cup of tea before him, and left without a word.
Kayden sighed and said softly, "I didn't do anything wrong… she stole an unfinished project."
Arthur asked quietly, "So, what happened?"
Kayden looked up at the sky, gazing at the glittering stars. "She told me she felt the presence of some kind of… unnatural force in this world… but she didn't explain anything further."
Then he turned to his father, confusion and worry mixed in his eyes. "Could it be that she's lost her mind?"
Arthur looked at Isabelle. "Tell me more."
"She didn't say much, really… just that there's a kind of power that can be obtained through an unnatural act…" Kayden muttered, pressing a hand to his neck as his headache worsened. Could it be that he tried to kill himself for power… because of that girl?
Silence filled the room, making Kayden uneasy. He wanted an answer, but the words wouldn't come, and his patience began to wear thin.
Henry glanced at his brother and whispered softly, "You know, I study medicine… I wanted to dissect a body, so I secretly bought one through illegal means. It was slightly deformed—its heart was burned. After investigation, they told me he died an unnatural death, attacked by something beyond reason. Is that what you mean by 'power'?"
George suddenly grew angry, his eyes glowing with arrogance. "You two are never stable! You should've both joined the family company—but Kayden went off to study astronomy and biology, and you… it's like you're in a race to anger the Church first! And you—don't even speak!" he snapped, pointing at Roger, who had remained silent.
Roger protested, "I didn't say anything! And you talk as if this weapons company of yours doesn't anger the Church?"
Arthur interrupted firmly, "Enough! All of you, be silent! Has anyone come knocking on our door to file a complaint?"
Isabelle answered calmly, "No, no one has; which means we must continue to work and prosper."
Then Arthur spoke in a deep, steady voice, "Is there truly such a power? You're both young, yet each of you has reached a different conclusion… and that's dangerous. But I'm fortunate to have intelligent sons."
He sighed and continued cautiously, "That kind of power destroys a person—inside and out. That's what makes it dangerous. Henry, stop investigating if you wish, and ask one of your brothers for details… And Kayden, you might already know too much. You could be the target of some organization, so you must be careful."
The next day, Kayden left the house and went to the library to pick up some new books, hoping to gain a deeper understanding of the original Kayden's thoughts.
After searching for a while, he finally found what he wanted—and felt a small sense of relief.
Then he heard a woman's voice—so familiar that, for a moment, he doubted his own mind. Perhaps he was imagining it after last night's conversation with his brothers.
"So… you're still alive?"
Kayden turned—and saw the woman who had once destroyed the original Kayden.
For a moment, he couldn't breathe. She's… beautiful.
Her long blonde hair fell over her shoulders like strands of gold, glinting beneath the hall's soft light as though carved from a gentle sun. Her eyes were a clear, tranquil blue—the hue of a calm sea at morning. She wasn't tall, yet her very presence drew every gaze in the room.
She wore a deep-blue dress, cinched at the waist with a thin silk ribbon, its edges embroidered with patterns resembling snowflakes along the sleeves and hem. The sheer fabric of her sleeves revealed skin smooth and pale as milk. Everything about her seemed made to be seen.
"How unfortunate… but I'm still alive," Kayden said plainly, flipping through the pages of the book in his hands as though the conversation meant nothing.
Arbella watched him for a moment—her gaze long, thoughtful, tinged with disbelief—then she laughed softly. "You were supposed to die, Kayden."
She stared straight into his weary eyes, as if searching for the remnants of what was once there.
Kayden met her gaze without blinking and said coldly,
"So… are you going to kill me now?"
She stepped forward quietly, picking up a random book from the shelf and flipping through its pages without really looking.
"No. You fought to stay alive. I planted death inside you… and yet, here you are, standing before me. Isn't that… poetic?"
Kayden's eyes widened slowly, shock washing over his face. When did she do that? He couldn't remember—it hadn't hurt, hadn't even felt strange. But her eyes told him the truth.
Arbella smiled faintly, a trace of bitterness in her expression.
"Killing you now would be a waste of my time. I'm getting married soon, by the way… does that make you sad?"
Kayden shook his head indifferently. "No. And why should I be?"
She laughed lightly. "You haven't changed much… that's good. But that desire I planted in you—it won't leave unless… you die."
Before leaving, Kayden told her the research was incomplete—that her plan would fail. But she walked away without the slightest concern for his words.
Moments later, Colton appeared, disguised in a human form, approaching Kayden with quiet steps.
"That desire… is it—?" Kayden began, suspicion in his voice, but Colton cut him off before he could finish.
"That desire—the nonsense that woman spoke of—it's gone. Don't worry."
He glanced toward the door Arbella had exited through and added,
"But that girl… she's in the convergence phase. Any stray dog on the street could sense it."
Kayden frowned slightly, scoffing inwardly. So now even animals are smarter than me?
Colton smiled, his tone edged with amusement.
"You didn't notice—that means I have a master who's oblivious… far too weak, and in desperate need of instruction. But I do have good news for you."
He raised his hand, pointing at Kayden with quiet confidence.
"You're already… on the verge of becoming a remarkable man."
Kayden tilted his head slightly, confusion flickering in his eyes. "What do you mean?"
Colton smiled slyly. "I've noticed the beginning of your spiritual essence taking form."
Kayden fell silent—he didn't understand, and he didn't have the energy to ask.
Colton continued, more serious now. "A spiritual essence doesn't just appear out of nowhere. It's born from a supernatural incident… and you've been through more than enough of those."
Kayden stayed in the library for a while, waiting for Henry, who had promised to meet him.
He couldn't stop thinking about Colton's words. The idea of a power existing in this world—he could imagine it easily enough. It wasn't strange to him; he'd read plenty of stories about such things.
Colton's human appearance wasn't bad—brown hair with a golden tint, pale skin, and sharp features. But his jet-black eyes… they looked like a bottomless abyss, something that made Kayden feel an odd sense of unease. He looked like the perfect human… and yet something about him was deeply unsettling.
Kayden glanced at him from the corner of his eye. Colton caught it and smiled coolly. "Why are you staring at me?"
Kayden hesitated for a moment before asking, "Are you hungry? You're disguised as a human now… are you planning to lure someone in?"
Colton glanced around, then spoke quietly, his tone low and smooth. "You're eager to hunt already?"
Kayden shook his head in denial. "I'm not… but your disguise is a little too perfect."
' And that's painful to look at ' he thought sarcastically.
Colton smiled lightly. "I'm not hungry right now, but when it's time to hunt, I'll let you know. And when your brother arrives, tell him I'm your favorite friend."
Kayden sighed a little, then spoke in a calm tone. "That's how it should be… you need to blend well into this society, so we don't face trouble later."
As he said that, he silently wished Henry would arrive soon.
It didn't take long before Henry appeared, and Kayden felt life return to his body.
Henry was holding some papers. He greeted them, then sat down. Kayden gestured lazily with his hand. "This is my friend—"
But Colton interrupted before he could finish. "Hello, I'm Colton… Kayden's friend. I know he doesn't talk about me much."
Henry looked at Kayden with a smile, then said, "That's true… he doesn't talk much about his personal life. Our father suspected he might be autistic. You should visit our home someday to prove him wrong."
Kayden chuckled softly, though exhaustion was clear on his face.
Colton added quietly, "He's been going through a rough time, so I can't blame him for being reserved."
Henry began spreading the papers on the table as he said, "You're thoughtful."
"Maybe I am?" Colton murmured, wanting to keep the conversation going—but Kayden shot him a meaningful look.
Colton understood, and lowered his voice teasingly.
"You're the quiet one, and I'm up here… you know, there's no fun living down below. Let me enjoy myself a little!"
'I should've left him outside…' Kayden thought, pressing his fingers against his temple.
———————
Hello everyone, this is Shiliu. This is my first time posting, so I'm really excited to take this step and share one of my dearest novels with you. I truly hope to see your opinions about it, because your feedback means so much to me.