"You shouldn't say that out loud." Walter's voice sliced through the air, sharp and impatient, like the edge of a blade.
Ayrton only smiled faintly—that calm, controlled smile that never lost its composure. "He already knows."
He took a few slow, deliberate steps forward, his piercing eyes locking onto Kayden's as if he could see straight through him. Despite the gentleness of his tone, there was authority in every word. "Come with us for a bit. Don't worry, we won't hurt you."
Kayden didn't resist. He knew any sudden movement would only make things worse. His mind raced quietly, assessing, calculating, searching for a way to understand rather than escape.
Inside the carriage, he kept his gaze on Ayrton for a long time, studying his face as though trying to recall a half-forgotten memory. The man's black hair was neatly styled, his sharp jawline and defined features giving him an almost magnetic charm. His eyes—blue tinged with gray—had a depth that could unsettle anyone who stared too long. Even the small mole on his cheek seemed to emphasize his distinctness. He was nearly Kayden's height.
Ayrton raised an eyebrow with a faint smile. "Is there something on my face?"
Kayden shook his head slowly, murmuring, "No… it's just—I feel like I've seen you before."
He looks like a model… or one of those flawless actors, Kayden thought absently.
Ayrton replied in an almost casual tone, cutting through Kayden's inner thoughts as if he could hear them.
"That's possible. In fact… you're just confused. Even the place we're going now—you already know it."
Kayden's brow furrowed in genuine surprise. "Really?"
As the carriage moved, he tried to memorize the route, but every turn, every street they passed felt disturbingly familiar—like the city itself was retracing steps he'd forgotten he'd taken. The further they went, the stronger the unease grew. He realized he knew where they were heading long before they arrived.
When they stopped, he followed them into an elegant office filled with the faint scent of aged wood and old paper. There, behind a polished desk, sat a woman in a simple dark green dress. Her hair was black as night, her pale blue eyes steady and calm—yet there was something deeply unsettling about her presence.
Her eyes unsettled Kayden. There was something about them that made him instinctively look away—but when she spoke, her voice carried a strange calm, a fleeting sense of reassurance that only deepened his confusion.
He felt… lost for a moment.
Where have I felt this before? The thought came unbidden. Then he remembered—Ren Yuan. The same dazed, detached feeling he'd get when he drank too much, when the world blurred at the edges and he began to lose himself completely.
But this time, his mind fought back even as his body faltered. "Could you… stop that?" Kayden asked politely, holding onto composure even as his patience thinned.
"Oh my, I'm sorry," the woman said, her tone dripping with feigned innocence. "I thought you were someone else."
"Fiona," Walter's voice cut in, sharp and weary, "are you playing your tricks again?"
Fiona shifted awkwardly, her cheeks flushing. "He's the one who disturbed me first. I just wanted to return the favor—no harm meant."
Ayrton looked at her for a moment, then smiled faintly. "Do as you please."
Kayden sank into the chair, his whole body tense. Ayrton's tone shifted—gentle but focused, carrying the weight of genuine curiosity.
"Tell me, what exactly happened during the ritual?"
Kayden let out a quiet sigh. "I'll tell you the truth…"
Ayrton blinked, mildly surprised. "That's… faster than I expected."
Kayden's gaze fell to the floor, his eyes avoiding Ayrton's. Then, slowly, he lifted his head and met his eyes.
"There was… a woman," he said quietly, his voice tight. "She planted in me this overwhelming urge to end my life."
His hand clenched into a fist, trembling slightly, as though the pressure was the only thing keeping his mind from breaking apart. "I tried to kill myself—over and over again. I wasn't completely aware each time. I fought it… as hard as I could, but—"
He stopped, taking a shaky breath before continuing. "The last time… during the ritual, the urge was stronger than ever. I couldn't control my body anymore. I just watched myself doing things I didn't want to do—feeling every bit of the pain but powerless to stop it."
Kayden's fist tightened again, the tension spreading through his body like a physical echo of his torment. His voice grew hoarse. "But because I fought back… the ritual failed. I barely managed to regain control afterward."
Ayrton remained silent, watching him with an unreadable calm. His eyes were steady—neither judging nor pitying—just quietly searching, as though peering into the depths of Kayden's soul. Then, in a low voice, he asked, "And what happened after that?"
Kayden exhaled, the sound heavy with exhaustion and something far deeper—grief, perhaps. "She came to see me," he murmured. "She said I'd die eventually… because of that urge. But that I was free now—since she no longer cared about the ritual."
Ayrton turned slightly, his gaze shifting toward Walter, as if seeking confirmation. "I suppose she'll be looking for someone else."
Walter nodded slowly, his voice calm but firm. "We've been watching you for quite some time. We know when the anomaly occurred… Don't worry, that urge won't kill you easily—especially now that you've awakened a spiritual essence."
Kayden looked at Walter with pale eyes, a strange mix of gratitude and fear swirling inside him—
and then the thought struck like a blade 'But he's already dead…'
The words slipped from his lips in a whisper barely audible. "Thank you."
He rose from his seat, a strange lightness spreading through his body despite all the tension of the day.
They allowed him to leave, and all the way home only one thought echoed in his mind—
"I'm a damn good actor."
When Kayden returned home, he quietly handed his mother the bread before heading up to his room in quick steps.
The house was calm, yet the echo of the day's events clung to him like a shadow.
Upon opening the door, he found Colton sitting on the floor, toying with an old book.
Colton lifted his head, a mocking smile tugging at his lips.
"Well played today. Even I… might've believed your lie.
Which one of us is the real devil, huh? You manipulated everything."
Kayden replied calmly, without turning to look at him,
"That girl… she might be the one to suffer next."
Before Colton could respond, a faint knock echoed at the door.
In an instant, Colton vanished—
as if he had never existed at all—
leaving behind a strange emptiness,
a silence so heavy it felt like the room itself was holding its breath.
Kayden opened the door.
Henry stood there, his eyes filled with hesitation and something grim.
"You asked me today about the person who sold you the body?" Henry spoke in a low voice,
as if afraid someone might overhear.
"Yes," Kayden replied at once, his gaze steady, studying Henry's every move.
Henry hesitated for a moment,
then forced the words out, heavy as lead—
"It was… Adam."
"Adam?" Kayden asked curiously, raising an eyebrow. "Who is he?"
"There's a gathering tomorrow. It's better to wait and see him there… he rarely shows up," Henry replied as he stepped out of the room. "Get some sleep, we've got a long day ahead."
As soon as Henry disappeared, Colton reappeared—his presence now almost routine after others left. He spoke with eager excitement, "We have to go tomorrow."
Kayden looked at him questioningly. "Why?"
Colton nearly smacked him out of frustration but restrained himself. "Doesn't it spark your curiosity? How many coincidences do you need before realizing something unnatural is happening around you? First, that girl who—"
"You remember her name," Kayden interrupted.
"Why would I sully my tongue with the name of filth?" Colton replied with feigned disgust.
Kayden sat quietly and gestured for him to continue.
"She planted those urges in you for the ritual. Then you met Ayrton—well, that man's strong, trustworthy even. I think he's reached an advanced stage of power… but he's hiding his spiritual core carefully. If he asks you to join him, do it."
Kayden raised his head to speak, but Colton cut him off sharply, "Don't interrupt me!"
"I didn't say anything…" Kayden muttered in resignation.
Colton sat on the chair with a look of indifference, a sly smile curling on his lips. "I'll tell you something shocking," he said, "but I want something in return."
"What do you want?" Kayden asked warily.
"The real question is—what do you have to offer?" Colton mocked.
Kayden disliked his tone; it felt like the conversation would never end. Colton went on, "I'll tell you now, but don't forget our deal—I want something in exchange."
He took a short breath before continuing. "Your brother… he has a spiritual core, but he doesn't know it. And because of that, the core is shrinking and slowly dying."
Kayden felt something inside him shatter; his thoughts scattered. "I don't want him to die… How can I help him? But tell me—who's going to die, him or the core?"
Then it all began to make sense to him—everything that had happened since he came here. It hadn't been long, yet because his memories had merged with Kayden's, his emotions responded too. The sorrow in Colton's words hit him deeply. Every time he looked at Henry, he felt a strange warmth, as if he were making up for something he'd lost long ago.
He'd never believed that twins were truly connected—but now, every glance toward Henry made him feel it. Henry wasn't just someone else's brother anymore. He was his brother.
Colton noticed the change in his expression and seized the moment to flaunt his knowledge—without answering Kayden's last question. "Your father knows how to help him. You can even ask him. But don't worry… and don't think the corpse is the cause. Tomorrow, try getting one yourself. You've studied biology—you can dissect it under the guise of research."
Kayden fell silent, drowning in the chaos of his thoughts—the hesitation, the weight of what he'd heard. He wanted to ask about the difference between collapse and shrinkage, but swallowed the question.
Colton then shifted into his true form—four eyes gleaming in the dark—and said quietly,
"Ka—my lord."
"Call me Kayden. We don't need formalities," Kayden said with a half-smile. "Maybe later—if I ever get another follower."
Colton smiled back, his tone softening. "Kayden… you don't have a drive, do you?"
Kayden shook his head slightly. "Maybe… but for my brother's sake, I'll move forward."
Colton sat across from him, his gaze steady and intense. "Make saving him your purpose. But saving your brother is simple—he only needs guidance. Also, join Ayrton. Keep advancing until you reach completion. After that… we'll find a way back to your world."
He paused, then added in a quieter tone, "The original Kayden wasn't all bad… You two are alike. I'll help you until the end, but… when that time comes, take me with you—to your world."
A sharp pain pierced Kayden's head, as if reality itself were squeezing his skull. He raised a hand to his temple and spoke through the pressure. "Can I even return? I don't know… And can I even take you with me? I don't know that either. Don't set false hopes. Don't give me something fake to believe in. But I don't mind experimenting here… Though you probably wouldn't understand what I mean."
Then he gestured toward Colton. "If you want me to reach completion, fine. But I know there'll be a price. I'll lose things. Still—yeah, power is tempting. Having strength feels great. And kicking everyone's ass feels even better. So give me some time. I don't want to rush."
"But your brother did rush! You should hurry too and join the race!" Colton shot back quickly.
"Fu*k the marathon," Kayden muttered before realizing what he'd said, then fell silent. 'I really need to control myself a bit…' he thought in frustration.
"Is that your native language?" Colton asked in surprise.
"Not really," Kayden replied. "I can teach you later."
'And I won't… it'd be nothing but a headache.' Kayden thought.
Kayden looked around his newly restored room. His mother had taken care of every detail with precision and care — once, the room had been almost empty, but now everything had returned to its best state.
"I'm going to sleep now, don't bother me too much," he muttered as he lay down on the bed.
He closed his eyes, but his mind refused to rest, turning endlessly between memories and thoughts that wouldn't quiet down. He didn't know how much time had passed — only that the weight on his chest kept growing heavier. Slowly, he opened his eyes in the darkness; he hadn't slept at all.
He rose carefully, his body sluggish and resistant to movement. His quiet steps brushed against the floor as he went to the drawer and searched until he found the small box Henry had once hidden without their mother's knowledge — strong sleeping pills, kept for nights like this.
He swallowed one in silence and returned to bed. It didn't take long before deep sleep pulled him under.
When Kayden finally awoke, it was already afternoon. The sunlight filtering through the tall windows was soft and warm, carrying with it a faint scent of dried flowers from the vase on the bedside table.
He didn't bother with formal clothes — instead, he chose classic black trousers and a deep navy wool shirt. He liked this kind of order in his attire; more elegant than his old life, yet simple all the same. He silently thanked the tailor in his thoughts, then stepped out of the room.