In the lower floor, he sat alone at the breakfast table. The setting was neat as always, yet the air felt empty. He had no plans to go out today—except at night, when he and Henry would go searching for the corpse dealer.
After breakfast, Kayden stood in the tall hallway connecting the rooms, where the walls were adorned with old paintings and thick carpets that muffled his steps. He caught sight of his father entering through the front door. Arthur's presence at home was unusual; his work consumed most of his time.
While placing his hat on the shelf, Arthur spoke calmly, "Ayrton came to me. He told me about your conversation… seems he's quite impressed with your abilities."
The maid appeared, setting down the coffee before leaving silently, ensuring everything was perfect.
Arthur took a sip of his drink. His voice was calm, yet carried a tone that made Kaiden feel as though he had done something wrong without realizing it. The silence was so heavy that Kayden could hear his own breathing echo in his ears.
"So," Arthur asked without preamble, "what do you plan to do?"
Kayden hesitated, his eyes falling on the cup in front of him before he answered quietly, "Maybe I'll try to reach a decent level?"
Arthur set his cup down gently. "Don't say maybe so much… it's a bad habit."
"Yes, sir…" Kayden replied instinctively.
A short silence followed before Arthur spoke again. "Today is special… though for some reason, I have a feeling it's going to be quite eventful."
Kayden tilted his head in confusion. "What makes you say that?"
Arthur leaned his cheek against his hand, looking at the ceiling as though recalling something distant. "I spoke with Henry earlier… he's dying."
Kayden froze. He wasn't prepared for that conversation—not even slightly.
"What do you mean?" he asked, his voice shaky, his mind refusing to grasp the words.
"He already possesses a core," Arthur said evenly. "I didn't see it at first, and naturally, neither did he. Nor your mother. The core may have been born a month ago, but he's been too busy with his studies to notice. And every time he came home to see you, you were shut inside like a monk… all that's missing is shaving your head to complete the image—and then you'd be a bald donkey."
Kayden gasped and blurted out quickly, "I'm really sorry! I didn't mean that! I'll shave if you want!"
Arthur looked at him for a moment before replying simply, "I was joking about the shaving."
Kayden thought silently, Who jokes with such a serious face?
"And what about Henry?" he finally asked, regaining his composure.
"He'll begin training soon. You too… don't walk into death with your own feet."
"Yes, sir."
"Will the training help him?" Kayden asked, his eyes holding a faint glimmer of hope.
"Yes," his father replied simply.
"How?"
"You're both in the stage of the nascent soul — the stage of discovery. It's when one realizes they possess something extra. You must accept the spiritual core, or it won't grow. There's no real danger in this stage, but it's delicate… you have to embrace it; if you don't, it'll shrink or shatter."
Arthur raised his cup calmly and continued, "Failure here doesn't mean death, but it leaves a mark. In Henry's case, his failure was complete — his core turned into a negative form, almost disappearing. It might return… once he comes to terms with it."
"But unfortunately, a negative core is unstable. With a bit of training, he'll need to start accepting it and working on it — otherwise, he'll lose control."
For the first time since coming to this world, Kayden felt the urge to cry. It wasn't pure pain, but a blend of hope, fear, and longing.
So Colton meant the core — not Henry himself, Kaiden realized, and for a fleeting moment, he wanted to go upstairs and hit Colton on the head.
"Father… how do you know all this?" Kayden asked, his tone full of wonder.
Arthur answered without looking at him, "I'll tell you… later, with Henry."
After finishing his talk with his father, Kayden climbed the stairs quickly and shut the door behind him with irritation, yelling, "Colton, you're insufferable! Why didn't you say who was going to die?! I asked you, but you pretended not to hear me!"
Colton was lounging on his bed, reading one of Kaiden's books without permission. He looked up, unconcerned, and said lazily, "I was joking. I just wanted to see your reaction. Anyway, don't worry — your brother already started training. I saw him myself. George was beating him up, and he was learning through pain — honestly, the best kind of teaching."
He closed the book gently, sitting upright with mock seriousness. "So, when will you start? Do you think you'll grow stronger by staring at the ceiling all day? When I was your age, I was kicking grown men and making them cry!"
Kayden stared at him blankly, then said quietly, "Tell me about the nascent soul."
For a moment, Colton's eyes gleamed — as if he'd been waiting for that question all along.
He adjusted his posture, clasped his hands together, and began in a calm tone that didn't suit his usual self. "In the stage of the nascent soul, strength doesn't come from harsh training or shouting into the air… it comes from within. The core inside you right now is like a seed — small, hidden, fragile. You don't force it to grow; you nurture it."
"Training at this stage isn't about awakening power — it's about solidifying its existence. The core needs to believe you accept it… that you neither fear it nor reject it. That starts with meditation, mental focus — directing your awareness toward the place it dwells inside you."
He pointed to his chest. "Here — between the heartbeats, between one breath and the next… the core resides."
He paused for a moment, then continued in a deeper voice, "But you also need shocks — strong emotions. Pain, fear, longing… they're all catalysts, yet double-edged. If you can't control them, your core will distort — or flee from you."
He walked slowly around the room, his voice carrying the weight of an ancient teacher. "And don't forget — being around others who possess a core is incredibly useful. A core has what you might call a primitive consciousness. When it senses similar energies nearby, it awakens by instinct. It might fear, challenge, or grow."
Then he smiled lightly. "And finally, there's drawing, writing, physical effort — all are ways to bind the spirit to the body. The artist sees the core, the weary body feels it, and the writer? He gives it a language to understand itself."
He sat cross-legged on the bed again, as if finishing a lecture.
"And in the end, you'll face a trial — to move on to the next stage, where the journey of soul shaping begins. But we're not there yet."
"As for me," he added with a smirk, "physical training is essential — so I'll be among the first."
Kayden stayed silent, eyes open wide, as if something deep inside him had begun to stir. He sat down on the floor without a word, leaning his back against the wall.
"I'll start meditating now…" he muttered without looking at Colton, closing his eyes. "How do you even meditate?"
Colton raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "What did you just say?"
"In my world," Kayden replied calmly, "meditation was just a hobby for some people. I never really took it seriously."
Colton froze, then shouted in outrage, "Unbelievable—your world is insane! Fine, listen carefully…"
He approached slowly, pacing around him like a strict instructor during a lesson.
"Close your eyes… don't rush. Let the world drift away from you, bit by bit, as if you're standing on the edge of a river. Listen to the air as it enters your nose — like a breeze brushing through leaves on a cold night. Then let it go… as if you're releasing a thought you no longer need."
Colton moved quietly, adjusting Kayden's posture, correcting his breathing, then stepped back and left him be.
Time passed… Kayden had no idea how long. But when he finally opened his eyes, his body felt lighter, his chest fuller — as though he had truly breathed for the first time in ages.
It was… peace. Real peace.
Colton smiled faintly, sitting on a nearby chair.
"An hour and a half. Not bad at all. Falling into a deep meditation like that on your first try? Seems your soul's been yearning for silence for a long time. Don't overstrain it."
Then, in a softer voice, his eyes steady on Kayden's, he added,
"Meditation isn't an escape from the world — it's a return to the self. That's where everything begins. A new start."
And just like that, Colton returned to his usual self, rifling carelessly through Kaiden's papers again.
Kayden said nothing… but for the first time since arriving in this world, he felt something inside him — pulsing, faint but alive.
It hadn't been long before the maid's voice echoed faintly from below the stairs, calling,
"Master Kayden, you're requested in the reception room."
He opened his eyes slowly, still feeling the quiet afterglow of meditation. Rising calmly, he made his way downstairs.
At the entrance of the reception room, he saw Henry standing there, not yet inside — waiting, as if the door might open for him on its own.
Kayden glanced at his brother, studying him for a second before teasing,
"Are you trying to copy me?"
Henry raised a brow in genuine confusion. "I haven't even seen you all morning, how could I be copying you? You're imagining things. Besides, Father told me not to argue with you."
"Is that a sad dog barking?" Kayden replied dryly, a corner of his mouth twitching into a smirk.
'The twin curse,' he thought bitterly.
It wasn't just the resemblance in their faces — even their outfits were nearly identical. Kayden wore deep navy, Henry light blue… but the design was practically the same.
"The color suits you," Kayden said playfully as he straightened his clothes. "I'll let you off today."
Henry smiled and shook his head, opening the door quietly.
The moment they both stepped in, the room exploded with cheers.
"Happy birthday to you both!" Adele shouted gleefully, holding a tray of sweets, and soon everyone joined in with clapping and laughter.
The twins froze, exchanging a brief, wordless glance — a shared shock passing silently between them.
"I forgot," Kayden murmured under his breath.
"Me too…" Henry replied, wide-eyed as he looked around.
The room was draped in elegant ribbons and golden decorations, the air sweet with the scent of cake and frosting.
At the center of it all stood a grand table, and on it — a magnificent cake, ocean-colored, topped with golden candles shaped into the number 22.
After the gifts and greetings, Isabelle sat on the couch beside Adele, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face. Her tone softened as she said,
"Originally, the celebration was planned for Sunday… but since Kayden wasn't well, and Henry hadn't returned home yet, Adele and I decided to wait until we were all together."
Kayden's gaze lingered on the cake. Slowly, his head bowed, as if an invisible weight pressed against his chest.
'So… the real Kayden died on his birthday.'
The thought passed through him heavily — strange, yet somehow logical. He closed his eyes quietly amid the noise of laughter and chatter, trying to steal a moment of solitude in the warmth of family chaos.
Across the room, Roger called out eagerly,
"So… we've got two new members joining the system?"
"Yes," Arthur replied calmly.
"I knew it," Roger grinned, "the whole family's getting involved in the Servants' System."
"Did you have such a theory from the start?" Arthur asked, thoughtful.
"Always," Roger replied without hesitation. "It was obvious—especially with those strange auras appearing over the past few months. In a world filled with monsters and threats, it only made sense to prepare."
Arthur didn't disagree. He knew better than anyone how much the world had changed. He hadn't been an easy father—strict, even harsh in training—but his methods had ensured his children learned survival… even if the cost was high.
Since the day he realized his children had learned to conceal the presence of their spiritual cores, Arthur had stopped asking questions about their levels or progress. He simply watched… silently… waiting for the right time to test them.
Except for Adele, of course. She was the only one who would run to her father with a bright grin, proudly showing off her progress with an unshakable, childlike enthusiasm.
Arthur stepped closer to the window, his gaze distant. After a moment, he murmured almost to himself,
"Not much longer… before they reach the beginning of the Reflection Stage."
Isabelle, meanwhile, stood at the center of the room. Raising her voice just enough to command attention, she announced with a mix of pride and authority,
"Today is a very special day. We have two newborn souls within our family. One of them is negative—due to prolonged separation from its core—and the other has only recently begun to grow."
Her eyes swept over Kayden and Henry, not with the warmth of a mother, but the keen assessment of a mentor evaluating her pupils.
"This was expected, really—after all, your father possesses an exceptionally strong core."
Arthur turned to her suddenly, his voice edged with surprise.
"What did i do…?"