— After the Blood Settles —
The courtyard slowly emptied.
The cries of pain faded into the distance, replaced by the soft, trembling sobs of children finally released from terror.
Some clutched each other tightly; others peeked out from behind Granny Lucy's skirts, staring at Eren with wide, disbelieving eyes—as though trying to decide whether he was real, or something summoned by desperation itself.
The night wind swept through the orphanage grounds, carrying with it the metallic scent of blood. Torn banners fluttered weakly. A broken shovel lay half-buried in cracked stone, its edge stained dark.
Eren stood there, unmoving.
To the children, he looked like someone who had stood between them and disaster.
Granny Lucy slowly turned to face him. For a long moment, she simply looked—really looked—at the young man before her. The sharpness in her eyes softened, replaced by a weary tenderness that came only from years lived and losses endured.
"...You've changed," she said quietly.
Eren lowered his gaze.
"I'm sorry," he replied after a pause. His voice was calm, but beneath it lay something tightly restrained. "I still brought trouble to your door."
Granny Lucy snorted softly. She reached out and gave him a sharp knock on the head with her knuckles.
"Foolish child," she scolded. "If evil knocks, should the good hide forever?"
She glanced at the children behind her, then back at him.
"As long as you're still willing to stand in front of them—this place will never be truly lost."
Her words struck deeper than any blow.
Eren clenched his fist slowly at his side.
Above them, the clouds parted just enough for moonlight to spill into the courtyard, washing over the battered orphanage in pale silver. For a fleeting moment, it looked almost peaceful—as if nothing had happened at all.
— Bloodline Revealed —
Granny Lucy looked at him again—this time, longer.
Since when… had this child grown so frighteningly strong?
After calming the children, Granny Lucy led Eren into a private room, her expression more serious than he had ever seen.
"Eren, the heritage you always asked about... it's time you knew." She took a deep breath.
"Twenty-three years ago, the most prominent family in the Novalis District —the Caelthorn family—was wiped out overnight. The case remains unsolved to this day."
Eren's heart jolted violently. "You mean I...?"
"The one who brought you here was none other than the head of the Caelthorn family himself—Oliver Caelthorn."
Her voice quivered, each word like thunder in Eren's heart.
"Patriarch Oliver... perhaps he sensed the impending disaster and sent you away in advance.
The next day... the Caelthorn manor was bathed in blood." Tears streamed down Granny Lucy's wrinkled cheeks.
"The enemy's influence reaches the heavens. I never dared tell you, afraid you'd be like an egg dashing itself against a rock...
But now, you have the strength to seek the truth.
Child, no matter what, you must survive!"
BOOM!
It felt like a thunderclap had exploded in his mind. Eren stood frozen.
A thousand thoughts surged—so he was the sole survivor of the Caelthorn family!
The weight of his clan's bloody extermination pressed down on him like a mountain.
"Don't worry, Granny," Eren's fists were clenched so tight his knuckles were white.
"No matter who the enemy is, I will hunt them to the ends of the earth, tear them to a thousand pieces, and offer them to the spirits of my clan!"
— Sirens of Judgment —
After ensuring the orphanage was secure, Eren returned to the car and said grimly to Kane, "To the Trinity Syndicate headquarters. It's time to settle this completely."
But before the vehicle could even start, the piercing wail of sirens suddenly tore through the air!
Click-Clack-Clack! The sounds of rifles being cocked came from all directions.
Several SWAT vehicles boxed them in completely like an iron barrel. Countless black muzzles aimed at the car from all sides, an icy intent to kill permeating the area.
"Kane! Eren! You are completely surrounded! Exit the vehicle immediately and surrender!"
The amplified shout crackled like thunder over the open ground outside the orphanage.
Kane's heart hammered wildly, cold sweat instantly soaking his back.
Peering through the window at the heavily armed, sharp-eyed SWAT officers, his mind went blank.
What colossal crime had he committed to warrant such a response?
"Stay calm," Eren's voice was still, deep as a frozen lake. He gently patted Kane's tense shoulder. "The more chaotic the situation, the clearer your mind must be."
With that, he pushed his door open first, raised his hands, and stepped out calmly and deliberately.
Kane took a deep breath and had no choice but to follow, his legs like lead.
The moment they exited, Every muzzle shifted a fraction, fingers tense on triggers. The atmosphere was taut as a bowstring; a single wrong move could trigger a storm of gunfire.
A middle-aged man with an authoritative air and a stern, resolute face emerged from behind a police vehicle.
It was Dean, the City Lord of Novalis District .
His sharp gaze first fell on Kane, his tone stern and filled with disappointment.
"Kane, as the Warden of Novalis Prison, you, a lawman, have broken the law!
You dared to secretly remove a death row inmate from confinement!
This is a trampling of judicial dignity!
You are hereby relieved of all your duties and will be imprisoned to await trial!"
The words hit Kane like a sledgehammer, making his head spin.
He instinctively wanted to protest his innocence, but the words died in his throat—everything Dean said was true. He had abused his authority to take Eren out of prison.
A wave of icy despair gripped his heart, and his face turned ashen.
Dean's gaze then shifted to Eren, growing even colder.
"As for you, Eren. A man on death row, not quietly awaiting execution in prison, but daring to bribe the warden and run amok outside!
This is a blatant challenge to the law and the government!"
He waved his hand commandingly.
"Take them back to prison immediately and place them under maximum security!"
The cold, heavy metal manacles clicked shut around their wrists and ankles. As they were being escorted to the prisoner transport vehicle, Eren frowned deeply, his mind racing.
Why had everything been quiet for days, only for Dean to appear with such precision today?
Was it a coincidence,
or was there an invisible hand, meticulously pulling the strings behind the scenes?
If this was a net—then someone had waited a long time to tighten it.