Jiarui ran until his lungs burned and his legs nearly gave up.
The edge of a vast park finally came into view, but instead of relief, his body collapsed beside a lonely bench. His breath came out in broken gasps, tears flowing uncontrollably down his bloodstained face.
At that very moment, a long, shining black limousine passed by the road near the park.
Inside the car sat one of the most powerful and wealthiest men in China—Zhenyu Yan, along with his wife Xuyan and their young daughter Fangning.
They were on their way to a private gathering… the same gathering where Jiarui's birthday was supposed to be celebrated.
Suddenly, Xuyan's gaze shifted to the window.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Outside, under the dim streetlight, a small child wearing a crooked birthday cap collapsed near the park bench. His clothes were soaked in blood.
"Zhenyu—stop the car! Look there!" Xuyan cried out.
The driver slammed the brakes.
Before the car fully stopped, Xuyan had already opened the door and rushed out.
When she reached the boy and saw his face clearly, her knees almost gave way.
Blood stains—already drying—covered his cheeks. His eyes were unfocused, filled with terror no child should ever know.
"Child… beta… what happened to you?" Xuyan asked softly, lifting him into her arms.
Jiarui's blurred vision slowly focused on her face.
For a brief second, she looked just like his mother.
His trembling fingers clutched her sleeve desperately.
"Aunty…" his voice cracked.
"Everything is destroyed… they killed everyone… Mama… Jiya… Papa—"
Before he could finish, his body went limp.
He fainted.
Zhenyu Yan stepped out of the car. One glance at the blood on the child's clothes was enough. Years in the business world had taught him one thing clearly—
This was not an accident.
This was a massacre.
"Take him to the hospital. Immediately," Zhenyu ordered, his voice heavy and cold.
Inside the car, little Fangning stared with wide, frightened eyes. It was the first time she had seen someone in such pain. Quietly, she held out the handkerchief she was clutching to her mother.
Zhenyu lifted Jiarui into his arms.
The child's small fist was tightly clenched, as if even in unconsciousness, he was still fighting someone.
Zhenyu's eyes darkened.
This child's pain…
It will either destroy him—
or turn him into the most dangerous man alive.
Hospital Scene
The hospital corridor echoed with hurried footsteps and the sharp sound of medical equipment.
Beep… beep… beep…
Machines surrounded Jiarui's bed. The rhythmic sound filled the room, heavy and suffocating.
After days of unconsciousness, his eyes finally fluttered open.
But the innocence that once lived in them was gone.
Only silence remained.
Jiarui stared out of the hospital window, watching the pale sky.
"My world is gone," he said quietly.
"They will come for me too."
His voice carried no fear—only emptiness.
"Papa… where are you…?"
Zhenyu, who had been sitting nearby, stood up and placed a firm hand on the boy's shoulder.
"How are you feeling now?" he asked gently.
Jiarui turned to him. His lips trembled.
"Uncle… will you help me find my father?"
"I need to tell him… Mama and Jiya were killed by bad people."
His eyes finally overflowed.
Zhenyu pulled him into a tight embrace.
"I lost my mother at your age," Zhenyu said quietly.
"I know this pain."
He held the boy firmly, as if shielding him from the world.
"I will help you find your father," he continued.
"And I will help you take revenge."
Zhenyu paused.
"From today onward, your old name… your old identity… ends here."
"If you want to live," he said firmly,
"and if you want revenge—then you must become someone new."
He looked straight into the boy's eyes.
"From today, your name is Zain."
"My first son."
"The future heir of the Yan Empire."
A New Life Begins
Zain—once Jiarui—was brought to the Yan Mansion.
The place was grand beyond imagination. Vast halls, towering gates, and silent corridors.
But to Zain, it wasn't a home.
It was a fortress.
A place where he would become strong.
At first, Fangning was scared of him.
But Zain's quiet presence drew her in.
She began bringing her toys and books to him.
One day, she held his hand and said softly,
"Zain, don't be scared anymore. This is my home… and no bad people will come here."
For the first time since that night—
Zain smiled.
Just a little.
Zhenyu noticed something frightening and admirable within the boy—a hunger to learn.
The best teachers.
The finest martial arts instructors.
Nothing was spared.
Zain's Oath
Late at night, when the mansion slept, Zain would sit alone in the garden.
From his pocket, he took out the bloodstained cake knife—the one he had secretly kept.
He looked up at the stars.
"Mama… Jiya…" he whispered.
"I became rich… just like I wished."
"Now… it's time to protect."
"And to hunt them down."
That night—
A child named Jiarui truly died.
And Zain, the heir of darkness, was born.