Everything had changed. Nothing turned out the way it was supposed to.
Kael could only stand frozen, trembling violently, his teeth clattering uncontrollably. His eyes, wide and sharply focused, were locked on the piles of bodies lying before him.
Bodies he recognized.
Bodies he had known.
Bodies of the only people who once stood between chaos and destruction.
All the members of Seek Peace… were dead.
Only hours before, he had returned from his solo mission, still dusted with bruises, still shaken from the fight at the bar. He never expected that the short moment he left would be enough for his world to collapse.
A Few Days Before
The atmosphere in the grand hall of Happiness Headquarters was thick with anticipation.
After Adam's meeting concluded, the room felt electric. Chairs scraped the floor, boots tapped impatiently, and the elite members exchanged smirks like they had just been given permission to start a long-awaited war.
Adam stood confidently at the front, hands folded behind his back. Jesper twirled his sickle lazily. Alice leaned against the wall with crossed arms and a sharp gaze. Edgardo stood behind them, silent and stern.
Adam spoke calmly, almost too calmly considering the weight of his declaration.
"Our path begins on October eighteenth. That is the date we reshape this city."
Jesper grinned like a child promised candy.
"So we get to wipe out Seek Peace on that day? Finally."
Alice raised an eyebrow. "It's earlier than expected."
"Seek Peace has been predictable lately," Adam replied. "Their defenses are decreasing. Their dependency on Kael has grown. Their arrogance blinds them."
Edgardo added, "Only forty-five of them. Strong, but stretched thin."
Adam nodded with a faint smile.
"And after we remove them, Happiness rises without opposition."
The room erupted into excitement. Plans were exchanged, routes mapped, positions assigned. Adam extended his hand toward the assembled group.
"On October eighteenth, we make history. Prepare yourselves."
Everyone bowed slightly before dispersing with newfound vigor.
Adam remained still, smiling quietly too quietly.
Three days before the attack, Kael received a sudden assignment. It was simple enough deal with a thug causing chaos at a bar in the West Sector. Arden originally wanted to accompany him, but Kael insisted he could manage it alone. He wanted space. He wanted distraction.
He wanted anything to drown out the fear that had started tightening inside him since the day he woke up in Seek Peace's headquarters.
The bar was dimly lit, with broken bottles scattered everywhere and frightened patrons hiding behind tables. The so-called thug, a heavily built man with tattoos covering his arms, laughed loudly as he flipped a table over.
Kael stepped inside and slowly closed the door behind him.
The man turned, cracking his knuckles. "So Seek Peace finally sends someone? Just one kid?"
Kael didn't respond. He simply straightened his back and exhaled shakily.
"You should leave," Kael warned him quietly.
The man burst into laughter. "Or what?!"
He charged forward.
Kael moved on instinct—too fast for his own eyes to catch, too sharp for someone who had once been terrified of even raising a hand. His fist struck the thug's abdomen hard enough to knock the wind out of him, then Kael swept his legs and pinned him down.
The fight lasted only seconds.
The bar fell silent.
Kael stared at the man beneath him, his hands trembling slightly—not from exertion, but from the fear of losing control again. He stepped back, breathing heavily.
The bar owner approached cautiously.
"Thank you… Kael…"
Kael forced a small nod and left quickly.
Flashback — The Truth About Morry
As Kael walked through the alley outside, an image flashed in his mind—Morry's face from earlier that week. Morry, who always looked clumsy and harmless, who acted like he didn't know how to fight, who pretended to be a coward.
But Kael had accidentally discovered the truth.
A truth Morry tried desperately to bury.
Years before, Morry had been a national martial arts champion. An undefeated fighter known for his flawless technique and frightening speed. A prodigy who could have climbed to world level.
But something broke inside him.
After a violent incident involving a teammate and a psychological collapse, Morry retired abruptly. The pressure, the expectations, the public eyes—everything crushed him. He developed severe social anxiety, unable to fight on large stages or confront crowds without panic.
Seek Peace found him wandering aimlessly, a shell of his former self.
They offered shelter, anonymity, and a purpose without spotlight.
Kael remembered seeing Morry alone on the balcony days earlier. His expression was empty, his shoulders shaking slightly.
Morry had said quietly to himself:
"I used to be someone. Now I can't even hold a blade without shaking."
Kael had wanted to approach him, to reassure him, but he didn't know how.
He didn't even know who he truly was.
The Return
Kael rushed back toward Seek Peace headquarters after completing his mission. The evening sky had turned blood-red with sunset, and the usually lively streets felt unnervingly quiet.
He sensed something was wrong long before he saw the entrance.
The gate was broken.
The lights were off.
There were no guards outside.
Kael's breathing tightened.
He ran.
The moment he entered the main hall, his steps faltered. His vision blurred.
He saw bodies—too many bodies.
Some slumped against walls, some collapsed over tables, others piled in corners as if they had tried desperately to defend themselves.
Arden.
Delliot.
The trainees.
The strategists.
The scouts.
Forty-four members of Seek Peace.
Lifeless.
Kael's legs weakened. He stumbled forward, barely able to inhale. His chest felt crushed, his head spinning.
"No… no… this isn't…"
His voice cracked painfully.
He stopped in the center of the room and dropped to his knees, his hands gripping his head as he shook violently.
Everything inside him broke.
The silence of the hall felt deafening.
Kael lifted his head slowly as the sound of footsteps approached. He braced himself, fearing another attacker.
But it wasn't an enemy.
A woman stepped into the hall, wiping blood from her cheek with the back of her hand. Her clothes were torn, her breathing heavy, and she carried a large golden card glowing faintly in her palm.
Angelica.
Her summon, Arbel, materialized behind her—half-bodied, floating, with elongated steel-clawed arms and a shrouded face.
Angelica froze when she saw Kael.
"You're alive…"
Kael couldn't answer. He could barely breathe.
Angelica scanned the hall, her expression tightening as she counted the fallen members.
Her voice softened—an emotion rare for her.
"We were attacked. All at once. Too fast. Too precise."
Kael swallowed hard, his throat burning. "W-who did this…"
Angelica clenched her jaw.
"Happiness."
The word echoed in the empty hall like a curse.
Kael lowered his head again, tears blurring his sight.
Everything he had hoped to protect was gone.
And now…
he was the only pillar left standing.