When Fainyx opened his eyes, the morning sunlight was already streaming brightly through the gaps in his heavy curtains.
He immediately realized that waking up was a mistake.
His entire body felt like it had been crushed under a boulder. Overexerting his frail physical vessel and draining his mana to sneak into the city last night had been an absolutely terrible idea.
A severe fever wracked his small frame, making his teeth chatter as violent shivers rolled through his muscles.
Before he could even attempt to sit up, a familiar, heavy pressure seized his chest.
*Cough! Cough!
Fainyx choked, instinctively leaning over the edge of the mattress as a mouthful of dark crimson blood erupted from his lips.
It splattered violently against the pristine white bedsheets. He gasped for air, raising his trembling fingers to cast his chantless cleaning magic before anyone could see.
*Click!
The bedroom door swung open. Estrella, his personal maid, stepped inside carrying a basin of warm water to wake him for the morning.
She froze, The basin slipped from her hands, crashing onto the tile floor with a loud shatter. Seeing the pale, shivering young master leaning over a massive pool of his own blood, she let out a blood-curdling scream of pure terror.
'Why do people always appear at the absolute worst times?!'
Fainyx shouted in his mind, squeezing his eyes shut.
He couldn't even raise his hand to stop her because another violent coughing fit overtook him.
The supreme irony was that coughing up the blood didn't actually hurt... he could literally feel his pathways getting healthier as Ruth's medicine aggressively flushed the corrupted mana out of his system. But to anyone watching, it looked exactly like he was dying.
Estrella's screams echoed down the hallway. Within seconds, Weinhart the butler sprinted past the doorframes, taking one horrifying look at the scene before shouting for the Duke and the physician.
Total chaos erupted.
Heavy, frantic footsteps thundered down the hall. The Duke burst into the bedroom, completely out of breath, his silver hair a disheveled mess.
He was running and also saw Liam next and he's sobbing while running up to fainyx, with a terrified Adam sprinting right behind him in his pajamas.
Physician Michael rushed in right on their heels.
"Fainyx!" the Duke roared, his voice cracking with sheer panic as he rushed to the bedside.
Michael immediately pushed forward, uncorking a blue potion and checking the boy's burning forehead.
"His fever is dangerously high! Hold him steady, Your Grace!"
Amidst the screaming, the crying, and the frantic orders, two invisible figures slipped through the open doorway. Yong and Ruth had been passing by to meet fainyx when they heard the maids panicking.
Standing perfectly concealed in the corner of the room, Yong frowned. He subtly raised two fingers. Without chanting, Yong sent a gentle, invisible wave of cooling water magic washing over Fainyx's body to secretly help the physician bring the terrifying fever down.
Fainyx lay back against the pillows, absolutely hating this. His head was pounding violently from the noise. The Duke was hovering over him, Liam was wailing, and Michael was shouting medical terms.
Fainyx couldn't reach his notebook on the nightstand, and his hands were too weak to hold a pencil anyway.
He didn't have a choice. He just needed them to shut up.
Fainyx slowly opened his mouth. He looked directly at his father and tried to force his vocal cords to form the words.
*Stop panicking.*
Nothing came out. He swallowed dryly, his throat completely locked by his psychological trauma, and tried to mouth the words again.
From the corner of the room, Yong's sharp black eyes caught the movement. Fainyx was trying to speak.
Suddenly, the Duke noticed it too. The imposing man froze completely, his breath hitching. Liam stopped crying, Adam stepped closer, and even Michael paused holding the potion.
"...."
The entire room plunged into absolute, suffocating silence as they all stared at the boy's moving lips.
Fainyx looked at their wide, desperate eyes staring back at him. The pressure was too much. He couldn't make a single sound.
Exhausted, feverish, and incredibly sleepy, Fainyx simply gave up. He closed his eyes and let the darkness pull him under, completely passing out on the pillows.
The silence in the room was deafening.
Bewildered and terrified, the family had no choice but to push their despair aside and get to work.
The maids carefully cleaned the blood from Fainyx's face and changed his clothes, while Michael forced the fever-reducing potions down his throat.
Watching from the invisible shadows, Yong and Ruth saw the Duke staring down at his unconscious son. The Duke's expression was utterly devastating, it was the look of a powerful man who was entirely broken, completely consumed by the guilt of his past neglect.
Hours ticked by. Finally, Michael stepped back and let out a long sigh of relief. Fainyx's breathing had evened out, and his condition was stable.
Fainyx slept peacefully, though his face remained frighteningly pale.
The Duke gently brushed a strand of silver hair from Fainyx's forehead. He turned to Adam and Liam, who were still standing by the bed in their wrinkled pajamas, their eyes red and puffy.
"You both need to leave now," the Duke whispered softly, his voice hollow. "Fainyx needs to rest."
The two brothers nodded reluctantly. Weinhart escorted the children and the medical staff out of the room, leaving the Duke alone for a moment before he, too, finally walked out, closing the door softly behind him
The moment the room was empty, Yong and Ruth dropped their concealment magic, stepping up to the edge of the bed.
"Why did his condition suddenly get worse?" Yong whispered, his brow furrowed in deep concern. "He was perfectly fine yesterday. This is my first time actually seeing him get sick."
"The medicine is purging the decay," Ruth replied quietly, crossing his thick arms. "But when I saw his family just now... they were entirely devastated. They truly believe he is counting his final days."
Yong looked at the closed door, remembering the absolute despair on the Duke's face.
"We need to tell them about the cure," Yong agreed, his tone serious. "If we don't, they might literally stress themselves to death before he even gets better."
Ruth nodded slowly. "We will. But it is his secret to share."
"Yeah," Yong sighed, looking down at the sleeping boy. "When Fainyx wakes up and feels better, we need to ask him about it."
Having made their decision, the two masters slipped silently out the window, leaving Fainyx to rest.
***
The heavy stench of cheap alcohol filled the cramped, filthy apartment.
"Why did you have to bring a filthy animal in here, huh!?"
A terrifying, booming voice echoed through the narrow hallway, accompanied by the heavy, stumbling footsteps of a grown man.
In the dark corner of the room, a young boy curled into a tight ball, shielding a small cardboard box under his bed. Inside the box, a tiny, abandoned baby cat let out a weak, frightened meow.
"Give it here!" A rough, calloused hand grabbed the boy by the hair, throwing him across the room. The boy screamed, scrambling to get back to the box, but he was too late.
The man kicked the box over. The glint of a kitchen knife caught the dim light of the streetlamp outside.
"No! Please, stop! Don't hurt him! Please!!"
The boy cried out at the top of his lungs, his throat tearing with the force of his desperate screams.
But the knife came down. The man turned his furious, bloodshot eyes toward the boy, raising his fists. The beating that followed was a blur of agonizing pain, but the physical blows were nothing compared to the sight of the small, lifeless body on the floor. His only family. Gone...
Fainyx's eyes snapped open in the pitch black.
He gasped violently, his small chest heaving as if he had been running for hours. His entire body was drenched in a cold, feverish sweat, and his limbs were trembling uncontrollably. The suffocating terror of his past life clung to his skin.
He was no longer in that terrible apartment. He was in the Duke's estate. He was Fainyx.
'Tsk this dream again...'
He kept having this dream of when he was in his past life for two years now. but today is much worse than what he dreamt of...
But the panic refused to let go. He hugged his knees to his chest, shaking like a leaf in the winter wind.
Suddenly, he felt something warm and fluffy press against his bare legs.
"Kyu~" a soft, sleepy voice trilled.
Fainyx flinched, looking down. In the dim moonlight filtering through the window, he saw a small ball of white fur.
It was Lumi. The tiny weasel had somehow forced open a microscopic crack in the spatial fabric, crossing dimensions purely because it sensed its master's distress.
The portal was already closed, but Lumi remained, curled safely against his skin.
The physical warmth of the little creature acted like an anchor. Fainyx let out a shaky breath, closing his eyes as his violent trembling slowly began to subside. He wasn't alone.
*Kachak!
The subtle sound of the window latch unlocking made Fainyx tense again. The heavy glass swung open, and two figures slipped silently into the room.
"Took you long enough, old lizard," Yong whispered, dusting off his robes. "Hurry up and set the barrier before the guards patrol the hallway."
"Quiet, human," Ruth muttered, his golden eyes scanning the dark room. He raised a hand, instantly casting a high-tier soundproofing barrier and an illusion over the bed so anyone peeking in would only see a peacefully sleeping child.
"The boy's fever has broken, but we need to examine his pathways. Now, let us—"
Ruth stopped dead in his tracks. His draconic pupils narrowed into dangerous slits.
"What is it?" Yong asked, sensing the sudden shift in the ancient dragon's aura.
"A scent," Ruth growled low in his throat, stepping quickly toward the bed.
"A wild spirit. It is right here. Under the covers."
Before Fainyx could even react, Ruth's large hand reached out and gripped the edge of the heavy blanket, yanking it back. The sudden movement exposed Lumi, who blinked sleepily in the sudden light.
"A spatial beast?" Ruth said, his voice laced with shock and immediate suspicion. "How did a dangerous creature bypass my wards? Step aside, Fainyx, do not let it bite you!"
Ruth reached his massive hand down, intending to grab the weasel by the scruff of its neck to throw it out.
*SMACK!
The sound echoed sharply in the quiet room.
Ruth froze, completely stunned. Fainyx had slapped his hand away with incredible force.
The moment Ruth reached for the small animal, the nightmare violently overlaid with reality. The dragon's hand became the step-father's calloused grip. The sudden movement became the knife.
'Not again. No, no, no, please, not again'
Fainyx snatched Lumi up, clutching the tiny weasel desperately to his chest. He scrambled backward until his spine hit the wooden headboard, curling his frail body tightly over the animal to protect it with his own life.
"Fainyx?" Ruth said, thoroughly confused. "I am not trying to—"
Fainyx began to hyperventilate. His violet eyes were blown wide with sheer, unadulterated terror.
He was shaking so hard his teeth chattered, and choked, silent sobs wracked his small frame. He stared at Ruth as if the dragon were a monster coming to murder his only family.
Yong's eyes widened as he realized exactly what was happening.
"Whoa! Stop!" Yong hissed, immediately grabbing Ruth's shoulder and physically yanking the massive dragon backward.
"Don't take another step, Ruth!"
"What is wrong with him?" Ruth asked, his ancient voice dropping to a shocked whisper. "I was only trying to protect—"
"Look at his eyes!" Yong snapped quietly. "He's terrified of you. You triggered something. Sit down, right now."
Yong immediately dropped to the floor beside the bed, crossing his legs. He firmly pulled Ruth down beside him. "Look away,"
Yong instructed. "Don't look at him, don't crowd him. Give him space to breathe."
The two incredibly overpowered men sat on the carpet, strictly facing the opposite wall, completely silent and still.
In the quiet room, the only sound was Fainyx's ragged, panicked breathing.
Minutes ticked by. The silence, combined with the fact that no one was moving toward him, slowly pierced through Fainyx's panic attack.
He clutched Lumi tightly, staring at the backs of his two masters.
These weren't the man from his past life.
This was Master Yong, who joked and taught him magic. This was Ruth, the prideful dragon who healed his ruined body. They were good people...
A heavy wave of guilt washed over Fainyx. He slowly uncurled his stiff limbs. Holding Lumi in one arm, he leaned over the edge of the bed and gently tapped both of their shoulders.
Yong and Ruth turned their heads.
Fainyx immediately bowed his head deeply, offering a silent, desperate apology for his sudden outburst and for striking Ruth.
"Kiddo..." Yong let out a long, heavy sigh, his black eyes filled with profound sadness.
"You don't ever need to apologize to us for being scared."
"It is I who should apologize," Ruth said, his deep voice incredibly gentle. The ancient dragon bowed his own head toward the six-year-old boy. "I acted rashly. I sensed an unknown spirit and assumed it was a threat to your frail body. I am deeply sorry, Fainyx. I swear on my pride, I will never touch it. You are safe."
Fainyx slowly sat back up, his chest still tight with lingering anxiety.
Yong leaned his elbows on his knees, looking up at his disciple. The playful, arrogant master was entirely gone, replaced by a man who looked deeply concerned for his family.
"Fainyx," Yong said softly. "We've been teaching you for a while now. We care about you. Honestly, we love you like you're our own flesh and blood. But..."
Yong paused, glancing at Ruth before looking back at the boy.
"You carry a burden that a six-year-old child should never have to bear," Yong continued, his voice barely above a whisper. "The fear in your eyes just now... that wasn't the fear of a sick noble boy. That was the raw terror of someone who has suffered something horrible. Why do you always feel this way? What happened to make you shut the entire world out?"
The heavy question hung in the air.
Fainyx looked down at his lap. The memories of his past life threatened to drown him. The lonely, pathetic gamer. The jobless recluse locked in an apartment.
The boy who had nothing and no one. He was terrified that if he opened his mouth, if he let people in, it would all be ripped away again.
A warm, wet sensation brushed his cheek.
"Kyu..." Lumi had climbed up to his shoulder and was gently licking his face.
Fainyx reached up and touched his own cheek. His fingers came away wet. He hadn't even realized he was crying.
Tears streamed silently down his pale face. He looked at Yong and Ruth. The two immensely powerful men were watching him with absolute helplessness, completely unsure how to console a broken child. They weren't judging him. They were just waiting for him.
Fainyx swallowed hard. He made his decision.
He would tell them the truth. He would show them the truth. But since his voice still refused to work, but then he realized that maybe he can...
Fainyx stood up on the mattress.
Yong and Ruth looked up in confusion.
Fainyx closed his eyes and raised both of his arms. He completely released the perfect concealment he had maintained for years. He stopped holding back and the try to open the protal he never shown to everyone.
*Bzzz
The air inside the room warped violently. The sheer, god-like pressure of his mana erupted outward, heavy enough to Yong and Ruth to instantly feel it.
Their eyes widening in absolute, paralyzing shock as a blindingly dense concentration of magic swirled directly in front of the frail boy.
"What... what is this mana?!" Ruth gasped, his golden eyes blown wide as he felt a power that rivaled his own prime.
"Fainyx! What are you doing?!" Yong shouted over the roaring wind of pure magic.
With a sharp tearing sound, the fabric of reality split open.
A massive, glowing spatial portal stabilized right in the middle of the bedroom, revealing a glimpse of vibrant green grass and a towering, luxurious wooden villa on the other side.
"..."
Fainyx stepped directly into the rift.
He turned around, his silver with gradient green hair blowing in the magical wind, his violet eyes still red from crying.
He looked at his two bewildered masters, holding Lumi in his arms. He didn't speak a word, but his gaze was a clear, silent invitation.
*Follow me.*
Without a second thought, driven by sheer shock and an overwhelming need to understand their impossible disciple, Yong and Ruth stood up and stepped into the portal.