Hours ticked away, but Kael didn't notice. He sat frozen on the sofa, his mind completely blank. He couldn't hear a single sound around him. A few people still lingered in the room, shifting uncomfortably and looking around with awkward glances.
After what felt like an eternity, an old man walked over to the sofa. He placed a heavy hand on Kael's knee.
"It is getting very late," the old man said quietly. "I need to go home now."
Kael slowly raised his eyes. When he looked at the man's face, recognition finally hit him. This was his father's personal secretary. This was the man who had always been by his father's side, the one his father trusted completely.
Kael remembered the promise this man had once made to his father: *"I will take care of your child after your death."*
"A-Alright," Kael whispered, his voice trembling uncontrollably.
The old man offered a polite smile. But to Kael, that smile looked entirely fake. It was a hollow mask. Now that his father was gone, everyone was finally showing their true colors.
Even his own uncle—his father's blood brother—had abandoned him at the house the moment dawn broke. They were all leaving him behind.
Kael tightened his fist in despair. He squeezed so hard that his knuckles turned white.
Suddenly, a warm hand was placed gently over his tightened knuckles. It was a comforting sensation Kael had never experienced in his life.
Startled, Kael looked up. His eyes widened in absolute shock. Standing right in front of him was the powerful Chairman—the owner of the Vrenz Group.
Broken and desperate, Kael blurted out, "Are you going to leave me behind too?"
Renjiro, who was sitting next to him on the sofa, quickly patted Kael's back. He wanted to stop the boy from speaking so bluntly to the Chairman. But as Renjiro looked at Kael, he froze. Renjiro had suffered through the exact same pain in his own past. He knew this agony all too well, so the words stuck in his throat.
Instead of leaving, Renjiro and his wife stood firmly by Kael's side. They stayed there, quietly helping him endure the worst moments of his life.
A little later, a young boy and his parents walked into the house. Kael remained on the sofa, watching them through a blur of tears. A bitter, heartbreaking realization washed over him.
He murmured softly into the quiet room, his tears spilling over.
> "The people I used to hate... the ones who never even came to this place before... they are the only ones here helping me now."
>
Renjiro looked down at the weeping boy and gave a gentle, knowing smile.
"Sometimes," Renjiro said softly, "strangers become the ones who care for you the most."
The family walked over and stopped right in front of Kael. Without a word, the father knelt down. He gently held Kael's face in his hands, offering silent comfort. Nearby, the mother softly stroked Sara's head, trying to soothe her. They both looked down, their eyes filled with deep sorrow.
The family then stood up and went to the kitchen. They returned carrying glasses of water for everyone in the room.
Kael grabbed his glass and drank all the water in one desperate gulp. He didn't even pause for breath. Seeing this, everyone realized just how exhausted and parched he was. He had been completely paralyzed by grief, unable to even stand up to get a drink.
As they all stood there in silence, a group of police officers entered the bungalow.
"Is there anyone here who can receive the official news?" the inspector asked.
The Chairman and the young boy's father immediately stepped forward to meet them. On the sofa, Kael's knuckles turned white again as he clenched his fists.
The police inspector looked grave. "He is dead. But this wasn't an accident. It was a targeted murder."
Kael froze. He quickly used his arms to wipe the tears from his eyes, forcing himself to listen to every word.
The inspector continued, his voice heavy. "Sir, Elara's murder was incredibly brutal. The killer choked her neck first. Then, they broke her finger and fractured her arm."
The Chairman's eyes widened in absolute horror. He turned to look at the other father, who was also frozen in shock.
"You will all need to come to the hospital to collect the bodies," the inspector said quietly.
Hearing those words, something snapped inside Kael. He scrambled off the sofa and ran straight toward the police inspector.
"I told you!" Kael screamed, his voice cracking and losing all control. "I told you that you should have stopped them...!"
His voice broke completely, choked out by bitter tears.
The inspector looked down at the shattered boy. Seeing Kael's overwhelming despair, the officers felt a deep pang of sympathy. Their own eyes grew misty with tears.
Deciding to bypass standard protocol for the grieving family, the inspector gave a soft nod to his men. "We will bring the bodies here to the house instead."
Kael fell to his knees, crying bitterly as he clung to the police inspector's legs.
Sara couldn't bear to watch him suffer like this. Tears streamed down her own face as she stepped forward, gently pulling Kael up. But the grief was too heavy. Kael's body went completely limp, and he collapsed from exhaustion.
The Chairman quickly moved in. He lifted Kael up, carried him into the bedroom, and laid him gently on the bed. Sara sat quietly right next to him, refusing to leave his side.
The Chairman stepped out of the room and quietly shut the door behind him. He looked at Renjiro and asked in a low voice, "Hey... did something like this happen to you too?"
At the question, Azune turned her face away as fresh tears fell down her cheeks.
Renjiro forced a bitter, sad smile. "We both lost our parents, too."
The Chairman's heart sank. *I picked the worst topic to bring up,* he thought, filled with instant regret.
Renjiro took a deep, heavy breath, doing his best to control his swirling emotions.
At midnight, Kael slowly opened his eyes.
The house was incredibly quiet. He stood up and walked out of the bedroom. In the living room, he saw that the guests were still there. The kind family was sitting on the sofa, and the powerful Chairman of the Vrenz Group was sitting right beside them.
Kael quietly walked over to the group.
The Chairman looked up and noticed him. "What's wrong? Are you feeling okay?"
Kael looked down, his voice soft. "I don't even know your name... yet you are staying here to help me at my lowest point."
The Chairman smiled gently at the boy.
"I am Alex Vrenz," he said. "Your father was my closest childhood friend."
Kael's eyes widened slightly. He then turned his gaze to the other father.
The man offered a warm, reassuring look. "I am Gray Warner. I was also a very close friend of your father in the past."
Hearing their words, Kael's emotional walls crumbled. Tears spilled over his eyes once again, but this time, they were filled with deep gratitude.
"Thank you," Kael choked out, his voice thick with emotion. "Thank you so much."
Inside the quiet bedroom, Sara was fast asleep on Kael's bed. But even in her sleep, the sorrow hadn't left her—wet tears still stained her cheeks.