Leo strolled along the winding path leading to his mansion, his eyes scanning the surroundings. He muttered to himself, almost in disbelief,
"Look at that... this place is more lively than I thought it'd be."
The once barren trees now swayed with fresh leaves, their branches vibrant and full of life. The dead plants that once littered the ground had been replaced by patches of greenery. It was as if the land itself was waking up.
Leo let out a small chuckle. "Not bad, huh?"
But the fleeting moment of admiration didn't last long. He shook his head, snapping himself out of it.
"Focus, Leo. Focus," he muttered, his tone firm.
Crossing his arms, he let his mind wander back to the more pressing matters.
"So... first things first." His voice was low, almost a whisper. "The enemies I've seen so far as this Leo..."
He paused, his gaze sharpening.
"The first one is obvious—the emperor "
Leo continued walking, his thoughts focused as he muttered to himself.
"Well, it's not just the Emperor."
"His entire family has it out for me."
He let out a sigh, his tone laced with frustration.
"But I've managed to piece together a bit of the reason, thanks to the librarian."
He glanced down, kicking a small stone as he walked.
"Apparently, the Emperor's wife was ambushed and killed while traveling by an undead army."
"A tragedy for the kingdom... but what does that have to do with me?"
His lips curled into a bitter smirk.
"The answer lies with their head butler, Aron."
Leo's gaze darkened as he recalled the details.
"Aron was a cursed child, just like me."
"But unlike me, he was picked up by the Empress herself at a young age."
"She took him in, raised him, and gave him a place in the palace."
He shook his head, his expression a mix of curiosity and frustration.
"But the moment she died, Aron vanished without a trace."
"And now, they see me—a cursed child—as a replacement for their hatred, their grief, or... maybe their fear."
He exhaled deeply, running a hand through his hair.
"It's all too convenient, isn't it?"
Leo continued, his tone steady.
"But you know what?"
"They're not the real issue right now."
He crossed his arms, his expression thoughtful.
"As long as Leo's father—no, my father—is alive, they won't harm me."
His gaze shifted as he thought of another.
"But that purple-haired guy from the banquet…"
"The reason he's trying to kill me? Still a mystery."
Closing his eyes briefly, Leo sighed.
"But I think I can handle him later."
He slowly opened his eyes, his focus sharpening as he stood before the mansion.
"My biggest threat right now is—"
Leo stopped mid-sentence as the ground trembled violently.
A figure leapt in front of him like a meteorite, crashing down with a thunderous impact.
Dust billowed around him, obscuring the surroundings.
Leo remained unfazed, standing still as though he had anticipated this.
As the dust began to settle, he completed his thought, his voice calm.
"—these guys."
Leo's eyes focused on the figure slowly rising from the impact.
The man stood with his back turned, his broad shoulders and muscular physique radiating sheer power.
He looked to be in his mid-30s, but what truly caught Leo's attention was the massive tattoo spanning his back.
It depicted two wings—one angelic, with intricate, feathered details, exuding a divine aura; the other dark and jagged, twisted like a devil's.
As the man turned his head slightly, giving Leo a cold side-eye, a chill ran down his spine.
Danger.
That was the only word Leo could associate with him.
Leo's thoughts raced as his eyes darted around.
"The biggest threat..." he muttered internally, watching black-robed figures emerge from the shadows, one after another, until the entire mansion was surrounded.
It was them—the same ones from that day.
The muscular man, still silent, moved his lips as if to speak, but before he could, Leo raised his hands high, stepping forward.
"I SURRENDER!" he shouted loudly, his voice cutting through the tension.
The black-robed men froze momentarily, surprised by his abrupt declaration.
Leo's face remained neutral, though his mind churned with possibilities.
"Better to play along for now," he thought, his gaze never leaving the imposing figure before him.
The muscuLar man's brow furrowed as he Looked at Leo, clearly confused by his sudden surrender.
For a moment, there was nothing but silence.
Then, with a heavy sigh, the man finally spoke, his deep voice resonating Like a distant
rumbLe of thunder.
"Fine."
Before Leo could react, the man vanished
from his sight, moving so fast it was as if he teleported.
In the blink of an eye, he was standing directly in front of Leo.
Leo barely had time to process the shift
before he saw the man's massive arm pulling
back, his fist clenched tightly.
What-
The thought barely formed in Leo's mind
before the man's fist drove into his stomach with incredible force.
The impact stole the air from Leo's Lungs,making him spit out saliva as pain exploded through his body.
His vision blurred instantly, the world around him becoming distorted.
It felt as though time itself had stopped.
Leo staggered, his Legs giving out beneath
him.
Darkness quickLy consume d his senses, and he fell to the ground, unconscious.
After some time, Leo stirred awake.
He blinked a few times but saw nothing but darkness.
"What the…? Am I still dreaming?" he murmured in his language.
"This doesn't feel like a dream."
A sharp, feminine voice echoed nearby.
"What is he even saying?"
Hearing her, Leo let out a small sigh.
"Ah… so I'm awake."
Still speaking in his language, he added, "Is this some kind of bag over my head or what?"
The woman's voice rang out again, sharp and skeptical.
"What in the world is he babbling about?"
Before Leo could make sense of her irritation, the deep, commanding voice of the muscular man cut in.
"Forget about that," he said, his tone calm but firm.
"I'll handle him."
There was a brief pause before he added, his voice carrying a hint of impatience,
"Shouldn't you be somewhere else right now?"
The woman clicked her tongue, the sound sharp and annoyed.
"Tch... Yeah, yeah, I know."
Her presence lingered, heavy and menacing.
Though Leo's vision was blocked, he could feel her sharp gaze slicing through the darkness, radiating hostility.
She muttered, her voice dripping with suspicion,
"A whole year we couldn't catch him, and now he just... surrenders?
Something about this doesn't add up."
The muscular man exhaled heavily, his voice steady but with a hint of irritation.
"Are you blind? Look at him. He's got no aura. No strength. The only card he has left to play is surrender."
He glanced at Leo for a moment before continuing,
"I don't know what happened, but it's obvious—this guy's lost all his power."
Leo sat silently, his back against the tree, hands tied firmly behind him. He didn't speak, didn't move. Instead, he focused intently, trying to catch every word and make sense of their conversation.
The woman's voice cut through the air, sharp and filled with disdain.
"Whatever his reason is, it doesn't matter."
Leo couldn't see her through the sack over his head, but he could feel the weight of her glare, like daggers aimed straight at him.
Her tone dropped, cold and commanding.
"Just make sure he doesn't get away. Not this time."
Leo thought to himself, What kind of grudge does she have against me?
He listened closely as the sound of her footsteps faded into the distance, leaving an eerie stillness in the air.
The muscular man's deep voice broke through the silence.
"She's not holding back, is she?" he said, almost to himself.
After a brief pause, he added with a wry tone, "But then again, she's not the only one who wants you gone."
Leo shifted slightly, his hands bound behind him. Summoning his courage, he asked in their language, "Why?"
The man didn't respond immediately. Instead, he stood there, quiet and imposing, as if weighing his next move.
Without warning, he reached down and ripped the sack off Leo's head.
Crouching to his level, the man's cold eyes locked onto Leo's as a dangerous smirk played across his lips.
"Why?" he repeated, his voice dripping with menace. "You really don't know?"
The man leaned in, his face twisted with anger.
"Do you even know how many lives have been destroyed because of you?" he spat, his voice dripping with venom.
Leo stared back, his expression unreadable, his silence infuriating.
The man's voice rose, his tone sharper. "People like you, hiding behind your family's power, thinking you're untouchable. Thinking there's no price to pay for your actions."
He leaned closer, his teeth clenched as he growled, "You're nothing but a parasite, and people like you shouldn't even exist."
Taking a step back, he closed his eyes and exhaled deeply, forcing himself to calm down.
After a long pause, he turned away, his movements deliberate.
When he was a few steps away, he stopped and glanced over his shoulder, his voice low and ominous.
"Enjoy this moment, boy. It won't last. The master is waiting for you."
Without another word, he strode off, disappearing into the distance, leaving Leo bound and motionless, his mind racing as he watched the man vanish into the shadows.
One of the black-hooded figures began approaching, their steps slow but intentional.
Leo didn't need to guess what was coming. As the figure reached out, Leo quickly let his eyes roam, scanning every detail of his surroundings. The uneven trees, the faint outlines of nearby structures, and even the faint shimmer of a distant light—he took it all in as fast as he could.
Before he could memorize more, the sack was pulled over his head, yanking him back into darkness.
"Move," the figure barked, grabbing him roughly by the arm.
Leo stumbled forward, his bound wrists aching with every tug. He could feel the shift in the ground beneath his feet, the crunch of gravel fading into the solid thud of wooden planks as they neared a carrier.
Without warning, he was shoved inside.
The door slammed shut with a metallic clang, and the carrier jerked forward, starting to move.
Leo sat in silence, listening to the rhythmic creak of the wheels. His thoughts raced as he pieced together the scattered fragments of the landscape he'd seen. This wasn't over. Not yet.