"Argh!"
"Aahhhhh!"
"Gwah! Argh! Ha!"
"Save me…"
"I quit! I quit!"
Screams of pain, agony, torment. Voices crying out for help and screaming for this torture to stop. Heartrending cries of those who could bear it no longer.
Countless, numerous soul-stirring, gut-wrenching shouts and screams erupted from a building within the Everett Estate.
Butler Srca, with his smile as impeccable as always, signaled for an instructor to drag out the miserable person who shouted they quit the training.
Crossing off yet another person who could not stand the special training anymore, it has only been three days in and more than five people have quit.
One of whom was even a current employee of the Everett Mansion, well, now they're considered a 'former' employee.
Butler Srca's smile did not diminish or waver whatsoever in the presence of the horror movie-like noises and tragic sights before his indifferent, calm eyes.
Dragging yet another fainted person out of the training grounds, an instructor threw them out of the building and into the hands of a team of men in black, tasked to throw the failed trainees out of the estate with their things.
The butler crossed out yet another name.
In one part of the special training course, an accident suddenly happened when one of the trainees wasn't paying attention.
"Ahhhh!" He screamed like a pig who was being gutted.
His scream attracted the trembling attention of the other trainees, however, they had no time to spare to pity the guy for they were preoccupied with their own safety and the challenges to overcome.
This special training program from hell—no, the hell of hells—had forever taken away their innocence and their youthful hopes and dreams.
Butler Srca calmly had an instructor call for a doctor and went on to observe the rest of the trainees' results and progress in running the course, uncaring of what he might have destroyed.
They had a schedule to keep after all. And those who wished to pass must stick to it like clockwork.
'It's about time I give Master the recent reports about the progress of the special training.' Butler Srca thought as he noted down everything he saw. From the tragic results to the decent results.
*****
Walking into a room built entirely from exquisite yet bullet-proof glass, Butler Srca bowed lightly to the person sitting inside enjoying their afternoon tea.
"Master, I have come with a report."
Clink.
The elegant sound of a teacup being placed down on the saucer softly rang in the spacious viewing room.
Outside of the expansive glass walls, beautiful, blossoming flowers and plants could be seen at a glance, growing bountifully everywhere.
Dancing butterflies and singing birds happily roamed the fairy-like garden behind the back of the Everett Mansion.
Ian turned his head from admiring the lovely view to look at Sling who entered the garden's viewing room.
Ian nodded lightly, indicating for Sling to begin his report.
Always observing Ian closely, so as to ensure he won't ever miss a sign or gesture from his master, Butler Srca immediately spotted Ian's go-ahead signal and started reporting his findings.
"Trainees 3, 14, 27, 32, and 56 had their applications scraped. Over a hundred trainees are left who still persist in the special training course. However, I don't see hope or potential in most of them. The training course itself is advancing slightly behind schedule, but I will be sure to urge their quicker completion. Additionally, I would like to report that I have noticed some suspicious activities and actions from a few of them. The details are included in the written report here." Butler Srca handed over a thick report to Ian.
Ian received it and flipped through it, skimming through it to get a brief idea.
Butler Srca continued to give his meticulous and summarized oral report, "Eliminating those who are possibly spies or agents placed here, it leaves a few who I have high expectations for. They are the loyal type, although a few of them seem tough to handle, I have faith that you will be able to tame them, Master."
"Ha ha." Ian laughed. "Flattery will get you everywhere, Butler Srca. I'm glad you understand that."
While giving his report of the recent progress of the special training, Sling had once again noticed a peculiar book Ian had with him. A coverless book. Or more accurately to say, the book was dressed with a titleless and pictureless cover that indicates nothing of what it could possibly be about.
"Please excuse my overstep of bounds but, why do you read books that do not have words and pictures on their covers?"
"Hm? Oh. Because it's more interesting that way."
"Interesting?"
"Yes." Ian smiled, his expression enigmatic. "Not knowing what I'll be reading next, what content it embodies, and what author it could possibly be written by, the anticipation of discovering something unexpected makes me more interested and invested in the story."
So he's excited by the unknown.
Sling concluded.
Ian Everett.
The youngest son of the deceased former boss of the Everett Mafia Group. The only brother of the current head of the group. Appearing innocent and gentle, he possesses unreal, overwhelming powers that nobody seems to know about.
Ian never seemed to fear anything. He laughed confidently in the face of danger and uncertainty. Heartless and cruel, full of irresistible power and absolute authority. Only good to those on his side.
That was Ian in Sling's eyes from what he heard of Ian from Shade and what he saw so far with his own eyes.
He makes people like him want to bow down and submit to him.
Noticing the almost empty teacup, Sling reflexively went forward and poured tea into the teacup with trained movements and postures. Cultured; displaying the manners deeply ingrained in him by the special training.
While taking a sip of the warm tea, Ian suddenly said,
"You know what? I'll go and observe the special training one of these days. There's nothing better to do while waiting. Besides, it's also my job to select new, trustworthy faces for the mansion staff team."
Sling, of course, had no objections.
"If you wish so, it shall be done."
'Naturally.' Ian's eyes glowed.
*****
After a while, Sling left to go back and monitor the trainees still in the midst of the special training. Just because he left doesn't mean they get a break, the other instructors are there to monitor them and keep them on track as well.
While Ian sat in the garden viewing room relaxing and leisurely drinking tea.
When the teapot was empty, Ian got up from his chair and walked out.
He was heading to the building where the special training was being conducted. Although he planned on taking a look in a few days, he whimsically changed his mind after thinking about it, so he's heading there now.
"Ian? Where are you going?"
"Levi."
On his way there, Ian encountered Levi.
Levi has always lived in the Everett Estate ever since the death of his parents, however, though he has a personal room arranged for him in the Everett Mansion, he mostly lived in a house close to the main mansion. There were a few reasons for this, with the major one being the hostility of a young, ignorant Ian towards the sly-looking Levi before his rebirth that made them unable to live under one roof.
Thankfully, in the present, they have made up and the current Ian, after experiencing unwanted lessons in his previous life that forced him to mature, no longer misunderstood Levi.
Now that Angus was out on a business trip and won't be back for a short while, Levi moved back into the Everett Mansion to look after Ian in his best friend's place.
"I'm going to watch the special training," Ian replied, answering Levi's question.
"Oh? That is happening, yes, I completely forgot. It is interesting. Mind if I join you?"
"Why not."
So Levi and Ian walked together to the special training's building.
On their way, they made small talk with each other, which would not have been possible if it was with the old Ian.
"You must miss your brother already, don't you, Ian? Aren't you just a clingy little thing? Everyone would wish to have you as their little brother." Levi couldn't help but tease Ian good-naturedly. Though nobody would take it that way.
Luckily, Ian understood Levi's personality and did not allow the way he spoke and the words he say, to bother him.
Translation: You miss your brother, right? You're so cute and sweet. I'm jealous.
Ian smiled calmly, unaffected by the teasing. "Of course."
Levi, seeing Ian not taking any damage, was surprised, although he never meant any ill-will towards Ian with his words, he could never seem to contain himself when playing around with Ian, causing the latter to explode in anger most of the time. It seems little Ian really changed and grew up. Oh, the heartache of watching little children maturing~
Levi smiled, his narrowly slit eyes narrowed even more into thin lines. He was very happy. He even felt like humming.
And Ian could see that. Ian smiled in his heart, he really couldn't understand the past him at all, Levi obviously treated him very well and cared for him a lot, yet the old Ian never realized or understood it. Ian really doubted his own IQ.
"Anyways, Angus's business trip is really long this time. Though he promised to be back before your 16th birthday to celebrate and hold a grand party. But between the two of us, if he doesn't make it back in time, this older brother of yours will take you to have the time of your life! A birthday party nowadays is so old-fashioned and boring, just a bunch of stinky old men and young women wanting to lick Angus's boots. I don't know what that Angus is thinking. Does he want them to lick his boots?" Levi started rambling.
Hearing the mention of "business trip", Ian felt a little guilty still on the inside. Because of a few inevitable and unexpected events involving him—although it was not the deliberate fault of his making—he delayed his brother's business trip by some days. Thankfully, it had no big impact so that made Ian's guilt subside a lot, though a trace remained.
Listening to what Levi said after, Ian wanted to laugh. He recalled the party his brother held for his 16th birthday in his last life, and it was exactly as Levi described. The majority of the guests who came, Ian didn't even know or recognize, but many of them were bigshots who wanted to get into the good graces of his brother. His brother had led him around to introduce them to him, but honestly, he didn't care so he didn't pay much attention to their introductions. Besides, they mostly flattered his brother and complimented Ian only to earn brownie points with his powerful big brother.
As for the other people at the party? They were no better. Everyone was only focused on his brother. At one point, he felt it wasn't his party but his brother's. If it weren't for the continuous stream of "Happy Birthday!"s aimed at him, he wouldn't even think it was his birthday party.
In truth, it was so boring and businessy that Ian zoned out the entire party until it ended.
Yeah, definitely not the best way to spend your only ever 16th birthday.
Though boring as it may be, something very interesting and life-changing happened that day.
Thinking about it incited anger and violence inside of Ian.
It was the day when he met them for the first time and walked into their trap.
To understand how, we must backtrack.
Although surprising, Ian didn't feel even an ounce of jealousy towards his brother for getting all the attention that should've been his. After all, Ian also felt proud of how amazing, powerful, handsome, great, cool, strong, blah blah blah—you get the drift—his brother is. He was like a little fanboy who could see no wrong in anything his cool older brother did and felt no envy and held no grudge for the well-deserved attention Angus unwittingly received.
So even more so, they sparked his interest because unlike the others who addressed his brother first and basically ignored Ian after the initial greeting, they didn't. They even spoke to Ian first and continued to converse with him even after his brother was called away.
This made them memorable for Ian because it was the first time something like that happened.
Ironically, though, Ian got interested in them not because of something like jealousy, but because of doubt. Why would they ignore his awesome brother? Is there something wrong with them?
Was what the innocent, naive Ian of back then questioned in the front of his mind.
Apparently, his facial expression was very honest because they saw through his doubts and answered them.
"----"
Ian was surprised by their answer.
So after that encounter, Ian stayed in touch with them, all the way until the day of the tragic incident that forever took away Ian's innocence.