"Matthew! You have already reached level F+...?" Jackson exclaimed with joy as he moved closer to his son.
"Before he could approach, Matthew stepped back, avoiding him."
"I'm heading to my room. Please do not disturb me."Matthew said wearily. He turned and walked away, leaving Jackson and Lewis standing in stunned silence, the sound of the door slamming shut echoing in the room space.
"At that age, achieving an F+ level isn't cause for celebration," James muttered while frowning at Jackson's reaction.
Nearby, Liam quickly covered James' mouth with his hand. He turned toward Jackson and Lewis, apologizing, "Sorry, my friend can be a little blunt."
Despite his efforts to ease the tension, beads of sweat began forming on Liam's forehead. He was worried James might have upset the family.
Lewis, standing close by, was now surrounded by flickering flames. Glaring at James, she said through clenched teeth, "If it weren't for your friend's manners, I would've burned you to ash."
Realizing his mistake, James slowly removed Liam's hand from his mouth and sat silently, clearly embarrassed by his behavior.
Jackson sighed as he moved toward the table and sat down. "It's fine. I actually like straightforward people. Besides, James isn't wrong; that's the truth."
Liam noticed the somber mood. It seemed this family had many unresolved issues, but it wasn't their place to meddle. Getting too involved in others' affairs never ended well.
"So, where can we sleep?" James asked, his voice a little awkward as he tried to break the silence. Despite the awkwardness, his words were sincere. Both he and Liam had traveled far, and they were exhausted—especially mentally.
"Oh, right. You can sleep downstairs," Jackson replied, snapping out of his thoughts and scratching his head with a smile.
Lewis said nothing, her eyes filled with sorrow as she stared at the table, clearly worried about her brother.
Later, both Liam and James retired early while Jackson's family continued their activities. The night had yet to fall, and there was still much work to be done, especially with the damage caused by the monsters.
***
In the blink of an eye, a new day began.
"Wow," James stretched and yawned as he woke up. Glancing around, he noticed that Liam was already awake and had been training for some time.
Smiling at himself, James thought, "Maybe I should train harder, or he'll leave me behind."
Since receiving Lysander's mark, Liam has been training diligently. He was now nearly confident that he had mastered the 'Formation' skill. Looking down at his hand, which was surrounded by energy forming into a blade, Liam nodded with satisfaction. He glanced over at James, who was still half-asleep and said, "You better get ready. I think Lewis is definitely going to spar with you today."
Startled, James frowned, annoyed. "I know."
His irritation stemmed mostly from the fact that thanks to Liam, he'd been dragged into this mess. It was clear that he was becoming a shield for Liam.
Liam, hearing footsteps from the upper floors, remarked, "We should get moving. If we don't, they'll think we're lazy."
He smiled at James, still grumbling in his bed, and then proceeded to head out of the room, heading upstairs.
"Damn it!" James cursed under his breath, venting his frustration as he got out of bed to follow Liam.
"Hurry up! I won't wait long," Liam called out, standing on the second floor, impatiently waiting for James.
Just then, the sound of a door opening echoed through the hallway, revealing a man with tired, lifeless eyes.
"Why did I have to run into him now?" Liam frowned in thought but then sighed, walking over with a polite smile. "Hey, you're Matthew, right? I heard Mr. Jackson mention you."
It was the least he could do to show some basic manners, especially when staying in someone else's house.
Matthew's half-lidded eyes barely focused on Liam as he tried to shake off his exhaustion. He stared at Liam without saying a word. But then, as he got a closer look at Liam's face, particularly his golden eyes, Matthew's expression changed dramatically.
"What the hell? Did I say something wrong?" Liam felt a chill as Matthew stared at him with murderous intent.
"It's you, you bastard!" Matthew roared, his body igniting in flames as he threw a blazing punch toward Liam's face.
Caught completely off-guard, Liam instinctively retreated just before the punch could connect, the energy within him surging in response. But the heat from Matthew's flames had already burned the cloth around Liam's forehead, revealing a black tattoo.
"It's you. Alex!" Matthew growled, even more enraged upon seeing the tattoo on Liam's forehead. He charged forward, hurling another fiery punch. This time, the flames detached from Matthew's hand, forming a massive fireball that rushed toward Liam.
Feeling the intense heat getting closer, sweat trickled down Liam's forehead. He dodged the punch with incredible speed, but the flames still caused the room to echo with loud cracks and creaks.
"What the hell is going on?!" James finally made it to the second floor, his eyes wide with shock as he witnessed the chaos.
Liam, frustrated, yelled, "What do you think? Hurry up and help me deal with this lunatic!"
He had no idea why Matthew was attacking him. He hadn't said or done anything to provoke the guy. And why the hell did Matthew call him Alex? Who the hell is Alex? Nothing made sense.
"Why can't things ever go smoothly?" James shouted in frustration, rushing to Liam's side to assist him.
Matthew, his eyes bulging with rage, focused solely on Liam. The flames around him flared up even more violently, spreading to the wooden floor and surrounding furniture, which were now showing signs of catching fire.
Just then, a voice cut through the chaos, pulling Matthew out of his fury.
"Brother, what are you doing?"
Lewis appeared, her face filled with alarm as she surveyed the destruction caused by the flames.
"Get your crazy brother under control! He's attacking people for no reason!" James yelled, seething with anger.
Liam, sensing the tension ease with Lewis' arrival, relaxed slightly, understanding that the fight would likely stop now.
Matthew's eyes widened as he looked around. Only now did he realize that the person in front of him wasn't the bastard he thought. There was some resemblance, but Liam was much younger. Plus, the tattoo on Liam's forehead was different. However, that didn't lessen the hostility in his gaze. Liam's identity was exposed.