A few hours had passed since Raven ended up in this dark room with his fellow classmates.
Despite being in the same school as them, he knew almost nothing about them.
He didn't even know their names—except for Haley.
After some time, Haley took it upon herself to introduce everyone.
The brown-haired guy was Kane—the student president of their prestigious school.
Being the president of such an elite institution was already an impressive achievement, but his background made it even more remarkable. His father was a powerful politician and the current Vice President of the country.
Then there were the other two.
The boy's name was Shuro, and the girl was called Mira.
Kane, as expected, seemed to be a natural leader. Even in this terrifying situation, he remained composed, keeping the others from panicking. Truly a politician's son.
"Haley, does your wound still hurt?" Kane asked, his voice laced with concern.
Raven watched in silence.
Of course, Kane was paying special attention to Haley. The Karien family wasn't just any wealthy household—it was one of the most influential families in the country.
But little did any of them know—their families' power meant nothing compared to the cold monster Raven had met just a few hours ago.
The leader of the Scythes, Cielo.
Raven closed his eyes as the image of that white-haired man flashed in his mind.
For the first time in his life, he had felt something unfamiliar—fear.
A hollow heart that had never known emotion had finally encountered something terrifying enough to make it waver.
Cielo was dangerous.
So dangerous that if he wanted to, he could kill all of them in an instant.
That man didn't fear these so-called powerful families.
He had other plans for them.
But what were they?
What was he thinking?
"Raven, are you okay?"
Haley's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. She was sitting beside him, looking at him with concern.
"…Yeah. Why?"
"You don't look well," she said softly. "Your wounds are much worse than ours."
Raven glanced at her but said nothing, shutting his eyes again.
His silence clearly annoyed someone.
"Hey! She's worried about you! Shouldn't you at least reply properly?!"
Shuro's angry voice rang through the room.
"You damn hollow!"
"Shuro, that's rude!" Haley scolded.
Kane sighed, grabbing Shuro by the shoulder and leading him away to sit with Haley and Mira.
Then, Mira broke the silence with an anxious voice.
"What are our parents doing? It's been hours since we were kidnapped! Why aren't they here yet?"
Her hands clenched into fists, her knuckles turning white.
Kane, ever the rational one, spoke in a calm voice.
"Mira, don't panic. We must be in a deep, isolated location. That's why they haven't found us yet. But don't worry—police and detectives are surely searching for us like crazy. They'll be here in no time."
He turned to Haley.
"Haley, do we have any food with us?"
Haley checked their supplies.
"We just have a few sandwiches and some chocolates."
"That's good. We can make it last for a few days."
Shuro furrowed his brows.
"A few days? It's barely enough for today!"
"We don't know how long it'll take for our families to rescue us," Kane explained. "We need to ration it. I'll divide the portions now."
He took out the sandwiches and chocolates, giving each person their share. Then, he walked over to Raven, holding out his portion.
But before Raven could take it, Shuro scoffed from behind.
"Do we have to give him some? He doesn't even talk to us."
Raven lifted his head and looked at Kane.
"You don't have to give me anything."
"But your condition is much worse than ours," Kane said firmly. "You need to eat to recover."
Haley nodded in agreement. "Kane's right, Raven. Eat something, or your wounds won't heal properly."
Without waiting for a response, Kane placed half a sandwich and some chocolates in front of Raven.
"Eat when you're hungry," he said before walking away.
Raven stared at the sandwich for a few moments before finally picking it up.
***
Elsewhere, in a distant part of the hideout, footsteps echoed down an empty hallway.
A lone figure approached the room where the leader of the Scythes resided.
The heavy door unlocked with a slow click before swinging open.
The moonlight spilling through the broken ceiling illuminated the figure.
It was a woman.
Her neck bore countless scars, a permanent reminder of the battles she had survived.
She wore a long, flowing red tunic, and her crimson hair cascaded down her back.
But her most striking feature—her cold, merciless eyes—were filled with murderous intent.
She took a step forward and spoke.
"Boss, we can't hold these kids' families off much longer. We don't have much time before they find our location."
Cielo sat in his usual chair, his eyes closed, his expression unreadable.
Without opening them, he asked, "Did 'he' get involved yet?"
The woman—Sin—shook her head.
"No, boss. But it won't be long before he takes action, too."
Cielo's cold eyes finally opened.
"How long?"
"…About 18 hours."
A heavy silence filled the room.
Then, Cielo stood.
The moonlight bathed his snow-white hair, making it glow ethereally against his alabaster skin.
His gaze was ice-cold as he turned to Sin.
"Sin."
She straightened instantly.
"Yes, boss?"
Her sharp eyes gleamed with curiosity, eager to hear her new orders.
Cielo turned his back to her, his gaze shifting toward the broken ceiling.
The full moon shone brightly, casting its silver glow upon him.
His next words were calm—yet absolute.
"We'll conclude the plan in two hours and leave Broken Grave."
A slow, knowing smirk spread across Sin's lips.
She didn't question him.
She didn't hesitate.
She simply responded with deadly certainty.
"Understood."