I regained my composure, though it was less of composure and more of speechlessness, powerlessness, and hopelessness. Kneeling beside Neil, who appeared devoid of any color, I found myself devoid of any coherent thoughts, only the desire to fill every moment and every second with him. As I observed the bloodless figure before me, an unconscious question slipped from my lips."How could someone suddenly start bleeding without cause?""Perhaps it's due to internal injuries," Ethan responded naturally, unaware of my murmurs."Internal injuries?" The words stirred something within me. "Neil mentioned being attacked, injured, but I couldn't see any wounds. I even accused him of fabricating it.""Wounds that couldn’t be seen?""Yes, even the vampire claimed Neil was injured.""Master, may I examine Mr. Neil?" Ethan's request triggered a realization. "I've heard of a magic that conceals surface truths, masking external injuries while internal ones persist. Without prompt treatment, these int
In one hand, I held Neil's diary, and in the other, Ethan's USB drive, handed to me personally. As I delved into the diary, I discovered Neil too had fallen for me at first sight, but his self-doubt clouded his feelings. Many times, his thoughts and emotions mirrored mine, only he was more naïve, yet all this was before my transformation. I never noticed my own change, let alone its downward spiral. Initially, to win Neil over, I resorted to deceit and manipulation; once together, driven by my possessiveness, I controlled and punished him. Returning to the castle, I felt I had veered further off course, and the damning truth lay on the next page of the diary: the second day at the castle. No one admonished me, not even Neil, and it was only after his passing that I found my faults within his diary.Turning to the last seventh page of Neil's diary:"On the second day at the castle, I anticipated it to be a splendid one, with breakfast followed by a leisurely stroll. But then I saw him,
I continued to flip through Neil's diary: the last, sixth page."This morning, my alarm went off, but I was too tired to get up. My eyes wouldn't open, and my muscles felt heavy. I couldn't wake up, and the noise woke Ryan. He was a bit grumpy from being disturbed.I realized Ryan couldn't see my wounds either, because when he grabbed my wrist to wake me up, his fingernails dug into my wound, causing me a sharp pain. Why can't they see my injuries?I got into Paul's car. He looked angry, and I didn't dare to look at him. I secretly called Ryan, but Ryan didn't pick up. I tried calling again, but he still didn't answer. He must be busy.We arrived at a waterfall area, where I saw Rainey and the others, along with the people from yesterday. Paul dragged me to the center of the crowd and punched me in the stomach, making me collapse in pain. He then placed his leg on my chest, and my back hurt from being pressed against the rocks.I heard Rainey and the others ask Paul if he was crazy. P
I took out Neil's phone, retrieved the blocked contacts, and found Harry's number. Using my own phone, I called him. This was the second time I had reached out to him. The first time was to keep him away from Neil, fearing he might hurt him. Now, the second time, I had hurt Neil myself and needed his help."Hello.""It's Ryan.""What happened to Neil?""Neil is dead. I caused his death.""Ryan Lucas!""I know you hate me. I'll pay the price, don't worry about that.""What do you want?""I need your help. I need you to get rid of three werewolves. Are you up for it?""Are they the ones who killed Neil?""Yes.""Okay.""First, find someone capable of protecting you all the way to Lucas Castle. Once you're at the castle, I'll protect you. This isn't just confidence—it's a promise on my life.""Then why didn't you protect Neil with your life back then?"I couldn't answer that question. I wanted to tell him that I realized my confidence was misplaced only now, but what use was that now? My
"Ryan, get to the point.""Alright, Harry. Most of the people who bullied Neil are dead now. The only ones left are the patriarch 's grandson, Paul, my sister, Rainey, and her boyfriend, Cole. I'm not in a position to deal with it, so it's up to you.""Brother!""Ryan! That's your sister!" The old woman, in a rare display of maternal love, intervened."Did she think about that when she was bullying Neil, the person I love the most?""That was only a human, brother!""You're just a werewolf, sister.""Dad, brother's gone mad, you have to help me," Rainey pleaded, clinging to her father's hand."Say something! Your son is about to kill your daughter!""Ryan, that's enough.""No, I won't stop. What can you do about it?""If he died, that's his fate. What does it have to do with Rainey? What does it have to do with me? What does it have to do with your father?""Joseph Lucas, Rose Lucas, are you going to stand there and pretend you don't know about the things your daughter and her thug bo
Ethan still brought meals three times a day, but each time he delivered a meal, he would take away the untouched one from before. He had tried to persuade me many times, but I always replied that for someone on the verge of death, eating one more meal or one less didn't make a difference. This morning, however, he was so shocked by my actions that he dropped the entire breakfast on the floor because I had harmed myself.I had been lying in bed, looking at Neil, thinking about his pain and my guilt, repeatedly dwelling on the same thoughts. Suddenly, an idea struck me. If I followed Neil in death, I would only experience dying. My poor Neil endured unimaginable pain alone, pain that no one else knew or understood.I picked up something sharp and started cutting into my own flesh. Wherever Neil had a wound, I made a cut on myself in the same place. I had made about a dozen cuts when Ethan walked in. Seeing what I was doing, he immediately threw the food aside and rushed over to take the
Recently, I told them I was planning to move out. The old man and his wife earnestly tried to persuade me to stay, asking what dissatisfaction I had that they could try to remedy. I mentioned my desire not to live with them, and the next day they had someone expand the castle grounds, erecting a secondary castle behind the main one, to be solely under my jurisdiction. To make a clear distinction, the main castle was renamed Joseph Castle, while the secondary one was christened Ryan Castle, and no one referred to this abode as Lucas Castle anymore. Under my management, no one except Ethan could enter Ryan Castle while I was at home, so Ethan would instruct the servants to clean only when I was away. As for magic shield, the old man suggested maintaining a barrier even though I lived alone, but I agreed superficially while secretly having Ethan cast another spell, allowing the castle's master to be exempt from the barrier. What needed to be known, I would know; what didn't need to be k
Before returning to my castle, Ethan and I roughly confirmed whether my brother's abandonment was related to Neil. Ethan responded that from the private conversation between the old man and the old woman earlier, it could be inferred as one of the reasons. I speculated that another reason might be that Roy was an untamed free spirit, someone whose thoughts could never be accurately predicted. This unpredictability was a major taboo for the old man when choosing an heir. He could accept rebellion, but not someone who played entirely by their own rules. Given this reasoning, what I needed to do most was to strengthen myself to a level surpassing the old man, and then break the rules. This was my strategy for dealing with the Lucas family. Moreover, once the Lucas family was under my feet, the wolf pack wouldn't be an issue. They were like swarms of ants and bees; as long as I was strong enough and provided them with benefits, they wouldn't pose much of a problem, if any at all. My gr
Ken Yimo simply gave a cold smile, completely dismissing my warnings. There was no trace of pity or warmth in his eyes as he turned and walked out of the cell. I stood there, helpless and furious, watching him leave, fully aware that I was trapped here and powerless to stop him. As the heavy door slowly closed behind him, a sense of helplessness overwhelmed me, and despair and anguish surged in my chest. I was locked in this cold, isolated cell, surrounded by thick stone walls that shut out even the faintest trace of light, leaving me in total darkness. There was no way to reach out, no phone, no tool to call for help. My thoughts began to be consumed by the shadows, yet Neil's face lingered in my mind, refusing to fade. Would he, once again, fall prey to Ken Yimo’s control and cruelty, triggering another episode of sleepwalking? The thought twisted my heart with an unshakable sense of dread and fear. As night fell, darkness engulfed
I stared at him, unwilling to waste words. Instead, I asked directly, “Where’s Neil?” The question was like a weight pressing on my chest, and this man before me was the only one who could answer it.Ken Yimo’s expression was one of indifference, as he replied coolly, “Neil? He’s resting. He’s very simple-minded. As long as I tell him to stay put, he won’t wander off. So, unlike with you, I don’t have to keep him chained up.” His words dripped with a detached cruelty, as though Neil were nothing more than a toy he could control at will. My fists clenched involuntarily, and a simmering anger began to burn within me.I knew then—Ken Yimo must have done something to manipulate Neil or force him into submission. I wanted to press him further, but Ken spoke first, a sly smile twisting across his face. “Ah, but it seems that when kids grow up, they’re not so easy to keep
“I’ve had enough.” Finally, my patience wore thin. Soft tactics weren’t working, so it was time to be firm. I stood up, bundled Neil up tightly in his blanket, ignoring his struggles or pleas. Before long, Neil was sitting at the small table, his head poking out from the blanket while the rest of his body was wrapped up snugly—held there by my bear hug, replacing any other form of restraint.I should have done it this way from the start. It saved time, kept the food warm, and, most importantly, even though he was wrapped in a blanket, I could still hold him close, care for him, protect him—letting him sit on my lap and lean against me.“Wow.” Seeing his eager expression, I couldn’t help but feel a bit proud. “I know you love these dishes, so I made them just for you. What do you want to eat?”"My favorite pasta.""My favorite pancakes."
I rambled on while watching the stars twinkle silently in the night sky. The breeze caressed the woods outside the tent, and the night was as gentle as a dream. Unconsciously, fatigue crept into my eyelids, and finally I fell into a deep sleep in the stillness of the night.I didn't know exactly how long I slept until a beam of morning light shone through the transparent tent roof and shone on my face, waking me up from my slumber. In a daze, I blinked, as if last night's worries and hesitations were still swirling in my mind. But the scene that came into my eyes next completely turned all my imaginations upside down.“Neil!!! what are you doing?!” I instantly came to my senses and sat up with a jolt. Right in front of me, Neil was kneeling beside me, head bowed, with a serious look on his face as he tried to help me with my natural morning reaction. He didn't look hesitant at all, as if it was a matter of course.
My heart sank, realizing that it wasn’t just innocent childish behavior—it was a desperate search for affection, a need to please, a struggle to win more care and love from Ken Yimo. In that moment, I suddenly understood that Harry's words might have been true—their relationship was far beyond a typical father-son bond.I struggled to steady the emotions stirring within me, and looked up at Neil’s innocent face. He probably didn’t recognize the true meaning behind those gestures—their intent was not simply familial love, but a deep, almost physical craving for attention, a kind of dependence on being favored. A quiet ache settled in my chest as I wished with all my heart that he would never be caught in that dark emotional whirlpool again.I smiled softly, gently steering the conversation back to where it had started. "So, to get back to the point, I am your one and only, aren't I?" On this quiet night, I
"Yes, every day." Neil nodded firmly, his tone pure, almost childlike."Then, is this kind of missing me something unique?" I pressed on, as though I were hoping to hear a one-of-a-kind answer from him."Unique?" He blinked, looking as though he didn’t quite understand the meaning of the word.I patiently explained, "What I mean is... is this something that only I experience? Like, the way you miss your dad—does it feel the same as the way I miss mine?"Neil shook his head slightly, his voice soft as he replied, "It's different. I miss Ryan more."A flicker of delight stirred within me, but I kept my expression neutral and asked, "What about compared to your elder brother and your little brother? Is it different with them too?"Neil thought for a moment before nodding with certainty. "Yeah, I miss Ryan the most.""So, only I,
As I processed Harry's bombshell, I turned to Ethan and asked, "Have you checked if Fred Yimo is really Ken Yimo's biological son?"Ethan's expression turned serious as he pulled out his phone. "I'll have someone look into it now."Peter furrowed his brow, clearly skeptical. "You suspect Fred Yimo might be adopted too?""I actually hope so," I replied firmly. "It's a lot less messy than the unethical theory.""Ken Yimo really isn't simple," Harry remarked on the phone, sounding almost impressed. "When I was around, Fred was a bit more relaxed. But the moment I left, he turned into a mouse—didn't even dare to breathe too loudly, but a little bit “sticky” though."I let out a cold laugh. "Doesn't that completely clash with the surveillance cameras he set up at home?"Peter nodded thoughtfully. "You’re right. Which of these sides is the r
As Peter and I sat off to the side, watching them laugh and chat, a tangle of emotions stirred within us. The scene was heartwarming, yet there was an undeniable sense of loss. Here we were, two grown men, holding our glasses, sitting on the fringes of this cozy gathering, as if the world had forgotten about us.Peter let out a heavy sigh. "Why does it feel like I'm drifting further away from my own precious one?" His gaze lingered on Nick and Neil, a hint of sadness in his eyes.I took a sip of my drink, my voice low. "It feels like everyone else is getting closer to Neil than I am." The words left a sting in my chest, as though something inside me had been pierced.Ethan, overhearing our conversation, smiled softly and leaned in to offer a quiet word of reassurance. "Don’t rush," he said gently. "You’ll grow closer in time." He set down his soup spoon, his demeanor calm and wise. "When the bond is strong, n
I paused, surprised that Ken Yimo had informed Neil so quickly. I had been ready to carefully persuade him to come along, but it turned out I didn’t need to—the door was already open, and Neil knew he’d have some freedom. My plan could move forward seamlessly.I smiled, leaning down with a hint of excitement in my voice. "Neil, how about a trip to the amusement park?" My gaze held a playful glint, eager to see his reaction.As expected, Neil’s face instantly lit up with an incredible smile, like sunshine breaking into the depths of his heart. "Really?" His eyes sparkled like stars in the night sky, his voice brimming with barely-contained excitement."Yes!" I nodded, continuing to paint an exciting picture for him. "We can even go see a movie, and then camp out to watch the stars. How does that sound?"Neil’s face flushed with excitement, and he practically burst out, "Y