"Neil, what happened three years ago?""It was the year the school organized a holiday trip that everyone had to attend. I was worried about the cost because, living in an orphanage, I had no money. But then the school said a philanthropist had sponsored our trip. Everyone in our orphanage was so happy because it was our first chance to go somewhere other than the orphanage or school. Thanks to that philanthropist, we had our first trip."The first trip. That meant there had been no such arrangements before, only three years ago. I pulled out my phone and sent a quick message to Ethan, asking him to check the records of all the holiday trips organized by Rollen Boy’s School. Then I quickly put my phone away; I needed to know more and couldn't interrupt Neil's confession.I held his hand tightly. "I remember we were divided into two groups that year: one for a sea trip and one for a mountain trip. I initially chose the mountain trip because I'm afraid of the sea. But on the day of the
Ethan's text message read:"Master Ryan, I've found the results you asked for and some additional information that I think you should know: -1. Rollen Boy’s School had only ever had one holiday trip, which was three years ago.2. The trip was initially divided into a sea group and a mountain group, but the mountain group was canceled the day before the trip, leaving half of the children without the chance to go on the holiday.3. After canceling the mountain group, the school made some adjustments, pulling some kids from the sea group and replacing them with the children from the mountain group.4. The kids who got to go on the trip and those who didn’t had different backgrounds. The former were all from wealthy families; the latter were all orphans.5. There was one exception: Mr. Neil. Mr. Neil was the only orphan who went on the holiday trip."This last point struck a chord with my deepest fears. Since Neil was the only orphan who went on the sea trip, it meant Roy had his eye on
“I've been thinking, Ryan, are you a hybrid?”“What?”“You know, half-human, half-wolf? Or perhaps half-vampire, half-wolf.”“Haha, why would you think that?” I laughed, the first hearty laughs since losing Neill Weasley.“Because your thoughts seem different from Roy's. Or is it that your thoughts are more civilized, Ryan?”Suddenly, I started to doubt. Why did Roy bring Neil back to the castle and allow him to follow me to understand the werewolf mentality? It was because the wolfish thoughts Roy had instilled in Neill had been tainted by his own selfishness. If he were to speak the correct werewolf thoughts, they would conflict with what he had previously said. If he continued with what he had said before, Neil's thesis might be ruined. But if Neil were to ask me and I told him something different from what Roy had said, he could attribute it to the difference in our perspectives, given the few years of age difference between Roy and me. If my guess was correct, Roy Lucas, I must s
I had arranged for a yacht to take us back, but I was well aware that Neil couldn’t handle being on a boat. Therefore, I had no choice but to wait until he fell asleep before making my move. This time, I hired a driver because I was worried about possible mishaps, such as Neil waking up suddenly. I knew I couldn't manage both the driving and the task of keeping him company alone. It was clear to me that this wasn’t a time for bravado—Neil’s well-being was my primary concern.I settled him in a bedroom on the lower deck, positioned right in the middle of the yacht. It was an ideal spot, where the sounds of the waves were barely audible and the engine noise was minimal. Getting through the next two hours should be manageable. After locking the door, I sat down in the recliner next to his bed to rest. Watching his peaceful, sleeping face, I had to resist the urge to plant a few kisses on his cheeks. But I couldn't risk waking him up.Just when I thought everything had been perfectly arra
Returning to the video, after stripping Neil of his clothes, Roy didn’t pounce on him immediately. Instead, he rummaged through his bag for a while before walking back to the bed with his hands full. He sat down beside Neil, gently kissing his soft black hair and pressing his lips to Neil's forehead. Then, he turned Neil over and used a white bandage to carefully bind his hands behind his back, creating an aesthetic of chaotic beauty with the torn strips. Next, Roy placed a black blindfold over Neil’s eyes, securing it at the back. He then turned Neil back over, spread his legs, and tied them to the bedposts with bandages. During this process, Roy frequently caressed Neil’s body, and whenever he touched a sensitive spot, Neil would react slightly, as if electrified. After securing Neil, Roy took a thicker rope and began to wrap it around Neil’s body. The rough rope contrasted starkly with Neil’s delicate skin, especially around his chest, where the slight friction created a decadent
I felt immensely proud of my quick thinking. A simple transformation not only helped Neil get through that hour successfully, but our journey back was also smooth. However, Neil seemed to have developed an addiction to stroking my wolf fur. Instead of sitting in the passenger seat, he chose to sit right behind the driver’s seat, constantly running his fingers through my hair like a mother monkey grooming her baby.Since he was my precious little one, as long as he didn’t interfere with my driving, I let him be. Neil remained completely absorbed in his exploration of my hair until we reached the gates of Ryan Castle. When I opened the top of the sports car to make it easier for Ethan to welcome us, Neil was still at it. The whole scene startled Ethan, who was jogging towards us, typically composed. It wasn’t until he saw my smile that he understood the situation. He then proceeded to open the car door and help with our luggage.“Master Ryan, Mr. Neil.”“Ethan, has everything been alrig
After Ethan left, I sent a text message to the old man, asking to meet him. It took him nearly five minutes to read it, and he didn’t reply immediately. Perhaps he couldn’t believe I’d reached out to him on my own, given that this was probably the first time in about five years. Even before Neil left, I rarely contacted him unless he reached out to me first. When he finally replied with “tomorrow morning,” I returned to my post, which I hadn’t attended to for two days, to handle some important work, and I didn't finish until nearly evening.I went to the leisure area to find Neil. He was browsing through movies, seemingly looking for something to watch. I wrapped my arms around him from behind, startling him. But unlike before, he didn’t tense up; he relaxed into my embrace when he realized it was me and continued searching for a movie. Seeing his attention entirely on the screen, I playfully pretended to be jealous, gently grazing his neck with my teeth, making him squirm from the ti
In the morning, I gave the person in my arms a kiss on the forehead before leaving the room, heading to Joseph Castle for the appointment. As soon as I stepped through the main gate, I saw Ethan already waiting. I had thought the meeting would be in the old man's study, as usual, but Ethan informed me that the old man was waiting for me in the indoor garden.When I arrived at the indoor garden, the old man was sitting there, staring into the distance, lost in thought. There was a pot of tea on the table, with two cups—one filled, the other still empty. Perhaps he hadn't poured the second cup because I hadn't arrived yet. It had been three years since our last private conversation, which happened when I confronted him about the patriarch 's birthday celebration. Since then, our communication had been limited to text messages, and if it was urgent, voice messages. No wonder he hesitated for so long when I suggested this meeting yesterday."You're here?" Ever since I established myself i
Three days later, on a bright and sunny day, the warm light bathed the earth, as if even the sun was adding a touch of radiance to our wedding. The venue was set up like a dream—white flowers adorned every corner, and the air was filled with a faint, sweet fragrance, as though each petal had been carefully chosen just for us. The guests had all arrived, their faces lit with brilliant smiles, their eyes brimming with blessings and hope. In that moment, all the exhaustion and pain seemed to be forgotten, replaced by nothing but boundless joy and warmth.This day belonged to us three couples, the happiest day of our lives. Neil and I, Peter and Nick, Harry and Nelson—standing together, it felt as if fate had already woven an invisible thread, tying us all together. Each of our faces radiated joy, our eyes filled with love and devotion for one another. Just before the ceremony began, I stole a glance at Neil standing beside me. His eyes sparkled softly, filled with warmth and unwavering d
Ethan continued to describe that miraculous moment: "When Neil's blood entered your body, everything changed dramatically. At first, nothing seemed unusual, but soon, the operating room was filled with dazzling light. Countless beams of light intertwined in the air, and the entire hospital was suddenly powered down, as if a mysterious force had illuminated it. Everyone was startled, and you, it seemed, experienced some kind of extraordinary transformation in that instant." There was a calmness in Ethan’s eyes. "Then, the situation settled. Power was restored, the readings on the instruments returned to normal, and your arm miraculously reconnected, fully healed. The symptoms of blood loss vanished in an instant, as though nothing had ever happened."I murmured, "If this is true, then what the Black Wolf said in the virtual world must also be correct. It claimed the calamity has been averted, the curse is broken." The Black Wolf had told me that these changes signified that the crisis
Everything went black, and I was suddenly jolted back to reality. The chaotic scene of battle unfolded around me—Kim and Peter had been knocked to the ground by the vengeful spirits, and Maria was visibly struggling, her strength fading. I looked around in shock, my heart heavy with realization. All of this suffering, all of this fighting—it was because of the decision I had made. I had refused to let go of Neil, going to any lengths to bring him back to life. But in doing so, I had led us into an endless cycle of calamity, and even Neil had been forced to endure so much pain. Perhaps the root of all this, the key to ending it, lay within myself.Slowly, I rose to my feet, a sense of clarity settling over me as I began to understand the true meaning of goodness. It was selfless letting go—it was the willingness to forsake oneself for the sake of others.I took a deep breath, releasing all my obsessions, letting go of the desire to fight for selfish reasons or love. I would fight now,
Ken Yimo raised his hand high, summoning the fragile thread of magic he could barely muster, and hurled it toward the demon with all the strength he had left. Though his magical abilities were far from impressive, his gaze was resolute, unwavering in the face of death. The demon, however, merely smiled faintly, effortlessly neutralizing Ken's attack. The vast disparity in power sent Ken crashing to the ground, his body feeling as fragile as an ant under the weight of the demon’s overwhelming force.But just as Ken fell, something in Fred's heart shifted. He could no longer bear to watch this crumbling scene unfold. Tears welled in his eyes as he screamed in desperate anguish, his voice cracking with raw emotion, “Ken, no! Don’t sacrifice yourself for me! I’m not worth it!” His words were soaked in sorrow and despair, filled with regret—as if all his anger and jealousy had now melted away into nothing but remorse.Ken Yimo struggled painfully to rise from the ground, blood and bruises
Nick forced himself to put on a defiant expression and coldly said, "Who's afraid?" But I could see a flash of fragile fear in his eyes, and my heart ached even more. Nelson had just recovered, his face pale, his body swaying slightly. Upon hearing Harry's call, he struggled to lift his head, his eyes still filled with trust and dependence on Harry. He parted his lips weakly and whispered, "Harry..." His voice was so faint, it seemed like it could vanish into the air at any moment. Neil, the most sensitive of the three, looked at us with fear in his eyes. But he didn't cry out for help; instead, he anxiously glanced at Nelson, as if silently urging us to take care of the more fragile brother first.Facing the scene before me, a surge of anger filled my chest, and I coldly demanded to know what Fred wanted. Fred stood in the shadows, his gaze as cold as ice. He gave a faint smile, revealing a sickly, cruel satisfaction. "It's simple," he said, his voice low but carrying an undeniable o
Meanwhile, the others had scattered, continuing their search for any trace of Neil, their faces grim with concern. The tension in the air was thick, and every passing second felt like we were hurtling toward something far darker than we had anticipated.As everyone scrambled in panic, Maria suddenly called out, "There's a trace of magic here!" Her voice was tinged with urgency and surprise, clearly indicating that she had discovered something unusual. We hurried over to find her standing at the entrance of Ken Yimo's bedroom, eyes closed in concentration, her hands moving gently through the air as though she were carefully unraveling an invisible barrier. Soon, the tips of her fingers began to glow faintly, as if she had torn through a thin veil. In that instant, the magical barrier dissolved, and everything behind the door came into view, causing me to gasp in shock.Inside the bedroom, Ken Yimo lay on the cold floor, his face ashen, as though he had endured some immense shock. Scatt
"It turns out that Ken's coldness stems from such a painful past," I murmured softly, a deep, indescribable sorrow washing over me. The suffering Ken had endured was far beyond our comprehension. No wonder he kept everyone at arm's length, as if wrapped in a hard shell to shield himself."What's even more tragic is that our 'old-fashioned' people, upon learning about Ken's sexual orientation, grew even more hostile toward him. They have no idea that his sexuality was, for the most part, twisted by that monstrous foster father of his," Maria sighed, her eyes filled with profound sympathy and understanding for Ken. She shook her head, adding, "They ostracized him, yet they have no clue what kind of pain he went through."I couldn't help but ask, "What happened after that? What did Ken go through?"Maria gently shook her head, a shadow of sorrow crossing her face. "He left our place. By the time I found him, that beast of a foster father had gathered thirty or forty people, trying to for
Ken Yimo chuckled gently, the smile on his face tinged with a trace of self-mockery, as if he had already come to terms with his fate. "For me, Neil’s safety is the most important thing. As long as he can get away from here, away from all this conflict, I fear nothing."His words were firm and tender, that kind of selfless, fatherly love stirring something deep within me. I clenched my fists in silent resolve, taking a deep breath. "Alright, Ken. I promise you, I will do everything in my power to take Neil away. I won’t let him come to any harm. I swear, I will protect him with everything I have."A flicker of gratitude passed through Ken Yimo's eyes as he nodded slightly. "I know you will, Ryan. Your care for Neil, your dedication to him—it's something even I deeply admire. He’s a child who deserves love and protection... Please continue to show him kindness, and give him the warmth he truly needs."His words struck a chord deep within me. I had planned to turn and leave, to end this
Ken Yimo nodded slightly, his expression laced with a complex mixture of emotions. “Yes. Fred knows he’s nothing more than a replacement. But he... he’s different. Despite everything, he still desperately seeks my attention. He doesn’t mind being my servant, if it means he can be close to me.”"A child with ambition," I murmured to myself, trying to grasp the psychological dynamics at play in such a twisted situation.A bitter smile tugged at the corner of Ken Yimo's lips. "Do you think Fred acts out so recklessly, causing chaos everywhere, even disregarding the reputation of the Yimo family? What do you think he’s trying to achieve?"I furrowed my brows, pondering for a moment, before the realization dawned on me. "Could it be... that he's doing it just to get your attention? He’s deliberately being reckless, making sure everyone knows."Ken Yimo nodded, his tone unnervingly calm. "Exactly. He knows that by antagonizing people, the Yimo family will inevitably be ostracized. But what