Five minutes before the agreed-upon time, I was hurriedly putting on layers of clothes, one after another, while carrying a bundle of bags. Once everything was on, I hoisted Neil into my arms and headed out. As I arrived at the hotel lobby, there was Harry, already waiting. He saw me laden with bags and, instead of offering to help, started spouting nonsense, comparing me to that pervert Roy."Why isn’t he awake yet? Don’t tell me you tortured him till this morning," he said."What nonsense. This little darling isn’t a morning person. I couldn’t bear to wake him up early, so I didn’t tell him the time. What, you got a problem with my baby?" I retorted."Of course not, here, let me," Harry said, his demeanor shifting completely upon hearing my explanation. He reached out to take Neil from my arms, but I swiftly turned to avoid his hands. As if I'd let anyone take Neil from me. The only thing Harry could do to help was carry the bags—just the bags, nothing more. Neil was not included in
As they were curious, Neil woke up, perhaps disturbed by our conversation. He stumbled out of the tent, rubbing his eyes with one hand and feeling his way forward with the other, probably looking for me. I took his hand, and he snuggled into my arms, hugging my waist tightly."Is this the youngest brother?""So cute.""Yes, this is our little brother. We’re not in that kind of relationship," Harry seized the opportunity to clarify and do a small revenge."Huh? Who’s the little brother? Me?" Neil asked, confused."Who else?" Harry said, pulling Neil closer. "Come on, say hi to the uncles.""Hello, uncles," Neil said, bowing politely."Good, good. Such a sweet boy.""The little brother is so fair-skinned, just like the older brother.""See, uncles, my little brother looks like me. The second brother is a bit different," Harry said, deliberately excluding me. "So, my little brother and I are closer." He even hugged Neil !Damn vampire."Aww, they have such a good relationship. I'm so jeal
Neil and I stayed an extra day at that place before leaving. We made sure to fly to the city hosting the Harry’s Music Festival before nightfall, so we could spend the night there. I didn't want Neil to have to wake up early and rush to fly on the day of the festival, as he might be exhausted by the time the evening festivities began. Arriving a night early gave us the chance to explore the local food street, filling Neil's stomach before heading back to the hotel to rest.After I finished my shower, I found that little guy sitting by the coffee table in the living room, busy with something. He wasn't sitting on the sofa behind or beside him but had wedged himself between the couch and the table, sitting on the floor. Being curious, I walked over to see what he was up to. It turned out he was looking at some small photographs Robert had given him—some of the best shots from a photo session we had at a studio.I stepped over the sofa and sat down on the floor next to him, scooting clos
After he finished his task, he didn't stand up but knelt there, repeatedly apologizing to me. These were just words spoken in anger, so why was he taking them so seriously, so sensitively? Without responding, I turned and went back to the room to get his clothes. When I returned to give them to him so he wouldn't catch a cold, I found him in that same ashamed posture—head down, body trembling slightly, hands clasped together and rubbing up and down.I bent down to hand him the clothes and realized he was crying. Gently, I placed my hand on his trembling shoulder, trying to help him up, but he didn't dare stand. He glanced at me before lowering his head again, his emotions out of control but his voice barely a whisper."Ryan, do you... don't want me anymore?"His sudden question took me by surprise. I had been so angry and said so many harsh things, but I had never considered that question or even thought I needed to. His outburst made me realize: Had I been too angry? Had my overreact
I woke up after a brief nap, only to find the person who had been lying beneath me was gone. At first, I thought I had overslept, but a glance at the clock, which told me it was only four in the morning. The sky was still dark. Where could this child have gone? He had left without making a sound, so much so that I hadn't even noticed. How quiet and careful must he have been to move without waking me?I walked out of the room and found him sitting by the coffee table again, but this time he was seated on the opposite side, with his back turned towards me. Silently, I approached him from behind, curious to see what he was up to. The sight before me was similar to earlier: numerous photographs scattered across the table and the wallet still open. However, this time his hands were busily engaged in some activity, though I couldn't discern what it was from my vantage point. Absorbed in his task, he hadn't realized I was standing right behind him until I spoke, startling him."What are you
The misunderstanding from last night wasn't resolved until early morning, and we didn't wake up until the afternoon. As soon as I turned on my phone, I saw nearly twenty missed calls and over thirty messages, all from Harry. And these numbers were just from my phone; Neil's phone had about double that. After freshening up, I sent Harry a message, "What's up?" My phone rang almost immediately, not even five seconds later."Did you torture my godbrother again? Now only you picking up the phone? Don't tell me you just got up? So, did you keep going until morning or stopped around noon? Can you please think about my godbrother for once? You're like a wolf, insatiable; my brother is human, his resources are limited! For his sake, so he can live longer, please take it easy. Rest is essential for a long journey, you know?" Harry rattled off as soon as I answered, not giving me a chance to speak. "Hey, hey, are you listening?""Yeah, are you done?""Finished, your turn.""I messed up." I glan
I sent a quick message to Ethan and rushed back to my car, intending to follow Roy. However, by the time I got there, Roy was already out of sight. I had no choice but to wait for Ethan to track Roy’s whereabouts. I had no idea what Roy was thinking or where he might take Neil. The only thing I knew for sure was that they couldn't fly, since I had all of Neil’s documents. I began to feel that Ethan was taking an unusually long time. I couldn't tell if it was just my anxiety or my growing dependency on him as my only hope.Finally, Ethan responded. He said that both Roy and Neil’s phones were turned off, making it impossible to track them via GPS. He had traced Roy's car, but it had mysteriously vanished after leaving the university area. Nevertheless, Ethan didn’t give up. He started checking the CCTV footage and road cameras outside the university area to see if he could find any clues about Roy’s car, but he needed time. Suddenly, I remembered the pink-haired boy who might still be
Lisa found evidence similar to what was around Roy's mansion. After dispelling the magic, she discovered another car. Without delay, Lisa contacted our mutual friend Ethan. By the time Harry and I emerged, Ethan had already traced the car—it belonged to Mike.Lisa and Ethan each contacted their magician friends to remove all the involved spells. Eventually, the car reappeared on various CCTV cameras across the roads. Ethan sent over some surveillance footage showing Neil being taken away by Mike. Neil was seen unconscious in the back seat, lying alone in a deep sleep.Armed with Ethan's information, we made our way back to Neil's hometown. By the time we arrived, it was nearly morning. I was running out of patience. Without further ado, we stormed into Mike's house, not considering the legal consequences of trespassing."Where's Neil?""He's not here with me," Mike shrugged indifferently, seeming to anticipate our visit."Let's search the place," Harry suggested."You can search till
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