Chapter Four

Ryden unclasped the smartwatch on his wrist and placed it on top of the table. He stood up and went near the glass window. He pulled his tie, letting it hang on his neck before placing his hands on his waist.

"What I mean is, it makes little sense no matter how I look at it. Ryden's mom dies before him. Manuel graduated from high school, went to college and is now a business owner. So, the way he just treated me is like how you would treat a stranger. Don’t you find that strange at all?"

"That may be true, but it's been over ten years since they were familiar with one another. It is to be expected."

"Tell me, how did Ryden's mom die in the first place? Did she have any health issues?" Ryden turned around and looked at the smartwatch.

"It was not mentioned in the files nor in the storyline. It only stated that she died and that she had no health issues and I could count the time she was sick on one hand."

“Exactly!” he exclaimed and raised his arms, relieved that finally, someone or rather, something, had finally understood what he was thinking. “How would a woman who was healthy and never got sick, simply die without an explanation? And why is it that the male lead's secretary both hated and plotted against the original Ryden?”

"The secretary plotted against the original because of the main lead, Manuel’s attachment to the original. However, the points you bring up are reasonable, and I have no answers for them," Daisuke explained.

"I know what the plot says, but the way the male lead treats the original and how he acted around makes little sense to me. It seems I will have to be patient and wait for the answers to come," Ryden thought.

"That's a good idea. Maybe there is a secondary plot that is not quite clear. We will have to wait until you trigger it."

"Well, it's late. So I may as well get some rest since tomorrow is a Monday, the most hated day for most humans." Ryden rolled his eyes.

He picked up the folder for the orphan project and headed to the original Ryden's bedroom, turning the lights off behind him. 

When he opened the door, he was greeted with the view of a bed stationed in front of the door, with dim lights over it. There’s a large closet on its left, and a black curtain on the right and beyond the closet, he could see the bathroom. Overall, the entire room was simple, yet elegant.

Ryden walked inside the closet to find sleepwear, and he noticed all the suits hanging in the middle. He assumed that the sleepwear would be in the drawers. Opening one to the right, he found a T-shirt and sweatpants. He headed towards the bathroom, took a shower and brushed his teeth. Too tired and mentally drained to look around, he headed straight for the bed, and immediately fell asleep.

* * * * *

Akira dreamt through the night. It all felt so realistic, lucid, almost as if Akira was conscious. He couldn't tell if it was real or not however.

Akira dreamed of walking down a hallway covered in darkness, and he had no control over his body. It felt as if a strange force was pushing him. At first, he attempted to resist, but he quickly realized that nothing would make him stop and so he reminded himself that he was only in a dream. 

He instantly knew that calling for Daisuke would be useless and didn't bother to do so. When he focused back on his surroundings, he realized he was approaching an opened door with light leaking out of it along with the heavy scent of blood, and as he finally reached the door, he felt like he was drowning in the smell of blood.

When he entered the room, the first thing he saw was the blood covering the marble floors of the room and the walls. The five large piles surrounding a small area of what looked to be a resting place, and carvings on the wall were all covered in blood. 

The next thing he noticed were the bodies lying on the floor. Some had gaping holes where their hearts should've been, and some had missing heads. The entire scene was ghastly and what added to the horrifying scene was the man standing within the dead with a hand holding up a heart and a sword on the other. He was fitted with silver armor.

Akira was petrified, but also fascinated by the bloody scene. As if sensing that someone was behind him, the man slowly turned around. But before Akira could see what he looked like, the scene dissolved away.

* * * * *

Ryden jolted awake while breathing hard. He couldn't understand what that dream was about and neither did he recognize the man from the dream. However, it was disturbing his emotions and senses.

He felt as if the dream was real and was foreboding for the future, which made him very confused. He felt like he was dreaming about something that he'd witnessed before, but he knew that he would  definitely remember something like the bloody scene. Nevermind the fact that he grew up in the modern world and from what he could see of that room, it was clear it was from ancient times.

Ryden looked at the bedside table and saw that it was already one-fifty in the morning. Laying back down on the bed, Ryden calmed down his thundering heart and turned to the side. He quickly fell asleep, ignorant of the fact that although he didn't see the bloody man, the man did see him.