Rein watched from the window as young Lily ran around with her dog, her laughter carried on the wind. The simple, peaceful scene made him feel a sense of calm. He was reading a book, a new distraction to fill the empty hours in his schedule.

  "You sure you don't want to play with Lily, Rein?" Luke asked, leaning against the window frame.

  "I don't think so, Brother Luke. We're not even blood related...and I'm not your little brother." The words came out of young Rein's mouth in flat, monotone voice.

  "That attitude again?" Luke walked toward him, ruffling his hair casually as if they were old buddies.

  "B-Brother Luke?"

  "Listen, Rein. Mom and Dad may have taken you in because of me and your power, but you're already a part of this family." Luke said, offering a reassuring smile.

  "No matter what, you'll always be my little brother, and a big brother to Lily."

  They both looked out the window at the same time. Lily, noticing their presence, waved at them with wide grin.

  The morning light streamed in, accompanied by the cheerful chirping of birds. Rein sighed, weariness etched on his face, and covered his eyes with his forearm.

  "That dream again..." he muttered, slowly lowering his arm. He pushed himself off the bed, feeling a heavy sense of grogginess.

  "Why can't I forget it? It's just another memory...another pointless thing to dwell on." he mumbled to himself, the recurring dream leaving a cold knot in his stomach.

  As Rein opened his door, a young maid stood waiting for him.

  "Good morning, Sir Rein."

  "I'm sorry, but who are you?"

  She bowed formally. "I'm Mira Lousilks. I will be your personal maid from now on, Sir Rein."

  "Lousilks..." An image of a man in butler's uniform flashed in his mind. The recollection hit him, and Rein gripped the doorknob tightly, a familiar frustration rising.

  "I'll be escorting you to the dining room. Your guests are waiting."

  "... Okay."

  "This way, sir." she said, politely guiding Rein down the hall.

  Rein entered the grand dining room where all his friends were already seated. He took the chair next to Carol.

  "Did you sleep well?" Carol asked, trying to start a conversation.

  "Sort of. Nothing serious." he replied dismissively.

  "Is that so?"

  "Why the sudden interest in my condition? It's not like you to care so much." Rein said, his tone dry.

  "Well, I'm worried. From the look on your face, it seems like you didn't want to be here at all."

  He sighed in annoyance, knowing her words were entirely true.

  The room grew quiet as the family members began to arrive. Lily walked in first, heading straight for her chair without acknowledging Rein, who watched her with guilt in his eyes. Orin followed, stopping only to look at Rein, snort with contempt, and shrug before continuing to his place.

  Finally, Luke appeared. He was the last to enter, and as he took the main chair at the head of the long table, the tense atmosphere in the room immediately escalated.

  "Thank you for coming to this meeting, everyone." Luke said, his tone grim as he addressed the room. "As you can see, an ongoing war is about to fall upon us. The Tempest Holder, one of the Seven Holder, has declared a war against the Dark Holder."

  A palpable nervousness settled over the room as they listened to Luke's report.

  "For over a decades, they've shared territory until this very days. However, the current Tempest Holder is desperate. Seeing the Dark Holder's recent increase in technology and power, they decided on this final measure. In fact, the Tempest Holder has personally asked if Azure Holder will join their faction. They promise us a percentage of the Dark Holder's territory in return."

  Luke looked intently at Rein, searching for a response. "So, what are your thoughts on this, Rein?"

  Rein stayed silent. He knew what he should say, but he feel he had no authority here. He was the outcast.

  "There's no use talking to someone like him, Brother Luke. He's practically useless." Orin sneered.

  "Orin, watch your mouth." Luke warned.

  "Watch my mouth?" he chuckled humorlessly. "For what? Rein literally ran away from his duty, his responsibility. He thinks everything that happened isn't his fault after that incident."

  "What are you..?" Luke started, surprised. Lily was also visibly shocked.

  "The incident where he left without a scratch, only a stain of blood covering his clothes. Doesn't that seem too suspicious?" Orin continued, ignoring Luke.

  "Can you stop talking about the past right now? We are in a meeting." Luke demanded, his voice hardening with anger.

  "I don't know the full context. But I'll hazard a guess. He couldn't control his so-called genius power, and he killed them. Am I right?" Orin looked directly at Rein, his eyes burning.

  Luke slammed his hand on the table in frustration. "Orin! Don't you dare make such a stupid guess!"

  (What does Orin mean? Rein...killed them?) Lily thought, bewildered. Her eyes wide with horror.

  "Don't you try to deny that reason, Rein. It's the truth, isn't it?" Orin pressed.

  Rein only looked down, clenching his fists. He didn't answer.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  "You're the one who killed my parents...and Mira's father that day, right? Answer me, you dirty murderer!"

  "ORIN!" Luke roared, shooting a blast of azure ice into the wall beside him as a lethal warning.

  "Heh, what a bummer." Orin said with a dismissive shrug. "I was really hoping every family member would just antagonize you."

  "We're going to stop this meeting for now." Luke announced, his tone dangerously calm. He stood up and walked away.

  "You win this time, Rein." Orin said, his smile sinister. "Don't worry. Justice isn't over for you. So, prepare yourself." With a final, taunting look, he also walked out.

  "Is that true?" Lily demanded, slamming her hand on the table as she stood.

  "I... It's none of your concern, Lily." Rein muttered, avoiding her gaze. "My past is not worth your time."

  "Oh, it really is, Rein! It really is!" Her voice cracked with pain.

  "Then tell me, Lily." he challenged, finally looking up, his voice flat with self contempt. "Why is this 'outcast' worth your time?"

  She clenched her fists, annoyed and heartbroken by his refusal to meet her pain.

  "Seems like you can't even answer that yourself." he said, pushing his chair back as he stood up.

  "Rein, are you sure to ignore your sister like that?" Carol started, her voice laced with concern.

  "Yes, I AM sure Carol!" he snapped, his voice ringing with sudden fury. "You don't have to care about me, at all!"

  Noire and Aria closed their eyes in shared frustration, while Saria trembled, overwhelmed by the sudden rage. Revir, however, watched the exchange with a serious, unwavering expression.

  "If there's nothing else you want to talk about, leave me alone for a while." Rein continued, his tone cooling back to dangerous ice. "I don't have the mood to play with your stupid pity."

  Carol couldn't even gave a response. Rein walked past her, leaving his friends behind. "There's no need for me to be here. I'm not like you guys, who still have an ambition to live up to."

  With that, he walked out and closed the dining room door with a harsh, final sound, his composure completely shattered.

  "That stupid brother..." Lily mumbled to herself, her face a mask of disappointed and hurt over Rein's behavior.

  "What kind of situation he face...that led him to have that behavior in the first place?" Carol asked, concern and frustrated.

  "Beat me. But you don't have to put your nose in our family's problem. You're just an outsider." Lily shot back, her tone icy.

  "Oh, we have the authority to do that." Aria stood up, her posture rigid. "He's not the only one who has a pain and trauma in his past. We are his colleagues, and you can't deny that fact."

  "You're...a daughter of the Ignis Holder, right?" Lily asked, suddenly wary of Aria's imposing presence.

  "Of course. What about it?"

  "Why is someone like you here? It's not like you, the successor of your Holder, to take an interest in such personal matter."

  "I can't stand seeing someone in pain." Aria stated simply. She looked in the direction Rein had left. "Although I despise someone who was too weak to stand up, I also feel relatable for them to have a reason to be that weak. In fact, I can clearly see it. His eyes are hollow, without any glitter of hope. It seems like...he's buried his own wish...a funeral to the hope he thought he could have."

  "Aria..." Carol was shocked by the sudden change in her.

  "It's just my opinion, but he looks like he doesn't know if he must cry or not. He has no one he can truly confront, so he's decided to keep all those burden inside his heart."

  "That's... No, it can't be true!" Lily shouted, looking desperate. "He never showed any emotion or guilt toward anyone around him! There's no way that-"

  "Did he ever try talking about it with someone, like you?" Aria countered, pressing the point.

  "Of course he did want to tell me!" Lily wailed, feeling devastated by Aria's scrutiny.

  Mira, the maid, looked surprised by Lily's outburst.

  "He was too scared! Never, ever wanted to share something that's been haunting him for a decade. Because of him..." Lily sobbed, collapsing onto the floor, unable to hold back her tears any longer. "...Everything is messed up. More and more people around us died for their will. Even Brother Luke...even him!"

  The entire group fell into stunned silence.

  "Here." Mira offered Lily a clean handkerchief. "There's no need to cry about it."

  "You're...Mira, right?" Lily asked, looking at her.

  Mira simply closed her eyes and bowed. "I'm not mad at Sir Rein or anything. It's just the past. Although I truly miss my father, I can't just blindly consume my heart with vengeance."

  "Even if your father was the one you looked up to?" Carol asked, bewildered by Mira's maturity.

  Mira nodded gently. "Vengeance is an unhealthy obsession. The more I walk into it, the more my own purpose will fade."

  Carol fell into a thoughtful silence.

  In his room, Rein leaned against the door, burying his face in his arm. He tried to cry, to force the sorrow out, but it was useless. The ice within his heart had frozen the gate shut. He couldn't break it, no matter how hard he tried to let the tears flow.

  "Why... Why did it have to come to this?" he mumbled, his voice thick with guilt. "I never wanted this. Hiding the truth from everyone. Why did you make me do this, Brother Luke?"

  A short flashback flooded his mind.

  "You want me...to hide the truth?" Young Rein whispered, shocked.

  "This is for your own good, Rein. It's not your fault that everyone died." Luke insisted, trying to reassure him.

  "No, I don't want to hide it, Brother Luke! I let everyone be killed! I was too weak, I let Mr. Lousilks sacrifice himself to protect me...even...even Orin's father!"

  "I know what you're feeling right now, Rein." Luke said, holding his gaze. "It was an inevitable situation. But it can't be helped. You are my successor, Rein, and I cannot let you bear this responsibility alone."

  Rein sobbed. "If so...why do your eyes look so hollow, Brother Luke? Did that incident also break you?"

  "It's just a small incident." Luke offered an empty, chilling smile. "I've seen far worse than what you saw, Rein." He walked past his little brother, leaving him alone in the room. "After all, that's the only duty we have left, to make sure that our family will survive."

  Late at night, Orin and his maid were travelling through the forest behind the manor, searching diligently for something.

  "Where is that thing right now?" Orin muttered, frustration lacing his voice.

  "Do you really think it's okay for us to do this? To trust his words?" the maid asked nervously.

  "Of course it's okay. That Zarikh in the hoodie explicitly told us that this is the way to make Rein pay for all his consequences, regretfully."

  "But we don't know if that creature is still hibernating."

  "Don't you worry." Orin pulled out a piece of paper, a sinister smile spreading across his face. It looked like a remnant of an old grimoire. "He said that if I use this spell, I can control that creature however I like."

  "If you say so..."

  As they walked deeper, the air grew noticeably colder. So many of Azure ice surrounded them that the night became far more chilling than they thought it could possibly be.

  And then, they found it. A cave, completely wrapped in ice.

  "Is this..?" the maid whispered, shocked.

  Orin chuckled, a sound of pure amusement. "Finally." he walked straight toward the entrance. "Father, I hope you can hear me even in heaven. Your revenge will be complete."

  He began to read the spell from the paper. Dark circles surrounded the cave entrance. In a brief moment, the silence was broken. A creature appeared with huge red eyes, glowing menacingly in the dark ice cave.

  Orin shivered at the sight, but his excitement was was overwhelming. "How beautiful. I'm so glad that you're on my side."

  The maid watched, confused. Orin's entire demeanor had shifted.

  "He will pay. For everything he has done. For inflicting so much pain upon me!" His gaze became wild, corrupted by the grimoire and his own obsession.