Chapter 2 — Only My Family Matters
The doors shut with a soft click, sealing the world outside.
Vaibhav sank into the front passenger seat, his breath uneven. Even though several minutes had passed since the confrontation at school, the memory of those black sclera and white, hollow pupils still clung to his spine like a cold shadow. His hands rested stiffly on his knees, and he could not shake the faint tremor in his fingers.
Behind him, Alicia slid into the seat beside Anika. The moment she sat down, Anika placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, and a warm, soothing aura flowed out—soft, calming, wrapping around Alicia like a quiet embrace. Her shivering slowed, her clenched jaw easing as she inhaled shakily.
Prabhat stepped in next, his expression unusually tight, and took the wheel without a word.
The car hummed to life.
Smooth. Silent.
Too calm—like a glass surface above a whirlpool.
As the vehicle eased onto the road, a voice drifted from the back seat.
Deep. Cold. Controlled.
"Tell me," the man said, the faintest trace of danger laced under each syllable,
"who hurt him?"
Alicia stiffened at once.
Her fingers curled around the fabric of her skirt. She didn't turn toward him—not because she didn't want to, but because she couldn't. Looking at him directly after what she'd seen earlier… she wasn't sure if her heart could handle it.
So she looked into the rearview mirror.
Not at his face.
At his eyes.
Black sclera.
White pupils.
Emotionless.
Empty.
A coldness that made it unclear whether he was looking at the world or judging it.
Alicia swallowed hard.
Her voice cracked slightly before she steadied it.
"S-some seniors from the Nethyra Clan… Riken Takahashi and his group. They've been bullying Vaibhav for a long time."
The temperature inside the car seemed to dip.
It wasn't imagination.
It wasn't aura.
It was him.
"Yeah," he said quietly. "I have heard about it from Shin. What are their names?"
Alicia listed each one.
He didn't blink. Didn't frown. Didn't show anger.
He simply listened.
But the air grew heavier with every name she spoke—as if each word was a nail sealing someone's coffin.
Then—
"Prabhat."
Prabhat straightened immediately.
"Yes, Master?"
"Drive to Nethyra."
There was no hesitation.
Prabhat's hands tightened around the steering wheel, and he nodded softly, though his eyes flicked toward Vaibhav for a brief second—checking, asking if he was alright, if he wanted to speak, if he was scared.
Vaibhav turned his gaze away.
Not because he was scared.
But because he already knew—
Nothing could be done now.
Nethyra Clan's fate had already been sealed.
The car turned sharply onto the expressway, the navigation system updating with a soft chime.
From the mirror, Vaibhav noticed two cars behind them slip into formation—silent, swift, practiced.
Alicia leaned forward slightly.
"They're… following us?"
Anika's calm, knowing smile returned.
"They're ours."
Vaibhav exhaled slowly, leaning his head against the cool window.
He didn't pity the Nethyra seniors.
They deserved what was coming.
But he couldn't help thinking:
I hope they at least die quickly…
He shut his eyes.
Because he knew—
Nothing in the world
could stop what was about to happen.
Nothing.
The convoy of three cars rolled to a slow, deliberate halt before the massive black-stone gates of the Nethyra Clan estate. The mansion rose behind the walls like a fortress — towering spires, obsidian pillars, crimson banners drifting in the evening wind.
To ordinary people, it would look imposing.
To the man stepping out of the first car…
It was nothing.
The door opened with a soft hiss.
He stepped out.
A tall figure draped in a dark coat that brushed the ground, boots tapping faintly against the polished stone. His presence alone made the air feel viscous — like gravity thickened around him. His hands in pockets.
Black sclera.
White pupils.
A gaze that didn't belong to any 'mortal being'.
He didn't look furious.
He didn't look angry.
He didn't even look alive.
He simply looked… still.
Prabhat exited right behind him, hands in pockets, expression unreadable.
Alicia and Vaibhav moved to follow —
But the doors slammed shut before they could step out.
Anika stood there, palm pressed against the glass, her aura spreading like a luminous veil — warm, soft, dense.
A dome of shimmering starlight wrapped around the entire car.
"You two stay inside," she said softly.
Her voice was gentle, but firm.
"And don't look. Don't listen."
Her aura thickened until nothing from outside could seep in — no sound, no pressure, no killing intent.
Alicia shivered.
Vaibhav clenched his fists.
Outside the dome…
The world began to twist.
It started with a single step.
The man approached the gate.
The guards straightened, raising weapons.
"Stop right—!"
He lifted his eyes.
Just that.
No gesture.
No warning.
Reality bent.
The air around him cracked like thin ice, a sharp shhhk slicing through the courtyard as invisible pressure cut through the atmosphere.
The guards nearest him dropped to their knees, choking as blood poured from their ears and noses — before their bodies liquefied into red mist.
Their weapons clattered to the ground.
Prabhat walked around the splatters casually.
One hand in his pocket.
Expression bored.
As if strolling through a grocery store aisle.
The second row of guards panic-raised their blades.
"W-WAIT—!!" "DON'T COME ANY CLOSER—!" "SEND A—"
They never finished.
The man released one percent of his aura.
A soft pulse spread out from his body, silent but deadly — like a ripple across still water.
The guards burst.
Not in a messy explosion — but in a horrifyingly clean disintegration, like dust caught in wind.
Only swords remained, falling to the ground one by one.
The black-stone gate trembled as he passed it.
He didn't touch it.
He merely walked by.
The stone shattered into sand.
Nethyra warriors poured out of the courtyard.
"Who is that!?"
"RETREAT—!"
They didn't get far.
His next footstep touched the ground.
A shockwave rippled gently outward — so soft it barely disturbed the dust.
But everything caught inside it…
Dissolved.
Bodies broke apart silently, like statues turning to powder.
Their final screams never left their throats.
Prabhat stepped over a dissolving corpse with a sigh.
"Tch… they dirtied our shoes."
Inside the main hall…
Elara Nethyra stood over the beaten seniors — Riken, Kael, and the others — still yelling at them.
"You useless trash! How could you lose to a looser who—"
A distant rumble shook the windows.
The chandelier above trembled.
Elara's voice died in her throat.
The ground vibrated again.
The seniors paled.
A guard burst through the doors, gasping.
"Y-Young Miss!! Someone — someone is—"
His ribs collapsed inward.
He fell into a pool of blood mid-sentence.
Elara screamed and stumbled back.
Then she saw him.
Walking through the courtyard.
Through the remains of her clan.
Through red mist.
Through silence.
A nightmare given human shape.
Her heart stopped.
"Wh-Who… who are you…!?" her voice cracked uncontrollably.
He didn't answer.
He simply kept walking, each step a death sentence to whoever stood too close.
Finally… the Clan Head appeared.
Seraphine Nethyra stormed out, aura swirling violently around her — blue lightning crackling along her limbs.
She was strong.
One of United Earth's elite.
A woman who could shatter mountains with her palm.
But when she looked into those black and white eyes—
She froze.
Her breath caught.
Her knees trembled.
"Y-You…"
Her voice was barely a whisper.
"You are… P-Professor… Lin Xuan…"
Behind her, the seniors collapsed to their knees in fear.
Even Prabhat straightened slightly — because when the name "Lin Xuan" was spoken aloud…
The entire atmosphere shifted.
Lin Xuan's expression didn't change.
He simply spoke.
"You touched my family."
The words were quiet.
Too quiet.
His next step cracked the marble floor beneath him.
Seraphine roared in desperation.
She gathered her full strength — years of cultivation power in Satryn Transcendence realm , training, status, pride — into a spear of condensed energy. A killing blow that could annihilate a fortress.
She hurled it at him with everything she had—
The spear vanished.
Evaporated into nothing the moment it neared his aura.
Seraphine's eyes widened.
Impossible.
Lin Xuan raised no hand.
No defense.
No technique.
It simply couldn't reach him.
Then came the final word.
"Dion."
The hall distorted.
A slim figure materialized instantly — tall, elegant, features sharp yet beautiful, black hair tied neatly behind him.
He looked like he didn't belong on a battlefield.
Dion released a breath — a soft, disappointed sound.
"You dare… lay a hand on my master?"
A small ripple of aura spread from his foot.
Seraphine's bones shattered with a deafening crack.
Her knees buckled.
Her eyes rolled back.
Her body crumpled under an invisible mountain of pressure.
Elara's scream tore through the hall — only to cut off as she fainted backward.
The seniors collapsed unconscious.
Dion dusted his hands elegantly.
"Master… please rest. You haven't rested for months."
Lin Xuan stepped closer.
Too close.
So close Dion stiffened, ears tinting red.
"Daeun," Lin Xuan said softly, "you haven't rested for months either."
Dion choked on air.
"I— THAT— it's— not the— the POINT—!!"
Prabhat groaned loudly, covering his face.
"Master, please stop your romance. This is seriously awkward."
Dion snapped.
"We're NOT being romantic!"
Prabhat pointed at them.
"You look like you're about to kis—"
Dion lunged toward him.
"SHUT UP, KID!!"
Lin Xuan, deadpan:
"I am not interested in romance."
Prabhat: "That's not the issue, Master."
Dion: "BOTH OF YOU STOP TALKING!!!"
They were surrounded by corpses, blood vapor, and dust…
And somehow arguing like high-schoolers.
Elara fainted for the second time.
After everything has done.
The three cars left the Nethyra estate in total silence.
Well… silence outside.
Inside the first car, Vaibhav and Alicia were still wrapped in Anika's warm aura-dome. They didn't hear the screams or the explosions… but they felt the pressure.
A presence that didn't belong to Earth.
A calmness too controlled.
A silence too… heavy.
Neither dared speak for a while.
Finally, Vaibhav muttered under his breath,
"…I hope he didn't kill them too badly."
Alicia slapped his arm.
"Vaibhav!!"
Anika smiled, amused.
"He was gentle today."
Both teenagers froze.
Gentle?
Vaibhav slowly turned his head.
"…Gentle??"
Alicia looked pale.
"…I don't think that was gentle."
Anika nodded pleasantly, as if discussing weather.
"Mm. Compared to how he usually is."
Vaibhav's soul left his body for a second.
They reached the mansion.
The mansion gates opened automatically.
Warm lights illuminated the courtyard. The familiar path to the front door glowed with lanterns. The house looked peaceful.
Nothing inside matched the nightmare they'd just left behind.
The first car parked.
Lin Xuan stepped out.
For a moment, the entire courtyard dimmed — as if even the air lowered its gaze.
His coat was drenched in blood.
Not his.
Drops slid off the fabric like ink.
Alicia and Vaibhav instinctively shrank back in the car.
Anika stepped out beside them, aura still warming them gently.
The first to appear was Yan'er.
She rushed to the entrance, her beauty almost unreal — soft eyes, delicate face, presence like moonlight.
Her expression froze when she saw him.
"B-Brother Lin… again…?"
Her voice trembled with worry, not fear.
Behind her came four men.
Arjun — tall, stoic, arms folded, eyes sharp.
Theo — neatly dressed, hair perfect, permanent "I'm done with life" expression.
Daichi — muscular, huge, chewing something. Always chewing something.
Vivan — calm, gentle, reading a book even now.
All four stopped dead in their tracks when they saw the blood.
Theo pinched the bridge of his nose dramatically.
"He massacred again, didn't he?"
Daichi sniffed the air. "…Smells like roasted people."
Theo smacked the back of his head. "DON'T say it like it's appetizing!!"
Daichi rubbed the spot. "I'm just hungry."
Theo exploded, "YOU JUST ATE TWENTY MINUTES AGO!!"
Daichi: "That was a snack."
Theo: "YOU HAVE A PROBLEM!!"
Vivan sighed, patting Daichi's arm. "Big Brother Daichi's stomach is a void. Just accept it."
Arjun added dryly, "At least he doesn't eat while fighting."
Daichi lit up proudly. "I can do both!"
Theo screamed, "STOP SAYING THAT LIKE IT'S SOMETHING TO FLEX!!"
Lin Xuan walked past them silently, ignoring all the chaos.
He disappeared into the bathroom.
The sound of running water filled the house.
Everyone exhaled at the same time.
Alicia whispered, "…Is he always like this?"
Anika smiled. "Only he's not pissed off too much."
Vaibhav: "And when he's pissed off?"
Anika: "Worse."
Vaibhav & Alicia: "…"
Dinner time arrived.
The dining table stretched long, covered with warm lantern lights. The kitchen aroma filled the air — steamed rice, sizzling meats, noodles, soups, fried dishes.
And six types of dessert.
Because Daichi claimed he would "emotionally collapse" otherwise.
Everyone sat down.
Alicia between Yan'er and Vivan.
Vaibhav between Prabhat and Anika.
Daichi reached for a giant roasted drumstick.
Theo slapped his hand mid-air. "Use. The. Serving. Spoon."
Daichi, defeated… picked up the serving spoon.
And used it to grab the entire drumstick.
Theo stood up. "I SWEAR TO GOD—"
Yan'er giggled softly. "Let him eat, Theo."
Theo pointed dramatically. "He has more food than the table."
Daichi beamed, mouth full. "Because I deserve it."
Theo: "You deserve a DIET PLAN, not a buff—"
Theo's rant continued.
Daichi continued eating.
Everyone else ate peacefully.
Lin Xuan finished first.
Silent. Calm. Drinking warm tea.
Alicia kept sneaking glances at him.
Vaibhav too — but his were 30% awe, 70% fear.
When dinner ended, Yan'er wiped her hands gently and said,
"You two should sleep early. Tomorrow is important."
Alicia nodded. Vaibhav yawned loudly.
Anika guided them toward the hallway. "Goodnight. Rest well."
The moment their bedroom doors clicked shut…
The entire atmosphere changed.
The warm, chaotic noise of dinner faded the instant the hallway lights dimmed.
Prabhat lingered by the kids' doors for a moment, making sure they were fully asleep before turning back.
Lin Xuan was already walking upstairs without a sound.
No footsteps.
No creaking floor.
Just the soft sway of his still-damp hair and the faint smell of herbal soap from his shower.
Everyone followed silently.
Inside his room, the atmosphere shifted again.
Dark walls.
Soft lanterns.
Books stacked neatly.
A large window overlooking the moonlit courtyard.
Lin Xuan sat on the edge of the bed, towel draped loosely around his neck, drying the last traces of water from his hair.
Theo closed the door behind them.
A soft click.
The room sealed.
Arjun crossed his arms.
"Big Brother… are you sure? Telling them everything?"
Lin Xuan looked up.
Calm.
Steady.
Unmoved.
"Yes."
Yan'er stepped forward, her expression gentle.
"They're old enough."
Vivan exhaled, leaning against the wall.
"It will shock them… but it's necessary."
Theo dropped onto the sofa dramatically.
"It will definitely shock them. Especially Vaibhav."
Daichi raised a cookie halfway to his mouth.
"Can I tell them?"
Everyone yelled, "ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!"
Daichi blinked, offended, then continued eating.
Dion leaned against the wall, arms loosely folded.
Tired eyes.
Beautiful, sharp features.
Aura coiled like a sleeping blade.
"You can't hide the truth forever," he said quietly.
Lin Xuan nodded.
"And I won't. After tomorrow… they will know who we are. And who they are."
"what about you, Dion? You're coming with us right?" He continued.
Dion said, "No, I have to clean up your mess."
Lin Xuan said, "Why? You can do that later."
Dion: "No. You just go with them."
A silence settled.
Then Prabhat stepped forward.
"Master… will they be okay?"
Lin Xuan closed his eyes briefly—only a heartbeat.
"They will be more than okay."
Dion tilted his head slightly.
"You mean… they'll awaken soon."
Lin Xuan's eyes opened.
A faint glow rippled inside the black-white pupils.
"Yes."
Theo slumped into the sofa cushions.
"Well… good luck to them. They'll need it."
Daichi licked crumbs off his fingers.
"I'll train Vaibhav! I'll make him super strong!"
Theo grabbed his collar immediately.
"No, you'll turn him into a food-obsessed muscle monster like YOU!"
Daichi:
"That's a compliment."
Theo:
"NO IT ISN'T!"
Yan'er chuckled softly.
Arjun shook his head.
Vivan smiled into his cup of tea.
Lin Xuan stood, walking toward the window.
Moonlight pressed against the glass.
His reflection stared back—calm, unreadable.
"Tomorrow," he said quietly,
"they stop being children."
The room fell completely silent.
Even Daichi stopped chewing.
Prabhat lowered his head.
"We'll stand by them."
Dion nodded.
"And I'll stand by you."
Lin Xuan didn't reply immediately.
But a faint curve — barely a smile — touched the corner of his lips.
A moment so brief anyone else would've missed it.
Yet everyone in the room saw it.
Tomorrow…
their real story would begin.