Warm rays of morning sunlight woke Kevin up. He groaned, lifted a hand to shield his face, and blinked himself back into consciousness.
Something soft and warmth pressed against his sides. Two bodies, bare and tangled around him, arms thrown over his chest as if he were some oversized pillow. He glanced down and saw smooth skin, tousled hair, and legs tangled beneath the sheets. The sight made the corner of his mouth lift in a lazy, triumphant grin.
Last night had been… wild. Even for him.
He eased himself free from the girls' hold, moving slowly enough not to wake them. One of them murmured his name in her sleep, reaching blindly for his warmth.
His feet touched the cold marble floor, a sharp contrast to the heat of the bed. Kevin stretched, cracked his neck, and made his way toward the kitchen counter.
His apartment was large, modern, and expensive—thanks to his brother, Karl. Kevin never asked for it, but his older brother insisted he have a place with good security.
He pressed a button on the coffee machine, leaned against the counter, and waited as the rich aroma slowly filled the air.
Good morning, he thought dryly to himself, staring at the city.
With coffee in hand, he moved to the couch and dropped onto it with a sigh. His apartment's glass wall gave him a panoramic view of the urban sprawl; tall buildings, busy streets already rushing with morning traffic, and beyond them, the enormous barrier wall. Thirty meters of solid reinforced steel, rising so high that the sunlight cast a long shadow over the houses beside it.
Kevin's smirk faded.
His gaze stayed fixed on it. A pit formed in his chest, familiar and heavy, as a memory pushed its way into his mind.
Kevin inhaled sharply as the recollection swept through him in flashes; the shattered glass walls of their old home, the cold rain against his skin, his mother's desperate smile. His father, dragging him back, shouting for him to run. And behind them, the creature—canine in shape but impossibly massive, its fur matted like shadows, its fangs sinking into his mother's leg.
He remembered the sound she made. A choked breath, half shock and half acceptance.
And he remembered his father's voice, breaking as he yelled at him to run, to live.
It had been years, but the memory was fresh enough to bleed.
Kevin realized that tears were already sliding down his cheeks. He wiped them away with the back of his hand, jaw clenched.
A knock broke the silence.
Kevin didn't move.
Another knock came, stronger than the previous.
He sighed, stood up, and dragged himself to the door. When he opened it, he found a man in a suit standing there—handsome, composed, late twenties, about 180 centimeters tall.
It was Karl.
His older brother looked him over once, and his expression immediately tightened.
"You're still alive?" Karl said as he stepped inside. "You don't answer my calls, you don't respond to my texts. Should I assume you're dead on the floor next time?"
Kevin didn't bother answering. Karl's eyes scanned the apartment and landed on the bedroom, specifically on the two naked figures still curled in his bed.
"Oh for…" Karl shut his eyes briefly and massaged his temple. "Wake them up and tell them to leave. Please."
Kevin shrugged and walked back to the bedroom. He leaned over the bed and gave one girl a gentle shake.
"Baby, time to wake up," he murmured. "My brother's here."
The girl blinked up at him, then glanced past him—where Karl's silhouette was visible. Both women stiffened instantly. They scrambled out of bed, clutching their clothes to their chests as they hurried toward the bathroom.
Kevin, amused, slapped one on the bum as she passed. She yelped, glanced back at him, and he winked. Her flustered face warmed into a smile before she disappeared into the bathroom.
Two minutes later, they emerged fully dressed, hair hastily fixed, lips bitten nervously. They walked toward the entrance where Karl stood waiting with arms crossed.
The moment they reached him, both girls froze like children caught stealing pastries.
"Good morning, President Morrell," they greeted in unison, bowing slightly.
Karl stared at them, at the fresh marks blooming around their necks, and sighed. "You two don't need to go to the company today."
One girl went pale. "A-Are you firing us, President Morrell?"
The other was already bending her knees, ready to kneel.
"No," Karl said sharply. "But have you looked in a mirror? Your necks are full of kiss marks. You plan to greet the other staff like that? Just file a leave. I'll approve it."
Embarrassment washed over the girls' faces. They bowed again, mumbling their thanks before hurrying out of the apartment.
The door clicked shut behind them.
Silence settled between the brothers.
Karl turned to Kevin. "Next time you feel horny, spare my employees."
Kevin clicked his tongue, smirking. "Not my fault I'm handsome. Your female staff want a piece of me, so I give them what they want. We have the same face…why don't you enjoy your single life, brother?"
Karl gave him a flat stare. "How can I enjoy life when I'm taking care of my company and you? If only you had grown up a little. You drink, you go to bars, you start fights. If only our…"
Kevin's eyes sharpened, his voice dropping to a warning. "Don't bring our parents into this."
Karl softened, even if his jaw still clenched. "I know you blame me. I blame myself, too. If I had agreed to return to Verlum City with all of you sooner, maybe Mom and Dad would still be…"
"Stop," Kevin snapped.
Karl continued anyway. "I know I failed you. But you're disappointed with yourself, too. That's why you keep causing trouble. You trained yourself nearly to death for years. And then the 'Mark of Eclipse' didn't choose you. Of course, you're hurting. How could you not?"
Kevin's voice was cold when he answered. "Then you know why I despise you from the bottom of my heart. All you care about is money."
Karl didn't flinch. "I know. But you hate yourself more, Kevin. Because you didn't have the power to save them before and avenge them now."
Karl sighed, "You're only nineteen. You could go back to school, start fresh, and build a life again. We have to accept that Mom and Dad are gone."
Kevin's fist slammed into the wall. Pain shot up his arm, but he didn't feel it. Blood smeared across the white paint.
"I will never accept it," he growled. "Not until I avenge them. I will kill them. I will kill those Soulbornes."
Karl took a step toward him—but suddenly everything around them dimmed. The sunlight vanished. The room shifted into shadow.
Karl's eyes widened. "Eclipse."
"So they're choosing again…" Kevin exhaled, a mixture of disappointment and regret, "…but I can't be chosen now."
The Eclipse is a phenomenon when the divine system appeared to select humans aged eighteen only, to become the world's vanguard against the Soulbornes called Moonchildren.
Kevin tilted his head up as a soft hum filled the air.
A glowing orb materialized in the center of the room, hovering above the floor. Its light reflected in Kevin's dark eyes.
A voice echoed from it—calm, resonant, almost mechanical.
"Welcome, Moonchild. You have been chosen. You will now be transported to the Portal. Are you ready for your adventure?"
For a heartbeat, Kevin didn't breathe.
Then a slow, menacing smile spread across his face.
He looked straight into his brother's widening eyes.
"I'm going to avenge Mom and Dad," Kevin said. "And when I come back…I'll be the strongest warrior the world has ever known."
Light burst from the orb, swallowing his entire body. In seconds, Kevin vanished—erased from the apartment like a phantom sucked into another world.
The glow faded.
Karl stood alone in the dimming room, staring at the space where his brother had been.