Inside, the music pulsed through the air and neon lights painted shifting colors across laughing strangers. After rejecting several advances, Aeris finally spotted him.
Mykel stood tall, annoyingly charismatic. He was flirting shamelessly with a sexy waitress, wearing a grin he thought was irresistible.
Aeris let out a soft chuckle.
"You haven't changed at all. Be careful, your ship's going to sink one day," he teased, giving Mykel a firm slap on the shoulder.
"Shit!" Mykel winced, clutching the spot. "Are you made of metal? Why do you hit like a damn weapon?"
Aeris smirked.
"Maybe you're just weak. Do more exercise otherwise your kidneys will give up one day or another."
Mykel rolled his eyes dramatically.
"It's not me that's weak. You are the inhuman one here."
Then without missing a beat he slid his number onto the waitress's tray and gave Aeris a playful wink.
Aeris shook his head, amused despite himself.
They ordered XV champagne, the strongest available on the menu.
Both of them were well accustomed to alcohol,their tolerance was nearly identical. Drinking had become something of a ritual between them whenever they met.
As they talked and drank, Aeris caught sight of a familiar figure from the corner of his eye.
Kyle!
His stepsister.
Before he could process it, a short middle-aged man walked up behind her, wrapped an arm around her waist, and pulled her close. She laughed playfully as he led her into a private room. The door closed behind them with an unnerving finality.
Aeris froze for a moment.
It all happened so quickly he didn't have time to react. The once proud princess of the family; untouchable, arrogant,and spoiled, was reduced to this.
"Someone you know?" Mykel asked, curiosity replacing his earlier amusement.
"My stepsister," Aeris replied, voice flat and emotionless.
"...Ah."
Mykel paused, unsure what expression to wear.
He knew Aeris' family history. And although Mykel was bold in most situations, he understood this wasn't something to joke about.
That was something Aeris appreciated about him.
Mykel knew when to speak, when to pry and when to stay silent.
Ten minutes later, Kylie emerged, adjusting her dress and smoothing her hair. The man followed shortly after, satisfied grin on his fat face.
Kylie flashed him a flirtartious smile, making her appear more charming under the light.
But the moment he left her sight, her expression quickly shifted into irritation. She pulled her phone and stormed toward the back exit.
While Mykel resumed flirting with the same waitress, sparks practically visible, Aeris quickly followed Kylie outside.
Behind the club, under the flickering lights, Kylie stood facing another man. Her ferocious face and the occasional sharp voice, showed that it wasn't a pleasant conversation.
Aeris moved closer, finally seeing the man's face,
It was his stepbrother, Enzo.
Aeris stared, taken aback.
How could a man in his early twenties look like a man nearing thirty?
His unkempt hair, sunken eyes and the cheap wrinkled clothing indicated that he wasn't in good place in life.
Aeris watched as Kylie pulled a handful of money from her bag, threw it into Enzo's face, and stormed back into the club.
Enzo bent down and picked up the scattered bills. His expression showed no anger—only smug satisfaction and a calculating gleam. Once the money was in his pocket, he turned and walked away without hesitation.
Aeris didn't step forward.
He had no intention of laughing in their faces or humiliating them personally.
Their miserable state was already enough.
Since they were no longer living well, he saw no reason to interfere further.
The ones he truly hated were his ex-wife, that shameless son, his stepmother and his father.
As for his half-siblings, his resentment toward them wasn't as deep… but it wasn't forgiveable either.
The suffering the original Aeris endured in their hands was not small.
So while he wouldn't actively seek revenge on them, he had no intention of letting them escape unscathed either.
Taking away the parents they relied on was punishment enough.
And honestly?
With their abilities, he doubted they would ever stand tall again.