Moments later in the grand dining room, the table was neatly set. An appetizing aroma wafted through the air, the result of Alvin's work with Allen's help this morning.
Elisalva Altavis, the owner of the mansion and their guardian in the capital, sat gracefully in the main chair at the head of the table. Her beautiful face looked fresh this morning. Meanwhile, Kazien sat on the right side of the table, and Arken sat right next to him. Opposite them, Alvin and Allen occupied the seats on the left side.
They began to eat their breakfast. Warm toast, soup, and various egg dishes. The atmosphere was initially calm, with only the clinking of spoons and forks heard.
However, mid-chew, Allen suddenly stopped moving. He stared at his own hands with disbelief, then shifted his gaze to Alvin.
"Alvin..." called Allen, his voice sounding confused mixed with amazement. "What happened to me? Just now in the kitchen... it felt very strange."
"Strange how?" asked Alvin while putting an egg on his toast.
"Why, after I made this eternity contract with Kazien, do my eyes seem able to copy everything with just a single glance?" Allen stared at his hands again. "I've never cooked in my life. But when I watched you chop vegetables and adjust the fire, my body moved on its own, copying you perfectly. As if I were already an expert."
Alvin smiled knowingly. He put down his fork and explained calmly.
"That is because of his power. The bond of the eternity contract isn't just about connecting your soul to his. If you contract with him, his powers will also descend to you. Kazien's eyes have the ability to copy and master various things quickly. So, you can also use all the elements in this world and copy everything you see just like him."
Hearing that explanation, Allen's eyes widened. He turned quickly to the other side of the table, staring at Kazien's face, who was casually drinking his tea. His gaze showed that he was extremely shocked by the fact he had just heard.
Kazien, feeling watched, lowered his glass. "Why are you looking at me like that, Allen? Are there bread crumbs on my face?"
"Answer me honestly! Besides me and Alvin, who else has contracted with you?" demanded Allen, ignoring Kazien's joke.
Kazien sighed softly. "Only Sis Selena."
"Your older sister?"
"Yes. Sis Selena's husband is an elf, and their lifespans are vastly different. She is just an ordinary human. Inevitably, she must have a long lifespan to live longer with her husband."
While the conversation was taking place, Arken, who sat beside Kazien, could only freeze in silence. He didn't eat the bread in his hand.
His ears caught every word they said. Eternity contract? Copying everything? Living longer? What are they talking about? Immortality? Arken's mind churned violently. He looked at his brother's side profile with a new gaze, as if seeing a terrifying alien creature.
Is Brother Kazien... an immortal human?
A great shock hit his mind. He had just lost his father to death, and now he learned that his adopted brother had the power to defy death itself.
Will my brother never be able to die? Brother Alvin and Brother Allen can't die either? What crazy power does my brother possess? Is he a god disguised as a human?
Arken felt his narrow world suddenly expand into something unreasonable and terrifying.
On the other hand, Allen still snorted in annoyance. "I thought you carelessly bound this crazy contract to other people!"
Kazien laughed cheerfully, trying to break Allen's tension. "Hahaha. How could I do that! This contract binds a part of my soul and I can't give it carelessly. Besides, apart from Sis Selena, my entire family has also rejected the offer to live eternally with me! They chose the normal human life cycle."
Allen narrowed his eyes and looked at Kazien sharply. "So, everyone who becomes your wife will be bound by this contract with you? Is that a mandatory package?"
"What do you mean? Of course. I have no intention of betraying Alvin any more than this, and now with you added. I want us to be together forever!" answered Kazien firmly.
Suddenly, Kazien remembered something. He turned to the side, looking at Arken, who was still dazed with his innocent face. He was afraid Arken might end up like Allen, falling in love with him.
"Arken..." called Kazien.
Arken flinched in surprise. "Y-Yes, Brother?"
Kazien looked at his brother's face seriously yet playfully. "Arken, I admit you are very cute! But I beg one thing of you... don't fall in love with me, okay?"
Arken blinked in confusion. "Huh?"
Kazien continue his words. "I'm serious! I will be in a huge dilemma if my own brother falls in love with me! It's very complicated, and I don't want to hurt my sibling's feelings."
Arken's face turned bright red. He felt his dignity as a younger brother was being questioned. He answered loudly and with full conviction.
"Brother Kazien!" exclaimed Arken firmly. "You are indeed handsome. Very handsome! But in my eyes, you are the big brother I am proud of! A father figure! Nothing more!"
Arken clenched his fist on the table. "And suppose... suppose that crazy thing happens in the future, where I like you, I would kill myself right in front of you out of shame!"
Gasp!
The atmosphere at the dining table suddenly went silent. Elisa, who was drinking tea, stopped her movement.
The words full of conviction and the phrase 'kill myself' coming from Arken's mouth made the smile vanish from Kazien's face instantly. His handsome face turned cold and pale.
Kazien felt relieved that Arken didn't like him. But on the other hand, he was very worried and terrified hearing those reckless words. Something he feared most in this world wasn't a strong enemy, but the death of the people he loved.
Eternal life made him suffer greatly and feel restless. The shadow of his entire family's death in the future, while he remained young as they aged and died, continued to haunt his mind.
And death is an absolute certainty for ordinary humans like Arken.
"Take back your words!" Kazien's voice sounded low and heavy. The aura around the dining table grew heavy.
"Whatever happens, Arken... never say you will end your life! Never!" emphasized Kazien, his eyes staring sharply into Arken's pale light purple eyes, implying deep fear. "I don't like it if you resort to doing that! Your life is precious!"
Arken swallowed hard, realizing he had misspoken. However, he tried to break the tension with an awkward smile.
"Calm down, Brother! I was just joking about that. I won't kill myself, and I also won't fall in love with the big brother I am so proud of!"
Arken then looked at Kazien with a gaze of pity. He began to understand the burden behind the word 'eternal' discussed earlier.
"But... I worry about you, Brother. We, ordinary humans, will die one day. But the three of you won't. You must feel pressured, right? Seeing the people you love leave one by one?" said Arken honestly.
Kazien was stunned. This boy was too sensitive.
His eyes dimming. "I cannot deny your words. That fear is real. Therefore, I don't want you to end your life foolishly!" answered Kazien honestly.
Suddenly, Kazien's gaze turned very intense, half-threatening, half-desperate.
"But if you recklessly kill yourself..."
Kazien brought his face close to Arken's. "...I swear I will resurrect you and turn you into an undead! You will live eternally with me as a living corpse, whether you like it or not. You know I can do it, right?" whispered Kazien, yet it was clearly heard by everyone.
Arken's face paled instantly. The image of becoming an undead like his father flashed through his mind. Cold, stiff, and devoid of feeling.
"Hahaha..." laughed Arken, discordant and fearful. "I beg you, don't, Brother! Becoming an undead is scarier than death itself."
"Then, take back your words just now! Promise me you will guard your life!" stated Kazien firmly, not joking.
"Yes, Brother Kazien! I promise! I will take back my previous words." exclaimed Arken quickly, raising his pinky finger.
Kazien sighed in relief. He sat back up straight and finished his tea.
They continued breakfast in awkward silence. However, behind that calm, each person's thoughts branched in different directions.
Arken looked down at his plate. His heart was still beating fast because of Kazien's threat. However, a strange thought crept into his mind.
Why is Brother Kazien so possessive of me? He even threatened to make me an undead so I wouldn't leave him...
Arken's inner voice wondered. So... do you also want me as your wife like Brother Alvin and Brother Allen? Is that why you are so afraid of losing me?
Meanwhile, across the table, Alvin and Allen exchanged tense glances.
Thanks to the eternity contract binding their souls, Alvin and Allen could feel the surge of emotions within Kazien when he threatened Arken. Extreme fear of loss, a strong desire to possess, and an obsession to keep Arken 'alive' by his side felt so intense and suffocating.
For Kazien, perhaps it was just brotherly affection that was excessive due to fear of loss. However, for Alvin and Allen, who also felt the intensity of Kazien's love for them through that bond, those emotional signals felt ambiguous and confusing.
Alvin concluded in his heart: Emotions this strong... He really doesn't want to let Arken go for even a second. Does he subconsciously want Arken as his own too?
Allen thought the same thing. He swallowed hard, looking at his fiancé with a new perspective.
Oh no! Kazien might deny it with his mouth, but his soul screams wanting to possess Arken forever. Do we really have to prepare to accept a new 'sibling' in our bed in the future?