Kaden kept his head lowered, more out of boredom than fear.

"I've heard you've been having fun recently, little brother." The man said with a sneer from where he sat on the bed, one leg crossed—much like a cheap villain in a novel, thought Kaden as his knees burned from kneeling. "Your efforts are commendable."

Honestly, he'd been getting a little distracted with his classes, and he almost forgot about this man who was defined by hatred.

In the end, he could never forget.

"I'm merely following your orders, Reed."

The other laughed sharply, both amused and hateful. "There's a new edge to your tone, dog. Watch yourself."

Kaden lifted his gaze leisurely. "Whatever do you mean?"

"Do you think it's wise for a dog to bark at their master?"

"Perhaps that bark is a warning," A quirk curled at the edge of his lips, almost taunting. "Dogs bite, don't they?"

Reed stared at him silently,  adjusted not to meet Kaden's gaze, before erupting into bursts of laughter, as if a man who had been driven mad. Although in Kaden's humble and most certainly true opinion, Reed had undoubtedly been born with a few screws loose.

Only, Kaden remembered brief moments of normalcy. So vague he would assume them as delusions, had he not seen the same flicker of memories in his distant mind. 

Of a brother once obtained. Of Reed, before.

The change had come abruptly. Shockingly. 

Then, both expectedly and unexpectedly, the man swung his hand through the air. A loud sound reverberated, and Kaden tasted a metallic bitterness in his cheeks. Reed’s fingers curled, hesitating. His eyes flickered to them briefly, and he tucked his hand away. 

"Threatening me? I see the dragon's been a good influence on you."

"He's nothing," spat out Kaden quickly, swallowing down the blood. "You asked me to befriend him, and so I did. But whatever intentions you have for him, it’ll be easy. He trusts people too easily."

"You're so quick to speak about him," smiled Reed, yawning disinterestedly. "I do hope you aren't getting attached."

"I'm not."

He'd spoken a little too quickly to fool Reed's careful instinct, especially trained for his own sadistic pleasure. However, it wasn't a complete lie. Kaden did admit that he'd gotten distracted recently, and Noah's appearance had been a constant item in his current reality.

He was also willing to admit that he didn't hate the honourable dragon in the slightest, though he never thought he would. It was because of Noah's curse that he ended up alone, isolated, and driven mad.

But it was also because of Noah's curse that he'd been woken from the spell of destruction, of the chaos that had been his own doing, regardless of whose command.

The heel of a foot dug into the back of Kaden’s hand.  He winced.

Reed curved his eyes slightly, and the pressure lightened. "Well, that isn't the reason I've called for you today, though I did intend to check on your progress. Father will be pleased."

The King. More cruel than Reed, though perhaps it was to be expected since cruelty ran in their blood.

And although it wasn't as if genetics determined one's future, and the son of a wicked man could grow to be kind, Reed had followed in his father's footsteps of destruction. A chain of violence destined to bring ruin to the Kingdom. 

It had been a choice. Kaden knew that the best, because he also had known the kinder Reed, the calm and polite young boy who had once been so kind.

Kaden had met the King enough times to count on his fingers, but no more than that. He didn't want to, when most of the meetings ended up in some disastrous task that forced blood on his hands, or a beating so bad he couldn't walk for a month.

His memories blurred. He didn’t remember who wielded the whip, or if it was merely the maids, but he wasn't unfamiliar with broken bones and deep gashes on his skin.

"What do you need, Reed?"

"Need?" Another itching laugh. "You make it sound as if I only call for you when I need something. I intended to ask whether or not you were going to the exploration."

Kaden hesitated, furrowing his eyebrows. "Are you giving me permission to go?"

"Do as you please. During your time in the Academy, whatever choices you make will be on you. So long as you successfully befriend the dragon's kin."

A glimmer of happiness settled in Kaden's eyes—and Reed noticed it.

The man’s smile faltered. He swallowed, then bent and yanked at Kaden’s tie. A warped, devilish smile spread on his face, resembling a curse in itself. Kaden gasped, grasping at his throat as the tie tightened, making it harder to breathe.

His lungs burned, and a blue hue wrapped around his slender neck.

One eye squinted, tears springing to the corners of his eye as he choked—then Reed let go.

Kaden collapsed onto the carpet, coughing as he felt the scorching ache around his throat. Enough to form a bruise, most likely. He'd be stuck in turtlenecks for a week, at the least.

Reed smiled. "Just remember, dog, that after the end of those three years, you will return to the house. Don’t be foolish enough to—"

"I am the royal family's dog," interrupted Kaden, lifting his eyes viciously as he held his throat. "I haven't forgotten my place."

Reed faltered, furrowing his eyebrows as he brought a hand to his temples, easing away a throbbing headache. The spikes of pain made him turn away, scowling.

"...Isn't that wonderful? You may leave."

Kaden nodded, bowing once politely before leaving the room.

As he stopped at the door, he saw Reed calmly open an envelope that had been sitting on the desk, gloomily reading over the contents. His fingers trembled, and he bent over in deep pain, one that Kaden often witnessed. 

Kaden closed the door without looking back.

One might wonder why Kaden had stayed with the royal family in his first life, obedient to every command. In this life, it was for revenge. But in the first, it had been out of sheer, pathetic desperation for a family.

A person who has nothing will kill for a morsel. A starving man will eat anything placed before him. And a lonely man can mistake abuse for love.

Why did Kaden endure the torture and continue murdering all the time? It had been more than the fact that he'd be dragged back if he ran to escape, or that the beatings and fear despite his little rebellions were engraved to the bone. Kaden had nothing.

Where could he go but to the only place that gave him something?

"Kaden?" a soft, excited voice called out as he exited. Dread immediately churned in his stomach as he turned. "Reed told me you'd be attending the Academy, but I hadn't believed it!"

"...Skye."

Skye's smile blossomed innocently, and in a way, it was genuine. "I'm so excited!"

A year younger than him was the youngest child of the royal family, entering the Academy two years earlier because of his academic achievements. He was smart, intelligent beyond his years.

And perhaps that was the reason behind his painful ignorance of reality.

Skye's gaze skimmed Kaden's reddened neck, the purple already forming. "Kaden... that—"

"It's nothing," interrupted the man harshly, an edge in his tone.

Skye stared at him and chose not to push the topic. He never pushed the topic.

"We have to do loads of activities together!" The carefree youth tilted his head brightly. The clear blue eyes that were similar to his brother's, only with less sinister darkness.

Kaden's casual attitude dropped, replaced by a thin smile coated in coldness. "Unfortunately, I'm busy, Skye."

"You're always busy," frowned the other before smiling brightly again. "Well, I understand. I don't want to force you, but when you have some time, you must hang out with me!"

"If I have time."

"I'm certain you will—it's not too difficult, the classes I mean. Though it does depend on your skill level and comprehension—I'm sure you'll understand quickly, big brother!"

Kaden stared at him, the uncomfortable silence blind to the other, who remained smiling ignorantly. Finally, he sighed. There was no winning against somebody like Skye, whose persistence was relentless.

"I'll find some time. As long as your dear eldest brother doesn't dump another task on me."

"He's not dear," said Skye hastily, scrunching up his eyebrows, disgusted at the very idea of it. "I'll make sure he doesn't—even Reed doesn't enjoy getting on my bad side."

He'd forgotten about that. Skye's wild, unpredictable personality, coupled with a once-in-a-million-years genius, made him one to be feared, rather than loved. Once the youth decided he disliked somebody, he could easily ruin their lives with his own ability, without relying on any other power. He lacked sympathy to extreme levels, truly living as he pleased.

Nothing wrong with that—if his spontaneous actions didn't risk others.

Well, it wasn't as if Skye would ever kill Kaden, though there had been situations that came fairly close. And it was true that there was no farce the youth put up, and every intention of his had been done out of pure intent.

And that was the most terrifying thing about him.

Skye smiled, tugging at Kaden's sleeve insistently. "What do you say? Let's do something, yeah? Promise?"

"I promise."

Having said that, Skye nodded with great enthusiasm, lips curling into a toothy smile, like a child who had just been promised their favourite candy.

Kaden waved goodbye before leaving.