Ding Dong

Hearing the doorbell, Kyle lowered the flames and took off his apron before walking toward the door.

He already knew who it was since no one could enter the building without him being notified.

Still, for a quick double-check, he peeked through the peephole.

Just as expected, a familiar bespectacled man stood outside.

Kyle pulled the door open and said, "Aren’t you a little early? What’s the rush?"

Blake stepped inside and replied, "I have a few places to visit here in Montclair today."

Kyle snickered. "Then you shouldn’t have bothered coming here. It’s not like I couldn’t take care of myself."

Blake sighed dramatically. "Quite the bastard you are for not showing any gratitude. I’m wasting my precious time on your nervous ass after you’ve called me seven times since yesterday."

Thankfully, Kyle was facing the other way, or Blake would have noticed the wry smile on his face.

To be fair... he really had called him several times.

Soon, they entered the dining area. Kyle walked into the kitchen and asked, "Want some scrambled eggs?"

"No, I’m fine," Blake replied as he pulled out a chair for himself. "I wouldn’t mind some coffee though."

Kyle, who had just picked up his breakfast plate, let out a deep sigh before placing it back on the counter and heading toward the coffee machine.

Blake pulled out his phone, briefly checked his mail, and asked, "Did you get any calls from your mentors?"

Kyle hummed. "Nope. I was told to come there first. They’ll explain everything before assigning me a mentor."

Blake turned off his screen before saying, "Well, good for you that you’re already close to three people from the base. Three women, no less."

That sleazy grin nearly made Kyle want to throw the coffee in his face.

"Why do you always make me sound like some casanova? I’m just good friends with Layena and Veronica."

Blake scoffed. "Never heard you talk about male friends."

Kyle shrugged. "I do have some, but we don’t talk often. These three are directly connected to my workplace now, so naturally I’ll interact with them more."

Blake let the matter drop as Kyle placed the cup before him.

"Still, be careful. Amanda might not like your ever-expanding friend group."

Kyle immediately warned him, "Don’t tell her about Layena yet. I’ll talk to her calmly about it myself."

Blake narrowed one eye suspiciously. "That’s pretty daring of you, considering you’re hiding things from her again."

Kyle raised both hands after setting his plate on the table. "I swear I’ll tell her. Just don’t butt into this matter."

Blake said nothing and took a sip of his coffee.

Ah, with a little drama looming on the horizon, the coffee somehow tasted even better.

Kyle sighed and sat across from him. Picking up a spoon, he scooped some eggs onto his bread before taking a bite.

A brief crunch echoed through the room before Blake asked, "Have you thought about what gear you’ll bring to the academy?"

Kyle hummed. "What do you mean by gear? Do I need to buy swords and vests now?"

Blake pulled out a small list from his pocket and handed it to him.

Kyle took it and quickly skimmed through the contents.

School Uniform x3

Expedition Uniform x2

A weapon of choice

Books as listed

Battle gear as desired

"Those are the basic things you’ll need to bring along," Blake explained.

Kyle asked, "Don’t they provide equipment there?"

"They do, but it’s mostly standard issue. Nothing comparable to custom-made gear."

Kyle gave a wry smile. "Truthfully, I don’t really need a weapon since I’m not particularly skilled with them. Though if you ask me, a short sword should be good enough."

He already had Aquilla, the finest bow he could have asked for.

There was no reason for him to replace it.

However, if he had to openly carry a weapon around, there was no way he would expose Aella before everyone’s eyes.

She was his trump card.

His answer to any desperate situation.

"Hmm, I understand. I’ll arrange something for you. And as for the other things, Lara will take you shopping someday."

Kyle nodded. "Alright. Just tell her to let me know a day beforehand."

Blake nodded, and soon the two brothers fell silent.

Kyle continued eating his meal while Blake scrolled through his mails, occasionally sipping his coffee.

Then, while fiddling with a leftover corner of bread, Kyle quietly asked, "Did Father hear about my awakening?"

Blake’s gaze hardened slightly, though he kept his eyes on the phone.

"Yeah. News like that doesn’t stay hidden from named clans for long."

Kyle’s brows rose. "And what was his reaction?"

Blake pursed his lips, taking a moment to think.

Finally lifting his gaze, he answered, "I’d be lying if I said he was elated or that his opinion of you suddenly changed. Though Mother was genuinely relieved that you can finally do something with your life."

Kyle was genuinely surprised.

Something this massive...

A change capable of turning his entire life around...

And yet that man still remained unmoved.

A dry chuckle escaped Kyle as he shook his head.

Blake leaned back in his seat, resting a hand on the table as he asked, "Does it bother you?"

Kyle shook his head. "No... no, of course not." He let out a soft breath. "Honestly, nothing about him surprises me anymore. I’m just hoping he doesn’t interfere with my life again." 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Blake reassured him, "Kyle, I promise you won’t have to answer to them. Just focus on building the foundation of your Nightwalker life. This phase is important."

Kyle nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I get it."

Not long after, Kyle finished his breakfast and washed the dishes.

Blake waited while Kyle headed inside. After taking a quick shower, he changed into something more formal.

Black trousers paired with a dark red shirt.

He skipped the blazer since it felt too stiff and restrictive. Tucking in the shirt, he deliberately left the top button open.

After combing his hair, Kyle looked at himself in the mirror and gave a small nod.

With most of the fat gone from his face, his features looked sharper now.

And honestly... these outfits suited him far better than before.

He soon stepped out of the room and asked, "Are you dropping me there?"

Blake rose from the chair and nodded. "Yeah. The base is located in a pretty complicated area. I’ll show you the way."

Kyle nodded before the two headed toward the door.

Inside the elevator, Blake glanced at him before commenting, "You’re looking better."

Kyle hummed. "Compared to when?"

Blake offered no further explanation and returned his attention to his phone.

Kyle rolled his eyes and ignored the man as well.

Right now, his focus was on visiting the PSC base for the first time... and meeting his dear girlfriend there.

He genuinely couldn’t wait to see her reaction.

.....

"Agh... why so early?" Amanda groaned as she sat in her chair alongside the other cadets.

Hannah sighed. "I didn’t even wash my hair properly and now it itches..." The girl looked genuinely bothered by the sudden summons.

And she wasn’t the only one.

Clara and Ethan looked equally dissatisfied.

"Maybe it’s a mission somewhere far away?" Clara muttered, sounding oddly hopeful at the idea of spending extra time with Ethan.

Unfortunately, the man himself wasn’t in the mood for that.

Yes, he was still deeply bothered and irritated by the sudden closeness Layena had shown toward Kyle.

He simply couldn’t suppress the feelings festering inside him because of it.

In Ethan’s eyes, Kyle was a fucking playboy, someone who naturally attracted the attention of women around him.

But as Layena’s team captain and friend, Ethan believed it was his responsibility to warn her and make her understand what was right and what wasn’t.

Amanda groaned again as she checked her phone.

Her fingers quickly moved across the screen as she typed a message to her boyfriend, hoping a few lovey-dovey chats would improve her mood.

Not long after, two people entered the room, instantly silencing everyone.

Amanda reluctantly put her phone away and stood up along with the others.

Veronica stood at the front dressed as usual, yet unlike the exhausted cadets, she looked exceptionally fresh.

Her hair was tied into a tight ponytail, there were no traces of eye bags beneath her eyes, and a faint floral fragrance lingered around her.

What was so special about today?

"Alright, cadets. There is a reason I called all of you here so early today."

She began addressing everyone in the room while Timothy positioned himself diagonally behind her.

Everyone waited eagerly, expecting news about some major mission awaiting them.

However, much to Amanda’s surprise—

"I am going to introduce you to a new cadet. Someone all of you will be taking care of while he stays here."

Amanda’s eyes instantly lit up.

It couldn’t be...

He hadn’t told her anything about this...

Unlike her excitement, Timothy remained calm as he walked over and opened the door.

And the moment the person stepped into the room—

A flood of reactions erupted throughout the place.