"Mind explaining to me what happened?"
Inside the car, Angus's naturally cold voice asked Ian for an explanation for why he was called to school today.
Although Teacher Qiu had briefly summarized what had happened over the phone, Angus still wanted a detailed explanation from Ian himself as to what had occurred at lunch.
However, his tone held no blame towards Ian.
Ian also knew that his brother was not interrogating him, if anything, his brother was about to take the things he'll say into account and dump it on the heads of those delinquents and their incompetent families.
"I have no idea what happened either, brother." Ian played innocent and shrugged with clear, wide purple eyes.
"Ian." Angus's voice held a warning.
His honey-orange eyes were vertically-slit, making it look sharp without him having to do anything, but once he truly wills it, it becomes as sharp and piercing as a blade.
Ian flinched, hesitating. He had never shown such a wild and vicious side to his brother before. He was a bit reluctant to tear through the veil of childish innocence he displayed in front of his brother, one of the only people he can still feel a trace of true innocence in front of.
Ian's hesitation was seen in Angus's eyes.
Angus sighed, his sharp gaze suddenly softened as he reached his hand out.
Ruffle.
The big, warm hand covered in gun and knife calluses gently ruffled Ian's hair.
Surprised, Ian looked up.
"No matter what, you, Ian Everett, will always be my precious, cherished little brother. Nothing in this world can change this fact," Angus solemnly vowed.
Ba-thump.
A flow of warmth seeped into Ian's heart.
Caught unprepared, Ian's heart that was tightly wrapped in darkness flickered with a faint glimpse of light. The writhing darkness appeared injured as it shrunk back.
But just as quickly, like weed, it grew back, stronger than ever and completely enshrouded the heart, not allowing a speck of inner light to shine through, constraining the purity within.
On the surface, Ian showed absolutely no reaction to what had happened in a split second within his inner self.
"I know! You don't have to say it!" Ian said with a bright smile on his face that couldn't be held back.
Joy seemed to burst out in his heart overwhelmed with darkness.
"So what happened?" Angus raised a brow, returning back to the previous topic.
Ian scoffed, albeit in an elegant manner.
"The school delinquents called me out to the back of the school and then we fought. I beat them all into a pulp. That's all. Nothing special," Ian explained nonchalantly.
"Called you to the back of the school…" Angus repeated to himself, his face darkened. Obviously calling a student out to the back of a school means trouble.
Angus saw through their thoughts at once with the help of Ian's words. They had planned to gang up on Ian only to be retaliated against and beaten up to the point of being hospitalized.
"Do you want them buried or do you want them chopped up and fed to sharks?" Angus asked seriously with a cold glint in his narrowed eyes.
"How about both?!" Ian cheerily gave his answer with a clap of his slender hands.
"Hm… Alright, both it is!" Angus decided and gave a call to Levi.
"Yes?"
"Levi, I have a few people I need you to get information on…"
As Angus continued his conversation with Levi over the phone, Ian looked out of the car window and went through everything that had happened today.
He once again felt the influence of his brother strongly. Even in front of politicians who decide the direction of the country, wealthy business owners with countless workers under their command, and important figures that normal people can't even talk to, he stood above them all and commanded them and decided their life and death with a mere word.
Yes, this was the life he had always known. A life living under the protective umbrella that was his brother. He needn't worry about the wind and rain in the outside world; he only needs to be happy and in the comfort of the warm shelter built around him so that he'll never get hurt or feel worried about anything.
It was the shelter his brother had painstakingly with a meticulous heart built for him in hopes that his innocence can last forever, untainted and untarnished by the cruel, heartless world who sees suffering as its sole joy.
Ian's lips curled up into a disdainful sneer.
As the car passed through the streets, the sky slowly began to change as dark, gloomy clouds dominated the skies.
As the world seemed to darken, lights came on all around as the world lit up artificially.
The delicate yet tough bullet-proof glass window of the black car zooming down the road reflected the evil eyes of an innocent-looking young man with naturally gentle-looking eyes and beautiful, soft dark-to-light purple hair.
However, in that instant where his gaze seemed to glance past the window and into the eyes of a young girl walking on the streets, all gentleness and innocence seemed to disappear from his being.
In a daze, the girl felt her heart skip a beat.
The car zooms past.
It was too fast to be seen clearly, but too slow to be a phantom.
"Aretta, are you okay?"
A tall man, much taller than the young girl, came to her side and asked her worriedly.
Aretta shook her head, still caught in a bout of dreamy haze as that glimpse seemed to linger and dwell permanently in her soul, unable to be forgotten. It felt so strange yet so familiar, as if she had once seen the same thing, felt the same feeling within one dark purple eye. A darkness that was concealed but present.
A sense of longing overwhelmed her uncontrollably, making her heart ache.
She shook her head again. "No, I'm fine, brother."
"Let's go then, our parents are waiting for us at the restaurant."
"Okay. But I still don't get it, why didn't you guys let me go to S High School? I received their letter of acceptance but you all insisted on me attending that all-girls school, that High School A."
"It's been weeks. Are you still complaining about that? Our parents are just worried about your safety at a co-ed school since you're such a pretty little thing." At the end, her brother gave a little tease, causing Aretta to blush in both embarrassment and annoyance.
"Humph!" She huffed, her cheeks red and puffed out cutely. "I know that's not the actual reason you guys are preventing me from attending S High School! I'll get it out of you one of these days!!" She clenched her hand and shook her fist in front of her with a determined expression.
Her brother twitched his lips. Apparently his sister wasn't lacking in actual IQ despite her naivety and innocence.
He smiled, trying to disguise it as if he had no idea what she was talking about. "Sure, sure. Try as much as you want. Anyways, let's go. We don't want to be late."
Aretta nodded with a satisfied smile, knowing that she had won, and left the area with her older brother.
On the other side, in the car that had driven past the street, Ian furrowed his brows. Just a moment ago, he had a sudden feeling of familiarity… but he didn't see anyone he knew.
"What was that?" Ian whispered to himself in confusion.
"Ian? What's the matter?" Seeing Ian falling into a daze with a lost look, Angus looked over with worry.
"Nothing, brother, maybe I'm just tired." Ian shook his head with a light smile and reassured his concerned brother who was in the middle of opening his contact list to call Doctor Isaac.
Angus breathed a sigh of relief. He put his phone away.
"That's good. Don't scare me like that. If you feel anything wrong with your body, remember to tell me or directly go to Isaac and have him examine you. Understood?" Angus sternly instructed. After what happened last time with Ian and his sudden bouts of pain, Angus was a little overly worried about Ian's health.
"Yes, brother." Ian nodded. He smiled again as he continued to chat with his brother, ignoring that lingering sense of loss he couldn't explain.
Never knowing that they had missed each other on the road, neither Aretta, who missed Ian, nor Ian, who didn't remember Aretta, felt the stir of destiny that had awakened on the day of their first meeting once again moving in the air, getting ready to take action.