Melody's expression softened, her sapphire eyes shimmering with a brief vulnerability. But in the next instant, she turned her head sharply, a faint pink hue blooming on her cheeks.

"It's fine… I probably would've lashed out if you hadn't," she muttered.

Michael smiled. She was probably telling the truth. If he hadn't snapped at Braydon, he could easily picture Melody delivering a verbal—and possibly magical—beatdown in his place.

Just as his thoughts were beginning to drift, he felt warm breath against his cheek.

He jerked back instinctively, only to find Rudy inches from his face, scrutinizing him with intense curiosity.

"Are you sure you two aren't really engaged?" Rudy asked, deadpan.

Michael shot him a glare, ready to fire back—but then he froze. A cold realization crept in as he remembered the information he was meant to relay to his friend.

"I forgot to tell you…" he said, voice turning serious. "Rudy… it happened again."

"What?" Rudy blinked. "I swear I washed my hands after my morning poop," he added, lifting his palms in protest.

But when Michael didn't react, Rudy's expression sobered immediately.

"Tell me," he said, voice flat.

Michael glanced briefly at Melody—who stiffened—then launched into the explanation of what he'd heard from Professor Stark in the student council meeting. He spared no detail, not even the parts Magnus had asked them to keep private.

"M-Michael! You weren't supposed to say that!" Melody whispered in a panic.

But he ignored her. Rudy deserved to know. Especially considering his family had been victims of the first incident.

Rudy listened in silence, unmoving, unblinking. Gone was the carefree boy who made crude jokes and grinned too easily. In his place sat a statue—cold, still, unreadable.

"So it wasn't an accident…" he murmured, eyes closing.

For a moment, his body tensed—shoulders drawn tight as though fighting something within. Then, slowly, he exhaled. His posture slackened. A single tear slid down his left cheek, catching the morning light as it fell.

"Good," he whispered, voice hoarse.

Good?

Michael frowned. The word sent unease curling in his gut. Was the news too much for Rudy?

But then Rudy stood. Without another word, he turned away, walking over to the open window that overlooked the emerald fields beyond.

"Now that I know someone—or something—was behind the attack… I have somewhere to channel my rage," he said, calm and quiet.

Too calm.

The eerie composure in his tone sent a shiver through Michael's spine.

"Rudy… you're a survivor from one of those places?" Melody asked softly, realization dawning in her voice. She'd pieced it together.

"Claywall," Rudy replied, eyes fixed on the horizon. "I was out exploring that day. By the time I returned… my family was gone."

Melody raised a hand to her mouth, eyes wide with sorrow. The weight of his words crushed the air in the room.

"I'm so sorry, Rudy… I can't imagine going through something like that."

Rudy turned—but not to her.

His gaze locked onto Michael.

"You haven't told her," he said flatly. Not a question. A statement.

Michael gave a small nod—just enough for Melody to notice from the corner of her eye. She turned toward him, curiosity etched across her face. He caught her gaze in his peripheral vision and sighed inwardly.

It's probably time to come clean… at least most of it.

There were truths he could share—and others he had to bury. His real identity as Michael Aurelius was one of them. That secret needed to remain locked away, no matter what.

His father had gone to great lengths to keep his white-ringed birthright hidden from the world. Yet even so, whispers had circulated in the noble circles—enough for some to suspect, even if they'd never met him.

If the truth got out, there was no telling what might happen. He wouldn't just be ridiculed—he could be dissected, studied. Treated like a living relic or worse, a lab rat.

And he knew one thing for certain: mages would kill for the kind of anomaly he was.

"I lived in Velmara City," he said at last, voice flat but steady.

He met Melody's eyes, letting the weight of his words hang in the air.

"My father and mother were both killed," he added—truthfully, if not entirely transparently.

"I wasn't in town when it happened… so I was spared." He paused, swallowing hard. "But when I returned… everyone was dead."

Shock flashed across Melody's face. Her sapphire eyes clouded, her expression unreadable—caught between sorrow and realization. She stared at him, but her gaze seemed to drift, as if replaying everything she thought she knew.

"You… traveled all the way to Whitevalley from Velmara?" she asked softly. "Through the forest... alone?"

Her voice was laced with disbelief, the final puzzle pieces clicking into place. She had heard the vague account he'd given to her parents, but this filled in the empty spaces—brutally.

Michael nodded.

"They didn't press me for details," he said, his voice softening. "Brian and Mary… they're good people. They gave me space."

"And then… your family took me in."

For the first time in a while, his impassive expression cracked. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

"If they hadn't taken me in, I'd probably be dead. Or something worse." His eyes flicked to Rudy by the window.

Rudy caught the glance and lowered his head. Pain flickered across his features, just for a moment.

"That's behind us now," Rudy said, turning around, voice steady. He stood straighter, his posture resolute.

"We might be weak and helpless now… but not for long."

His eyes burned with quiet fury—alive, awake, and unflinching.

"I say fuck those bastards who killed our families," he growled. "Fuck the slavers. And fuck those nobles who treat Melody like a political chess piece."

He slammed his fist down on the table with a heavy thud, rattling the glasses nearby.

"We'll make them pay. Every last one of them."

His voice dropped low, laced with a cold promise.

"We'll get our revenge… with our own hands."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.