"Why was I born like this, mother?""It's… not your fault, Vayne.""I know it's not, but why?""Just… life.""What does that mean?""I don't know! Can you please stop asking me questions!? Mother's tired already!""...""I'm… I'm sorry. Just—""It's fine, mother. I understand.""You… you're already lucky, Vayne. You don't worry about your meals, you have a roof above your head— most people don't.""I understand, mother.""Just… know that out there? There are people that would just use and kill you for their goals, no one is your friend. Only trust yourself, okay?""...Is that why you don't love me?""What? Why did it suddenly turn to that? Of course, you're my son. Now go to sleep, okay? Mother's tired.""...After I finish this book, mother.""Remember what I said, okay? Just……trust no one."***Twice now.It's not entirely true that people you trust stab you in the back, no— they'll stab you in the front and you wouldn't even notice.Twice he was stabbed, and twice in the front; bot

Another day in the chapter of his life, another day of staring at a ceiling he doesn't recognize. No… this time it was different— he was no longer staring at the ceiling, but at the wooden floor that was sticking to his cheek. He was woken up by the feeling of being thrown over a couple of seconds ago; his Blessing, even activating as he was in the air. But he had just woken up; his mind, still completely stuck in a dream of what had transpired the last time he was awake. And what was he even going to do, fly? And so, Vayne just calmed his breaths down; deactivating his powers as he dropped straight to the floor. "..." "..." And he remained like this for a few minutes; his mind, replaying the feeling of him stabbing Mathilda's neck over and over again. Vayne thought he would at the very least lessen the feeling of guilt by the time he woke up, but no— it never truly disappears. The feeling was raw; he wasn't just remembering it— he w

"They… target first-timers?" "Yeah, fucking pricks. You'd think being the children of a wealthy merchant, they would— Unh! Be… be gentle!" "...How do you know so much about them?" "Pff. They targeted me 5 years ago. But I quickly noticed something was wrong with that Mattheus kid. I mean, how did you not? His smile was as creepy as a Gobbin." "I… haven't had the pleasure of meeting that many people." "...You some sort of loonie– Hnn! I… I told you to be gentle!" "I–I apologize, this… this is my first time doing it with another person, lady Nisha." "...Huh? Then you should have said something!" "..." Vayne could really only remove his hands from the thief's leg as she carefully pulled it away. The two weren't doing… something obscene as someone hearing them from the outside might have expected, no. Vayne was trying to wrap the thief's ankle; he sat on the floor while the thief was on the bed; he had always done it to himself when

"So, how about it? Let's all work together to pass this test!" "...No." "...Sorry?" With a smile still plastered on his face, Vale's eyes started to blink as he slowly turned his head towards the voice that refused his very friendly offer. And there, he could see the woman that could summon ice already walking away— not even glancing or looking back at him. "W—" "Leave her. If she doesn't want to join us, then that's on her, kiddo." "...Kiddo?" This time, Vale's smile started to twitch as the youngest-looking examinee approached him; her long pink hair that was in a ponytail, bouncing along with her umbrella-like skirt. "The name's Mavey," the girl winked, batting her long eyelashes that almost covered her blue eyes, "Nice to meet you, Valerion's spawn." "...Nice to meet you too?" Vale could really only look at Mavey from head to toe, wondering how a small girl like her even managed to reach this far into the exam. "Hoho. Then let me