***** For a brief moment, Zach‘s gaze just remained locked on the five boys, who were now glaring at him with undisguised arrogance and smugness. Then, his focus shifted to Riam. He was only eighteen, yet there was something already worn and aged about him, as if life… or more precisely, his own reckless decisions had drained him even before adulthood had truly begun. His body was unnaturally thin and almost gaunt, his cheeks slightly sunken, and his lips dry. A subtle, restless twitch ran along his jaw that suggested unhealthy habits… most likely drug use. In Zach’s memory, the boy had been soft-faced, bright-eyed, and even adorable in that mischievous child way. He had been innocent and harmless, someone you might ruffle the hair of and scold lightly. But now? If Zach hadn’t already confirmed his identity, he might have doubted they were the same person. The transformation was that drastic, but that was none of Zach’s concern. If anything, staring at the boy now, hi

***** The five teenagers continued mocking Jacob. Some bent over laughing too hard, while others wiped tears from their eyes. Eventually, they calmed down enough to speak again. Riam, still grinning as though he had just witnessed the funniest comedy performance of his life, turned toward Jacob with undisguised contempt. “So,” he sneered, dragging the word out mockingly, “someone like you actually knows a soldier.” The other four chuckled, as though that alone was the punchline of the century. “That’s not even the best part, boss,” one underling added, wiping his eyes dramatically. “The old fool clearly thought the guy was dead. Otherwise, why would he react like that?… crying like he just saw a ghost!” More laughter followed. They hurled insults freely now, their words sharp and dripping with superiority. Yet Jacob said nothing. He didn’t react or even look at the group. Instead, he continued clutching Zach, his face still lit with overwhelming joy, his grin brigh

***** After Jacob finished speaking, every nerve in his frail body clung toward a single hope… that Zach would understand, let this go, and not throw himself into a storm he did not need to face. But contrary to everything he had braced himself for… Zach did nothing. He didn’t move, tense, or react. He just stood there still and unreadable, as though nothing happening there had anything to do with him, leaving Jacob’s throat tightened. Jacob had imagined Zach’s eyes blazing with rage and unwillingness. That would have been normal for a young man his age. But this level of calmness… Without even realizing it, Jacob’s heart trembled in his chest. ‘Young master… you’ve changed,’ he thought, his vision growing misty. The impulsive, hot-blooded youth from ten years ago would have exploded without hesitation. He would have struck even after his desperate plea and dealt with consequences later, but this man standing before him now… ‘What had you endured all these years?’

***** “Young… young master!” Jacob blurted out in panic, instinctively stepping forward. But it was already too late. Pak!!! Zach’s palm connected squarely with Riam’s face, the impact snapping his head sideways, and knocking six bloodied teeth out of his mouth. Before anyone could react, his body launched backward like a javelin, until… Craaashhh!!! He crashed straight into a towering pile of rotting garbage, the heap collapsing inward and swallowing him whole. Then everything went still. Jacob froze, his mind struggling to process what he had just witnessed, while the four remaining youths stared at the garbage heap where their “boss” had disappeared, their faces drained of color. No one had anticipated things escalating this fast, and yet, before they could fully comprehend it… “You should thank your stars Uncle Jacob stopped me right on time,” Zach’s voice echoed flatly again, breaking the suffocating silence. Jacob and the four youths instantly jolted, their heads

***** At this moment, Riam’s mouth was a gruesome spectacle… smeared with blood and rotten sludge. But that wasn’t what nearly sent the four youths into hysterics. It was his teeth, or rather… the absence of them. Three were missing from the top front and three from the bottom, making him look less like an arrogant delinquent and more like an old man who had lost his dentures in a bar fight. The sight was catastrophic, and the four boys… They tried to hold back their laughter, all of them trembling violently, their shoulders jerking. One of them even bit the inside of his cheek so hard that he tasted blood, while another turned away entirely, staring at the garbage heap as if it were fascinating. But Riam, of course, noticed. He shifted his gaze toward them, and the moment he saw their distorted faces… red from restraint and their eyes watering not only from the stench but also from suppressed laughter, something inside him snapped. His pride, authority, and image… a