Ryan slammed his bedroom door so hard the sound echoed throughout the entire second floor.Brak!His breathing was rapid. His jaw hardened, while both hands remained clenched since he had left the corridor of Logan’s study.“Bastard!”The flower vase on the table was thrown straight onto the floor.Prang!Glass shards scattered everywhere. He did not care.The image of Kaelan kept appearing in his head. The way Kaelan had looked at him. The way Logan had called Kaelan. Even the single word he had overheard from behind the door made his chest feel as if it were burning.“Good.”Logan… had praised Kaelan.Ryan kicked the chair near the bed until it toppled over. “Why him?”For years he had tried to gain Logan’s attention. Studying business etiquette, attending family events, always presenting himself perfectly. Yet Logan had never truly seen him.Then Kaelan changed in just a few days. And everything began to shift.Ryan paced back and forth inside the room. “If Grandfather chooses Kael

Morning at Westbridge University unfolded as usual. The main corridor was filled with the lively chatter of students who had just finished their first lecture. The sounds of conversation, laughter, and footsteps blended together, bringing the dynamic campus atmosphere to life. Amidst the crowd, Kaelan walked alone toward the faculty building.A frayed backpack hung over his left shoulder, while his expression remained as cold and flat as ever. The slight injury on his arm was hidden tightly beneath his long-sleeved shirt; thanks to the mana energy he had absorbed yesterday, the pain had subsided significantly."Kaelan!"That cheerful call rang out from behind. Kaelan paused in his tracks for a moment.Lyra Bennett trotted over to him, carrying two thick textbooks and a water bottle. Her breathing was slightly ragged, yet her bright smile did not fade. "I almost missed you."Kaelan glanced at her briefly. "Did you purposely chase after me?""Yes," Lyra answered effortlessly. "You walk

The corridor of the Faculty of Engineering slowly grew crowded again after the commotion ended. The students who had earlier surrounded Olivia began walking away one by one. Some still whispered quietly, while others occasionally glanced back at the girl before disappearing at the end of the hallway.Olivia remained standing in the same spot. Her books had already been picked up, yet her fingers still gripped one of them so tightly that the pages inside were slightly bent.“I don’t hate you. Because to hate someone… I have to care first.”That sentence kept circling in her head.No. Impossible.Olivia’s face gradually turned cold. “Kaelan…” she bit her lower lip. “You couldn’t possibly change this fast.”For years, Kaelan had lived only for her. That man always came when she called, always helped with her university assignments, and always believed every single one of her lies. A young man like that could not have lost all of his feelings in just one night.Olivia shook her head slowl

The evening sky began to turn orange as Kaelan stepped out of the gates of Westbridge University. Just like the past few days, he did not take the path toward the Garrison family's grand mansion. Instead, his steps turned firmly toward the north of the city, into the depths of Silverpine Forest.The evening breeze carried the scent of damp soil and thick pine sap. This place was slowly becoming the only location in the world capable of offering him absolute peace.Kaelan walked down the hidden trail until he arrived beneath the canopy of the ancient tree where the primal mana stone resided.He immediately sat cross-legged on the cold ground. His eyes closed tightly. Within his inner space, the Mana Core, filled with fine cracks, began to rotate slowly. A faint purple light pulsed once more, absorbing bit by bit the pure mana energy radiating from the stone.Warm.That thin current seeped into all of his blood vessels. The scratch on his left arm felt itchy for a moment before the skin

Morning at the Garrison Mansion felt different.Usually, Kaelan walked straight toward the dining room without a single person paying him any mind. But this time, the moment he stepped down the main staircase, his steps halted instantly.Evelyn was already sitting stiffly in the living room. Victor stood upright near the window holding a cup of black coffee. Ryan leaned casually against the sofa with his phone in hand. Even two senior maids appeared standing at attention in the corner of the room, as if they had deliberately been ordered to wait for someone.Waiting for him."Kaelan," Evelyn's voice sounded cold, slicing through the morning silence. "Sit down."Kaelan looked at them one by one with a flat gaze before walking closer. He seated himself on a single armchair, directly facing his mother.There was no good morning greeting. No warm smile. Only a suffocating atmosphere that made the air feel heavy to breathe.Evelyn cut straight to the core. "Why have you been coming home la