Jack rushed at him, clashing with one of the men, forming a blade of flame, and struck him dead.
Black saw him fighting fiercely. When they tried to hold him, she looked around, found a rock, and used it to help him.
But the masked men grabbed the fiery boy and lifted Black by the arm.
They were about to check her mark when the stranger reappeared, attacking with fury.
He freed the children and held them tightly as they kicked and screamed.
Jack, screaming: "Let me go! I'll kill them… I'll kill every last one of you! I won't leave a single one alive!!"
Black: "Let me go! I'll smash their heads!"
They looked at their family lying in blood, a burning hatred consuming them.
The stranger noticed a strange glow in their eyes. Shocked, he sprayed something in their faces, and their vision blurred. Their screams faded.
They passed out. Jack's fire extinguished. They fell into deep sleep.
Stranger, to himself: "That's better."
As he tried to escape, the masked leader called after him:
Leader: "Do you really think you can get away with this, Gara? Do you think you can save them? Why didn't you stay in your little hole, as always?!"
Gara, turning around: "Because things will never be the same again…"
He looked at the children, then back at the leader.
Gara, coldly: "From now on, things will get much more interesting… Simon."
Then he vanished.
Simon didn't bother ordering his men to search. He knew if Gara wanted to hide, no one would find him—unless by miracle.
He ordered his men to burn the remaining houses and bodies.
The next day:
Jack woke up to find himself in a strange, unfamiliar place. He looked around for Black, but she was nowhere to be seen. Forcing himself to get up, he wore a cold and emotionless expression—like a lifeless body moving without a soul.
He stepped outside, fully alert.
Jack looked around, searching for Black and something to defend himself with. He saw a knife on a fruit plate, took it, and heard a sound outside. He headed toward it.
The house was of medium size but located on a mountaintop, hidden among the trees. There were no proper safety measures.
For the first time, Jack approached the cliff edge without a trace of fear. He looked down with indifference, remembering how he used to feel when doing this in the past.
(He used to feel as if a strong wind would come and push him off the edge. True, he lived among mountains, but his father and uncle had surrounded the house with fences and other safety equipment.)
A voice came from behind him:
"Well done. It's only cowards and weaklings that the wind could sweep away."
Jack turned to see a man standing behind him, completely unbothered by the knife pointed at him, holding a basket with some mushrooms and other items.
Gara continued, "But you, you're the storm that will burn down anything in its path."
Jack coldly replied, "Who are you?! Where's Black?"
Gara: "Gara. My name is Gara. As for the girl—she's asleep inside."
He turned to head back into the house.
Jack followed and stood in his way.
Jack: "Stop... Why did you bring us here?"
Gara: "Don't you remember me, boy?"
Jack said with bitter sarcasm:
"Oh, I remember you well. You could have saved everyone, but you were a coward who stayed back and just watched them get slaughtered. And in the end, I don't even know why you wanted to play the hero. Why did you save us?!"
Gara: "First of all, I wasn't a coward. It simply wasn't my battle, and I had no reason to interfere. Second, they weren't going to kill you. Maybe the girl, yes. But they would've only made you lose your memory… and then they would've left."
Jack, shocked: "My memory?!"
Gara: "The girl is about to wake up, so it's best if she sees you when she does. After we eat, I'll tell you both what you need to know."
Meanwhile, Black was shifting in bed, slowly regaining consciousness.
Jack went to her and found her curled up, crying deeply. He could feel her terror.
He sat beside her and began calling her name softly, trying to help her recognize him.
Jack, gently: "B—Black, it's me, Jack. Please… open your eyes and look at me."
The moment she heard his voice, she opened her eyes and clung to him so tightly that he felt she might slip into his very bones.
Her sobs intensified until she could barely breathe. Jack grew more frightened for her—Black was the only one he had left after that massacre.
He gently rubbed her back until she calmed down a little.
She lifted her eyes to him and saw that he looked different—his gaze was cold, unfamiliar. She instinctively hugged him.
Black: "Jack…"
As if her touch and her voice gave him permission to release everything inside him.
In seconds, painful memories crashed down on him. Silent tears streamed from his eyes. His father and mother had been murdered right before him. He couldn't do anything. In one night,
he had become an orphan. He had lost his entire family.
He embraced Black tightly, pressing her to him and burying his face in her shoulder, never letting her see his expression.
He remembered how he used to argue with his father, and the pain grew stronger.
Jack (in his mind):
Dad… please, Dad, I promise—I won't fight anymore. I'll listen. I won't be a troublemaker. Just come back.
Mom… I'll sleep in your arms from now on. Jack, you idiot, she used to beg you to sleep in her arms, but you refused, saying you were too old for that… She must've known she was going to die soon… All she wanted was to spend more time with you…
Mom… I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…
Mooom… Daaad…
Black: "Jaaack…"
His tears kept falling in silence. He didn't raise his face, didn't make a sound. He stayed quiet—his body trembling in her arms.
Jack felt a helplessness he had never known before. How powerless and useless he had been when his family was killed before his eyes. He couldn't do anything for them, couldn't help them. He swore that such helplessness would never find its way to him again.
Gara stood outside, listening, but didn't go in. He wanted them to release everything inside them. Then he went to prepare some food.
Sometime later…
Jack sat silently, not saying a word.
Black: "Jack… where are we?"
Jack: "In the house of the man who saved us."
Black: "What do we do now?"
Jack, with the icy chill of the dead: "We avenge them."
In a vast, ancient stone amphitheater,
eleven figures stood in a circle, all identical in appearance, with Simon standing in the center.
The sharp sound of a powerful slap echoed through the air, sending its receiver crashing to the ground — none other than Simon. His attacker grabbed him by the collar and began punching him repeatedly. Simon couldn't fight back — or rather, he didn't have the courage to. The man hitting him was one of the Five Inner Commanders, the highest-ranking and most powerful leaders in the organization.
One of the Five Commanders: Dominic, it seems Santiago is furious with that idiot Simon.
Dominic (coldly): He really is an idiot, Austin. Completely useless.
Austin: Christopher wants to kill him too. But Santiago… if anyone interferes now, he'll kill them, no matter who they are.
Santiago (furious): Are you stupid?! How could you do this in front of the child? And you failed to erase his memory afterward?! You let him escape?
Simon (in pain): I'm sorry, sir. It was Gara who appeared and took the children.
Santiago (angrily): Did you confirm the child had the mark before killing Edmund Anderson?
Simon (nervously): No…
The commanders erupted in rage.
Dominic: What did you say, you idiot?! You didn't even confirm if the boy had the mark?!
Austin: You imbecile!
Christopher: Are you insane?! All our plans will fall apart if that boy doesn't carry the mark!
Santiago (coldly): Take him and strike him with lightning — forty times.
Simon (panicked): No! Please, sir! I beg you!
Santiago: And kill his entire team immediately. If he survives the lightning, he'll be Alice's assistant.
Alice almost protested, but Santiago's look silenced her.
Alice: As you command, sir.
Several men dragged Simon away as he screamed in terror, begging for mercy — but they were the kind of men who didn't care for such cries.
Santiago IS ordered : Search everywhere for the children, no matter what happens, no matter what it takes to find that boy.
To be continued…..