Cain turned to the window beside him. The row of buildings slowly gave way to houses as they entered the residential area.
The car he was in kept going, pushing past the boundaries of that area and into the elite neighborhood.
His black eyes narrowed as he witnessed many mansions lined up, encased by iron fences or steel gates that could withstand attacks from virus beasts. They were also equipped with high-security systems, including automatic machine guns mounted on their towering pillars.
He shifted his gaze and saw senior Luna's condition, who kept looking down. She bit her lip as feelings in her heart mingled, triggering a chemical reaction that jolted her consciousness.
They had been driving for several minutes, but there was no conversation between them. Although the driver sometimes started a small conversation, mostly only Cain responded.
However, it seemed the driver was also aware of the gravity holding the silver-haired girl down, so the conversation eventually ended.
The car carrying Cain slowed down, and for the first time, it made Luna look up. Her blue eyes shifted to the left, where a towering iron fence guarded a mansion with a large yard.
Suddenly, the gate opened, revealing a shiny black sedan. Unbeknownst to Cain, Luna opened the door beside her and jumped out, causing him to flinch as his heart almost leapt from his chest.
The driver also realized and stepped on the car's brakes, which made the wheels screech and pulled Cain's body forward due to the remaining momentum.
"Senior Luna!?"
Cain glanced at the girl's seat, and Luna had already unbuckled her seatbelt when he shifted his attention to the window earlier. He turned towards the driver and spoke.
"Sorry about that, so where do I pay?"
The driver lifted a small device and opened his mouth.
"Please tap your watch here, and it will automatically complete the payment."
"Alright."
Raising his left hand, Cain tapped the watch screen on the device held by the man, and when there was a 'ting' sound, the driver widened his lips.
"Thank you. ...Have a good day."
Cain smiled wryly when he heard the driver's stiff words as he tightened the grip on the steering wheel. The boy unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car.
A commotion happened before him as Luna stood beside the stopped car, talking with the man in his fifties, who wore a prim tailcoat and was dressed like a butler.
'Woah, a servant!?'
He gulped, feeling nervous because for the first time, he was entering a rich person's house that resembled a palace. The two people standing near the gate approached him, and the butler man glanced towards Cain, his eyebrow wrinkled.
"Young lady, who is this boy?"
"He is my close friend, Cain."
When those words came out of Luna's mouth, not only the man, but Cain also widened his eyes. Ignoring the shock of the gray-haired boy, Luna approached and grabbed Cain's right arm.
"Hurry! Malik, while I visit my mother, can you prepare a room for my close friend, Cain?"
Cain raised his eyebrow, hearing Luna, who somehow always emphasized that Cain was her close friend. That made his chest pound, feeling a mixture of happiness and anxiety.
The man named Malik bowed and watched the princess of his house lead Cain through the open gate in front of him.
However, an engine roared from a distance until it finally stopped in front of the mansion gate. A military Humvee opened its door, revealing a man with long black hair and panda eyes, looking sleep-deprived.
The boy took a cold breath, his body stiff as if both his legs were entangled by chains tied to the earth's core.
Cain and Albert accidentally made eye contact, thickening the atmosphere between them with an invisible tension that was suffocating.
"Mr. Albert. It's a pleasure you are coming here."
Malik welcomed the man in the white coat as he bowed. Albert waved his hand, ignoring the greeting, and lifted his foot to approach Cain.
The two stared at each other for a few seconds, the contents of their brains resonating, wanting to ask, "Why are you here?" But swallowed the words back and mutually averted their gazes.
Then the girl beside him stepped forward, her expression pale, and opened her quivering lips.
"U-Uncle, are you here to check on Mother's condition?"
Hearing the question from Luna, Cain instantly snapped his neck sideways. His black pupils shrank, and he even forgot to breathe for a moment.
"Ah, I will do my best."
Different from usual, Albert's voice was low, laced with gentleness rarely heard from his sharp mouth. The man grabbed Luna's head and gently stroked it, his lips lifted slightly.
This incident made Cain shake his head several times, feeling like he was seeing a hallucination that would not disappear.
'U-Uncle? Are they both relatives?'
Cain's vision was distorted and coupled with the sharp pain that jolted his brain, making his expression twisted. He then raises both hands to clutch his throbbing head.
He glared at the culprit, who was none other than Albert. On the man's temple, a vein twitched angrily.
"What was that for?"
Albert did not answer and stared at Cain for a few seconds. His swirling black eyes looked like a black hole ready to devour the boy's consciousness.
Cain clenched his fist, being slightly vigilant because he did not know what was in the mad scientist's mind.
"Mr. Albert, young lady, I believe you guys must see the madam first. Let me take over the boy here."
Malik, who entered the circle, suggested something, but Albert raised his hand and made the air around seem to stop. The black-haired man turned to Malik and opened his mouth while pointing towards Cain.
"He will come in with me to see my sister's condition."
The butler, Luna, and Cain widened their eyes; they stared at Albert as if seeing a madman. And without hearing an answer from them, Albert pulled Cain's hand, snatching him from his niece, leaving the place where they were standing.
Malik and Luna, who were left behind, were silent for a moment before the girl followed from behind. Her footsteps were firm, full of determination to see everything happen.
Meanwhile, Malik's lips tightened into a thin line, but decided to keep quiet as he placed a great trust on the young lady's eye. The butler sighed and turned around to return the car that had been parked at the gate.
Cain, whom Albert pulled, tried to struggle, but his efforts were in vain because the man somehow had great strength in his grip.
He clicked his tongue and witnessed a European-style mansion. The walls were layered with natural stone, a material called ancient by some, but still used.
The boy shook his head, not knowing why the rich people did not build a fortress with a bunker to protect their family, but instead chose a simple building and followed a style almost forgotten by most people.
Albert pushed the tall entrance door, and a creaking sound echoed through the spacious interior. When he entered, Cain found himself facing two hallways on either side. In the middle, there was a round hall with a staircase that formed the omega symbol.
A hurried set of footsteps came, showing a girl in her early twenties wearing a maid's outfit.
"Young lady, and Lord Albert. Madam is..."
The maid stopped when her brown eyes met Cain. She raised both palms to cover her gaping mouth.
"Young lady, who is he?"
"Let's talk later. Anna, we will visit my mother first!"
Luna cut her off quickly, making the female servant nod furiously and start walking in front to escort the guests up the stairs.
A red carpet spread on the floor absorbed every one of their footsteps. On each side of the hall wall on the second floor, there was a painting and an ornament of high value.
Although the boy himself was unsure, why did the family put a plain flower vase over there?
'It looks out of place.'
That scenery made Cain wrinkle his eyebrow, confused. More precisely, in what era was he now?
From the straight hallway, a path branched to the right and left. Cain's feet stopped right in front of twin reddish-brown wooden doors, standing between the intersection.
Anna knocked on the door three times, then opened her mouth.
"Sir, Mr. Albert, and the young lady have arrived."
"Let them in."
An answer came from inside. Anna nodded, and for a moment, she peeked towards Cain. Her expression hardened as if she didn't accept seeing his presence.
Cain, who received the unpleasant attention, shot a glare that made the girl shudder.
The servant averted her gaze and pushed the door, allowing the guests to pass through. Once Cain entered, his feet were halted as he saw a silver-haired woman asleep on the bed.
"Albert, who is that boy?"
A quiet voice that came from the man standing next to the bed froze the atmosphere.