Cain approached Yusin Jeong, who had just left the confines of a situation with Mion in a summer classroom, the tension thick between them. Earlier, Jeong had succumbed momentarily to his primal urges, but ultimately his conscience prevailed, and he stepped back from the situation. Mion, displaying grace and understanding rather than ire, had reassured Jeong with a gentle touch and words of empathy, brushing off Jeong’s inadvertent transgression as a difficult burden everyone occasionally bore.
Yet moments later, Jeong had found himself apologizing profusely again for another near-overstep while checking Mion’s sacred mark. Despite Jeong’s professional intentions towards completing the task at hand—examining Mion’s sacred mark—he couldn’t resist teasing Mion a little. The encounter, while professional on its surface, spiraled into a precarious exchange that ended with Mion overwhelmed and Jeong regretful, realizing the boundaries he had pushed too far.
Afterward, while pondering his actions, Jeong donned an inhibition-suppressing ring, bracing himself for the potential surge of uncontrollable urges it was known to trigger. Just as he prepared to leave the classroom, a voice echoed from the orphanage’s courtyard.
“Hey, Barbaroy!”
Recognizing the voice, Jeong’s eyes widened in alarm. It was Cain, Mion’s overprotective brother and the Knights’ captain of Labyrinth City. He sauntered toward Jeong, clad in a casual shirt, and delivered words laced with double meaning, congratulating Jeong on his time with Mion, though the undercurrent suggested jealousy or suspicion.
Jeong, unnerved but attempting nonchalance, replied tersely. Cain, showing uncharacteristic levity, mentioned visiting on vacation, ostensibly for his sister, before turning to acknowledge Jeong’s struggles, advising perseverance. As the conversation seemed to wind down amicably, Jeong felt a brief reprieve, until the gravity of a slip-up—should his receipt of a virgin-corruption mark become known—loomed large in his thoughts.
Cain’s amicable demeanor quickly shifted as he noticed a strand of golden hair tangled on his fingers. Mion’s hair.
The atmosphere froze.
Cain’s jovial tone dissipated, replaced by an ominous growl, his hardened gaze locking Jeong in place. The moment marked a crossroad, a looming confrontation neither party could easily extricate themselves from.
As the noon sunlight of early summer poured over them, Jeong braced for the inevitable, knowing the precariousness of his situation, standing before the famed protector of Labyrinth City’s sisterly virtue. Would this mark the end, or could an explanation suffice? Time would soon tell.
