Chapter 13:Past trauma

Aven sat in the passenger seat of his black luxury car, the city lights painting streaks across the glass as they sped by. His gaze remained fixed outside, unfocused, lost in thought. Everything around him seemed to move smoothly—too smoothly. But deep within, a quiet unease stirred.

He missed his past life.

Rivan Bosc.

The man he once was. The king of the underworld. Ruthless. Hardened. Feared.

Now he lived a different life… but that shadow refused to fade.

Robert, noticing the silence, cast a quick glance his way. "Sir, is something wrong?"

Aven snapped back to the present. "No," he said quietly. "Take a quick stop. Pull over at the next grocery shop."

Robert was confused by the sudden demand. "I can get whatever you need, sir."

Aven shook his head. "No. I want to go in myself… Like I used to. Before everything."

The car pulled to a smooth stop outside a small local grocery store. The moment it parked, heads began to turn. People paused mid-conversation, many pulling out their phones to snap pictures of the rare and expensive vehicle. A man like Aven Drax didn't just stop by a place like this.

But Aven ignored them all.

He stepped out of the car, dressed in a flawless black suit, his onyx-black eyes and dark hair giving him the aura of a walking storm. The young girl behind the register nearly dropped her scanner when he walked in. He didn't even notice the way she stared, frozen like a heroine in one of those CEO romance dramas.

He picked up a water bottle and approached the counter.

"M-my apologies, sir," she stammered, fumbling to scan it. "Your total is—"

Aven handed the cash and nodded. "Keep the change."

He turned to leave… but then—

A loud shout tore through the air just outside the store.

"You damn bitch! Where do you think you're going?"

Aven froze.

Outside, a man in filthy clothes was yelling at a woman cradling a small child. She tried to retreat, but the man slapped her hard, making the child cry out.

Robert was already stepping out of the car—but Aven had moved first.

He didn't walk.

He strode.

The man raised his hand again—this time toward the child—and that was the final trigger.

Aven's hand shot out, grabbing the man's wrist.

"Who the hell—?!" the man started, but the sentence never finished.

Aven's fist slammed into the man's face. Once. Twice. Then a third time.

There was no hesitation. No mercy.

He beat the man down, every strike heavy with something more than anger—memory. Rage. The pain of a childhood haunted by similar demons.

Robert watched from a distance, stunned. This wasn't the cold, collected Aven he knew from business and strategy. This was something else. Someone else.

The man collapsed on the pavement, bloody but breathing.

Aven stepped back, his chest rising and falling.

He turned to the woman, gently taking the crying child from her hands and cradling him for a moment before handing him back.

"Take care of him," Aven said, voice low.

The woman nodded, her eyes wide with tears. "Th-thank you…"

Robert stepped forward. Aven handed him a bundle of cash.

"Give this to her. Make sure she has food and shelter for at least a week."

Robert nodded silently, handing over the money.

As they returned to the car, Aven said nothing. He slid back into the passenger seat, his expression unreadable.

But the world had already started to notice.

A bystander had recorded the entire scene.

The footage hit the internet within minutes—and it went viral.

Comments flooded the clip:

"Who is this guy?"

"That punch was brutal!"

"He beat the guy for hitting a kid? Respect."

"Looks like a devil, acts like a knight…"

Robert, even as he drove, couldn't stop thinking about the cold fury he'd seen in Aven's eyes.

It wasn't about showing power.

It was something personal.

Deep. Buried. And still burning.

The black car pulled up smoothly in front of the Drax estate. As the engine went silent, Robert stepped out first, walking around to open the passenger-side door.

Aven stepped out, his sharp new presence unmistakable — black hair slicked back, his tailored suit hugging his lean yet powerful frame, and those dark eyes glowing faintly with newfound depth. He looked like someone who had shed a skin and stepped into a new life.

Before he could take another step, a high-pitched voice rang out.

"Big brother!"

Eyra.

She came running down the marble stairs of the courtyard, her auburn-red hair bouncing with each step. But halfway through her dash, she skidded to a stop. Her wide violet eyes blinked in awe.

"You've… changed…" she whispered, mouth slightly open. "You're more handsome… even more beautiful than me!"

Aven laughed softly, walking toward her.

"You'll be the most beautiful girl in the world, Eyra," he said, ruffling her hair with a warm smile.

Eyra pouted, pushing his hand away with both hands. "Big brother, I'm not a child anymore! You can't just ruffle my hair like I'm a plushie!"

He leaned down and gave her a gentle hug, wrapping his arms around her slender shoulders.

"But you'll always be my little sister," he said.

Eyra blushed a little but hugged him back tightly.

"Where were you anyway?" she asked, stepping back and folding her arms. "You know the doctor said you're supposed to be resting! And here you are, running around the city like you're still sick."

Aven raised his hands in mock surrender. "Sorry, sweetheart. But tomorrow is your special day. I had some things to prepare."

Eyra's expression lit up instantly. "Really?! You promised?"

"Promise," Aven said, giving a two-fingered salute.

Eyra grinned mischievously. "You know the rules. Anyone who breaks a promise becomes a pig in their next life!"

Aven chuckled. "Then I'll be the most loyal brother-pig in history."

Just then, a voice came from the side of the courtyard.

"Aven, you don't have to take Eyra. I can—"

It was Serin, one of his cousins.

But Aven raised a hand gently.

"It's alright. I'll take her myself. I only need three hours to finish some work. After that, she's all mine."

Eyra looked up at him with the biggest smile of the day.

"Yay!" she shouted, wrapping her arms around his waist again.

Robert stood silently behind, watching the scene with quiet respect.

This wasn't just a powerful young heir.

This was a big brother.

And right now, that meant everything.

Two hours ago — deep within the ancient forests of Volmera…

The air was still. Not a single leaf rustled. Even the beasts of the forest, who ruled without fear, dared not cross this sacred grove.

At its heart sat a man.

Bare-chested, his bronze skin marked with symbols lost to most of modern Volmera. Long, obsidian hair fell down his back like a waterfall of shadow. His breathing was so calm, so perfectly measured, it could not be heard even a step away.

He had been sitting there for five days without moving.

Meditating.

Not simply to strengthen the body or quiet the mind, but to stay attuned to the pulse of the world. The hidden currents. The silent changes in power that only a handful could ever sense.

And then—

His eyes snapped open.

Pale gold.

Burning.

For a heartbeat, the very forest seemed to exhale. Trees bent ever so slightly, and even the soil felt colder.

"…Someone has awakened their Core."

His voice was deep. Heavy. Not loud, yet it carried like thunder through the silence of the grove.

He slowly stood. Every movement was precise, his muscles forged from decades of martial refinement. A thin mist rose around him as the pressure of his presence unfolded.

He turned his head slightly, as if listening to something miles away.

"Diamond-tier… or higher."

His gaze shifted upward, toward the sky, beyond the clouds — toward the distant capital cities, where titans ruled and families waged silent wars.

Than he closed his eyes,again .