Phainon stood on the rooftop, the night wind tugging at his disheveled white hair. On the lowest floor of the opposite building, Nanook stepped into view, surrounded by guards. Ten years had passed, and yet Phainon still remembered that gait - slow, confident, as if the whole world belonged to him

Nanook - his foster father, and his enemy

Phainon’s finger tightened on the trigger. Through the scope, Nanook’s face came into focus - silver hair, tanned skin, those same amber eyes, unchanged. The distance was barely a hundred meters. One bullet. That’s all it would take. He pulled the trigger. The shot ripped through the heavy fog. But the instant it fired, another bullet came from the opposite side, striking Phainon in the leg. Agonizing pain shot through him as he collapsed, breath ragged.

Nanook emerged from the light. His amber eyes gleamed coldly, as if everything had unfolded exactly as planned. Phainon clenched his teeth, gripping his trembling gun. Blood dripped from his wound onto the tiles "You…knew?"

Nanook raised an eyebrow, lips curling into something almost gentle - yet chilling to the bone "I know you still alive~"

A deathly silence fell between them. Phainon lifted his head, eyes filled with fury "You burned them!"-he rasped "The whole Chrysos camp - just because there was a traitor among us!"

Nanook smiled, faint and cruel-"Didn’t I tell you to leave that place on that very day, Son?"

Phainon lunged, drawing a knife from his belt, slashing toward Nanook’s throat. Nanook tilted his head, deflecting the strike with his armored sleeve before countering. His punch slammed into Phainon’s chest, throwing him back against the wall. The air rushed out of his lungs as he fell to his knees, gasping

"I’m not...your son"-he whispered, voice breaking

"Every son tries to kill his father at least once~"-Nanook's tone becomes a little more cheerful

Phainon quickly drew the hidden gun from his sleeve and fired. The explosion cracked the air but Nanook had already pulled a subordinate into the line of fire. In the next heartbeat, Nanook twisted Phainon’s wrist, wrenching the weapon free. A kick to the knee sent him collapsing, and then crack - Phainon right arm was bent backward with a sickening snap

"I should kill you, Phainon"-Nanook whispered, his voice low near the boy’s ear "But I don’t repeat old mistakes" Another blow. Darkness swallowed everything

The sharp pain from his broken limbs dragged him back to reality. Though they had been treated, the numb ache still spread through every nerve of his body. Slowly, he turned his gaze around the room. The white walls were bare and sterile, so cold that even the sound of his own breathing echoed against them. Yet, for all that Nanook was a bastard, at least he’d left him lying on a bed - even if two heavy chains hung from his ankles beneath it

He drew a slow breath, catching the faint, familiar scent of cigars filling the air. The door creaked open, and a familiar voice echoed "At last, you’re awake"

Nanook entered, a cigar in his hand. Those amber eyes settled on him — calm and cold "We have much to discuss, my son"