The morning sun barely pierced through the haze of fog clinging to the streets of Incheon. The air was thick with moisture, dampening the ground beneath their boots. The brothers moved with purpose, the weight of their earlier discovery still hanging in the air. The stranger's words echoed in Vexen's mind: The Helios family moved away, after the first Dungeon Collapse... 28 years ago.
A long time. Far too long.
They made their way through the city, now eerily quiet at this early hour. Tall skyscrapers rose on either side, the hum of distant traffic and the occasional screech of magical transportation systems cutting through the air. Incheon was a place of opportunity, a city built on the bones of the past, but one that seemed to have grown distant from the history it had once been part of.
"We're getting closer," Draegen murmured, his eyes scanning the horizon, always calculating. His glasses gleamed in the dim light as he studied the path ahead. He had already mapped out the area in his mind, the subtle clues pointing them toward the eastern districts.
"That's where we should be," Valthor said, his voice steady. His aura, while calm, still carried the remnants of his anger from the night before. The calm before the storm. He was ready for whatever was coming.
Vexen's eyes darted from side to side, ever watchful. His fingers twitched, a subtle indication that he was ready to act at a moment's notice. There was a tension in the air, something that felt wrong but he couldn't pinpoint it yet.
Kaelen, ever the skeptic, kept his hands in his pockets, his gaze intense. "It's been too long. I don't trust any of this. The collapse... the towers... I don't like how everything's been hidden for so long."
"We'll find them. They didn't just vanish," Valthor replied, his voice carrying certainty.
By the time they reached the outskirts of the eastern district, the sun had fully risen, casting long shadows on the cracked concrete streets. The buildings were larger here, more fortified, with magical wards visible on their surfaces, shimmering faintly in the light.
"This is it," Draegen said. "If the rumors are true, the Helios family lived here. We should look around carefully."
As they moved deeper into the district, the brothers' tension grew with every step. Vexen could feel the weight of his own thoughts pressing down on him. 28 years... What happened to them?
A few blocks in, they found a mansion that seemed to fit the description from the stranger's rambling. The house had transformed into a sprawling, opulent estate. Tall, iron gates loomed before them, decorated with intricate designs that seemed to tell a story of power, wealth, and mystery. Guards were posted all around the perimeter, and as the brothers approached, the air grew thick with tension.
The mansion's dark marble façade stood stark against the rising sun, reflecting the light in a way that made it seem more imposing than inviting. It was a far cry from the simple home they had once known. This place was a fortress now.
"You really think this is the place?" Kaelen asked, his eyes narrowing as he surveyed the scene.
Valthor nodded, his expression serious. "It matches what we've been told. But something feels off."
The guards at the gate eyed them with suspicion as they approached. There were at least ten rankers standing at attention, their auras strong and carefully restrained, ready for any sign of trouble. The scent of high-tier mana swirled in the air. This wasn't just any house. Whoever lived here now had resources, connections, and power.
"State your business," one of the guards, a tall man with a scar running across his face, called out. His voice was flat and unamused.
"We're here to find the Helios family. Our parents used to live here," Valthor stated plainly, his aura already starting to press against the guards, though he kept it controlled.
The guards exchanged wary glances before the scarred guard let out a loud, disbelieving laugh. "Helios family?" He scoffed, shaking his head. "That family disappeared over 28 years ago. No one knows where they went."
His laughter was soon joined by the other guards. One guard chuckled. "Yeah, right. I bet you think you're some long-lost relatives or something?"
Another guard added with a mocking grin, "Who knows? Maybe you think you're from the Helios family, but there's no one left here."
The scarred guard wiped a tear from his eye, still chuckling. "Oh, wow. You really think you're fooling anyone with this story?"
Vexen's eyes glinted dangerously, and without a word, he turned his gaze toward the guards. His aura flickered with dark energy, the pressure rising in an instant. The atmosphere shifted as if the very air had turned heavier.
The guards fell silent, their chuckles dying in their throats. The smiles faded from their faces as they felt it—the raw, suffocating weight of the brothers' presence. The energy around them bent and warped, like a living, breathing entity.
Vexen's gaze, sharp and calculating, never wavered. The pressure around the brothers intensified, suffusing the air with the cold, unyielding sensation of something vast, something ancient. Vexen's aura seemed to pierce the very fabric of space between them and the guards.
The scarred guard froze, his previous confidence vanishing like smoke. His face paled as he took an unsteady step back. His breath quickened, and his body trembled. "W-wait..." He stammered, but his voice faltered as he struggled to maintain his composure.
Draegen's eyes glimmered behind his glasses as he exhaled softly. His own aura—precise and unrelenting—began to fill the air. It wasn't an overwhelming wave, but it cut through the atmosphere like a sharpened blade. Each word he spoke carried the weight of someone who was not used to being ignored. "You are lying. And I don't tolerate lies."
Kaelen's presence flared up next, his aura wild and unpredictable, but it was like a roaring storm. The intensity was almost unbearable for the guards as the ground seemed to vibrate beneath their feet. His voice was laced with quiet menace, "You know more than you're letting on. And I suggest you speak now before things get worse."
Valthor's aura remained calm, but it was like a mountain standing in the path of a flood. It was unyielding, immovable. The air around him felt thick, like the world itself was bending under his pressure. His voice, though soft, carried the force of an earthquake. "You will tell us everything, or we'll find out ourselves."
The guards, now visibly shaken, stumbled backward, unable to meet their eyes. Their legs shook, their bodies still under the immense pressure of the brothers' auras. They didn't dare move or speak.
Just as the tension reached its peak, a voice broke through the silence. A figure stepped forward from behind the gates, his tone deep and authoritative.
"What's all this commotion out here?"
The brothers turned, their eyes shifting toward the figure stepping into view. The man's presence was powerful, and yet there was something strangely familiar about him. He was tall, his features sharp but soft, his movements deliberate, as if every step carried the weight of years of experience. His robes shimmered with protective enchantments, but he seemed unbothered by the tension in the air.
When the man saw the brothers, his face turned ashen. His eyes widened in shock, and his lips parted in disbelief. He took an unsteady step forward, his voice soft at first, barely a whisper. "No... it can't be... My eyes are tricking me... no..."
The man's hand reached up, trembling as he wiped at his eyes, unable to look away. The tears began to flow, uncontrolled now, his emotions running wild. His voice broke as he took another step forward, his chest rising and falling rapidly with each breath.
"My... my sons... is it really you?" His voice cracked, but he couldn't stop himself from moving closer, reaching out as though afraid they would vanish if he didn't.
Vexen's eyes narrowed. "Who are you?" he demanded, his voice still cold, but now laced with confusion.
The man's face crumpled in emotion, his words coming in gasps. "It's... it's me, Aleron Helios... your father."