It took Kai 20 whole minutes to calm Mina down. The latter relayed what she saw and Kai had to think of several possibilities as to why Chanyeol acted like that but it all boiled down to one theory – that Chanyeol’s the one behind the vandalism. But then again, would Chanyeol really stoop that low?

Kai knows Chanyeol and he’s torn because he believes that Chanyeol’s not stupid enough to do something that would make himself the number one suspect. And the explosion that happened is one of those things that Chanyeol would not do. Yes, Chanyeol’s capable of doing that if he wants to but Kai doubts that he really did that.

Kai turned to where Mina was sitting. Her gaze was fixed on the waves. He actually meant to just teleport the two of them to the Manor but he made a last minute change. And so there they were, sitting by the seaside. It’s one of the places that he frequents to calm him down when he’s in deep thoughts and he figured out that maybe it would do the same to Mina.

It felt like it was just yesterday when he first saw her. He only heard about her from his father and the Elders. It was a snowy day when his father decided to tag him along to check on Mina. She was wearing a pink winter coat and had her long black hair tied in a ponytail. She looked like any girl in the Alice community but there’s something in her which screamed ‘vulnerable’. Maybe it was just his imagination since he knew her life story or maybe because he knew that she couldn’t control her Alice that well.

“Kai.”

Upon hearing that, Kai snapped back to reality and lifted his head just to find that Mina was standing in front of him.

“Hmm?”

“Let’s go back.”

“Are you sure?”

Mina nodded. “I don’t think I can let this slide anymore. I need to confront that bastard.”

 Kai internally sighed. He’s sure it’s going to be a mess since Chanyeol’s a big pain the . “Mina,” he muttered and he was sure she understood that he’s against the idea since she frowned in frustration.

“Then what do you want me to do? When I say that I want to do something, you would discourage me from doing it. When I ask you questions, you don’t really answer them. All of you are the same. You’re all full of mystery. I don’t even know if I can really believe you. As days pass by, I doubt everything that’s happening.” She paused, lowering her head in frustration. “I’m starting to doubt myself. I’m starting to lose trust on everyone. I can’t distinguish the truth from all the lies anymore.”

Kai felt like his heart was crushed. He knows exactly how that felt – losing trust on everyone. When his friends were killed, he felt exactly what she’s feeling. He took a lungful of breath before extending his arm.

Slowly, Mina looked at him with a confused expression.

“I want to show you something,” he said after a while.

She was hesitant at first but gave in when Kai gave her an assuring nod. And when she held his hand, the familiar feeling of being lifted from the ground and quickly being set down came once again. She’s getting good at keeping her balance now. It took her a second or two to notice where the two of them were standing.

The high ceiling and the massive columns which were extending from the marble floor up to the luxuriously decorated ceiling gave her the vibe of a mansion. And she’s pretty sure its size is bigger than the Manor. She looked outside the window and saw a lake just a few meters away. She couldn’t fathom just how massive the whole land is.

“This way,” Kai said, slightly tugging her hand.

It was then that she realized that he did not let go of her hand but weird enough she did not feel the urge to pull her own hand from his grasp. His hand felt rough with all the calluses and cuts from holding weapons and from fighting. His hand is warm against her cold hand. Kai gave her hand a little squeeze as if to tell her to breathe. He might’ve noticed that she’s holding her breath.

The sound of their shoes against the marble floor was the only sound that could be heard as Kai led Mina through the foyer. The paintings on the wall caught her attention. They were portraits of different people and it reminded her of the paintings that she saw at one their buildings in school.

“Kai, where are we?” she finally asked.

“My family’s house,” he replied right away without missing a beat. Before she could ask another question, they took a right turn and came face to face with an elegant looking door. Kai knocked on the door before pushing it open. Mina followed him inside right away.

The room’s well lit with natural light coming through the big glass windows. There was an empty bed in the room. Her attention went to the books piled into towers just beside the bed then to the man in a wheelchair who had his back on them.

“Is that you, Jongin?”

“Yes, father,” Kai replied.

Jongin? She looked at Kai. The latter just held her hand tighter.

The man turned his wheelchair around and she recognized him right away. Yes, he might not be that young anymore and his hair might not be as dark as a charcoal but that scar from the corner of his left eye down to his jaw was a giveaway.

Kim Jaehan.

She’s sure of that. She saw his portrait before. She had a gut feeling that he looked like someone the first time she saw his portrait. Now that she’s tied all the knots, she’s sure that he was thinking of Kai at that time. Kai has his father’s eyes and masculine face structure.

It took Mina a few seconds to notice the surprise on Kim Jaehan’s face when he came face to face with them.

“Father, I brought her here. I think she needs to be given answers.” Kai tugged her hand once again, leading her near to Jaehan.

On a closer look, Mina could really see the resemblance between the two. She could see the small scars on Jaehan’s face and she’s sure that he has several battle scars on his body just like his son. Her musing came to a stop when she noticed the tears rolling down from Jaehan’s eyes. She couldn’t believe that a man who’s been to several fights with the Black Organization would be crying in front of her.

“Byul,” Jaehan muttered. Mina’s brows furrowed and she turned to Kai as if asking him what’s happening. The latter just nodded his head, telling her to not worry about a thing. Mina then turned to Jaehan and bowed in greeting.

“My name is Han Mina,” she introduced. “Nice to meet you, sir.”

Jaehan’s expression softened. “Of course, how silly of me to forget that you grew up with that name.” He cleared his throat and quickly dried his tears. “If only your parents can see you right now.” Jaehan stared at her for some seconds before he wheeled his way to the table beside the bed. He opened the drawer and got something from it. “Your parents are very good people. I know you don’t have any idea about them.”

A photograph was in his hand when he turned around. Mina found herself walking towards Jaehan. The latter offered the photograph that he was holding to Mina and she accepted it right away. She recognized the man right away. It was her father – Han Shinwoo. The woman had long, black, straight hair cascading down her shoulder. She was wearing the same smile as the man. She looked very pretty.

“Lee Hyojin. That’s your mother’s name and as far as I’m concerned, she’s the bravest non-Alice user I’ve ever encountered.”

Growing up in a pure blood and prestigious family, Han Shinwoo had been trying to be the perfect son for his parents since he was young. He excelled in everything – from academics to combat trainings. The pressure from the Alice Community was too big for him to bear that when he met Kim Jaehan, he felt like he found a comrade he can lean on. They both grew up in the same environment. They became each other’s support and they went through a lot together.

Unlike Kim Jaehan who follows instructions and rules up to the smallest detail, Han Shinwoo’s a ball of curiosity and free spirit. That when Han Shinwoo said that he became interested on a non-Alice user, Jaehan thought his friend lost his mind. Coming from a family with untarnished name, Shinwoo’s expected to settle down with a lady from the same background.

Shinwoo made a lot of effort to keep his relationship with Lee Hyojin a secret. Jaehan, knowing how much his friend likes Hyojin, helped him in ways he could think of. And when Shinwoo’s family learned about the secret marriage that happened between Shinwoo and Hyojin, Jaehan thought it was the end of the world. That very day, Jaehan learned a new side of Shinwoo. He has never seen his friend so desperate for his family’s approval. It broke Jaehan’s heart.

In the end, Shinwoo’s family gave their blessing. Little by little, Hyojin won the hearts of Shinwoo’s family. Although it was sad that they had to keep a low profile as a couple since it would affect the status of the Han family in the heated politics, Jaehan saw the bliss in his friend’s life. After the Rift War, Shinwoo relayed his intent to retire from the Noir and leave quietly in a place where he could raise a family peacefully. Jaehan was sad about his friend’s decision but he knew that he had no right to interfere.

Jaehan thought everything would go smoothly since it looked like the Black Organization’s silent after their leader’s death. Of course, he was wrong. The news about Shinwoo’s death came like lightning out of the blue. Jaehan had a very hard time processing the information. Then, the rumors about Shinwoo being a traitor flooded the Alice Community. People pointed their fingers at the Han family. And he knew right there and then that Shinwoo’s family would be in danger if he would not do anything.

It was his plan to take Hyojin and her baby somewhere safe but when he got to her, it was already too late. Jaehan blamed himself for what happened. And from that day on, he watched Hyojin and Shinwoo’s child grow from afar. He was afraid that someone from the Black Organization or anyone in the Alice Community who’s still pointing his finger at Han Shinwoo for allegedly being a traitor would harm the child.

It took a lot of effort to convince the Elders to understand the child’s situation but in the end, Jaehan was able to get the support of all the Elders. Knowing what kind of person Shinwoo was when he was alive, the Elders responded positively to Jaehan’s proposal of taking back the child to the Alice Community when the proper time presents itself. Although the child’s a half-blood, she was accepted by the Elders because of her family’s reputation.

“There will be people calling your father a traitor but always remember that he never turned his back on his family. He never did any of the things that they are accusing him of doing.”

Jaehan’s words lingered in Mina’s mind. She’s been trying to digest the information that she’s been fed.

“Many people will be keeping their eyes on you. Attention comes along with fame. There will be people who will try to bring you down together with your family’s reputation but just so you know, you have my support as your god-father.”

“Are you okay?” Kai suddenly asked, snapping Mina out of her musing. She looked up at him. He looked very concerned. Slowly, Kai sat beside her.

“So half-bloods are really bad news in the Alice Community, huh. I heard that they compose a pretty big percentage in the Black Organization but that doesn’t mean that all half-bloods are going to turn into memb