"So, what was the title of that book again?" General Koby asked.
The General and his old friend, Commander George, had decided to take a rare, short stroll. They walked casually along the sidewalk, a curious sight for the civilians who passed by—two high-ranking military men engaging in calm conversation out in the open.
For them, however, this was far from 'casual.' Moments like these were precious and scarce. Their lives were governed by military duty, often requiring one of them to be deployed abroad. They cherished this quiet, shared time.
"What book?" Commander George echoed, still relaxed.
"The one you mentioned recently. The philosophical one."
"Ah. That one."
Commander George walked with his arms hooked behind his head, a gesture of rare leisure. "I can't recall the exact title, but the core idea was about paths. Disrupted paths or… or fates, something along those lines."
"Did you buy it?"
"Of course not. I don't have time for non-work hobbies right now."
General Koby, the typically intimidating and cautious man, scanned their surroundings for any potential threats, his eyes constantly moving even as he spoke to his friend.
"...That's not like you. You always make time for your hobbies."
"Apparently, investigation is my hobby now," George countered with a slight laugh. "I still have to deal with the fallout of the Demon of Nine Years Ago. Speaking of which, there is a 16-year-old kid everyone keeps comparing to that Demon. If we have time, we should arrange an interview."
Commander George abruptly stopped walking. General Koby, without a change in his stern expression, stopped and looked back at him. George's face had taken on a thoughtful, almost distant look.
"Also, about that book," George continued, his tone serious. "When I read it… it made me feel something profound."
"Like what?" General Koby asked, a flicker of professional curiosity in his eyes.
"I'm not sure. It was a feeling of not being the 'original' me."
General Koby remained silent, struggling to process his friend's strange statement. He watched as Commander George lifted his hand and stared intently at his open palm, as if examining something invisible.
"Representation. That's the word that kept coming to mind after I read it," George mused. "It makes me feel like I'm not truly myself, the person I thought I was. A background character, maybe, representing someone… original. And that original version of me is out there, dead or alive."
His words were heavy with existential weight, yet he simply scoffed, a soft smile touching his lips.
"Heh… but, then again, it's just a feeling. I'm getting old, but I still feel like the real adventure has just begun, Young Koby."
General Koby, listening to his old friend, felt a wave of conflicting emotions—concern, and then a grudging acceptance.
This old man really is getting old.
Too old.
But he was growing old without regrets. Without unresolved conflicts. Without having to dream about a specific, haunting memory.
And General Koby knew he could never claim the same peace.
"Yeah… we're reaching the Glory Days," Koby muttered, the softest sound he had made in a long time.
Unlike George, he could neither scoff nor genuinely smile at the phrase.
He had grown up…
...with regrets.
With conflicts that remained unresolved.
And whenever he slept, he was always pulled back to that one specific moment… the moment he regretted his actions.
A personal conflict that refused to end.
"Finally saying it, Koby?" George teased, a wide, knowing smirk spreading across his face. "It doesn't fit you, unfortunately. Yet."
"Why?" General Koby's earlier sense of quiet acceptance vanished, replaced by a defensive edge.
"You haven't decided to move on from her, of course."
...Natazha Frantzes.
His dead big sister.
Her name, unspoken, hung heavy in the air the instant Commander George delivered the final blow.
"You're still having nightmares about her, aren't you? You're so childish."
"...What do you know?"
"Everything, you fool."
George's grin was gone, replaced by a look that was challenging but deeply caring.
"To glorify the future, you glorify the past. You are still consumed by what you did that day, you know. That's why I said the phrase didn't fit you."
He walked closer to Koby and gave his shoulder a firm, supportive pat.
"The Frantzes Family is a noble bloodline, known for empowering its members according to their passion. And you, my friend, you loved being a hero. And yet… you still failed to let yourself save your sister."
Commander George could read the younger man's silence. Koby's face was unreadable, a military mask, but the guilt was a palpable force surrounding them.
It all happened sixteen years ago.
A child was born, and her mother died shortly after with her own child in her arms.
And Koby believed it was all because of him.
George walked past Koby, allowing him to stand alone and recall the events that had unfolded over the decade, shaping him into who he was—a man he believed was a False Hero.
...or so he thought.
"...But, that doesn't mean you have no second chances. Her child lives, your niece," Commander George continued, turning back.
"According to the laws of your family, unauthorized individuals who hold the Frantzes blood can be welcomed into the family under certain conditions."
"First, they must be known by the world itself."
"Second, the family must recognize that person as a family member."
"And third… the head of the family is the one to make the final decision whether to welcome that person or not."
George looked directly at Koby's rigid back.
"So, Frantzes Head… Koby Frantzes. Just when are you planning to…"
He paused, letting the weight of the question settle.
"...take Trizha Frantzes back?"
The General of Malaysia and the Hero of the World stood unmoving. His back was straight, his muscles locked. He was completely still, like a statue.
He was like a mannequin, he wasn't moving even the slightest.
But…
His mind was a constant torrent of thoughts and critical decisions.
Routes.
Would he take back Trizha Frantzes, or not?
His face hardened instantly. His fist clenched at the mere consideration.
Commander George was right. Trizha is a known influencer, she is recognized by her family, and she is highly likely to be welcomed.
However… There was one crucial flaw. A flaw that Koby Frantzes felt he must never accept under any circumstance, no matter the situation.
And that flaw was being the daughter of…
"Natazha Frantzes… she is a traitor among the Frantzes." General Koby finally spoke, his tone dangerously cold.
Unjustifiable.
That single word was all he needed to decline the very idea of bringing Trizha into the fold.
"The evidence is all clear. Earlier, I had examined the rock you showed me not too long ago."
General Koby turned to face Commander George, and so did the old man himself.
Koby's look was displeased, and George's smile was completely gone.
"That rock… it contained something that shouldn't exist in a world like this—Power. The supernatural, an unrealistic concept. That rock existed from a non-existence. Moreover, that rock exuded blood… caused by malevolent vengeance."
His glare intensified. He sensed danger, a presence that must be exterminated.
"Trivial matters such as bringing a blood-relative back into the family are, at the moment, negative. In this circumstance, the world is potentially in danger. Potentially, as there could potentially be… a demon."
A bead of sweat tracked down Commander George's face. He was facing a man driven by a singular, fierce need to protect the world from an unknown threat.
But George felt uneasy.
In fact, he felt as if Koby's decision, his path toward 'peace,' was fundamentally wrong.
He felt… unsettled.
Something told him that General Koby's method of resolving this issue would not align with the ideals of the heroes children read about.
"If a demon out there exists, hides, and waits for the destruction of this world…"
Just as the false hero that he himself believes…
"...then I'd rather protect the world from that monster than bring back the child… of the traitor."
...his false action will always be as blind as he is to himself.
Swoosh!
The sounds of rushing air, distant engines, and the constant turning of wheels filled the street.
A bus drove past, then another, then another, until a kilometre-long convoy of vehicles covered the road.
Buses… filled with students and a teacher in each vehicle. Each bus had specific numbers affixed to it.
"Huh, those are buses from the JT International High School from Malacca City… it seems the rumors are true, they are invited to go to 'that' place," Commander George remarked, watching the convoy.
"What place?" General Koby asked, his attention still focused on the passing vehicles.
"You haven't heard? I assumed you weren't busy last week…"
"I'm always busy, old man. Just tell me."
"Alright, alright, the work of the all-powerful General. A waste of i keep you hanging, but I don't think you'd be pleased if you hear it."
"Just tell me."
"You sure?" Commander George teased.
"Yes." General Koby said, annoyed.
"Alright, alright. These buses are all headed for the most notorious place known to man—The La Luna Sangre Hotel."
Hearing that name, General Koby's rigid posture faltered, his eyes widening in shock.
"The Calypso Residence?! Why would a whole school accept an invitation from that woman, Yuri Calypso?"
"Don't act so naive, Koby, that's not like you—they didn't have a choice."
Koby calmed himself. "I see… So, this was a forced field trip invitation from Calypso?"
"Yeah. But it's more of a seven-day 'vacation.' If anything happens…"
Commander George, looking thoughtful again, pulled out his phone to call personnel at the military base.
"...I'll send out a few surveillance squadrons to watch over the poor children who were all forced into the establishment."
While Commander George was on the phone, General Koby continued to observe every bus that passed. He scrutinized every passenger—every student, teacher, and driver.
And then, in one of the buses, he found his niece, Trizha Frantzes.
But his expression remained cold. He wasn't looking for her. He wasn't looking for the Greatest Influencer of Malacca City.
Instead, he was looking for someone else entirely…
And then, his eyes narrowed suddenly.
It was in the exact same bus as Trizha.
He looked at that certain someone, and that certain someone looked back at him.
Those cat-like eyes, that short hair, that muscular build, a stature taller than an average 16-year-old, and a presence… that felt undeniably wrong.
That was the moment he realized it. Something far more dangerous was currently traveling on that bus.
"George, send more."
Commander George, still talking on his phone, lowered it slightly, startled. "I'm sorry, what?"
"Send more troops."
Koby turned abruptly and started to walk away. Commander George scrambled to follow, confused.
"What do you mean, more troops?! We can't send a massive force if we're only planning to spy on them!"
"We're not spying anymore. Seven days from now, we have to be ready."
"Ready? Young Koby, what are you planning to do?! Are you trying to trigger another war against the Calypsos!?"
Rushing forward, Commander George grabbed Koby's arm, forcing him to stop, his face etched with genuine alarm.
"Do you even remember what YOU and Yuri did years ago in Indonesia?! Are you trying to get millions of citizens killed again?! Sure, forcing a school into a seven-day vacation is wrong, but it's not dangerous enough to justify another war!"
General Koby abruptly shoved Commander George aside.
"You fool, we're not attacking the Calypso Residence—there's something else coming there, and you better trust me in this. So send more troops; air squad, tanks, helicopters, all of it."
"Are you out of your goddamn mind?!?!"
In the next second, Commander George aggressively grabbed Koby by his collar, looking up into his General's intimidating eyes.
"Listen to me. I've trusted every single thing you've done, no matter how much you overestimated them! That stops now. You are trying to repeat history!"
"And so, we must avoid that history from happening again. We are going against something else."
"What?!"
"Trust me. Just send. More. Troops."
With that, he broke free and walked away, leaving Commander George standing there in disbelief and fury.
"Dammit, fine! You better hope you're doing the right thing, or I will not hesitate to take that badge off your goddamn clothes!"
George quickly followed General Koby, running to catch up.
But meanwhile… in the thick pack of driving buses, on the very same vehicle where the General had found a certain person…
...there was someone standing at the roof of that bus.
A cloaked man with the face of a teenager and an unsettling grin, who chuckled in a terrifying way.
As the wind flew past his body, his vivid red hair danced along with the movement.
"I, Seventh Power, is here… of the 23rd Unending."
To be continued.