When a group of strangers showed up at the house and slapped you the moment you opened the door, anyone would be furious.
All the more so for Aeris — someone who had once stood at the pinnacle of power.
Just as the indignant Aeris was about to strike the middle-aged man again, a familiar voice sliced through his anger.
"Stop, Aeris! That's my father!"
A small figure rushed out from behind the men. Who else could it be but Mira?
Because of her petite frame, she had been completely hidden behind the three large men, and Aeris hadn't noticed her earlier.
So this man was her father, Aeris realized.
He hadn't looked closely at the man before; the sudden slap had ignited his fury. Even now, he didn't regret reacting — no elder, familiar or not, had the right to barge in and strike him without a single explanation.
Mira's shout halted Aeris's next move and snapped her stunned brothers and mother out of their daze.
"How dare you slap our uncle right in front of us? Elder brothers — let's teach this arrogant boy a lesson!"
All three men lunged at him like leopards. Neither Mira nor her parents tried to stop them.
Mira was furious that Aeris had struck her father without sparing a thought for her feelings, and right in front of her no less. She secretly wished her cousins would teach him a harsh lesson.
Meanwhile, her father felt utterly humiliated — slapped by a junior, and worse, by his prospective son‑in‑law.
If not for his daughter's sake, he wouldn't have spared a glance for such a rogue. Seeing his nephews charging in on his behalf filled him with a strange mix of pride and sorrow, regretting his inability to have a son.
A dark gleam flickered in his eyes, completely unfitting for a man with such a scholarly demeanor. He looked at Aeris as though expecting him to kneel and beg for mercy.
Even against three adult men, Aeris didn't retreat. He met them head‑on.
The cramped living room turned into an arena for four hot‑blooded young men. Tables splintered, chairs toppled, and glass shattered. Vases flew across the room and exploded against the walls.
The more they fought, the more their blood burned like an erupting volcano.
Hearing the commotion, the neighbors gathered in the hallway, craning their necks to see inside the apartment.
Mira's family had retreated outside the room. Their initial pride had long since turned into dread as the sounds of destruction grew louder and louder.
They had thought the three brothers would easily overpower Aeris and give him a small warning.
But the situation had spiraled out of control.
They were shocked to find that Aeris wasn't just holding his ground — he was starting to dominate the fight.
The escalation left their faces pale with fear.
"Stop it, all of you! Someone's going to die!"
"Enough! I said enough!"
"Please, stop fighting!"
They shouted until their throats hurt, yet the chaos inside didn't stop.
Desperate, they turned to the neighbors and approached a few strong young men.
"Young man, please go in there and stop them! They're going to kill each other!"
"Please — anyone — help us stop the fight!"
But no one dared enter the apartment. Rushing in now would be asking for a beating — stepping between those four was no different from throwing oneself into a raging furnace.
Thankfully, a police siren was heard from the distance. Someone in the crowd must have called the authorities.
The family's hearts also returned to their chests. The fear of anything happening to their nephew and cousins had terrified them.
"Make way. Make way." Seven strong policemen rushed in as soon as they received the call.
"Everyone, freeze!"
"I said freeze or we will shoot!"
In the face of a gun, even the most hardened criminal becomes a frightened chicken — and so it was with them.
"Put your hands behind your back."
All four men were handcuffed and taken to the police station.
Mira and her parents followed closely behind.
Inside the police station, all parties involved had gathered as the officers began interrogations.
"Why were you fighting? You, tell me," the officer pointed to one of the three brothers.
"Officer, these scumbags have no respect for elders. He slapped my uncle, so in a moment of hot-headedness, I fought back."
"Now, you tell your part." The officer pointed to Aeris.
"Sir, I was peacefully spending time alone at home when they knocked at my door. This uncle called me a beast and slapped me without any reason..."
"Sir, he—"
"Quiet! You will get your chance to speak. You, continue," the officer shouted at Mira's father for interrupting.
"As I said, he slapped me without any reason. I slapped him back instinctively. Although I don't justify my violent reaction, it was purely instinctive."
Aeris continued:
"Then all three brothers lunged at me at once. I couldn't just stand there and take a beating. So I fought back. I was acting in self-defense. Honestly, I was the victim all along — it was three against one."
Although Aeris had suffered bruised and swollen eyes, a bleeding nose, and a cut lip, the three brothers were in even worse condition.
"What a strong young man," the officer inwardly praised Aeris. On the outside, he maintained his stern demeanor.
In the previous life, the three brothers hadn't had much interaction with Aeris, but in this new life, fate had brought them into a collision. It shows how even a slight shift in decisions can completely alter the course of our lives.