They never called him Ethan.
"Monster."
"Cursed."
"Dragon child."
The names followed him everywhere through the narrow streets of the Phenix outskirts, through the whispers that died the moment he passed, through the silence that always lingered a little too long.
Ethan Vincent walked alone, as he always did.
A group of children laughed nearby, chasing each other across the dusty road, their voices light and carefree. For a moment, he almost stopped to watch.
Then one of them noticed him.
The laughter faded instantly.
"Don't go near him," a woman called out, pulling her child back. "Something's wrong with that boy."
Ethan didn't react. He never did. He simply kept walking, his expression unreadable, his dark violet hair shifting slightly in the wind.
"Ethan."
He stopped.
Samuel stood a few meters ahead, leaning casually against a wooden post, though his eyes were anything but relaxed.
"You're late," Samuel said.
"…Sorry."
Samuel studied him for a moment, then sighed and straightened.
"Your mom's been worried sick."
Ethan nodded faintly and walked past him toward the house. But as he did, a strange pressure crept over him — heavy, suffocating, like unseen eyes pressing down on his back.
He slowed.
Samuel noticed immediately.
"…You sense it too?" he asked quietly.
Ethan gave a small nod.
Neither of them spoke again.
Inside the house, warmth greeted him.
"Ethan!" His mother rushed forward and pulled him into a tight embrace. "Where did you go?"
"The river."
"You shouldn't"
She stopped mid-sentence.
Her expression shifted.
Samuel stepped in behind him, his voice low.
"…They're here."
Silence.
Then
"Target confirmed."
The world exploded.
A deafening blast tore through the house, wood and fire erupting in every direction as the ground cracked beneath them. Ethan was thrown violently across the room, his body slamming into debris as the air filled with smoke and heat.
"ETHAN!!"
Two figures stepped through the destruction.
Unshaken. Unhurried.
Water curled lazily around one man's fingers, moving like it had a mind of its own.
Tobias Reed.
Beside him stood another silent, still, his gaze empty yet suffocating.
Ryder Kane.
"…So this is him," Tobias muttered, his eyes scanning Ethan with mild curiosity.
Ryder said nothing.
His gaze dropped to Ethan's left hand.
To the mark.
Samuel moved instantly, placing himself between them.
"…You're not taking him."
Tobias smiled faintly, almost amused.
"Oh, we are."
The air shifted as water gathered around him, condensing into sharp, floating blades.
"We don't want him dead," Tobias added casually. "Just… cooperative."
Ethan's chest tightened.
Cooperative…?
Ryder finally spoke.
"…Take the vessel."
Everything moved at once.
Water blades tore through the room with violent force, slicing apart what remained of the house. Samuel reacted instantly, pulling Ethan's mother away as the walls split apart
But Ryder was already there.
Too fast.
A single movement.
A single strike.
Ethan's eyes widened.
"…Uncle…?"
Samuel's body dropped.
"NO!!" his mother screamed, rushing forward
"STOP—!" Ethan shouted
Ryder moved again.
Cold. Effortless.
Another strike.
Silence followed.
Ethan's world shattered.
"…Why…?" he whispered, his voice barely audible.
Tobias exhaled slowly, almost bored.
"Unfortunate," he said. "But necessary."
Water spiraled around his arm again, this time more controlled, more precise.
Then Ryder turned slightly, his gaze shifting toward the distance.
"I'll clear the perimeter."
Tobias frowned.
"…You sure?"
"Other people are here," Ryder replied calmly. "If they interferes… this mission fails."
A brief pause.
"…Fine," Tobias said, clicking his tongue. "I'll secure the vessel."
Ryder vanished.
Gone in an instant.
Ethan stood there, trembling, his breathing uneven, his vision blurred by tears and smoke.
Alone.
With Tobias.
With the bodies.
"…Come quietly," Tobias said, stepping forward. Water gathered again, forming around Ethan like invisible chains. "Trust me… it'll hurt less."
Something inside Ethan snapped.
His left hand burned.
The mark glowed.
"…No."
Flames erupted.
A violent explosion of fire burst outward, forcing Tobias back as heat filled the air in a chaotic storm.
"…So it seems you haven't learnt how to control it yet." Tobias murmured, eyes narrowing slightly. "The Fire Dragon."
Ethan moved.
Fast.
Uncontrolled.
A strike of pure flame shot forward. Tobias blocked instantly, water clashing against fire in a violent collision that sent steam exploding into the air.
Ethan attacked again.
And again.
Wild.
Desperate.
Power without control.
"…Strong," Tobias admitted, water surging violently around him. "But reckless."
A massive wave crashed into Ethan, slamming him into the ground with crushing force. Blood spilled from his lips as the flames around him flickered weakly.
Tobias approached slowly, calm and composed.
"You're coming with me."
Water tightened around Ethan, binding him.
He tried to move.
He couldn't.
So this is it…
"Step away from him."
The voice cut through the air.
Tobias froze.
Slowly, he turned.
A man stood there.
Calm.
Unshaken.
John Diamond.
"…You again," Tobias muttered.
John didn't respond.
A drop of blood fell from his fingertip.
Then it moved.
Tobias' expression changed instantly.
"…Tch."
Without hesitation, he stepped back.
"Not worth it."
The water collapsed around him
And in the next moment
He was gone.
Silence returned.
Ethan blinked weakly, his vision fading in and out.
"…John…?"
John walked toward him, steady and composed. He stopped in front of Ethan, his gaze briefly lingering on the glowing mark before it dimmed.
"…You're late," Ethan whispered.
John exhaled softly.
"…Yeah."
He crouched, quickly checking Ethan's condition before standing again.
"Can you stand?"
"…No."
"Figured."
He looked around once, the tension in the air still thick.
"…They'll be back."
Ethan clenched his fist weakly.
"…Why me…?"
John was silent for a moment.
Then—
"Because of that power."
Ethan's gaze dropped to his hand.
To the dragon vessel mark.
"To survive," John continued, "you'll need to learn how to control your power."
A pause.
"…Jupiter Academy."
Ethan's eyes widened slightly.
"…Academy…?"
John turned away slightly, his voice calm but firm.
"If you stay like this… you won't survive the next time they come."
The flames around Ethan flickered faintly.
Freedom.
It didn't feel real.
Far away, standing on a distant cliff
Ryder watched silently.
"…He's been found."
His eyes darkened.
"Good."