Chapter 1: The Illusion of Normalcy [1]
Tony: "Hey, brother, all set?"
Isaac: "Yeah, all set, as always. But tell me, what brings you here today?"
Tony: "What can I say? You’ve got my precious boy under your care."
Isaac: "Yeah, yeah, and I’m keeping it that way. You already took four of my best boys upstairs. I’m not letting Kim go."
Tony: chuckles "I know, I know. He may be my son, but he’s your pride and joy. At least send him upstairs for a little while. He’ll be back by nightfall."
Isaac: "Alright, I’ll have Qaiyum bring him up."
With that, Tony turned and made his way back upstairs, while Isaac headed towards the dorms to find Qaiyum.
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Character Introduction:
Qaiyum: Kim’s best friend.
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As Isaac opened the dorm door to call for Qaiyum, he found Kim already there.
Kim: "Oh, hey, sir."
Isaac: "Your dad wants to see you upstairs."
Kim: Frowning slightly "Sir wants to see me? Is something wrong?"
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Kim was too shy to call Tony "Dad," so he simply referred to him as "Sir."
Isaac: "Nothing serious… Just that Chean is coming back."
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Character Introduction:
Chean: Heir to an Arab dynasty and one of the four members of the worldwide singing group The Voice of Tomorrow.
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Kim: Eyes widening "What? Chean is coming back?"
Isaac: "Yes. After two long years, he’s finally returning."
Qaiyum: "I heard his engagement with Liz was called off."
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Character Introduction:
Liz: A member of the worldwide singing group The Echoing Stars and Chean’s ex-fiancée.
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Isaac: "Yeah, that’s true."
Kim: Curious "But why?"
Isaac: "No one knows yet. Not even Rody."
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Character Introduction:
Rody (James Rods): Chean’s best friend and another member of The Voice of Tomorrow.
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Kim: Thoughtful "Really? That must mean it’s something serious."
Qaiyum: "Yeah, I guess we’ll only find out when he gets here."
Kim: "Alright, I’m heading up. Qaiyum, if you want to come, you can join me later."
Qaiyum: "Yeah, I’ll be there in a bit."
Kim left for the upper section of the academy, while Isaac returned to his office.
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Upstairs, Kim entered Tony’s office.
Kim: "Sir, you called me?"
Tony: "Yes. Chean is coming back, so you should go meet him."
Kim simply nodded before heading towards Chean’s dorm, where the other group members were already gathered.
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Rody: "Hey, Kim! Look who finally decided to show up."
Kim: Rolling his eyes "Don’t flatter yourself. I didn’t come here for you."
Rody: "Yeah, yeah, whatever."
He smirked, rolling his eyes dramatically.
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Character Introduction:
Peter: The third member of The Voice of Tomorrow and Kim’s adoptive elder brother. Tony adopted Peter before Kim. Peter’s parents died in a car accident, and his father, Hamesworth, was one of the richest men in the USA—meaning Peter inherited his immense wealth.
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Peter: "Chean may be coming back, but things aren’t the same anymore."
Rody: Nodding "Yeah, he won’t be the same person we knew. He really loved Liz."
Net: "Still… why would Liz break off the engagement? They were childhood sweethearts and cousins, weren’t they?"
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Character Introduction:
Net (Net Miyuno): The fourth member of The Voice of Tomorrow and Peter’s best friend.
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Rody: "I tried asking Chean, but he wouldn’t say anything."
Peter: Sighing "Yeah, same here. He just said we’d talk when he got here."
As they continued their conversation, a sudden knock on the door made everyone turn their heads. Tony stood there, but he wasn’t alone.
Standing beside him was Chean.
A heavy silence filled the room.
The boy they once knew was no longer the same. His eyes—once a deep brown—had turned a piercing, unnatural shade of red. His entire appearance seemed different, his aura heavier, darker. But the most chilling detail was the strange symbol etched onto his right hand.
Everyone stared, unspoken questions swirling in their minds.
"What happened to Chean?"
