Isaac and Maya stood in front of the apartment building.
The fruit basket and "get well soon" card ended up in Isaac's hands—not because he cared about showing sincerity toward the twins, but because the thought of his sister giving a gift to a guy left a sour taste in his mouth
Maya knocked on the door.and Isaac's face turned into an angry glare filled with annoyance
"Just one second!" a voice called from inside, followed by hurried footsteps. The door swung open.
"Hi, Leo." Maya waved cheerfully.
Leo froze. His eyes widened slightly, his throat working as if he'd forgotten how to speak. The silence stretched until Maya awkwardly broke it.
"We came to visit Liam. He's being discharged today, right?"
Leo blinked, snapping out of his daze. He stepped aside quickly, motioning them in.
"Y-yeah, of course. Come in. My father went to pick him up—they should be back soon."
Maya stepped in first. Isaac followed, shoving the fruit basket into Leo's hands before kneeling to take off his shoes.
Maya seized the chance to lean closer to Leo.
"Are you okay?" she asked softly.
"Of course… it's just…" Leo's voice trailed off. His eyes flickered nervously toward Isaac. "He seems… mad. "
Maya glanced at her brother, who was glaring at his stubborn shoelaces as if they were his mortal enemy. She shook her head.
"Don't worry. It's probably just puberty," she said with a reassuring smile, flashing him a thumbs-up.
Leo shut the door awkwardly, still peeking at Isaac, who was now being "rescued" by Maya as she crouched down to untie his laces.
They walked into the living room. Claire and Arnold were seated on opposite sides of the couch, both wearing strangely stiff expressions.
"What's with you two?" Isaac asked mockingly as he dropped down beside Arnold.
"You'll understand soon enough," Arnold muttered, shaking his head.
Meanwhile, Claire's eyes softened at the sight of Maya. She reached out and began patting the younger girl's head, drawing a smile from Maya.
Isaac, meanwhile, watched Leo shuffle toward the kitchen with the fruit basket. Moments later, he returned balancing juice and cookies. He handed everyone a glass before sitting down.
"How's Liam now?" Maya asked.
"He's fine. I was with him yesterday—healthy as ever." Leo's face broke into a smile.
"That's good to hear," Arnold said, smiling faintly.
Isaac's gaze lingered on Arnold. Something was off. His eyes were shadowed with exhaustion, dark circles etched beneath them. And beneath the faint sweetness of the juice, Isaac could smell it—the metallic trace of blood clinging to Arnold like a second skin.
Arnold noticed the stare.
"Something on my face?" he teased.
Isaac leaned back casually, sipping from his glass.
"Nah. Annoyingly handsome as always," he said with mock sarcasm.
Arnold chuckled tiredly, taking it as a compliment. His gaze flicked around the room—Claire, Maya, and Leo were happily chatting—before he leaned closer to Isaac.
"Actually… there's something we need to talk about," he whispered.
Isaac frowned. "You're not about to confess you're in love with me, are you?" His face twisted with disgust.
Arnold blinked, caught off guard, before bursting into laughter—genuine at first, then hollow, almost brittle.
"No… but it is important. Not here, though. I'll call you later." He turned his attention back to the others.
Isaac sighed, trying to ignore him—until his eyes landed on something that made him choke on his juice. He coughed violently, spraying the table. Maya rushed over, patting his back in alarm, while Arnold and Claire merely shook their heads as if they'd already braced themselves.
"W-what's wrong?" Leo asked, confused.
Isaac's wide eyes stayed locked on the kitchen. Memories clawed their way into his mind—the past life where Leo's brother had died, where grief pushed Leo into the arms of the System Believers. He remembered how the boy grew into a feared villain, his terrifying strength amplified by the loyalty of one thing—
The Headless Knight.
Isaac remembered the carnage vividly: that knight cutting down over fifty awakened hunters in a dungeon, emerging without a scratch. He remembered the duel against the S-rank hero, Silver Slasher—Mark had lost an arm in that fight, fleeing for his life.
Leo and his knight had been monsters in Isaac's past life. Fearsome. Merciless.
But now…
Isaac's eyes watered as laughter burst out of him. His stomach hurt, his knees hit the floor as he doubled over. He pointed a trembling finger toward the kitchen.
There, the infamous Headless Knight stood at the counter… wearing a pink apron covered in strawberry patterns. His massive, armored hands carefully cut apple slices into the shape of bunnies.
Isaac's laugh echoed through the living room, hysterical and uncontrollable.
Maya just stared at her brother, exasperated.
"Should we… take him back to the hospital?" she muttered, half-serious.