"That moment… was the beginning of me following fate."
Silence returned to the carriage but this time, it was warm.
Before the carriage stopped completely, Roger spoke again, his voice low and charged with something unspoken.
"Kayden… listen carefully. This is the beginning of the end."
Kayden didn't respond immediately. He stared at the door they were about to step through, tension heavy in his silence.
"I understand…" he finally murmured, leaving the sentence unfinished.
He knew this place—and deep inside, he felt something waiting for him. Something there was no returning from.
Roger stepped out first, carefully carrying the scythe, and Kayden followed.
Roger knocked on the door three times.
The buyer must be inside… could it be a friend of Adam? Kayden wondered.
Moments later, the door opened and Adam stood there.
Calm as ever, dressed simply in comfortable black trousers and a short-sleeved dark blue shirt, unfitting for the evening chill.
"Aren't you cold?" Roger asked.
Adam replied plainly,
"No. The weather isn't that bad."
He greeted Kayden with a small nod.
He's still wearing gloves… Kayden noticed as he stepped inside, already familiar with the place from a previous visit.
Adam disappeared briefly, then returned with a tray of steaming tea.
They sat. Silence settled—until Adam's gaze shifted to the wrapped scythe beside Roger.
"What is that?" he asked calmly.
Roger smiled widely, standing with excitement as if presenting a long-awaited treasure. He unwrapped it carefully.
"It's the scythe of death… the one you ordered!"
His tone carried the eagerness of a confident investor presenting a winning project.
My God… I feel nostalgic. How many of my own projects are stalled now? Kayden thought, smiling unconsciously.
Roger lifted the scythe toward the light. The black blade gleamed as if swallowing the light rather than reflecting it.
"It's the best," he said proudly.
Adam took it, examining it closely. The weapon was imposing—entirely black except for a cold, gleaming blade, and a red gem embedded in its handle emitting a faint glow.
He moved it slightly, testing its weight.
"You know what I like… are you watching me, Roger?"
Roger smiled as if it were praise, not suspicion.
"You're a special client. How could I not?"
Suddenly, without warning, Adam placed the blade of the scythe against Kayden's neck.
"I like it… I'll take it."
Kayden smiled unconsciously, not moving an inch. He simply watched the blade near his skin and thought calmly, He's insane… and he might actually do it.
Roger sat back down, brushing off the tension as if it were nothing. Then he cleared his throat lightly and said with pride,
"It's an extremely powerful weapon. George supervised its creation, and I was there every step of the way. We haven't made something this precise in years."
"Before delivering it, we presented it to our father… and he added his own touch. He wanted you to like it."
Adam slowly raised his head, a faint smile appearing on his face. "As expected of Mr. Arthur… it's excellent."
Kayden looked at him coldly and thought silently,
'Isn't Adam poor? Is he pretending to be poor?'
Roger spoke with the same indifferent smile, as if he hadn't noticed the tension in the room.
"The weapon is sixty thousand."
Adam froze for a moment, his eyes flickering slightly, as if the number had struck him harder than it surprised him.
Poverty isn't a flaw… the flaw is being poor.
That thought crossed Kayden's mind with a bitter irony, before he looked away, hiding a small smile he didn't know whether it was sarcasm… or pity.
"But… since you're a special client, ten thousand have been discounted," Roger added with an unbreakable business-like smile. "Final price: fifty thousand."
Adam looked at him in silence for a moment, then lightly touched his hair as if recalling something lost, and murmured in an odd tone,
"Surprisingly cheap…"
Then he stood up calmly and walked inside.
Kayden was completely shocked, unable to speak. He muttered faintly, "What?!"
Without hesitation, Adam asked while heading out of the room, "Do you want a cheque or cash?"
Roger leaned slightly forward, his tone returning to professional calm. "A cheque would be suitable."
Adam returned moments later with a paper and pen and began writing, but Roger stopped him sharply,
"The handwriting."
Adam raised an eyebrow slightly, then rewrote it.
Once… then twice… then a third time.
Only on the third attempt did Roger nod in quiet approval.
"Remind me later, I'll give you handwriting lessons," Roger muttered as he carefully folded the cheque and placed it in his pocket.
Kayden looked at him with exhausted disbelief. "How do you even have all this money?"
Adam replied calmly, with complete indifference, "I'm richer than I look."
Kayden sighed, his voice dripping with doubt. "That's impossible… I don't believe it."
Adam gave a faint half-smile and said sarcastically, "Good. Then lend me some money tomorrow."
"I won't," Kayden replied immediately, frowning.
Roger let out a soft laugh he couldn't hold back, then asked out of genuine curiosity, changing the subject,
"How do you hide your hair? I want to learn. I tried once to channel my spiritual energy into it and it almost burned…"
Adam pointed to his hair with a serious gesture and said without hesitation, "It's simple. I'll teach you the secret… in exchange for handwriting lessons."
Kayden froze for a moment, staring at them both in suppressed disbelief, before thinking bitterly,
' He's stingy… really stingy.'
"I still can't believe this…" Kayden muttered under his breath.
Roger heard him and burst into a short, light laugh, mixing disbelief with amusement.
As for Adam, he said calmly, as if explaining a scientific fact, "My hair isn't actually this long… I was thinking of cutting it, then I developed this technique. As you know, my face attracts trouble because of my work, so I always need to stay disguised."
Adam continued in an instructional tone, lightly touching the ends of his hair. "Focus your spiritual energy on the tips of your hair… only there. Then you can control its length and appearance. You probably directed your energy incorrectly. You always use unnecessary force."
Kayden observed him closely, his gaze filled with focus and curiosity. He began recording every movement in his mind, sensing that this technique could be extremely useful for disguise… perhaps even for escape.
Within moments, something in Adam's energy shifted. His spirit concentrated at the ends of his hair, becoming like a transparent wave piercing the stillness. Adam ran his fingers through his short strands, then pulled his hand away.
Slowly, almost magically, the hair began to extend. White strands flowed downward as if growing under their eyes.
What had barely reached his neck seconds ago now cascaded freely down past his shoulders.
Roger gasped in shock and stood up abruptly, as if witnessing a magician's trick.
"This is insane!" he said excitedly, trying to mimic him by touching his own hair, but failing completely. "So you mean you just need precision? Since when does a student talk like this?"
Kayden also stood up, stepping closer for a clearer look.
"It's perfect for disguise… truly incredible."
But before he could step any closer, Adam said coldly,
"To watch… fifty pounds."
Kayden stared at him in disbelief, then burst into a light laugh. "I didn't know you had a sense of humor."
He leaned in with genuine curiosity. "How do I do it?"
Adam replied calmly, like a private instructor.
"Your spiritual core is concentrated in a single point right now. When it evolves, you'll be able to direct it to any part of your body. But it requires sharp focus… every detail matters. And don't be forceful."
Kayden hesitated, then asked, "But… why do you hide your hair?"
"There's no reason."
Adam walked calmly toward the mirror as if preparing for something important. He picked up a pair of scissors from the shelf and turned them in his hand.
Roger gasped again. "Don't do it!"
But Adam muttered dryly, staring at his reflection, "Roger, step back… or I'll gouge your eye out."
Without waiting for him to react, Roger quickly snatched the scissors away and sighed in relief.
"What's wrong with you? I just wanted to trim the hair above my eyes. Have you become my mother now?"
"I am," Roger replied firmly, as if he truly meant it.
He stood in front of Adam as though preparing to style a stubborn child's hair, but he had no idea where to begin. He raised the scissors toward the left side, hesitated, then nearly cut randomly.
"Stop! You'll make it look worse than it already does!" Kayden shouted, taking the scissors from him. He looked far more confident and skilled.
"Start from left to right, then the opposite," Kayden explained while studying Adam's hair.
He began carefully. His fingers were cautious, and the scissors opened and closed with soft, steady clicks.
Adam remained silent, watching their movements in the mirror. He looked relaxed, despite rarely allowing anyone to touch his hair.
Roger sat on the couch observing the scene like it was a rare performance. "Where did you learn this?" he asked curiously.
"I used to live alone at university… I had to cut it myself sometimes," Kayden replied without looking up.
Finally, Kayden finished and gently blew away a stray strand from Adam's forehead.
Adam adjusted his hair lightly, studying his reflection, then said in a tone of quiet approval,
"Better than I expected."
Kayden laughed. "Do you like it?"
"Maybe… I'll let you cut it next time," Adam replied, tilting his head slightly to examine the result. His hair no longer covered his eyes and looked significantly better than before.
"I'll open a salon," Kayden said sarcastically.
"If you do, I want a discount," Adam replied calmly.
Both Kayden and Roger laughed loudly while Adam cleaned the fallen hair without reacting.
But soon, his expression returned to seriousness. He looked at them and asked,
"Roger, who is the strongest person you know with a twisted ability?"
Roger stopped moving and looked at him in surprise.
"Why are you asking?"
"To reduce losses… and maybe… end things quickly."
Roger didn't answer. Instead, he stood up and gave Kayden a subtle wink, then whispered barely audibly,
"Let's go."
Kayden raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Roger then turned to Adam, who seemed lost in thought.
"Do you want to come?" he asked casually, as if already knowing the answer.
Adam hesitated for a moment, then turned and walked inside. Moments later, he returned wearing a black coat that looked refined and sharp.
"I'm ready," he said flatly.
The three of them set off together in synchronized steps, though Roger was the most energetic, occasionally moving ahead when the others slowed.
"Do you know why Adam disguises himself?" Roger asked with curiosity and amusement.
Kayden shook his head lightly.
"I don't know… and I don't think I want to."
But Adam answered before him, glancing at Roger sideways. "I shouldn't have come… you're unbearable. And so are you." He pointed at Kayden.
Kayden laughed sarcastically, pointing at himself in exaggerated disbelief. "Me?! Unbearable? You really need to reconsider yourself."
In the blink of an eye, Adam threw a light punch to his stomach. Kayden didn't expect it and staggered back with a low groan.
"I am Adam the Great. No one can match me. You should be grateful I even talk to you."
Kayden looked at him with a long, assessing stare before muttering sarcastically, "I apologize… to myself."
Adam's face stiffened for a moment, as if he hadn't expected that response, then he simply continued walking in silence.
Roger shook his head dramatically and said in a serious tone, as if revealing a grand conspiracy, "Alright, Adam only disguises himself to spread chaos."
Kayden laughed softly, while Adam let out a long sigh.
Roger continued, his expression briefly shifting into distant memory. "The first time I met Adam… he was fourteen. He wanted to buy an expensive weapon. Of course, I didn't believe him I refused to sell it. He looked like he was lying, but he was disturbingly convincing."
The three of them entered a random bar filled with noise and chatter. They chose a wooden table in the corner. Roger ordered his usual drink along with a few expensive beverages and sat back down, continuing his story.
"I told myself, 'He's just a kid… what does he want with a weapon?' But my mind wasn't convinced. His appearance was convincing, and he even said he was twenty-four. I didn't believe him."
Adam raised an eyebrow. "And how did you know I was a child?"
Roger laughed lightly. "Your disguise wasn't perfect back then. Your eyes didn't change, and you looked exhausted. I observed carefully and asked George—he has an eye that never misses."
Adam murmured softly, "That explains a lot…"
Roger nodded. "George is smart when it comes to spotting mistakes. Just hint at something, and he notices everything. After he figured you out, we asked your name… and you said—"
Adam suddenly laughed. "Carlos! Isn't that fitting?"
Kayden raised his glass sarcastically. "Why Carlos?"
Adam pointed at his white hair tied neatly behind his head.
"My hair was black then, and I used to walk under the sun a lot, so I got a slight tan. One day, a woman stopped me and said the name 'Carlos' suited me perfectly. From that day on… it became my name."