"Are you sure you're not being forced into this, honey?" Anna asked.
Her voice was soft but tight, the kind of tone a mother used when her heart was chewing on fear.
They were both sitting in the back of an SUV, the engine humming as it rolled them back toward their home in town. Two guards followed behind in a second vehicle—silent shadows assigned by the Wyndhams.
"I'm sure, Mom. Nobody's forcing me," Alex said.
He kept his eyes on the window, watching houses slide past. It was easier than watching her face. He had a plan forming, and he didn't want her tangled in it.
Anna sighed.
"Then why now? Why would they suddenly change everything? They've never cared what happens to you."
Alex didn't answer.
The rest of the ride was quiet, the kind of silence where thoughts were louder than words.
When they finally arrived at their mansion, Alex stepped out without hesitation.
There weren't any real "personal items" he needed. Ever since the system came into his life, anything important he had was locked away safely in his inventory.
All he needed was this moment.
He grabbed a small bag, tossed a few random things into it, and carried it out to the SUV.
A simple act. Nothing suspicious. But for Alex, it was the first step toward slipping out of the trap he'd been pushed into.
After he grabbed everything he claimed he needed, the SUV rolled out of the mansion gate.
A few minutes into the drive, Alex leaned forward and pressed a hand to his stomach.
"Hey… I think I need to use the bathroom."
"Sorry, sir. You'll use it when we reach the family house," the driver said without looking back.
Alex groaned loudly and let his face twist like he was fighting a stomach demon.
"I really need to go. Now."
Anna snapped her head toward the front seats.
"Can't you listen? He needs to go."
While they argued, Alex's eyes were glued to the window.
There it was—exactly what he'd been waiting for.
A café shop. Small, quiet, perfect.
"Stop here," Alex said quickly. "I know some people here."
The driver hesitated.
But the SUV still slowed down and rolled to a stop in front of the café.
The moment the wheels stopped turning—
Alex yanked the door open and bolted.
He sprinted like someone just kicked his survival instinct awake.
"Oh shit… I knew he had something in mind!" one of the guards barked as he jumped out and chased after him.
Anna sat in the SUV, confused and worried.
'What are you doing now…?' she thought, her hands tightening on her skirt.
Inside the café, Alex darted past tables and startled customers.
He reached the restroom door, slipped inside, and slammed it shut behind him.
A few seconds later, the guard skidded to a stop right in front of it.
With a single hard kick, the restroom door blasted open, slamming against the wall. The guard stepped in fast, scanning the place. It looked normal—narrow hallway, tiled floor, and a row of stall doors stretching down the line.
Empty. Quiet.
Then a toilet flushed.
The guard spun toward the sound and rushed to the stall at the end. He grabbed the handle, ready to yank it open—
But the door swung out first.
Alex stood there, calm as ever, adjusting his shirt like he'd only paused to wash his hands.
"What do you think you're doing?" Alex asked, eyebrow raised.
The guard froze, halfway between suspicious and confused.
"You really have to chill out," Alex added as he brushed past him and walked out of the restroom.
The guard just stood there.
Trying to figure out how Alex went in stressed and came out looking like he'd enjoyed a spa break.
By the time he snapped back to reality and followed outside, Alex was already back in the SUV. A few moments later, they were rolling away from the café.
Anna leaned closer, studying her son's face. His expression had shifted—calm, sharp, almost relieved.
"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked.
"I am, Mom," Alex said. A small smirk tugged at his lips.
---
To the guard, Alex had only been inside for a brief moment. Barely long enough to wash his hands. But the truth was a whole different story.
Alex had slipped away.
He didn't waste a second. The moment that restroom door closed behind him, he used the one thing only he had access to—the system—and jumped straight to the Dragon Roar base.
That was the real plan from the start.
Get out of the Wyndhams' house.
Get one clean excuse. Then disappear.
However, the truth was simple and ugly—Alex wanted to run.
Not forever, but long enough to disappear inside the Dragon Roar base until the heat cooled off.
Stan didn't take it lightly.
"What do you mean you want to stay here?" Stan asked. His tone wasn't angry, just sharp enough to slice through excuses.
Alex had pulled him aside the moment he arrived and laid everything out. Well… almost everything.
"I'm being forced to join a clan," Alex said.
Stan's eyes narrowed. "By who?"
Alex hesitated. His mouth opened, closed, then finally he let it out.
"My family. They want me to join their clan."
Stan went quiet. It wasn't the peaceful kind of silence—it was the thinking kind, the calculating kind.
"So your plan is to run away?" Stan asked. "Disappear in our base?"
Alex shifted on his feet. "I'll still talk to my mom. I'm not cutting her off. But what else can I do? Running feels like the only move I've got."
Stan didn't blink. "Are you running because you think they'll hurt you? If that's it, we can deal with them. You know that."
"No. No… it's not that."
Alex swallowed. His chest tightened. He hated saying the next part out loud.
"I… I did something in that house," Alex said, voice dropping. "Something bad. Since I became a paragon warrior."
Stan leaned forward slowly.
"I killed someone."
The words hung heavy.
Alex rubbed the back of his neck, eyes dropping to the floor.
"And if they find out I'm already a paragon warrior, they might trace everything back to me. I can't risk that, Stan. Not now."
He exhaled shakily.
"That's why I need to lie low here. Just for a while."
"Tell me more about this horrible thing you did," Stan said, smiling like he already knew the answer.
Alex clenched his jaw. No dodging this. He took a slow breath and told Stan about Eddie—every part he could admit. He left Saka out of it. He painted the picture like he handled the whole mess alone.
Stan listened, nodding, the smile fading into something more serious.
"Well… I won't blame you for what you did," Stan said. "I'm the one who dragged you into all this in the first place. You needed to learn how to defend yourself."
He leaned back, thinking for a beat.
"I'd advise you to join their clan. It won't mess with your place on our side unless their leader suddenly grows a conscience and kicks up trouble."
Alex frowned. "Join them? Just like that?"
"It's good for you," Stan said. "Show them some power and they'll respect you. People love strength. Even idiots."
Alex sighed. "What about our training? And what if they find out I'm already a stage two warrior?"
"For that…" Stan stood up, dusting his palms. "We'll need to visit Elder Rooney."
There has been a change in the plans. Alex will no longer be runaway; instead, he has decided to remain and become a member of the Wyndhams clan.