Chapter 54: The Broken Promise
The first rays of dawn crept through the window, casting a pale, grey light over Hana's room. It was barely 6:00 AM. Ren sat on the edge of the bed, his face weary. His own stomach wound was roughly bandaged, but his focus was entirely on Hana.
Hana sat huddled under her blankets, a fresh white bandage wrapped around her palm where the glass had cut her. The silence between them was heavy, filled with the echoes of the previous night's chaos.
"Ren... please forgive me," Hana whispered, her voice barely audible. "I... I didn't mean to hurt you."
Ren reached out, his hand hovering for a second before gently patting her head. "Don't worry about it, Hana. It's just a scratch. But tell me the truth... why were you trying to leave? Why did you think no one cared?"
Hana lowered her head, her hair veiling her face. "I think I was going crazy. I felt like... like I was invisible. Since that feral infection happened to me, everything has changed. My head feels foggy, Ren. I can't remember things. I can't learn anything new. No matter how hard I try, it just disappears."
Ren's heart sank. He hadn't realized the infection had left such deep mental scars.
"And because of that... school has become a nightmare," Hana continued, her voice trembling. "At first, the teachers were patient. But now? Now they call me names. They say I'm a waste of space. And then... they started hitting me."
Ren froze. The air in the room seemed to turn cold. "They... they hit you?"
"Yesterday," Hana sobbed, "the Math teacher slapped me in front of the whole class. Everyone laughed, Ren. Everyone. When I came home, I wanted to tell you, but you weren't here. You're never here anymore. I felt so alone that I just wanted to disappear."
Ren's expression didn't change, but his eyes turned a dark, predatory shade of red. Inside, a storm of pure, unadulterated rage was brewing. Cool down, Ren. Stay calm, he told himself, but the image of a teacher's hand on his sister's face was shattering his restraint.
He stood up slowly. "I'm sorry, Hana. I'm so sorry I wasn't there to protect you. I failed as a brother."
"No, Ren! It's my fault too," Hana cried, looking up at him. "I forgot everything you sacrificed for me. I shouldn't have tried to run away."
Ren forced a small, fake smile to calm her down. "It's okay. Listen, I have some work to do. But tell me... which teacher did this? I'll go to the school and... request her to be more patient with you. I'll make sure she never touches you again."
Hana wiped her eyes. "You don't have to go, Ren. I don't want to cause more trouble."
"Just tell me her name, Hana. I'll handle the meeting."
Hana hesitated. "She's the female Math teacher. Her name is—"
"I don't need her name," Ren interrupted, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous octave. "I'll find her. Stay here and rest. Don't you have a school meeting today?"
"Yes, there's a parent-teacher meeting at 9:00 AM," Hana said.
"Perfect. I'll go in your place," Ren said. He walked out of the room and closed the door softly.
The moment the door shut, the fake smile vanished. Ren's face became a mask of cold fury. He reached into his coat and pulled out his Golden Revolver, checking the cylinder. The metal glinted in the morning light.
"You dared to lay a hand on my sister," Ren hissed to the empty hallway.
He didn't care about the laws of the Academy or the rules of Sector 1 anymore. He walked out of the house, his grip tightening on the revolver's handle, his mind set on a single goal: retribution.