"Alright, shut the fuck up." He couldn’t take it anymore. This was just the two of them talking—but if anyone overheard this conversation? Axel would probably get beaten to death in the street.

  Deep Sea Pharmaceuticals wasn’t just a company. It was sacred in Krythos.

  Most people believed that Deep Sea had developed the method for human awakening. Even though actual awakeners knew that was bullshit, the myth still held strong.

  And their anti-infection products? They dominated the market. People didn’t just buy them. They trusted them. Relied on them.

  Even joking about this could get someone in serious trouble.

  Axel, of course, looked like he had more to say. Skye panicked and tried to stop him. "Don’t. Say. Another. Fucking. Word."

  Axel opened his mouth. The door suddenly swung open.

  "Brother, you’re awake!" Annabelle stepped inside, carrying a bag of fruit.

  Her gaze instantly locked onto a black broad frame leaning toward Axel, her pupils flashing red for just a fraction of a second.

  The temperature in the room plummeted. A pulse of killing intent flared so fast it made Skye’s skin crawl. Skye froze. Then slowly turned his head.

  Annabelle blinked. And just like that, the pressure vanished. Her expression softened, shifting back into that of an innocent, cheerful girl.

  "Annabelle," Skye exhaled, his heart still hammering. "You scared the shit out of me."

  She just smiled sweetly, as if nothing had happened. "Uncle Skye, have an orange," she chirped, holding one out. "I just bought them. They’re really sweet!"

  Skye let out a breath and plopped onto a chair, grabbing one without hesitation. He tossed the whole thing in his mouth, chewing as the juice burst across his tongue.

  "Brother needs more vitamins," she said, neatly peeling another one for Axel.

  Skye snorted, swallowing. "Yeah, yeah. You two talk. I’ve delivered what I needed to," he said, standing and brushing off his coat. Then he fixed Axel with a serious look. "And don’t bring up that shit again."

  With that final warning, he slung his fur-lined jacket over his shoulders and left. The second he stepped into the hallway, he let out a long, shaky breath.

  Damn.

  Skye pulled out a cigarette and lit up, taking a slow drag. The warmth of the smoke settled his nerves. As he exhaled, he scratched the back of his head, frowning. That sudden chill back in the room… Had he imagined it? Or was he really getting old?

  .....

  In the ward, the siblings sat in silence, exchanging glances. Annabelle lowered her head like a child who had just been scolded.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  After a long pause, Axel reached out and ruffled her hair. "It’s fine. Just be more careful next time."

  He had definitely felt that sudden burst of killing intent earlier. Thankfully, Annabelle had reacted fast enough to suppress it before Skye caught on.

  "Brother, I brought you food." Seeing that Axel wasn’t upset, Annabelle beamed and held up a burrito. Her small, sharp teeth peeked out as she grinned. "I added two eggs!"

  She might have been young, but Axel had always trusted her to handle their money. Even after getting the reward from Skye, they had only treated themselves to a hamburger once—the rest remained untouched.

  Axel glanced at the bank card lying on the table and exhaled slowly. From today onward, they weren’t struggling anymore.

  One million dollars.

  That was real money in Dune. Something he’d never even dreamed of. All he’d ever wanted was to graduate, find a decent job, and provide a better life for both of them. Maybe, just maybe, he’d even track down their missing father—if he was still alive.

  "You eat," he said. "I already had something." Then he paused before adding, "Tomorrow, we’re buying a house."

  Annabelle’s head shot up. Her wide eyes were filled with disbelief. Axel held up the bank card.

  They had always dreamed of going back—back to the home that had been taken from them. And now, it was finally possible.

  The Next Morning, the siblings arrived at the sales office early. The house they had once lived in had been part of a government project. People could either rent or buy the properties, and most of the current residents were elderly.

  After their father, Ronan, disappeared, they could no longer afford the rent. They had no choice but to leave. Luckily, no one had moved in since.

  "Are you sure we have enough money?" Annabelle asked hesitantly. She had never handled such a large sum before. To her, anything over a few dollars was a lot.

  "Yeah. I checked the price," Axel reassured her. "A single-family house in that neighborhood goes for about $800,000. We’re good."

  When they stepped inside, the saleswomen barely spared them a glance. They’d been in this business long enough to know the difference between serious buyers and kids who were just looking.

  "Excuse me," Axel said. "We’d like to buy a house."

  At the sound of his voice, the manager waved someone over. "Nyx, take care of them."

  A woman with sleek black hair stood up and walked toward them, a polite smile on her face.

  "Aww, your little sister is adorable," she cooed, crouching slightly to meet Annabelle’s eyes. "Are you two looking for a rental? I can show you some great budget-friendly options."

  "We’re buying."

  Nyx blinked, momentarily caught off guard. But she quickly recovered, her sales instinct kicking in. "Right this way." She led them to the front desk and pulled out a thick ledger filled with available properties.

  Dune wasn’t a big city, and being so close to the outer walls, property values weren’t exactly sky-high. For example, a three-bedroom apartment—1,000 square feet—could be purchased for $500,000 to $600,000.

  Axel, however, already had a specific place in mind. "This one," he said, pointing to a familiar address.

  Nyx glanced at the listing and hesitated. "Sir… this is an old neighborhood," she said carefully. "The infrastructure is outdated, and it’s pretty far from the business district. Not a lot of people live there anymore."

  She tapped the page. "Plus, these are all single-family houses with a yards. That drives the price up quite a bit."

  Axel didn't hesitate. "It’s fine, this is the one." There was no total price listed on the page, and he was eager to know how much money they’d have left afterward.

  "Alright, let me check."

  Old neighborhoods like this weren’t part of any private developer’s sales quota; they were city-owned properties, meaning there wasn’t much commission to be made. Still, Nyx wasn’t the type to push a hard sell.

  "This house has been vacant for three years," she said after checking. "The price is $770,000, with a 3.5% interest rate on loans."

  She continued listing the pros and cons of the house, but she didn’t notice the way Axel and Annabelle visibly relaxed.

  "Alright," Axel said. "We’ll take it."

  Just like that? Nyx froze. For a moment, she thought maybe she had just scored big. Were they rich second-gens?

  "Which bank do you want to finance through?" she asked, barely containing her excitement.

  "No loan. Full payment." Axel shot Annabelle a playful wink. With a reluctant pout, she pulled out the bank card and handed it over. "Swipe it."