Chapter 323: Why do you hate me?
Fate was the most twisted flaw in the world.
The one who governed it had always known what fate awaited Kyle and those around him. Every tragedy, every loss, every inevitable end was written long before it ever came to pass. And yet, none of it could be prevented until the moment it happened.
But what followed, born from the union of the three Watchers of the World, was something even Fate had never accounted for.
They did not erase what had already happened.
They wrote a new Chapter.
That day, after everything had been reduced to cinders and debris, a new branch of fate came into existence. A fragment that had never been written, never been foreseen, and never been permitted to exist.
A fragment that stretched beyond the very eyes of Fate.
And now, whatever happened next rested in the hands of a being who had not only changed the fate of his own world, but had transcended the very concept of fate itself.
The Origin had awakened.
....
Mathew had just finished dinner.
It had been another day of disappointment. Yet again, Blake had caught one of the staff members Mathew had sent to keep an eye on things.
The foolish boy didn’t understand that Mathew’s insight and constant vigilance were necessary to keep the family safe and ensure it continued to grow. Instead, Blake had been rejecting everything associated with him as though Mathew himself were some kind of plague.
"Idiot. I’m only trying to protect that irresponsible..."
Mathew froze the moment he stepped into his office.
A certain man was standing inside.
For a moment, Mathew could barely recognise him. The room was shrouded in darkness, leaving only his eyes visible. His face was blank, devoid of expression, while his body was unnaturally still, almost too frigid to belong to a living human being.
Then Mathew regained his composure.
"You start at the academy tomorrow, yet you run away from Montclair?" He clicked his tongue in annoyance. "How many times are you going to disappoint me?"
He walked past Kyle and took his seat.
"Have you finally made the decision to come under my wing and learn from me?"
The corners of his lips curved faintly.
"Perhaps you finally understand why a little pain and fear can force a person to achieve what they never could on their own."
Silence settled over the room after Mathew’s words died away.
He frowned.
"Are you going to speak, or are you just going to stand there?"
Kyle finally moved.
The next moment Mathew knew, Kyle was standing directly before him.
Startled, Mathew recoiled and nearly stumbled over his chair.
"What are you doing? You can’t just sneak up on me like that."
"Tell me something."
Kyle’s voice cut through the room, colder than ice.
"Why do you hate me so much, Mathew Astortia?"
Mathew’s expression darkened.
He abruptly shot to his feet.
"Have you lost your mind? Calling me by my name? Do I need to remind you why there was a time when you couldn’t even look me in the eyes?"
"Mathew Astortia."
Kyle’s voice remained eerily calm.
"Tell me. Why do you hate me?"
Mathew let out a mocking snicker and raised his hand.
"You...!"
His palm struck toward Kyle’s face.
And passed straight through it.
Mathew froze.
No.
It wasn’t that his hand had passed through Kyle.
His hand was no longer there.
Mathew froze for a moment before slowly looking down at his hand.
Only a stump remained.
Thud.
Something rolled across the floor.
His severed hand.
Mathew stared at it, lifeless and detached, lying several feet away from him. There was no blood. No pain. It was as though someone had carefully amputated it without leaving a single wound.
Yet Mathew knew this was no illusion.
He had just lost his hand.
"You... what are you?"
He staggered backward, genuine alarm finally overtaking his composure. His face had gone pale.
Kyle asked again.
"What made me so different that you hated me this much?"
His voice remained calm, almost eerily so.
"Those assassins... you sent them to kill me. You told Ava about me. And now, you gave away the location of your eldest son so he could be used against me."
Kyle stepped forward.
"How can you be so heartless, Mathew?"
Mathew’s expression tightened. His brow trembled.
"Who informed who about Blake?"
"So you don’t deny the other two."
Kyle’s eyes remained fixed on him.
"You admit that you wanted me dead. But there is still one thing I don’t understand."
He stepped closer.
Under the golden radiance of his eyes, there was the faintest flicker of uncertainty.
"Why?"
His voice lowered.
"Why did you hate me so much?"
Mathew’s face twisted with anger.
"Because you are not my blood!"
Mathew had expected a reaction.
Instead, all he received was a blank stare.
"And?"
Mathew narrowed his eyes.
"You knew?"
"I did."
Kyle’s answer came without hesitation.
"It was obvious from your actions. No father, especially one related by blood, could muster enough cruelty to do what you did to me."
His gaze remained unmoving.
"But even if I wasn’t your son, how could you treat another human being with such inhumanity?"
Mathew scowled and walked past him.
His hand slowly curled into a fist as he finally revealed the truth.
"Because I was forced to adopt you."
His voice carried years of resentment.
"I was given things in return. I was allowed to retain my clan’s name among the Ten Petals. I received funds to keep my company afloat, along with artifacts meant to protect my family from certain dangers."
He swallowed hard.
"But..."
His voice faltered for a moment before hardening again.
"I knew I should never have adopted you after learning what kind of demon you were."
He turned toward Kyle.
His voice dropped to a low, bitter whisper.
"Did you know the church nuns died taking care of a monster like you? The moment they could no longer feed you, you started preying on them. You ate their flesh. You consumed their blood."
His face twisted with disgust.
"Which sane man would treat you kindly after learning something like that?"
Kyle stared at him with complete indifference.
It was as though Mathew’s words had never reached him.
Mathew snickered.
"Hate me all you want. But remember this. It was because of me that you are standing here today. I was obligated to raise you until you came of age. After that, you were nothing but a burden."
His eyes narrowed.
"A burden I would rather see gone than allow to taint my name."
Kyle hummed softly.
"I understand."
He stepped forward.
"Thank you for telling me."
There was no anger in his voice. No hatred. Not even satisfaction.
Before Mathew could react, Kyle reached out and twisted his neck.
Thud.
The lifeless body struck the floor.
Kyle raised his hand.
The black eye embedded within his palm opened, and everything that remained within Mathew was consumed in an instant. Whatever essence lingered within him were devoured until nothing remained but a dry, unrecognisable husk.
The black eye bled red for a moment before slowly fading into nothingness.
[The Vow requires two more souls.]
The system’s voice echoed in his mind.
A moment later, Kyle vanished from the house.
He already knew exactly who the other two would be.
°°°°°°°
A/N:- Confused? Well, I believe it would explain that he has returned to the time just before entering the academy.