Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Chu Ya involuntarily stopped in his tracks, his face pale and drained of color. A terrible suspicion rose in his heart, but he found it hard to believe.

Gu Lin was Qin Qin's nephew. At seventeen, after the death of his parents, he was taken in by Qin Qin. Chu Chengyu also took great interest in Gu Lin and placed him in charge of White Castle after his graduation from military school.

Chu Ya had never been particularly fond of this cousin.

The first time Qin Qin brought Gu Lin home, Chu Ya was only five years old, drawing with a pencil in the living room. Gu Lin answered Chu Chengyu's questions, sitting with his knees together and back straight. When Chu Ya's pencil fell to the ground, Gu Lin would quickly pick it up and hand it to him, calling him "cousin" affectionately.

But when they were alone in the living room, Gu Lin's gaze toward Chu Ya turned cold. Despite his young age, Chu Ya could sense others' feelings towards him, so he pursed his lips, showing resistance and distance in his eyes.

Father was in the study, mother was cooking in the kitchen with Ah Qin, and a bird flew in through the window, landing clumsily on Chu Ya's easel.

Chu Ya was watching the bird, its tender beak and black eyes, when suddenly a hand reached out, grabbed the bird, and squeezed it tightly.

The bird let out a short, sharp cry, its legs twitching as Gu Lin threw it out the window, sending it plummeting down.

Chu Ya stared at Gu Lin, at his cruelly cold profile, and suddenly rushed forward, kicking and hitting him. His parents, hearing the commotion, pulled him away, while Gu Lin repeatedly apologized, saying he had chased away a bird that upset his cousin.

Although their first meeting was unpleasant, and Chu Ya couldn't bring himself to warm up to him, his parents treated Gu Lin well. Years had passed, and their relationship seemed peaceful, making it hard for Chu Ya to believe the suspicion that had just arisen.

But now he was locked in White Castle, where Gu Lin was in charge. Mother had also mentioned that there was a traitor close to Father.

Chu Ya's heart sank, and a chill crept up his back. He stood still, his mind racing, until a soldier behind him prodded him with a gun: "Move, what are you standing there for?"

Chu Ya mechanically stepped forward, turning a corner and stopping at a door with the soldiers.

The soldier opened the door: "Go in."

Chu Ya slowly entered the room, immediately seeing the familiar figure standing by the window. Though he had prepared himself mentally, the sight of Gu Lin still caused a buzzing sound in his ears.

The door closed, and Gu Lin slowly turned around, smiling as he usually did when seeing Chu Ya, both warmly and naturally.

"Xiaoya, do you feel unwell? I used my mental power to knock you out earlier; you might have a slight headache now, but it will pass soon."

Gu Lin spoke with concern, like a caring older brother looking after his younger sibling. For a moment, Chu Ya doubted if he had been too suspicious. He wanted to ask, but his throat tightened, preventing any sound.

Gu Lin slowly walked over, adjusting Chu Ya's hoodie hood and fiddling with his fingers. "Why are you still wearing wet clothes? You should change them later."

"...Where is Mom?" Chu Ya finally managed to speak, his voice hoarse and strained.

Gu Lin countered, "Do you know where we are?"

Chu Ya glanced at the window; though it was pitch black outside, the sound of rain was still audible.

He moved his lips: "White Castle."

"Yes, this is my White Castle. It's your first time here, right? Does it seem different from what you imagined?"

"Cousin, where is my mom?"

"It's just that my office is small and poorly lit."

Chu Ya stared at him, his breathing growing rapid, and asked again, his voice hoarse: "Cousin, I didn't ask about these things. Tell me how Mom is doing."

Gu Lin ignored him: "But it's going to be renovated soon. I plan to tear down this wall, which will make the space much larger—"

"Where is Mom?" Chu Ya suddenly shouted, grabbing Gu Lin's collar. "Gu Lin, answer me! Where is Mom now? I want to see her!"

Gu Lin, a tall adult, looked down at Chu Ya, the warmth and kindness gone from his face, replaced by icy coldness.

He raised his hand, gripping Chu Ya's left wrist and slowly squeezing. Chu Ya clenched his teeth, refusing to let go despite the searing pain in his wrist.

But his strength was no match for an adult A-level sentinel, and the fabric slipped from his grasp. Gu Lin whispered, "Chu Ya, do you realize how much I despise you right now? Even here in White Castle, you still dare to yell at me, showing a stubborn stupidity and reckless disregard for the situation. This makes me very unhappy, maybe even angry."

He released Chu Ya's hand, who caught his breath, staring at Gu Lin.

Gu Lin scrutinized him: "Don't you have a phobia of germs? I touched you just now; shouldn't you be taking out your handkerchief to wipe your hands? But you didn't. So, does your phobia only apply to certain people and situations? So... were you using your phobia to insult me before?"

"What do you mean? What are you trying to say?" Chu Ya wished he could punch Gu Lin but knew he had to hold back.

Gu Lin walked to the sofa, sat down, and pressed his fingers against his temples. The room was silent except for Chu Ya's heavy breathing.

Just as Chu Ya was about to continue questioning, Gu Lin suddenly said, "Your aunt and uncle are no longer with us."

"What did you say?" Chu Ya thought he had misheard.

"Your aunt and uncle passed away last night," Gu Lin sighed, turning to look out the window. "I am sad, but there was nothing I could do."

Chu Ya stood there, stunned, his mind slowly processing the information.

"I remember the day I buried my parents. It was freezing in Keke Town, and I was wondering what to do next when Aunt appeared. She told me she was my father's sister, who had left home at a young age and only recently found our address..."

Gu Lin's voice fluctuated, like background noise. Chu Ya heard nothing, his mind repeating one phrase, like a deafening bell ringing over and over.

...Passed away last night... Passed away last night...

"Aunt used to make delicious pancakes and bring them to the military school. Back then, I thought they were the best thing in the world. Later, I tasted other delicacies and realized those pancakes were quite ordinary. But now, I miss that taste..."

"How did they die?" Chu Ya's eyes were bloodshot, his body trembling, his voice shaking uncontrollably: "Mom was just unconscious, how did she die? And Dad, what happened to him? Who—" He gritted his teeth, asking word by word: "Who killed them?"

Gu Lin slowly turned to look at Chu Ya, his eyes vacant and strange.

"Do you think Aunt would be disappointed in me?" he asked Chu Ya.

Tears streamed down Chu Ya's face as he stared at Gu Lin: "Last night, the high-ranking members of the Morning Star Army were attacked. Why weren't you affected?"

"Are you questioning me?" Gu Lin's expression darkened: "I wanted to mourn Aunt and Uncle with you because only you can understand my grief. But why must you always be such a disappointment?"

Chu Ya felt as if his chest was about to explode from the pain, and it seemed like a knife was stirring in his head, causing unbearable agony and blurring his vision. All the objects in the room appeared to be flowing with wavy lines, and Gu Lin was also distorted in a strange form, his lips resembling pulsating jellyfish.

Yet, he was surprisingly clear-headed and calm, the words that came out of his mouth sounding almost foreign to him.

"Dad got into trouble because someone betrayed him. Who was that person? You should have been there to protect him, so why did you suddenly appear in the cornfield? How did you know my mom and I would pass by there?"

Gu Lin stood up and walked toward Chu Ya step by step. "What do you expect to hear from me?"

"They were all killed by you! Only you, Gu Lin! It was you who killed them! It was you!" Chu Ya's vision was blurred, and he staggered two steps, struggling to stand.

Gu Lin stopped in front of Chu Ya, looking down at the boy in extreme pain, a cold cruelty flashing in his eyes.

He leaned close and whispered softly into Chu Ya's ear, "Xiaoya, you're right. They were all killed by me. Your dear parents were killed by me."

Hearing Gu Lin's admission, Chu Ya suddenly had no reaction, standing there dazed, his head lowered, staring at the ground as if even his chest had stopped moving.

The room fell silent for half a minute before he slowly lifted his head, his eyes under his brows dark and impenetrable.

"Why?"

"Now that you know, what can you do about it? Do you still think you're the son of the Morning Star Club president, capable of commanding the winds and rain at will?" Gu Lin's fingers lightly tapped against his thigh.

"Why?"

As Chu Ya shouted this, he lunged forward, a glint of cold light flashing in his hand as he thrust a dagger fiercely toward Gu Lin's chest.

Gu Lin deflected the blade just before it touched his body, sending the dagger flying with a clang to the ground.

Chu Ya ignored the dagger and continued to lunge at Gu Lin, reaching out to strangle his neck. Gu Lin hadn't expected such speed and nearly failed to dodge, leaving a scratch on his neck from Chu Ya's fingertips.

Gu Lin touched his neck, a fierce look appearing in his eyes. After evading another attack from Chu Ya, he punched him in the chest.

But Chu Ya seemed to feel no pain and continued to charge and throw punches without hesitation. Although he had entered the differentiation phase, he had not yet broken through and wasn't a fully-fledged sentinel. Yet, after being hit twice by Gu Lin, he didn't fall but instead unleashed an astonishing fighting strength, causing a hint of surprise on Gu Lin's face.

Chu Ya fought recklessly, abandoning any defense and focusing solely on offense, while various images flashed through his mind.

His father sitting at the dining table, asking about his situation at the military academy, his mother smiling as she served him a bowl of soup...

Overwhelmed with pain, his eyes wild, Chu Ya resembled a mad beast, ready to tear apart anyone in front of him.

In his mental domain, a fierce storm raged, massive tornadoes over a hundred meters wide sweeping across the icy plain, lifting snowflakes into the air, densely packed and roaring throughout the space. The large cocoon floating low in the sky began to glow silver, faintly revealing the outline of something inside, as if something was about to break free.

After blocking another attack from Chu Ya, Gu Lin looked down at his reddened hand. Just as confusion appeared on his face, a piercing beeping sound filled both inside and outside the room, followed by a mechanical female voice.

"Psychic sensor detects 5000 JL psychic fluctuation; a differentiation phase individual is entering breakthrough."