In a simple apartment room, three siblings were currently enjoying life together. There weren’t many things in this room. Only a wardrobe, folded sleeping mats, and those three siblings sitting before a simple mat table.

They weren’t poor. Each of them was actually a millionaire in their teen. They were the hero who had saved Earth from alien invasion. They lived like that because they were used to modest life. Even in this simple apartment, they were happy because they had each other.

It was Baek Hyeon’s birthday. He was the oldest brother of the three siblings and the happiest person in the world. His little sister, Baek Aera, made a cake for his seventeenth birthday.

His little brother, Baek Seok, sat beside him to celebrate his birthday too. People knew him as an icy beauty, but currently, he had a warm expression. Those women didn’t know his little brother was actually a very caring person.

“Come on, Brother. Makes a wish and blow the candles,” Baek Seok said excitedly.

Baek Aera kept clapping as Baek Hyeon closed his eyes and prayed his wishes. She couldn’t wait to eat her own cake.

Baek Hyeon sneaked a peek at them. His siblings finally could live happily after fighting on many battlefields. He just wished they could live like normal people from now on.

He was the happiest person on his birthday, but he felt something missing. Yes, they had another family member. Their mom. A caring woman who supported their backs.

“I hope mom is here,” Baek Hyeon said in his heart.

As he was about to blow the candle, someone knocked on the door of the apartment. They didn’t get annoyed because they heard a familiar sweet voice out there.

“My children, can you open the door for mom?”

“I will do it!” Baek Hyeon stood and rushed to the door. As he opened it, a woman entered the apartment.

The woman still had a youthful, pretty feature in her forty. Her red hair was around shoulder-length. She currently put a mysterious smile.

“Mom, I am glad you come on time.” Baek Hyeon threw himself at her and coiled his arms above her shoulders. She replied by hugging his waist.

“Mom was busy taking care of stuff, but mom comes with joyful news.” The mom, Lee Hana, pulled herself from the clutch. She looked up to see the face of his oldest son. “All of you don’t have to live as heroes anymore. You three are free.”

Baek Hyeon couldn’t contain his tears after hearing that. He had been trying to protect his siblings. He longed for freedom, and it was in front of his eyes.

“I—we can live normally?” Baek Hyeon asked, and Lee Hana still put on a mysterious smile. “We can finally enter high school and enjoy life as a student?”

Lee Hana put her index finger on her lips and winked. “Hmm, that’s trouble for me because you all have to die for this society.”

Baek Hyeon blinked. He didn’t understand her joke. “What are you talking about, mom?”

At the same time, a roar echoed behind Baek Hyeon, making him looked back. A demon with steel armor skin and two horns appeared from the candle on his birthday cake. The creature’s whole body emitted flame.

Baek Seok and Baek Aera jumped back and put fighting stances. They panicked because their weapons were on the opposite side, inside the wardrobe.

The only one who could fight them without a weapon was Baek Hyeon, because his ability didn’t need a weapon for activation. Baek Hyeon was about to charge at the demon when his whole body burnt.

His skin burnt so fast, but Baek Hyeon was used to pain. He didn’t utter a little shriek and activated his ability, but nothing happened.

His eyes widened because he just realized something pierced his back. He looked at his mother, who was putting a mysterious smile. She injected him with something to prevent him from activating his ability. Not only that, her arm emitted flame, but she was okay. He never knew her mom had an ability, too. They thought she was just a normal person.

Lee Hana pulled the needle after taking his blood. “You have already served your purpose. You all can rest now.”

Baek Hyeon fell to the floor. He saw his sibling running at him and got beheaded instantly by the flame demon. He couldn’t even shout as his siblings’ heads rolled on the floor. His body became weak. He gritted his teeth in anger for his mom.

“HOW DARE YOU BETRAY US!” Baek Hyeon shouted that in his heart.

As if understanding his words, Lee Hana said, “For the sake of better society.” With that, she approached her other children and took their blood samples.

Baek Hyeon resisted physical pain, but his heart felt more damage. He couldn’t do anything. His body urged him to sleep. As he blinked, Lee Hana already walked out of the room. He blinked again, and suddenly the entire apartment was burning.

That was the last scene he saw before he closed his eyes.

Baek Hyeon thought he wouldn’t open his eyes again, so at least he could meet his siblings in the afterlife or got reincarnated. Living in the world without his family would be hell for him, but fate said ‘f*ck you’ to him, and he suddenly opened his eyes.

The first thing he saw was the light of a lamp in an unfamiliar room. He straightened his body to sit, and he still felt his whole body in pain, as if thousands of needles pierced his body.

The room was spacious, with many medical tools. It wasn’t his apartment room. Baek Hyeon felt confused. He found an unfamiliar face sitting near the bed.

The middle-aged man sipped his coffee and said, “You have awoken.”

Baek Hyeon suddenly felt a headache and held his forehead. “Who are you? Where am I?”

“My name is Namgoong Hyuk, a former scientist of Virtue Company. I worked in supernatural ability research. Your mother was my boss.”

Baek Hyeon’s body suddenly felt hot as the man mentioned his mother. He remembered what had happened. He suddenly realized his whole body was full of burn scars too.

“Mom, why did she do this to us?” Baek Hyeon could still remember his siblings’ shocked faces on the floor. “What did we do wrong?”

Namgoong Hyuk approached and knelt in front of him. “You are not wrong. It is clearly that b!tch that is wrong. You, three siblings, have precious blood, and she has used you to become richer.”

Namgoong Hyuk picked up a remote and turned on the TV. It showed breaking news where Lee Hana became the primary attention. She became the representative of Virtue Company, the most popular hero agency in South Korea and the world.

On the news, she put a poker face as she announced Baek siblings’ death. Baek Hyeon expected the world to grieve, but her next words shocked him. “As their blood-related mother, I feel ashamed that my children actually made a secret deal with Kranos the Destroyer. The incident wasn’t incident. I killed my own children to save the world. However, my action has angered that mighty alien.

“We all know Kranos has been targeting this world to make us their slave. He sent one of his commanders to destroy every hero agency in this world. My children, the former strongest heroes, defeated the alien commander, but that was just an act. I have proof that Blood Demon, the First Commander, is alive in this world. This is the image.”

Lee Hana showed images of Blood Demon’s existence. Baek Hyeon felt dizzy. His mom actually framed him and his siblings. They actually really worked together to kill that alien commander. In the end, his brother delivered the last blow. How could he survive?

“What she said is the truth. Blood Demon is alive and no one in this world can defeat him. That’s supposed to be the case,” Namgoong Hyuk said.

Lee Hana continued her speech, “No hero can defeat Blood Demon even in his weakened state. That’s supposed to be the case, but the scientists of our company have successfully created something that can strengthen ability users on an entirely new level. People can achieve power surpassing my children now.

“With this, I shall introduce to public new heroes that have surpassed Baek siblings.”

Ten people entered the screen and stood by her sides. As a hero, Baek Hyeon obviously knew them. Some of them were his friends, his juniors, and even enemies.

“You must be confused. Lee Hana killed you three to obtain your blood essence. You and your siblings have special blood essence that can make you grow stronger without limitation. We harvested it to create a pill that can make people stronger. We call it Evolution Pill. I was against it because when blood essence is forcefully taken from an ability user, they will lose their ability,” Namgoong Hyuk explained.

Baek Hyeon pierced his head with his fingers. He didn’t care about the pain, his heart hurt the most, and his body had become ugly too. He didn’t have any future.

Looking at him, Namgoong Hyuk sighed. “Because you don’t have blood essence anymore, you can’t live longer. I estimate you only have one year of life. What do you want to do?”

“I? What to do? I don’t have anyone anymore.” Baek Hyeon fell on his knees and cried.

Namgoong Hyuk tapped his shoulder and whispered in his ear, “Of course you still have someone. Lee Hana is still alive. Don’t you feel hatred toward her?”

Baek Hyeon looked back and saw Namgoong Hyuk’s wicked smile.

“If you don’t have the purpose of life anymore, then help me, Baek Hyeon. I have a grudge toward her too. Let’s have revenge together. Imagine your little brother and sister. Isn’t it unfair that they can’t live a normal life anymore? It is because of her, Hyeon. Not to mention, she has made you siblings as villains when people should praise you.”

Baek Hyeon’s heart ached. He clutched his chest. “Lee Hana. It is because of her! I hate her so much. I will kill her!”

“Are you sure? Going against her means going against an international hero agency? Knowing that, do you still want to kill her?”

“I don’t care. Whoever obstructs my path is my enemy. I was the strongest hero.”

“Good, then I will help you, my partner. You currently don’t have your former ability, but I believe in you, the former strongest hero.” Namgoong Hyuk extended his hand.

Baek Hyeon had a feeling he would become something the former himself fought, a villain. However, his hatred toward his mother blinded him, so he accepted Namgoong Hyuk’s hand.

…….

One year had passed. In a school classroom, all students couldn’t bother to wait for the teacher to come in. They chatted in their own circles. There was a hot topic going on.

“Have you heard? Ghostfox destroyed the small hero agency in this area last night,” a girl said.

“I know. It scared me. That hero agency was just a block away from my house,” another girl said.

In another circle, the boys talked about the rising villain, Ghostfox, too.

“Who do you think is the real identity of Ghostfox?”

“I don’t know, but he seems to have a big grudge toward heroes.”

“Who do you think will win if Ghostfox and Bloodhound fight?”

“That’s an interesting topic,” said an old voice. It came from a teacher who just entered the classroom. A plain-looking young man wearing glasses followed behind him.

The boys were curious about the new guy, and the girls didn’t care and were slightly disappointed. They hoped a handsome boy comparable to K-pop idols.

“Everyone, this young man here will learn with you together from now on,” the teacher said.

The young man wrote his name on the board, bowed toward his new friends, and smile. “Hello, everyone. My name is Namgoong Jin. Nice to meet you.”

Namgoong Jin was none other than Baek Hyeon. He changed his face and identity to start a normal life as a highschool student.