Deus Didymus: Rend

The Original Phantom IV

Hakun kneeled in front of Nari with a proud smile. He pushed a strand of hair away from her eyes before grabbing her shoulders. "Alright. Remember: you don't need to go all out unless your life is on the line. Don't draw attention to yourself, and act like a normal student. Okay?"

Nari nodded, but in her expression she couldn't mask her curiosity and worry. "Where are you going, dad?"

"I'm going somewhere far to find some good meat while you learn in the academy," Hakun replied. He rubbed the seven year old's head, spreading a sense of comfort through her distraught expression. "I'll be back in no time though. Just make sure to stay safe, and we'll get to eatthe best food you've ever seen!"

Leaving Nari behind in Cube's capital was risky by Hakun's standards. There was no way to trace her back to him save for a hyper-specific allele or a thorough investigation, but if she were to be compromised, Hakun would lose unnecessary progress in his path toward a genetically perfect allele. To ensure she wouldn't be sent onto a battlefield, Hakun made sure to teach her restraint, but made her as strong as possible in the event she were in a life or death situation. Through his estimations, Nari could easily be a D-Rank Dunam. Not exactly Shin Kami level, but enough to keep her alive while he returned home.

Upon returning home, Hakun found himself amazed by the vast changes made to the city. Compared to the wood and cobblestone house he lived in, and the simple homes he saw in SM, the capital looked better than ever. The youth hovered around his expectations and many of the new graduates had potential.

As he approached the commander's doors, Hakun observed the most promising of the new graduates. Despite having so many flaws in his allele, the boy's energy refinement and battle presence was unlike any other in his age group. Before he could open the door, Hakun heard words that put lead in his stomach.

"Our intel tells us that Orca was after Y/n. Maybe he isn't dead. Their interference here would make too much sense-especially after Cube."

That was Youngeun's voice. What does she mean 'Maybe he isn't dead'? Did Y/n join the military? What am I saying? Of course he did. That presence I felt in Cube couldn't have been anyone but him. I'll act like I don't know. Maybe the information will come naturally.

Hakun knocked on the door, exhaling and unhiding his wellspring. A new facade covered his face as he stepped through the door following Chaeyeon's acknowledgement of his presence. "You're as sharp as ever, Commander! What's with the attitude though? I could just walk away and visit my family first."

"About that," Youngeun mumbled.

I knew it.

Hakun raised an eyebrow, "What? Are you sending me off again?"

Chaeyeon shook her head. A look of defeat and guilt plagued her face. It was obvious she knew the deal between Ji Hoon and Hakun; being faced with it now hit her harder than ever. "Y/n is dead-"

"Missing," Youngeun corrected. "He is missing. We weren't able to find his body, so we haven't been able to confirm his status."

She knows too. How many people knew about Y/n's case?

"What about Yujin?" Hakun asked. He hid the fluctuations in his wellspring. Fluctuations caused by the bubbling irritation in his core.

Chaeyeon let off another sigh. "She's home."

"Then excuse me." Hakun started toward the door, his voice and demeanor seemingly unbothered by the news. "I'll submit a report when I can."

Despite the news of Y/n, Hakun made his first stop at the house he bought for Minju to grow up in. The woman who mothered Minju sat in a room other than the master bedroom with a wellspring pulsating as if it were crying.