Yuqeen was stunned seeing this unknown boy. Right then, from the seat behind her, Rayn spoke in a calm voice:— “Yuqeen… this guy is my best friend, Haarun aev Inazum. I don’t think I need to explain much, ’cause you’ve seen the two of us together plenty of times.”

  As soon as Rayn finished, Haarun quickly came over to him and whispered playfully:— “Damn, the king of lying-in-styled himself! I was joking that day, never thought you’d actually end up dating Hanabirah. Acting all distant at school, but doing all this behind the scenes?”

  Rayn replied in an annoyed tone:— “You’re safe now, but you’re still annoying. I swear, you’re twisted like a pretzel.”

  Haarun didn’t respond — just tried hard not to burst out laughing.

  Yuqeen couldn’t understand anything. To clear up her confusion, Haarun stopped laughing and said in a straight tone:— “I hope Rayn told you about me. And just so you know—I’m also a mid-royal like you.”

  Then suddenly, in a playful voice, Haarun added:— “Hey Hanabirah… thanks a lot for dating my boy. Now I don’t have to worry — Rayn won’t die single anymore.”

  Before he could finish, Rayn smacked him lightly on the head and said with irritation:— “You’re going too far.”

  Even after getting smacked, Haarun didn’t get mad — he just kept teasing Rayn more. Watching the two of them joke around, a small smile formed on Yuqeen’s face.

  Right then, a girl walked into the class and came straight to Yuqeen. In a soft voice, she said:— “Hi Hanabirah… My name is Mayya Shizqar, I’m a mid-noble. Will you be my friend?”

  Yuqeen was surprised by the sudden approach. She knew Mayya was her classmate, but until now, Mayya had never spoken to her before.

  Right at that moment, Rayn and Haarun walked over to Yuqeen.

  Rayn gave a small smile and said softly:— “I know all of this happened so suddenly… you must be really confused.”

  As soon as Rayn finished, Haarun turned to Mayya and said bluntly:— “This girl’s name is Mayya Shizqar. And just letting you know — the way you and Rayn are connected, Mayya and I are connected in the same way.”

  After Haarun finished, Rayn spoke in a calm voice:— “You two should talk, I’ll just—”

  Before Rayn could finish, Haarun cut him off in a straightforward tone:— “Yeah, you two talk. Meanwhile, I'll annoy Rayn a bit.”

  Saying that, Haarun slung his arm around Rayn’s neck and started dragging him toward the back. One look at Rayn’s face was enough to tell he was already fed up.

  As the two of them walked away, Mayya gently held Yuqeen’s hand and said softly:— “Hanabirah, can I call you by your first name?”

  Without hesitation, Yuqeen asked in a straightforward voice:— “Why do you want to call me by my first name?”

  Mayya immediately replied in a gentle tone:— “Because I want to be your friend… actually, I want you to be my best friend.”

  Then Mayya slowly started explaining the reason:— “It’s because I’ve never had a girl best friend before. First I became friends with Haarun, then Rayn… and now, I want you to be my friend too.”

  Hearing that, Yuqeen gave a sweet, gentle smile and replied:— “Alright Mayya, from today… we’re best friends.”

  Mayya was stunned, because Yuqeen called her by her first name — and she had never seen such a soft, beautiful smile on her face before.

  Just then, a few more students began entering the classroom.

  The morning fog had cleared, and warm sunlight was spilling in through the windows.

  Mayya closed her eyes for a moment and said softly:— “Look at Rayn and Haarun for a sec.”

  Following her words, Yuqeen looked over — Haarun was messing with Rayn just like always.

  Mayya whispered:— “These two are complete opposites. Sometimes I wonder… being friends is fine, but how on earth did they become best friends?”

  Yuqeen looked at the two boys and couldn’t help laughing quietly.

  Seeing her suddenly smile, Mayya asked in surprise:— “Why did you laugh?”

  Yuqeen calmed her smile and said gently:— “It’s nothing… just that something you said reminded me of something Rayn once told me. What he said… I’ll tell you some other day.”

  Hearing that, Mayya started heading back to her seat.

  While walking, she turned around and said softly:— “Yuqeen, has anyone ever told you… your smile is really beautiful?”

  With that, she went to her seat and sat down. Mayya’s seat was right next to Haarun’s.

  After spending the whole day at school, winter evening finally settled in. Outside the gate, a long line of cars waited — clearly there to pick up the students.

  The sky glowed with a pale mix of blue and red, casting a cold, soft light. Under that faint golden–icy glow, the school building shimmered, the glass panels shining like frost. The air was sharp and cold — silent, yet soothing in its own way.

  Tree leaves swayed gently as crisp winter wind slipped through them. Even the distant bird calls sounded muted and soft — perfectly setting the evening vibe.

  School had ended, and everyone else had already left in their cars. Only Rayn, Yuqeen, Mayya, and Haarun came out last, their breaths turning into white mist in the chilly air.

  Before they could reach the main gate, suddenly a girl quietly ran up from behind and wrapped her arms around Yuqeen, speaking in a playful, excited tone:— “Yuqeen… it’s been forever since I last saw you! And I can’t believe you’re actually dating someone!”

  Seeing an unknown girl hugging Yuqeen so suddenly and teasing her like that, Rayn, Haarun, and Mayya were all surprised.

  Rayn immediately asked in a calm voice:— “Yuqeen, who is she?”

  Hearing Rayn’s question, Yuqeen replied softly but directly:— “Oh… I’m sorry. I never got the chance to introduce her to you.”

  Then she stepped beside the girl and said gently:— “This is my childhood friend— Hinnah aev Yumayqah. Hinnah is a Low Royal.”

  After that, Yuqeen introduced Hinnah to everyone one by one.

  Right after the introduction, Hinnah leaned toward Yuqeen’s ear and whispered playfully:— “Forget all that — tell me this first. What I heard in school today… is it true? Is this Rayn Taqeesh really your boyfriend?”

  Yuqeen gave a soft smile, nodded, and answered:— “Hmm…”

  The moment Yuqeen answered, Hinnah suddenly grabbed Rayn’s arm. Seeing her hold Rayn like that, all three of them were shocked.

  Hinnah immediately started teasing Rayn:— “So you’re my best friend’s boyfriend? If you can make my gloomy best friend smile, then I’m sure you can keep me pretty happy too.”

  Then Hinnah leaned even closer to Rayn and said to Yuqeen in a mischievous tone:— “Yuqeen, I’m totally going to steal your boyfriend.”

  Yuqeen replied in a rough, unfazed voice:— “Yeah, go ahead… if you can.”

  Right when she finished, Hinnah let go of Rayn’s arm and laughed:— “Relax already, I’m just messing — I already have a boyfriend.”

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Just then, Hinnah’s boyfriend walked out of the school building — wearing the school uniform with headphones hanging around his neck.

  Everyone was looking at him, but Rayn froze when he saw the guy.

  And at the exact same moment, when Hinnah’s boyfriend’s eyes landed on Rayn, he froze too — as if the two of them already knew each other.

  Rayn slowly started walking toward him. The cold wind picked up, a thin layer of mist forming around them.

  No one could understand what was happening.

  Suddenly, Rayn spoke in a heavy, blunt voice:— “Pretty sure I’ve seen someone as stupid as you before.”

  In an equally cold tone, Hinnah’s boyfriend replied:— “Cut the act, Rayn Dafer.”

  Rayn hurried forward and said in a cheerful, excited voice:— “Bro, you’re the one acting dramatic! Where did you disappear after middle school ended? And now you show up out of nowhere!”

  Meanwhile, everyone else was completely confused.

  Haarun put on a fake smile and whispered:— “Looks like an old-friends reunion…”

  Hinnah had a very visible confused expression.

  The one who had been confusing everyone till now was the one frozen this time:— “Why does it look like two long-lost brothers just reunited?”

  Yuqeen was just as surprised:— “This is the first time I’ve seen Rayn smile like that…”

  Mayya calmly said in a deadpan voice:— “I’m not saying anything.”

  Rayn brought Sa’ut toward the group with excitement and said:— “This is Sa’ut aev Raidanji. Back in middle school, we two were the top students… and during that time, Sa’ut was my only friend.”

  Then he turned to Sa’ut and said:— “And yeah, I still haven’t told you their names.”

  Sa’ut casually stopped Rayn mid-sentence:— “No need, I know all their names already. I even knew you studied at this school.”

  Everyone froze again. Rayn slowly asked:— “How do you know their names? And how did you know I study here?”

  Sa’ut replied confidently:— “Easy. I looked at the ‘Top 20 Students of Second Year’ list a few days ago. Your photos and names were all there.”

  At that moment, everyone finally understood how Sa’ut recognized them, and the bizarre coincidence left the whole group standing there in silent shock.

  Sa’ut suddenly grabbed Rayn’s hand, pulled him a little away from the group, and whispered teasingly:— “Bro, the top girl of the school is your girlfriend? No way I’m believing that! A guy like you gets a girl like her?”

  Rayn replied calmly:— “Believe it or don’t, doesn’t matter to me. And with old friends like you around, of course new people are gonna act a little weird.”

  Right then, Haarun spoke up from behind with his usual straightforward tone:— “Can I say something? Are we planning to stand at the school gate all night, or go home?”

  Everyone fell silent, realizing how late it had gotten. Night had already settled in, stars glimmering faintly above.

  Without wasting more time, Rayn and Yuqeen started walking toward their apartment. Hinnah and Sa’ut headed home in their car. And Haarun walked with Mayya toward her apartment.

  Winter fog slowly started swallowing the city. The streets were nearly empty — just the trembling glow of the lamp posts and the rustling of dry leaves in the cold wind.

  In moments like this, you can feel it the most — the loneliness of a winter night, and the strange peace hidden inside it.

  After a while, the empty street held only Haarun and Mayya — looking as if time itself wanted to leave the two of them alone for a moment.

  Haarun was wearing an expensive long muffler. Mayya, on the other hand, was freezing, but she didn’t want Haarun to notice.

  After walking for a bit, Haarun was about to say something with a smile — when suddenly the smile faded from his face.

  He realized Mayya was really cold — her cheeks and ears were red, and she was walking with her hands held together, trying to keep them warm.

  Understanding this, Haarun stopped, quietly took off his muffler, and wrapped it around Mayya’s shoulders.

  Mayya asked nervously:— “What are you doing? Why are you giving me your muffler?”

  Haarun gave a reassuring little smile:— “Just wear it. No more questions.”

  After he put the muffler on her, Haarun gently held Mayya’s hand and started walking again. Her cheeks turned even redder, and she began to blush softly.

  In a quiet voice, Mayya asked him:— “Haarun… can you tell me something? Why aren’t you like the other Royals?”

  Haarun looked confused and asked:— “Why did you ask that?”

  Mayya replied shyly:— “I just… I mean… the other Royals act proud about everything. They look down on people who aren’t Royals.”

  She steadied herself for a moment and continued:— “But… you’re different from all of them. You don’t belittle anyone, you don’t act arrogant. And the biggest thing is… you chose a girl like me to be your girlfriend.”

  Listening to her words, Haarun smiled gently and stepped closer, then softly cupped Mayya’s cheeks with both hands.

  His sudden closeness made Mayya even more nervous — her ears turned completely red.

  In a warm, quiet voice, Haarun said:— “Remember this — not all Royals are the same. And about making you my girlfriend… I don’t see you as my girlfriend. I see you as my future wife.”

  Hearing that heart-melting line, Mayya’s whole face flushed red — her blush literally went off the charts. She stammered:— “H-H-Haarun… w-we’re still on the street…”

  Realizing it wasn’t the right moment, Haarun didn’t say anything more and simply held her hand again as they continued walking.

  Mayya couldn’t stop blushing. She walked beside him with her head down, trying and failing to hide her happiness.

  After a while, Mayya asked softly:— “Haarun… you said not all Royals are the same. Then tell me… how much do you actually know about the hierarchy and their responsibilities?”

  Haarun stayed silent for a moment, thinking it through, then answered in a straightforward tone:— “Weird question, but fine, I’ll answer. First thing—Royal, Noble, and Commoner aren’t just three levels. There are actually ten.”

  While walking, Haarun began explaining,

  “At the very bottom…

  Low Commoner — lives in small villages, works in farming.

  Mid Commoner — leaves the village for work, heavy-labor type jobs.

  High Commoner — works in big hotels, big houses, or serves in Royal households.

  After that comes the Nobles…

  Low Noble — works in regular offices or runs small shops.

  Mid Noble — owns their own businesses.

  High Noble — runs big businesses or entire companies.

  Then comes the Royals…

  Low Royal — owns multiple companies at once.

  Mid Royal — owns an even larger number of companies. Like… My dad owns forty-nine companies.

  High Royal — owns hundreds, even thousands of companies. The top ten Royals each own more than a thousand companies.

  And above them all…

  Supreme Royal — someone beyond comparison. Very few people have ever seen him in person. To the world, he’s like a mysterious “messiah.”

  My dad always says — explaining what a Supreme Royal truly is would take an entire day and night.”

  As Haarun finished, the street fell silent again. The cold felt like it was deepening, settling into the air around them.

  After a moment of quiet, Mayya asked softly:— “Then tell me, Haarun… this word Aev — what exactly is it? I keep hearing it in Royal names.”

  Haarun replied in the same gentle tone:— “I don’t know much about ‘Aev’ either… All I know is this — Aev is the Royals’ mid-name. Only the Royals have it.”

  After that, the two of them walked in silence and soon reached Mayya’s apartment. Haarun escorted her to the door, then took out his phone and called his driver.

  A few minutes later, the car arrived, picked Haarun up, and they headed home.

  Scene cut — 2 AM.

  A mafia building where illegal operations run nonstop.

  From the outside, the place looks completely normal — the signboard is glowing, the glass is unbroken, and the door is open like any ordinary office.

  If someone walked past, they’d never guess what’s happening inside.

  But once you step in, it feels like death itself rules the place. Corpses are scattered all across the corridor.

  Some bodies are missing arms, some have their legs torn off, someone’s head is rolling against the stairs.

  The walls are smeared with fresh blood. Hundreds of bodies lie stacked like piles of broken trash.

  Broken chairs, ripped doors, discarded weapons — the whole place looks like a battlefield right after a massacre.

  Inside the rooms, it’s even worse — corpses curled under tables, shattered windows stained red.

  In the middle of the silence, one sound echoes… Drip… drip… Blood hitting the floor.

  Now we see the boss standing outside his own office. His face is twisted with fear — he can’t tell whether he should speak or run.

  Because in front of him lie even more dead bodies… and standing among them is a mysterious Fighter dressed in black.

  He wears a long black trench coat — perfectly clean, no folds, no marks. Subtle red patterns run across it, glowing faintly in the dark.

  Under the coat is a tight black combat suit — like his body and the shadows have merged into one.

  A black hood covers his head, a smooth black mask hides his face — the mask shows no emotions, just silent darkness.

  On his hands are black bracers, pulsing with red vein-like energy. Heavy combat boots on his feet — every step looks capable of shaking the ground.

  His entire outfit isn’t normal — it’s giving off serious futuristic shadow-warrior vibes.

  The Fighter’s face remains unseen. But his presence alone is enough to say — No one is surviving tonight.

  The mafia boss pointed his gun at the Fighter and fired nonstop.

  But the man in the black outfit — with a swift spin of his red, razor-edged dagger — sliced every single bullet in mid-air before they even came close.

  His speed and strength were far beyond anything human. Seeing someone like this up close made the mafia boss tremble uncontrollably.

  Without any warning, the Fighter appeared right in front of him — moving at the speed of sound.

  In one brutal motion, he slammed the boss into the wall. The wall shattered to pieces, and the boss’s limbs twisted and flung in different directions.

  It looked like everything ended within a single second.

  After disabling the boss, the Fighter raised his hand and activated a hologram screen from inside his wrist.

  He typed in:- BloodFang WarBrian, Rank – A24579, Mission: Completed

  Moments later, twelve men in black suits rushed in.

  They immediately began arranging the scene to make it look like a massive fire had broken out — and that all deaths were caused by the flames.

  Within minutes, the entire building was engulfed in fire. And on top of that burning structure, sitting silently on the edge of the parapet wall,

  was the Fighter.

  He slowly removed his mask and hood. And suddenly — the truth became clear. The Fighter was none other than Rayn Taqeesh.

  Rayn’s eyes were cold, unnervingly calm. It felt like another version of him had just surfaced.

  Taking a quiet breath, Rayn whispered:— “Is it time to tell Yuqeen everything? …No. Not yet. I’ll wait for the right moment.”

  Haarun Aev Inazum's photo link:

  Mayya Shizqar's photo link:

  Sa’ut Aev Raidanji's photo link:

  Hinnah Aev Yumayqah's photo link: