Chapter 18: The Winter Beast

None of the other children approached him. In fact, they seemed to actively avoid the corner where he sat, as if an invisible barrier existed around him. "Don't go near the demon boy," I heard one child whisper to another as they ran past. "Older sister Martha says his hair means he's cursed." The silver-haired boy's shoulders tensed at the words, but he didn't look up or react outwardly. He simply continued staring at the dirt beneath his feet, as if he'd heard such comments countless times before. An older boy, probably in his teen, noticed me watching and walked over with a serious expression. "Are you here to adopt someone, mister?" he asked hopefully. "Just don't pick Kael. Nobody wants him anyway." "Why not?" I asked, though I already knew the answer. The boy glanced toward the silver-haired child and lowered his voice. "Because he's weird. His hair isn't normal, and strange things happen around him sometimes. The sisters say it's probably a curse from his parents. That's why they abandoned him here." The rejected child with unusual features and mysterious powers, ostracized by those who should have protected him. "What kind of strange things?" I inquired gently. "Sometimes when he gets really upset, the air gets cold around him," the boy explained. "And once, when Marcus pushed him into the mud, Marcus's hand got all frostbitten even though it was summer. The sisters made Kael stay in his room for three days after that." Hearing their words, I couldn't stop my heart from racing. Kael. The Winter Beast. I had come here solely for him. In the original timeline, this orphanage would cause quite the commotion within the next month or so. Kyle would be walking through the city when he discovered the entire orphanage engulfed in flames. Being the protagonist, Kyle would save the day, ensuring not a single orphan died in the blaze. The cause of the fire would remain unknown at the time. Later in the novel, Kyle would face the truth when he encountered Kael again. Kael would become a member of a dangerous organization that worked to destroy the royal family. Their name was "Daybreak." The name held deep significance. They believed they signified the beginning of a new era, the moment when light breaks through the darkness of corruption. Their sole mission was to overthrow what they saw as the evil royal system controlling Luminara. Kael would become one of the main antagonists in the novel in the first Arc. His powerful control over ice earned him the fearsome title of The Winter Beast. Wherever he went, the wrath of winter followed in his wake. What made him truly dangerous wasn't just his power, but his intelligence. Even Kyle struggled against him because Kael never fought face to face. He was a master strategist who used psychological warfare, distractions, and his subordinates' sacrifices to achieve his goals while remaining safely in the shadows. The most shocking part? He had risen to such terrifying power in barely a year after leaving this orphanage. Staring at him now, I was genuinely shocked. The child before me looked far too young. In the novel, Kael had been roughly the same age as Kyle and myself, which meant one disturbing thing. Malnutrition had caused severe stunted growth. However, after his bloodline awakening, he would experience rapid physical development. Still, his height would remain on the shorter side throughout the story. Despite his diminutive stature, even giant magical beasts would learn to fear The Winter Beast. I wasn't here to recruit him. That would have been monumentally stupid. Not only would I be removing a villain crucial to Kyle's character development, but I would also eliminate one of my best potential connections to the Daybreak organization. I wanted to use Kael as my gateway to them. The fire incident would occur in approximately one month, which I suspected was the exact timeframe when Kael would first encounter Daybreak recruiters. They would likely approach him during his most vulnerable moment, when he had lost all his patience. That's why I had come early. I wanted to scout the area and familiarize myself with Kael's current situation. I had no intention of speaking to him personally, as that would inevitably affect his later actions and decisions. Any interference now would be catastrophic for my long-term plans. I needed to observe from a distance, gather intelligence, and prepare for when I could implement my strategy. For now, watching was sufficient. I studied Kael's body language as he sat alone on that broken swing. The way he held himself spoke of someone who had learned to make himself as small and unnoticeable as possible. His silver hair caught the sunlight, making him stand out despite his obvious desire to blend into the background. The other children continued their games, but I noticed how they unconsciously gave his corner of the garden a wide berth. It wasn't just fear of his supposed curse. Children had an instinctive ability to sense when someone was different, dangerous, or marked by forces beyond their understanding. "Sister Martha! Sister Martha!" A young girl came running toward the orphanage building, her voice filled with excitement. "There's a fancy man here! Maybe he wants to adopt someone!" An elderly woman in simple robes emerged from the building, wiping her hands on her apron. She had kind eyes but looked exhausted by the constant struggle of caring for so many children with insufficient resources. "Now, now, children," she called out gently. "Don't bother the gentleman. He might just be visiting." Her gaze found me across the garden, and she began walking over with a polite but cautious expression. I could see her mentally calculating whether I represented an opportunity for the orphanage or just another disappointment. "Good afternoon, sir," she said as she approached. "I'm Sister Martha. Are you perhaps interested in learning about our children?" I glanced once more toward Kael, who hadn't moved from his swing despite all the commotion. If anything, he seemed to be trying to make himself even smaller, as if hoping to disappear entirely. "Just looking around," I replied carefully. "I've heard good things about the work you do here."