Charles had spoken to him as if there were no room for refusal, but Niel himself could refuse. He wasn't the kind of man who followed orders just because someone told him to. Niel always did what he chose, never out of coercion.
Sure, he might grumble and find things exhausting, but he would walk away from anything he didn't want to do. On the other hand, if he kept complaining about being tired yet still finished a task, that was his choice— entirely his own.
Niel desperately wanted to refuse working with Logan.
More accurately, he didn't want to set foot in that place again. Five years had passed, and things had surely changed—maybe Logan wasn't the same Logan he'd known before their five-year separation. Even so, Niel didn't want to take the risk of going there. It wasn't just about refusing—more precisely, Niel was afraid.
He didn't know the exact reason for his fear. He couldn't pinpoint it.
He didn't know because he refused to think about the source of that fear.
No fond memories tied him to that house, no longing to return. So it was better for him not to go back. Besides, it wasn't his home.
Wasn't that what Logan had said to him?
The memory Niel didn't want to recall surged into his mind, clinging to his thoughts like an unshakable shadow.
'Niel, don't you know this is actually not your house? This isn't your place, so if you want it to be your home, you have to listen to me and only be friends with me. Because this house will be mine.'
They were just kids back then, and children say childish things. However Niel, sitting alone on the swing, stared at Logan as if he had just heard something utterly bizarre.
'What do you mean? No, forget it. Don't bother me.'
'You always break your promises. A promise is like a debt, and I'll make sure you pay it.'
A promise? Oh, Niel knew exactly what he'd promised. He'd made that promise back when he didn't yet realize the kind of person this new kid in his house would turn out to be. And why did a child who seemed so sweet and innocent, once he had learned to communicate and adapt to the mansion, always manage to say things that infuriated Niel?
It was a promise made when Logan was still the "sweet little brother" to him. Logan, who'd just lost both his parents, had been brought by Niel's father to live at Arkan as Logan was the son of his father's younger sibling.
So it was only natural that Logan would stay there. Logan used to follow him everywhere.
Back then, Logan barely spoke English since his parents spoke only Spanish and hadn't had the chance to teach their very young son English.
At first, Logan didn't talk much and simply followed Niel wherever he went. Eventually, Niel's father asked him to keep Logan company because Logan struggled with sleep. His insomnia wasn't ordinary, he could go nearly five days without sleeping. When Niel's father took Logan for a checkup, the doctors explained it was one of the signs of an alpha prime developing pheromones.
Even after hearing this, Niel's father remained worried and asked Niel to stay with Logan, hoping that seeing Niel sleep might help Logan fall asleep as well.
Looking back, it didn't quite make sense, it seemed more like Niel's father just wanted Logan to have a friend so he wouldn't feel so alone.
That turned out to be a huge mistake on his father's part. Logan kept insisting that Niel sing the lullaby he often played in his own room, refusing to fall asleep without it and pestering Niel nonstop. Not wanting to sing the lyrics aloud, Niel begrudgingly hummed the tune instead. Somehow, it worked— Logan would finally drift off. But having to do it every single night was enough to drive Niel crazy. He even suggested Logan just listen to the cassette, but Logan wouldn't have it.
With his limited English, Logan repeated the same words every night, demanding the lullaby. Finally, Niel gave him an ultimatum: if Logan insisted on the lullaby, he wouldn't sleep in the same room anymore. Logan protested at first, but Niel was firm—he didn't want to share a room if he had to keep humming that song. In the end, they agreed that Niel wouldn't have to hum the song, and they would just sleep together.
At first, Niel stayed in Logan's room to help him sleep, but eventually, he stopped going there altogether. Whenever Logan knocked on his door, Niel locked it deliberately to keep him out, needing to focus on studying or simply wanting to fall asleep faster instead of humming the lullaby every night. Logan would persist almost daily. It wasn't until Niel's father intervened that Logan was told to let Niel have his space and sleep alone.
'You're almost seven, so you don't need to bring that up.'
Niel said it without glancing at Logan, whose red eyes glared sharply at the chains of the swing Niel was sitting on.
'A promise is a promise. It's something you have to keep,' Logan shot back with persistent tone. He added, 'Everything here isn't yours, so you have to ask my permission before using it.'
Niel couldn't quite pinpoint when Logan's attitude had started, when exactly this behavior began. But thinking back, it had been there from the moment the kid stepped into the house. Everything Logan wanted had to be obeyed, and if not, he would do whatever it took to get his way. Only Niel saw this side of Logan, as if, when they were together, Logan dropped the mask he wore around friends and family.
But no matter how much Logan pushed, Niel wouldn't give in— he wasn't someone who did things against his will.
What puzzled Niel most was why he was the only one this kid treated that way.
'But this isn't yours. It's for everyone.'
Ignoring him, Niel swung higher on the swing. What was Logan going to do? Destroy it like he did with the books Niel read? A kid that small couldn't possibly be strong enough to break the swing. But Niel hadn't anticipated what would happen next.
Crash— his body suddenly lurched forward, tumbling to the ground. His knees scraped raw against the dirt, pain shooting through him as he curled up instinctively. He spun his head around fast, eyes locking on the one who had pushed him.
Logan stood before him, his red eyes unblinking, his gaze chillingly empty, his face devoid of any expression.
Niel's palms didn't hurt too much despite pressing into the ground when he fell, thanks to the gloves he wore, which softened the impact.
Clenching his teeth, Niel tore his gaze away from Logan. He never wanted to be close to that kid, a child who also stole everything Niel had— it would be foolish to befriend someone with such a nature. So Niel chose not to prolong whatever it was Logan wanted when interacting with him. He stood, though his knees were bleeding, and Logan, seeing this, suddenly widened his red eyes.
'I didn't mean to make you bleed.'
Logan reached for Niel's wrist, but Niel instantly yanked it away.
'You didn't mean to? Don't joke, you pushed me!'
'Then, that's my responsibility. Let me clean the blood.'
Logan tried again to grab Niel's hand, but Niel quickly shoved him back hard before Logan could touch him.
Logan didn't flinch or show any sign of pain— his face remained eerily calm, as if the fall hadn't affected him at all. His red eyes locked onto Niel's, his brow tightening as if questioning. Unlike Logan, Niel was the one panicking, his hands trembling.
'Why are you like this, Logan?'
Niel clenched his fists tightly, trying to stop them from shaking, but his lips betrayed him, quivering as the words escaped.