"Huh—mister, do you even realize you just kidnapped a minor and brought him to some weird place with an all-white background?!"
"Yes, I'm 100% aware," the man replied, smiling sweetly—too sweet, in fact. It only made Kael more annoyed.
"Then send me back. Now!"
"Sorry, but you need to hear this first."
Kael side-eyed him like a cat ready to claw someone's face off.
"What do you even want from me?"
"I need your help, Kael."
Kael frowned. "Huh?"
"I want you... to pretend to be a student and infiltrate a school. The school's name is Evergreen."
"…WHAT?! WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!"
"Evergreen," Jackson repeated with that same infuriating smile.
Kael stood up abruptly. "Do you even realize Evergreen is in the next country?! And more importantly—why would a normal kid like me be the one helping you?! What am I, a secret agent?!"
Jackson chuckled. "I noticed you're... a little lonely. You need a challenge. So how about you take this one?"
"No thanks!"
"Don't worry—you won't be alone. Look, you've got friends."
He gestured toward the other three boys nearby.
Darien.
Noah.
El.
They smiled at Kael. That kind of calm, mysterious smile that made Kael even more uncomfortable.
"Why should I care about these people, huh?! I just wanna go home!"
Jackson's expression shifted. The smile faded, his tone turned serious.
"Kael… you want to know the mystery behind the years 1152 to 1157, don't you?"
Kael froze. His eyes widened.
"Huh—how do you know about that?!"
"Because I've been searching for the same thing..maybe before you were born"
Kael's breath caught in his throat.
"What do you mean…?"
Jackson stepped closer, his voice lowering.
"I believe… those missing years came from something called ROTTEN."
TO BE CONTINUED.