Chapter 64: Heart Demon Trial 4

Of course, she would never allow anything to happen to him or any of the other participants. She had personally taken responsibility for their safety, and she intended to make sure everyone returned unharmed.

Back inside the illusion, the match finally began.

....

Although these fights usually involved youngsters, mostly high school students, this time Veyron had been matched against someone considerably older. His opponent was a man in his early twenties, considerably stronger than the average fighter and notorious for his brutality.

The moment the match started, Veyron found himself struggling.

His opponent’s attacks were powerful and relentless, leaving him with little room to counterattack. Veyron fought desperately, trying to find an opening, but his opponent’s experience and strength made it difficult to gain the upper hand.

Throughout the fight, a strange thought kept bothering him. He felt as though he had forgotten something important, something he couldn’t quite recall.

But before he could think any further, another powerful punch struck him. Veyron gritted his teeth and forced himself to concentrate on the fight.

After a long and brutal exchange, he somehow managed to turn the tables and defeat his opponent.

By the time the match ended, Veyron was battered and bruised, barely looking like someone who had just won. Nevertheless, he had emerged victorious.

He received the prize money, and the middle-aged man approached him with a satisfied smile.

"Good work, Veyron. I’ll come to your house tomorrow morning. I’ll take you and your mother somewhere better, where she can receive proper treatment."

Veyron nodded, feeling a wave of excitement wash over him.

He knew the man was trustworthy. He was a well-known figure in the fighting world, with a reputation for turning talented youngsters into successful fighters. There was little reason to believe he was trying to scam him.

After collecting his prize money, Veyron bought some bandages and treated his injuries as best he could. He then purchased a decent meal for himself and his mother before hiring a taxi to take him home.

Throughout the journey, he couldn’t help imagining his mother’s reaction when he told her their lives were finally about to change.

He had thought it would take at least a few more months to gather enough money, but now, thanks to this opportunity, his mother would finally receive proper treatment as early as the following day.

His mother already knew how Veyron earned money. She had scolded him countless times for getting involved in fights, but deep down, she understood that the poor boy had very few choices.

She had often blamed herself for being unable to provide him with a better life, knowing how much he had sacrificed just to keep her alive.

Veyron reached his destination in barely fifteen minutes. Taking the train or bus would have taken considerably longer.

He stepped out of the taxi and looked toward his home.

It was a small, rundown rental house, but there was something familiar and comforting about it. At night, its lights were usually on, so the darkness surrounding it immediately caught his attention.

Veyron’s heart sank.

For a moment, he wondered if the electricity had been disconnected because he hadn’t paid the previous month’s bill. His mother’s medicines were expensive, and he could barely manage to keep up with the other household expenses.

Still, the uneasy feeling in his chest refused to disappear. He slowly approached the main gate, taking out his keys as he reached it. He was just about to insert the key into the lock when he noticed something strange.

The gate was already unlocked.

To his surprise, it swung open with the slightest touch. Veyron froze. Only then did he notice that the lock had been broken and the gate appeared to have been forcibly opened.

A deep sense of unease crept into Veyron’s heart. His throat suddenly tightened, making it difficult to swallow as he slowly stepped inside the house.

His entire body tensed, and he instinctively raised his guard, keeping both fists clenched and ready for a fight.

The house wasn’t particularly large. It consisted of two bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a narrow corridor connecting them.

The room where his mother slept was completely dark, but he could clearly hear the television playing from inside. However, something else immediately caught his attention.

Even in the darkness, he could make out several deep, muddy footprints scattered across the floor. They started near the entrance and continued down the corridor, leading straight toward his mother’s bedroom.

Veyron froze. His heart began pounding like a war drum, each beat growing heavier as his eyes remained fixed on those footprints. A terrible feeling settled in his chest, and before he even realized it, his lips began trembling as he muttered under his breath.

"Please... let her be okay. Please let her be okay..."

He quickly turned toward the kitchen and grabbed a large knife. His fingers tightened around its handle as he tried to steady his breathing.

He knew that if whoever had broken into the house was armed, he wouldn’t stand much of a chance against them with his bare hands, especially in his current condition.

His entire body was already covered in bruises from the fight, and even the slightest movement sent sharp aches through his muscles. But he couldn’t afford to hesitate.

Taking a deep breath, he slowly made his way toward the bedroom.

The television’s loud volume filled the otherwise silent house, masking the faint sound of his footsteps. With every step, the distance between him and his mother’s room grew shorter, but the dread inside his chest only intensified.

His palms had become clammy, and cold sweat trickled down his temples. His grip on the knife tightened until his knuckles turned pale.

Countless horrifying possibilities flashed through his mind. What if someone had hurt her? What if she was lying helplessly inside? What if...No!

He immediately shook his head, refusing to let his thoughts go any further.

The worst fear of his life was slowly becoming a reality, and keeping himself composed was becoming harder with every passing second.

He wanted to rush inside, but he knew that acting recklessly could make things even worse. His experience from countless fights had taught him that losing his composure in a dangerous situation could cost him dearly.

He forced himself to take another slow breath, trying to steady his trembling hands. Even so, his heart refused to calm down. For the first time in a long while, Veyron felt genuinely helpless.

With that, Veyron finally reached the bedroom.

Like every other room in the house, it was small and cramped. There was barely enough space for the furniture, but he couldn’t afford anything better.

Even the rent for a tiny studio apartment in this city was ridiculously expensive, leaving him with little choice but to settle for this rundown house. He slowly leaned forward and peered inside.

A man was sitting on a chair, casually watching television as though he were in his own home. Veyron’s eyes narrowed.

For some reason, the man’s figure seemed strangely familiar, but in his current state of mind, he couldn’t immediately place him.

Then came the smell. A faint but unmistakable scent reached his nose, and Veyron’s entire body went cold. He knew that smell..he knew it all too well.

His heart clenched painfully as a terrible realization began to form in his mind. Slowly, almost instinctively, he turned his gaze toward his mother’s bed.

The knife slipped from his fingers.

Clang!

It struck the floor, but Veyron barely heard the sound. His eyes widened, his entire body frozen in place as he stared at what lay before him. For a moment, he couldn’t even breathe. Horror filled his eyes.

**

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