Prince of Gluttony: Born from Betrayal

Paigos had been in an utter rage since he returned to his dorm room. The air around him felt thick with violence, a heavy weight that pressed down on Julia who stood silently in the corner.

His hands clenched and unclenched as he paced the room like a caged beast, each step filled with a suppressed desire to destroy something. How could he, the heir of a powerful house, allow that pathetic waste he was forced to call a brother humiliate him in front of the Academy?

The memory of Cain's mocking gaze during the duel replayed over and over again in his mind until it felt like claws were raking at his skull.

Julia lowered her head, trembling slightly. She had long since realized the depth of the mistake she had made. Every choice she had taken that led to this point felt like walking deeper into a labyrinth with no way out. She had chosen to side with Abel and betray Cain, thinking she could step out of the shadow of servitude and become something more. Instead, she found herself trapped between two monsters. Cain, whose rage was cold and calculating, and Paigos, whose fury was tyrannical and unrelenting. She knew that no matter how careful she was, one day she might be crushed when these two inevitably collided.

Paigos stopped pacing and turned his glare toward her, and Julia froze like prey caught in the sight of a predator. He said nothing at first, only letting his burning hatred flow through his gaze. Then, without warning, there came a sharp rap at the door.

The knock made Julia flinch, and Paigos's expression twisted with impatience. He strode across the room in two long steps and yanked the door open with enough force that the hinges squealed in protest. Standing outside was one of his subordinates, a young man dressed in the uniform of the Academy, but with the insignia Paigos had personally assigned to those who served him directly. The subordinate's face was pale, and his posture was stiff as if he were about to walk into the jaws of death.

"Report," Paigos demanded, his tone low and venomous.

The subordinate swallowed hard and stepped inside, bowing slightly. "My lord… as you instructed, I have been keeping a close watch on Prince Cain since the duel."

The very mention of the name made Paigos's eye twitch. His lips curled back into a snarl, and the subordinate immediately froze, realizing his mistake. Paigos's presence felt like it pressed against his skin, making him sweat.

"Do not call him that in my presence," Paigos hissed, his voice dripping with poison. "Say it again, and I will tear your tongue out myself."

The subordinate's throat bobbed as he tried to breathe. "Y-yes, my lord. Forgive me. I meant… the Trash."

Paigos's scowl softened slightly at the correction, though the fury in his eyes still burned. "Continue," he commanded.

"Yes, my lord," the subordinate said quickly, his voice shaking despite his best efforts to steady it. "Since the duel, the Trash's popularity has skyrocketed. His victory has spread across the Academy like wildfire, and whispers of his strength have begun to overshadow even your name. In the past few days, he has received over a dozen confessions from female students."

Paigos's eyebrow twitched in annoyance, but his expression remained sharp and controlled. His mind churned with contempt. How could such a worthless wretch, a disgrace to his lineage, suddenly rise to such prominence? It was unthinkable. It was an insult to Paigos himself.

He narrowed his eyes at the subordinate. "You are hiding something."

The subordinate stiffened, his breathing suddenly ragged. His forehead glistened with sweat as he tried to maintain eye contact but failed. "N-no, my lord, I—"

Paigos took a step forward, and the subordinate stumbled backward in fear. "Do not waste my time. Speak. What are you trying to hide from me?"

The young man's knees almost buckled as he lowered his head and forced the words out. "Among those who confessed to the Trash… one of them was the classmate you have had your eyes on since your freshman year. The blacksmith… Mira."

For a moment, silence filled the room. Julia's eyes widened slightly, and she instinctively held her breath. Paigos's expression went blank, as though his mind refused to process the words. Then, in the next heartbeat, his fury ignited like an inferno. His face twisted into something monstrous, veins bulging in his neck as a guttural roar tore from his throat. The sound reverberated through the room like a beast's cry, and the subordinate fell to his knees in sheer terror.

"Mira…" Paigos spat the name with venom, his hands shaking with the sheer force of his rage. His vision blurred red as his thoughts consumed him. That worthless Trash dared to accept her confession? That disgrace of a brother dared to touch what was his? The desire to kill Cain burned white hot in his chest, overwhelming every other thought. He could see Cain's smug face, could imagine his laughter, and it drove Paigos further into madness.

Julia pressed herself against the wall, her heart pounding. She could see the danger boiling inside Paigos, and she knew that if he unleashed his fury here and now, the room itself might not survive. She thought of Mira and felt a pang of dread. Mira was not just a girl Paigos had admired, she was a symbol. To him, she was supposed to be untouchable, someone only worthy of his recognition. To see her confess to Cain was nothing short of betrayal.

Paigos stormed toward the door, his steps heavy and violent. His mind screamed for blood, for the sight of Cain's body broken and lifeless at his feet. He could already picture strangling the life from him, could already feel the satisfaction of wiping that disgrace from existence. He reached out to rip open the door, his entire body trembling with bloodlust.

And then, before his hand could touch the handle, another knock came.

The sound was firm, deliberate, and utterly calm in contrast to the chaos inside the room. It stopped Paigos mid-motion, his body frozen in place as his ears rang with the sharpness of the sound. Julia stiffened, and the subordinate on the ground looked up with a pale, fearful expression. None of them knew who dared knock at such a time, but the timing was enough to pierce through the haze of Paigos's fury.

For a long, tense moment, the room remained still. Paigos's chest heaved as he tried to suppress the storm raging within him. His eyes burned with bloodshot fury, but his instincts screamed that whoever stood beyond that door had chosen this moment with purpose.

Slowly, Paigos's lips curved into something between a snarl and a smile. The sound of his teeth grinding together was audible in the silence. He turned his head slightly toward Julia, his voice low and dangerous. "It seems we have a guest."

Julia swallowed hard, her thoughts racing. She had no idea who could be on the other side of that door, but she knew that whatever came next would only add fuel to the fire consuming Paigos. His rage was no longer just about Cain. It was about humiliation, betrayal, and the very foundation of his pride.

The knock came again, calm and steady.

Paigos's hand gripped the handle at last. His fury had not lessened, but now it was tempered with something far more dangerous: intent.

When he opened the door, to his surprise he saw the smiling visage of the Vice Principal Felix Stone.

"Good Afternoon Prince Paigos." The man remarked with a cheery smile.

Paigos's eyes narrowed the moment Felix spoke. His voice was pleasant, but the words slithered like oil across the air. The Vice Principal stood as though he belonged here, shoulders relaxed and his hands folded neatly behind his back, the picture of calm civility. It only made Paigos's blood boil hotter.

"Vice Principal Stone," Paigos said slowly, his voice carrying a sharp edge. "What business do you have barging into my dorm uninvited?"

Felix tilted his head ever so slightly, his smile never faltering. His eyes, however, gleamed with something unreadable, something far more dangerous than the cheer etched on his face. "Forgive my intrusion, Prince Paigos. I would not normally impose upon a student's quarters, but I believe we share a mutual concern. I am here," he paused, letting the silence stretch just long enough to dig under Paigos's skin, "to offer you my patronage in resolving an… issue."

Paigos's brow twitched. He understood at once. His thoughts did not need to be spelled out, because the word "issue" could only mean one thing. His so-called brother. Cain.

Julia's breath caught, and her heart began to race. She kept her head lowered, not daring to speak, but every instinct screamed that this was no harmless offer. The Vice Principal's smile was too smooth, his timing too perfect. He had chosen this moment deliberately, when Paigos's rage was at its absolute peak.

He hadn't come to offer his help. He had some other plan in mind but their goals were aligned. They were both after Cain. With her stuck in the middle of it