Incubus' Blood Harem

The wind howled through the ancient trees surrounding Kayden's dwelling, casting eerie shadows that danced on the walls. Kayden's heart raced as he approached Medusa with his questions, this time his senses were on high alert. The memory of the ice dragon's attack still sent shivers down his spine, and the worry for his father's safety gnawed at his mind.

Medusa emerged from the shadows, her striking features and her hair casting an otherworldly aura around her. Her eyes met Kayden's, her gaze piercing through his thoughts. "What are you wondering? Is there any problem?" she had a vague idea what he might be thinking but had no clue how to tell him.

Kayden's voice was tense, his concern evident in his tone. "I need to know where my father is. When that ice dragon attacked me in the house, he wasn't there." Medusa's expression remained unreadable, her gaze fixed on Kayden. Kayden's frustration bubbled to the surface, his voice edged with anger. "He knew that dragon was out there. Why wasn't he here to protect me?"

Medusa's tone was calm, a stark contrast to Kayden's rising emotions. "Kayden, you need to calm down, please. Or else another outburst might happen." Kayden's hands clenched at his sides, his voice tinged with hurt. "I could have been killed! He is my father, he should have been here but there is no sign of him!"

"Kayden…I..I have something to tell you." Medusa held his face as she looked into his eyes while trying to calm him. "When we came back and that dragon attacked you, your father was already dead." Upon hearing his words he went absolutely numb.

Kayden's eyes locked onto Medusa's, his thoughts racing as he absorbed her words. The weight of her revelation hit him like a physical blow, and his breath caught in his throat. "Dead? My father... he's dead?"

Medusa's gaze was sombre, her voice carrying a weight of sorrow. "I'm sorry, Kayden. I have sensed his presence fade from this realm. Coulter may have taken his life before we all returned home. I can just sense that he is not here anymore."

Kayden's hands clenched into fists, a whirlwind of emotions churning within him. "No, this can't be true. He was just... he was just out there when we went away. He can't be gone. He promised to be by my side!"

Medusa's voice was gentle, a calming presence amidst his storm of emotions. "I know this is difficult to accept, Kayden. Your father was a nice man, as I said before. Sometimes our destinies are forged by our decisions, such paths also lead to unforeseen dangers."

Tears welled up in Kayden's eyes, his voice cracking with a mixture of grief and anger. "Coulter... he took everything from me. He took my father." Kayden could not accept the fact that he would go to such lengths to make him join the academy and accept his offer. Now he had no choice but to accept the current situation and seek revenge.

Medusa's gaze held a deep sympathy, her own eyes reflecting the sorrow Kayden felt. "Coulter's actions were driven by his own darkness and greed. He sought to control, to wield power over others, over you for his own gain. Your father may have been an obstacle to his mission of making you join him."

Kayden's fists trembled at his sides, a surge of anger rising within him. "I won't let him get away with this. I will make him pay for what he has done." Medusa was stunned but she understood that his decisions now were impulsive and driven by rage. She tried to console him while her voice was a quiet reassurance, her words carrying a sense of wisdom.

"Vengeance can be a dangerous path, Kayden. It can consume you and blind you to the larger picture like greed has blinded Coulter. Your father would not want you to lose yourself to that darkness. He had always wished you to be better, I know it is hard but as your blood bonded servant I am always here if you need me."

Tears streaked down Kayden's cheeks as he struggled to make sense of the overwhelming emotions crashing over him. "I know Medusa. But it is just... I don't know what to do now. He was all I had left after my mother was gone."

Kayden stood there with his resolve solidifying amidst the tumult of emotions. He took a deep breath, his voice steady as he met her gaze. "Medusa, I appreciate your support for me even though I have never reciprocated your emotions properly. But I have made a decision."

Medusa's hair rustled slightly as a romantic gesture as she regarded him, her eyes displaying a lot of patience and understanding. "And what decision is that, Kayden?" Kayden's jaw clenched, his voice tinged with a mixture of determination and resignation. "I'm going to accept Coulter's offer as he wants. I will join the academy if that is what he wants me to do at the end."

A flicker of surprise crossed Medusa's features as she had no idea this time what was going on in his mind. Her eyes studied Kayden with a mixture of curiosity and concern. "Are you sure about this, Kayden? The academy might not be an easy path, and Coulter's intentions may not align with your own as they already do not."

Kayden nodded, his gaze unwavering. "I know it won't be easy, and I don't trust Coulter either but he wants me to join, which means he must want something bigger from me in exchange for training me. But if there is a chance for me to become stronger, to gain the skills I need to face him and those like him, I will take it."

Kayden was well aware that if Coulter had taken such a drastic step to make him join something then the exchange should be bigger too. And in order to avenge his father's death he needed to accept it.