Chapter 1 — The Last Normal Day
The heavy slam of a body hitting the dojo floor echoed through the building.
“Ow! Damn, Lucien!”
A brown-haired teenager rolled across the training mat clutching his stomach while the other students laughed nervously.
Standing over him was a tall white-haired young man with crimson eyes and a sleeveless black shirt hanging loosely over his shoulders.
Lucien Ryker cracked his neck lazily.
“You dropped your guard.”
“You kicked me in the ribs!”
“And?”
“That’s illegal!”
Lucien blinked slowly.
“This ain’t a tournament. Life don’t got rules.”
The students groaned.
“That mindset is toxic,” one girl muttered.
“That mindset wins fights,” Lucien replied immediately.
The girl rolled her eyes while trying not to smile.
At the back of the dojo, an older man stood silently with folded arms.
Tall.
Broad shoulders.
Tired eyes.
Haruto Ryker sighed heavily.
“Lucien.”
“What?”
“You could at least TRY teaching them correctly.”
“I am teaching them correctly.”
“You threw a chair at him earlier.”
“He wasn’t paying attention.”
The injured student sat up angrily.
“You cannot throw furniture during sparring!”
Lucien pointed dramatically.
“See? You learned something.”
Haruto rubbed his forehead.
“I raised a menace.”
“A handsome menace.”
“A narcissistic menace.”
The students burst into laughter again.
Lucien smirked proudly before tossing a towel over his shoulder.
The dojo slowly began emptying as evening rain tapped softly against the windows outside.
It was peaceful.
Ordinary.
The kind of normal evening Lucien had experienced his entire life.
Just him.
The dojo.
And his father.
No mother.
No relatives.
No family friends.
Whenever Lucien asked about any of it growing up, Haruto always changed the subject.
Eventually Lucien stopped asking.
One of the girls near the entrance waved awkwardly.
“Bye, Lucien.”
He immediately grinned.
“You gone miss me already?”
“You’re literally gonna see me tomorrow.”
“Distance makes the heart grow fonder.”
“You flirt with everybody.”
“And yet it keeps working.”
“Barely.”
She walked out laughing while her friends dragged her into the rain.
Lucien stretched his arms before glancing toward his father.
“You charging these people enough? I’m too talented for us to still be broke.”
Haruto snorted softly while cleaning the counter.
“You’re talented at causing problems.”
“That too.”
Lucien walked toward the front entrance and stared outside.
Rain poured heavily now.
Dark clouds covered the sky completely.
Something about the atmosphere felt strange.
Heavy.
Like pressure sitting on his chest.
Lucien frowned slightly.
“…You feel that?”
Haruto immediately froze.
Just for a second.
But Lucien noticed.
“Feel what?” Haruto asked calmly.
Lucien stared down the empty street.
For a brief moment—
he thought he saw a figure standing beneath the flickering streetlamp across the road.
Watching the dojo.
Lightning flashed.
The figure disappeared.
Lucien narrowed his eyes.
“…Never mind.”
Haruto quietly walked toward the windows.
His expression had changed completely.
Tense.
Focused.
Afraid.
That part bothered Lucien.
His father never got scared.
A loud knock echoed through the dojo.
Three slow knocks.
Haruto immediately stiffened.
Lucien blinked.
“Okay nah, now you definitely acting weird.”
Haruto ignored him and slowly opened the front door.
Nobody stood outside.
Only rain.
And a black envelope resting on the wooden floor.
Lucien leaned against the doorway.
“Ooooh. Mysterious rich people mail.”
Haruto slowly picked up the envelope.
The moment he saw the silver crest stamped onto the front—
his face lost color.
Lucien noticed immediately.
“…What is it?”
Haruto didn’t answer right away.
His hands tightened slightly around the envelope.
Then silently—
he handed it to Lucien.
Written across the front in elegant silver lettering were the words:
AETHERION ACADEMY
Lucien stared at it.
“…This sound fake as hell.”
Haruto remained silent.
That was the first thing that made Lucien uneasy.
His father ALWAYS had something sarcastic to say.
Always.
Lucien looked back down at the envelope.
The silver crest looked strange.
A lion surrounded by chains and ancient symbols.
For some reason…
the image made his chest feel hot.
“Alright,” Lucien said slowly. “What is this place?”
Haruto walked away without answering.
“Dad.”
Still nothing.
Lucien frowned.
“You know what this is.”
Haruto stopped near the counter.
The rain outside grew louder.
For several seconds—
the only sound inside the dojo was the storm.
Then finally—
Haruto spoke quietly.
“…You’re not going.”
Lucien blinked.
“That’s not an answer.”
“It’s the only one you need.”
Lucien laughed once in disbelief.
“Okay now I KNOW something weird going on.”
Haruto turned toward him slowly.
For the first time in years—
Lucien saw genuine fear in his father’s eyes.
Not anger.
Not frustration.
Fear.
“Lucien,” Haruto said quietly, “there are things about this world you don’t understand.”
Lucien smirked slightly.
“There it is.”
“There what is?”
“The old mysterious anime parent dialogue.”
“This is serious.”
“You say that but this still sound insane.”
Haruto stared at him silently.
Then asked:
“You ever wonder why you’re different?”
Lucien’s smirk faded slightly.
“…Different how?”
“You heal faster than normal people.”
Lucien didn’t respond.
“You react to danger before it happens.”
Silence.
“You’ve never once lost control of your balance. Even as a child.”
The room suddenly felt colder.
Lucien slowly lowered the envelope.
“…What are you talking about?”
Haruto looked directly into his eyes.
“There are monsters living among humans.”
Lucien stared at him for three seconds.
Then burst out laughing.
“Ain’t no way.”
“I’m serious.”
“You telling me vampires and demons are real?”
Haruto didn’t laugh.
Lucien’s smile slowly disappeared.
“…Oh.”
Outside—
lightning cracked across the sky.
The lights flickered violently.
Then—
CRASH.
The front windows exploded inward.
Glass flew across the dojo.
Lucien reacted instantly, grabbing a nearby table and flipping it as shards shattered around them.
A tall figure stepped through the broken entrance calmly.
Black coat.
Silver gloves.
Cold gray eyes.
Rain dripped from his shoulders as he stared directly at Lucien.
Then smiled faintly.
“There you are.”
Every instinct inside Lucien screamed at once.
Danger.
Real danger.
Haruto immediately stepped in front of him.
“…Veydrak.”
The man smiled slightly wider.
“It’s been a long time, Haruto Ryker.”
Lucien looked between them.
“Alright somebody better start explaining before I start kicking people.”
Veydrak ignored him completely.
“You should’ve killed the boy yourself.”
Haruto’s voice became cold.
“You’re not touching my son.”
The man’s gray eyes shifted toward Lucien again.
Carefully studying him.
Then narrowing slightly.
“…The eyes really are the same.”
Lucien slowly stood up.
“Okay yeah this conversation officially sucks.”
Veydrak moved instantly.
Too fast.
Lucien barely saw him move before Haruto intercepted the attack.
BOOM.
The impact shattered the wooden floor beneath them.
Lucien’s eyes widened.
That wasn’t human strength.
Not even close.
Haruto shoved Veydrak backward violently.
“RUN!”
Lucien froze.
For the first time in his life—
he heard fear in his father’s voice.
Real fear.
Veydrak adjusted his gloves calmly.
“You hid him well.”
Haruto lowered his stance.
“You should’ve stayed buried.”
Lucien looked around wildly.
“What the hell is happening?!”
Haruto never looked away from Veydrak.
“Lucien… listen carefully.”
The air inside the dojo suddenly felt heavy.
Oppressive.
“You are not human.”
Silence.
Lucien blinked slowly.
“…Excuse me?”
“You were born from a bloodline the world believed extinct.”
Veydrak smiled faintly.
“The last Werelion.”
The words slammed into Lucien like a truck.
Deep inside his chest—
something reacted.
Something ancient.
Pain suddenly exploded through his body.
Lucien staggered backward violently.
“What the—”
His heartbeat became louder.
Stronger.
Faster.
Veydrak noticed instantly.
“…Interesting.”
Haruto’s expression darkened.
“Don’t.”
Too late.
Veydrak vanished again.
A black blade flashed toward Lucien’s throat—
CLANG.
Haruto blocked it barehanded.
Blood splattered across the floor.
Lucien froze.
His father had never bled before.
Not once.
“RUN, LUCIEN!”
Veydrak twisted the blade violently.
Haruto coughed blood.
Then suddenly roared.
Golden energy exploded through the dojo.
For one terrifying second—
Lucien saw the outline of a massive lion behind his father.
Ancient.
Monstrous.
Majestic.
Veydrak’s smile disappeared completely.
“So you still remember how to bare your fangs.”
The dojo erupted into chaos.
Wood shattered.
Walls cracked.
The sheer force of their movements looked impossible.
Lucien could barely process what he was seeing.
Monsters.
His father was a monster.
And somehow…
that realization hurt less than it should have.
Because deep down—
it explained everything.
Why he always felt different.
Why anger made his chest burn.
Why the world sometimes felt too slow around him.
Haruto slammed Veydrak through a support pillar.
“GO!”
Lucien finally moved—
but before he reached the back exit—
Veydrak’s blade pierced straight through Haruto’s chest.
Everything stopped.
Silence filled the dojo.
Blood dripped slowly onto the floor.
Haruto staggered slightly.
Then looked back at Lucien.
Not angry.
Not afraid.
Just… sad.
“Run…”
Veydrak twisted the blade.
Haruto collapsed.
Something inside Lucien snapped.
Pain exploded through his entire body.
His heartbeat became monstrous.
A violent growl escaped his throat.
Not human.
Golden-red light flooded his eyes.
His fingernails sharpened into claws.
Fangs forced painfully through his gums.
Lucien screamed.
The sound shook the dojo walls.
Veydrak stepped backward slowly.
“…So the beast awakens.”
Lucien couldn’t think anymore.
All he felt was rage.
Pure animal rage.
Then he lunged forward.
And for the first time in years—
Veydrak Mourne looked surprised.
Sovereign of the Hollow World
Volume 1 —
The Beast of F-Class
