The Path Of A True King.

Chapter 34

The city streets were quieter at night, the usual chaos of the day simmering into a low murmur of distant traffic and faint conversations.

Kai, with his brown hair and sharp blue eyes, walked beside Jack.

His smaller frame contrasted with Jack's towering, well-built figure.

Jack Black was a massive presence—his blonde hair was slightly disheveled, and his sharp red eyes carried an intense, unreadable expression.

He exuded authority without effort, his reputation as the top dog of Lucas's school well-earned.

Their footsteps echoed against the pavement. Kai was heading home when Jack suddenly stopped him.

"Don't go home at this hour," Jack said casually, hands in his pockets. "Just crash at my place."

Kai glanced at him, his expression unreadable for a moment. Then, with a slight smirk, he shrugged. "Sure. Saves me the walk."

Jack led the way to his apartment, a high-end building far from the run-down spots most people in the city had to settle for.

The elevator ride up was silent until Jack finally spoke.

"My parents bought me this place when I was ten," he said, voice unreadable. "Gave me a hundred grand to 'take care of myself' and left."

Kai's smirk faded. "...Damn."

Jack chuckled bitterly. "Yeah. I thought it was great at first.

No rules, no one to tell me what to do.

I spent the money on whatever a kid would—games, junk food, useless crap.

By the time I was twelve, most of it was gone.

The rest I saved because I figured out quick... no one was coming back."

Kai leaned against the elevator wall, staring at the glowing floor numbers. "And you never tried to find them?"

Jack shook his head. "What's the point? They made their choice."

The elevator dinged, and the doors slid open.

Jack led the way to his apartment, unlocking the door and stepping inside.

It was clean but empty in a way that had nothing to do with space.

The kind of emptiness that settled in after years of being alone.

Kai walked in, taking in the modern furniture, the expensive-looking decor that felt more like a showroom than a home.

He sat on the couch, stretching his arms behind his head. "Guess we're not so different, huh?"

Jack raised an eyebrow, leaning against the counter. "What do you mean?"

Kai's expression darkened slightly. "My parents are dead. My brother is in jail. I've been on my own for a long time."

Jack watched him in silence.

He'd heard plenty of sob stories before, but there was no sadness in Kai's voice.

No bitterness, no anger. Just a simple statement of fact.

Kai leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees.

His voice remained calm, but there was something unsettling about the way he spoke.

"There's only one person I hold in my heart—Elijah. I'd kill for him. I'd destroy everything I have if it meant protecting him."

There was no hesitation, no exaggeration—just a simple, terrifying truth.

Jack let out a low whistle, shaking his head. "That's some loyalty."

Kai smirked, but it wasn't a friendly expression. "It's not loyalty. It's just fact. He's all I got."

Jack studied him for a moment before looking away, rubbing the back of his neck. "You ever think about what happens if he dies?"

Kai's smirk widened slightly, but his blue eyes burned with something darker. "Then the world burns with him."

Silence filled the room, thick and suffocating.

Jack exhaled through his nose and walked toward the fridge, grabbing two bottles of water.

He tossed one to Kai, who caught it without breaking eye contact.

"You're insane," Jack muttered.

Kai chuckled, twisting the cap off with an easy flick of his wrist. "Yeah. But at least I know what I want."

Jack leaned back against the counter, staring at the ceiling. "Must be nice."

Kai took a slow sip of water before standing up and stretching. His joints popped in the quiet. "It is. Now, you gonna join us or not?"

Jack sighed, rolling the cool bottle between his palms. "I already said I would."

Kai grinned, sharp and knowing. "Good. Welcome to the family."

And just like that, the tension eased.

The conversation shifted, drifting into easier topics—the best underground fights they'd seen, the dumbest things they'd spent money on, which gangs in the city were on the rise and which ones were about to get wiped off the map.

It was easy. Natural.

But even as they laughed about some idiot who bet his life savings on a rigged fight, Jack couldn't shake the feeling.

Kai wasn't just devoted to Elijah.

He was obsessed.