Kraus’s Manor>(Some time before the fire outbreak)The City of Kistan smelt like crusty wood and the sky was clear enough for normal businesses to carry on. The warmth of the humid weather engrossed the entire city, but the weather could change into an arid one—depending on the weather reports.Nine-year-old Jax sprinted from corner to corner of the manor alongside his elder sister, Jaz.The constant giggles of the children comforted the hearts of their parents. Zane and Liz stood abreast of each other on the patio leading to the edifice’s main entrance. “Pass the ball, Jaz, pass it now!” Jax ordered Jaz furiously, but she laughed at his cute angry face—pulling a comical face. “Bla Bla, Jax, you're nothing but a…”He began to breathe hard with his petite hands, his face wrenched with rage and then a thump directed at her head followed before she could complete her sentence.Jaz lost it, her face squeezed with rage, the one time that she tried to hit Jax back was negated. Liz, the

***Three days had gone by, and Zane and Liz were on the brink of having little or no clues about how to convince the clan members. The meeting with grand elders wasn't soft just as they had predicted, yet it was still hard for them to decide.Zane and Liz walked to their car, escorted by guards. The car had complicated designs, the bonnet had a round edge like a cone. Immediately, someone approached them. He was close to the family, more like distant cousins of Zane. “Lord Zane, a word with you?” the man asked, his face laced with a cunning demeanor. “I have a little time left!” Zane snapped firmly, his face was tightened.The man bowed his head a swiftly. “It's been a while since we heard from you. Are you fine, my lord?” Zane scoffed in disbelief, “Are you also here to talk about my son?” “If I may, please. I hate to be a part of these matters, but I have no choice. Little Jax is believed to be a threat to our clan, and our people are doing everything possible to annihilate

Meanwhile, on the other end. Jax recalled everything like it happened a moment ago. Leaving him to bask in questions, questions that had no legitimate answers. Dragging his knees to his chest, he sat on wads of straw in the trunk of a rusty truck. Since he had landed in the cornfields, Jac lost his way. He knew nowhere.Jax pleaded with the aged men to drive him to the place that they were headed. Luckily, they agreed to help the young boy. “We are headed for Pax City, it's several miles from here!” one of the aged men said to him. Jax was used to being cared for by dozens of maids, male servants, and soldiers. His favorite of all was Ki, his father’s second in command. “It's great!” Jax said under my breath. He was weakened to the core, and it felt like his limbs had just been fractured, and his bones had been crushed into shreds, but it slightly baffled him that he was rapidly recovering.“I am indeed a curse! What sort of ability is this?” he asked himself, still as confused

(This chapter contains a description of strangling, read on with caution)***A day had gone by,Ms. Tank had calmed down a little. Jax tried to initiate a conversation in the hope that he wouldn't spank him.If he had been asked what the woman meant by Anti-imperium inquisitors, then he'd have been speechless. Although he was speechless, he needed answers to his questions.He walked over to the distraught woman who was seated on the balcony of her bistro. Jax inhaled and exhaled before he took his next step. “Ms. Tank, would you like me to—” “Go away!” the gruesome woman snapped without looking in his direction. He wondered if the young man they had taken was her son. He didn't want to conclude, since the woman hadn't mentioned it yet. “I apologize!” he said calmly, sitting next to her. “Why did they take Noa? He's a good person, isn't he? Is he your son?” “You know nothing.” she barked at him. “You don't give up easily, do you?” she sighed wearily, fiddling with the hem of

****The three preteens huddled in a cramped basement, hearts pounding like tribal drums, their heads echoing with each muffled sound above. The Anti-imperium soldiers scoured the cottage, their heavy boots thumping as they searched every crevice, every shadowed nook—but the kids were nowhere to be found.The soldier leading the search, a menacing figure in a dark uniform, turned sharply toward the bully who had brought them here. The bully's bravado crumbled under the soldier's icy glare. "Did you think this was just a game?" The soldier's voice sliced through the air, leaving no room for doubt."No! I swear, I was just—just here with the boy who killed Captain Nim!" The bully's voice trembled, panic bubbling to the surface. He could barely meet the soldier's piercing gaze.Silence hung in the air, thick and oppressive, until the soldier signaled to his second-in-command with a slight nod. "Burn it down after we've searched! Not a single pole should remain standing!" General Darko