This is where everything started.

"This has gone way out of line, Solomon."

I flinched as the door slammed opened to none other than my foster mother. She looked as terrifying as ever, and her eyes showed it; she was incredibly angry.

"What are you talking about, Mom?" I sweat dropped.

"This mess is what I'm talking about, Solomon." Mom raised her voice, patience running low. Her voice almost gave out on her as she raised a baby from her hands, the fragile baby once was a teenage boy I called my foster brother, Titan.

"Uhh, he'll turn back in an hour or so." I grinned sheepishly. Mom had always been a terrifying person to me, especially when she's mad.

"How am I going to explain this to my husband, Solomon?" Mom asked me.

I went silent. This was another instance of me using magic without thinking of the consequences.

A sigh escaped Mom's lips, "in your defense, you're a rebellious teenager in a country where magic is prohibited, however, that doesn't mean you can use it at home in destructive ways. Sure, it helps when you help me cook food with magic, but making my son an infant is just unacceptable."

There she goes again, "my son" with Titan. It's like she doesn't even see me as her son too. She chose to have me as part of the family, so she could at least treat me like I am.

"Okay, okay. I get it. I won't use my magic so recklessly again."

"You said that last time, and the time before that."

I cringed.

"Okay..."

"You need to learn that using magic destructively is prohibited in our household. I will need to give you a proper punishment for this."

"Yikes..." I muttered.

"You will work at an orphanage with my friend's daughter as part of your college application community service for a month."

I grimaced. I could just ditch work but then Mom will be mad at me all over again, so I gave in. Plus, things get ugly when people get mad. That, I learned the hard way.

"Fine. I'll work at the orphanage."

"Great, I'll contact the orphanage owner right away."

I could see that this was going to be the beginning of some very chaotic sequences of events. But before that, Titan was still in my room, and speaking of that literal baby, I felt a somewhat watery and sticky sensation on my left hand.

"Gross, Titan, gross." I muttered as Titan took the hand I left hanging on the small funeral gray chair I sat on into his mouth like a baby. Well, he is a baby until however long it takes to break the spell. I pulled my hand away from Titan's mouth lightly, but the baby started crying.

"What did you do now, Solomon?!" Mom yelled as she heard Titan scream out a sob.

If there are any babies at the orphanage, I sure hope they aren't like baby Titan.

Sure enough, Mom made me come to the orphanage to work immediately on the day after Titan turned back into a teenage boy.

"Hello, I presume you must be my mother's friend, Mrs. Destiny," a young Asian girl asked my mother. She looked at me with a smile. "And you must be Solomon Destiny."

"Indeed, we are." Mom said.

"Ah, alright. I'm pleased to meet you, then, Mrs. Destiny. And I'm pleased to know I will be working with you, Solomon!" She shook my hand. "I'm Chunhua Liu."

Chunhua. That's a pretty name.

"Ahaha, yes, I've heard much of you from your parents. You're an A+ student from an elite school who runs this orphanage while your parents aren't here in Airoka."

Chunhua laughed the complemental comment from Mom off. I suppose when you're that impressive, you'd hear comments like those so much, your ears practically numb to it. I don't know about Chunhua, but if it were me in her place, the flames of my ego would be fanned if I hear compliments as often as I think she does.

"Thank you, Mrs. Destiny. But I'm not that great. I simply am just doing my job as these kids' unofficial guardian."

"Oh, you're so humble!" Mom laughed as she put her gloved hands to cover her lips. I don't understand why she's being so formal, and why she made us dress so formally to work with kids.

"Follow me, Mrs. Destiny and Solomon. I'll show you around the orphanage."

Chunhua, Mom and I quickly paced around the pretty garden of Liu Orphanage, roses and tulips covered the grassy pathway of the beautiful garden, as we walked to the kids' sandbox playground.

"Ambrose, Lily, Chika. Come here." Chunhua called for the children.

There were two girls and one boy. A blonde girl ran up to Chunhua, her pigtails along with her pink dress bouncing every step she took. Then there was an older girl, who took her steps carefully, her hands holding the boy's hand. They look very similar, with same raven hair and brown eyes.

"Big sis! Who are they?" The blondie girl asked.

"This is Solomon and this is his mother, Mrs. Destiny," Chunhua introduced us to the girl, "Solomon, this is Lily. And those two are Ambrose and Chika, they're siblings. They're the only kids left in the orphanage now, since most of them either got taken by labs or were adopted."

I grimaced. Labs. That means that Chunhua sheltered kids with magic, or as we're called, Warlocks. We don't even use spells or anything, it just comes naturally and we can do most things with magic, so I never understood why the government used the name Warlock for us.

"Well, anyway, I'll take you to the dorm building. You kids, stay over here, okay? We need some private time."

"Okie dokie, Big sis! We'll be good!"

"Great! Follow me, I'll take you to the living room."

We continued to walk until the dorm building came into sight. It was a rather huge three story building with several rooms for kids to stay in on each floor, judging by its windows. The living room was clean with paintings that probably only elites could afford decorated all over.

"My parents are actively working out of Airoka, so they have kept me in charge of taking care of the kids here. It's not hard work, as there are only three kids now, but I appreciate that you decided to come work here." Chunhua smiled.

"Of course, dear, it's no problem at all." Mom smiled. "After all, my son still lacks many life experiences."

"I see. I assure you he'll learn a lot in the month to come, Mrs. Destiny."

The two sure get along like a house on fire.

"That's great and all but all I really need to do is to take care of these kids, assist you where you need it, and stuff like that, right?" I asked.

"That's basically true, but it is a more complicated process than you make it out to be."

I sighed. "Alright then. Whatever it is, I'm sure it's nothing I can't do."

"That's the spirit. Well then, there is still one crucial information I need to tell you, Solomon." Chunhua spoke in a serious matter. It was completely opposite of how she talked earlier.

"Go ahead." I told her.

"I heard from your mother that you are one of the last Warlocks that aren't in labs, correct?"

"Uhh, yeah..." I unsurely replied. I don't know where this is headed.

"Ambrose is also a Warlock that survived the inspection. But the annual inspection is going to happen this month."

"It is?!" Mom exclaimed.

"Yes. Unfortunately, this time, they're going to be preforming a DNA test unlike the other times they just test kids' self control on magic."

Mom went silent.

"How will I be able to help?" I asked.

Chunhua grinned, "well, we simply need to hide Ambrose from the inspectors, right?"

Would it be that simple though?

"The kids already know about this inspection, as I've told them, and they're going to help us hide Ambrose from the inspectors."

"But when is the inspection?" I asked.

"That, I have no intel on." Chunhua shook her head.

"Big sis!" A voice called. It was the boy, Ambrose, who ran as fast as he could, his face showed pure fear and panic.

"Ambrose! Did something happen?" Chunhua asked.

"The inspectors! They're here for a surprise visit." Ambrose explained.

Mom, Chunhua and I were shocked. We definitely weren't prepared for this.

"Okay. Ambrose I need you to go hide in my parents room."

"That won't work. They've already saw me, and would ask for my DNA."

I looked over at Chunhua who was panicking.

"I'll spare you some time while you, Solomon and your big sis hides, okay, Ambrose?" Mom smiled but I could tell that she's scared. She's just trying to comfort Ambrose.

"Okay, Mrs. Destiny."

"Great, now go hide."

Chunhua picked the child up as we made a run for it out of the orphanage through the back door. Before I even knew it, Chunhua shoved me and Ambrose into the backseat of a car as she started it and sped away from the orphanage.

"We need to get Ambrose out of Airoka. Now." I told Chunhua. "Those inspectors go all over the country to get people."

"Yeah, but we just became wanted criminals. How are we supposed to go out of the country with nothing at all?" Chunhua asked.

"I know someone at the southern border between Airoka and Invat. He uses his connection to bring people into Invat."

"Sounds like a solid plan." Chunhua smirked. "Welp, driving across the country will take a while but it sure will be worth it if we can get Ambrose away from the inspectors."

As we drove towards the main road, we saw an inspector car with Mom, Chika and Lily in the car. I'm guessing they got arrested due to protecting a Warlock. Well, technically two, but it doesn't matter. As long as we can safely get Ambrose to Invat, then it doesn't matter how many Warlocks Chunhua has taken in.

"Behind us!" Ambrose exclaimed.

I looked behind the car. There was an inspection car parked behind our car.

"Hands up and hand over the Warlock!" We heard someone yell from the megaphone in the car in front of us. "Or they get arrested."

I looked at Mom. She mouthed "go."

"Chunhua, is there a way we can get out of here?" I asked.

"Hell yeah," Chunhua smirked as she steered the car towards a field of flowers, and stepped on it. Soon, we zoomed into the forest and out to a different road.

"What the- what road is this?" Ambrose asked.

"This is the back road, those scums definitely can't find us here."

"That's good." I sighed.

Chunhua drove down the road in the south direction, while Ambrose and I looked at the map and told her the way to get south. But soon, a problem hit us. We have no money and we need to get gas somehow.

"I forgot about gas. What the hell do we do now?" I asked.

"I don't know. I'm sure not down to walk to the border. That's ridiculous." Chunhua sighed.

"Why don't we use magic?" Ambrose suggested. "We can make the car fly!"

"Yeah, but will that be beyond your capacity, Ambrose?" Chunhua asked.

Ambrose went silent. It would be beyond him to do that.

"I'll try to do it. But I'll wait until the gas runs out 'cause it will drain my energy too much." I said as I slouched on the seat. I'm actually sweating so much. I don't want to be caught and experimented on.

"Mr. Solomon, are you alright?" Ambrose asked.

"I'm okay, just a bit tired. Let me sleep for a while."

"Okay. Ambrose, make sure to wake him when we run out of gas." Chunhua ordered.

"Got it, big sis."

"Solomon, my dear." Mum smiled.

"Mum!" I exclaimed.

"You, Ambrose and Chunhua are the last hope of Airoka's Warlocks. Please, do me a favour."

"Anything, mom!"

"Protect Ambrose. Go to Talik street and meet a man named Cooper Heralds. He shall assist you in your journey to Invat."

"Cooper at Talik street. Isn't he your friend who formed the SWA?"

"Indeed. Tell him that you're my son."

"Okay."

Mum walked over and hugged me tightly.

"Oh how I miss you. I miss you everyday. Please, rescue us soon."

"I will, mom."

I flinched awake.

"Solomon? Is something wrong?" Chunhua asked.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"We're on Jinschu street."

That's a few hours away from Talik street.

"Great. Can we take a quick stop at Talik street once we get there?" I asked.

"Hm? Why?" Ambrose asked.

"I need to see a man named Cooper Heralds on that street. He should be able to help us protect Ambrose and rescue the other Warlocks."

"Woah, okay, so you want us, two teens and a kid, to rescue Warlocks from labs?" Chunhua asked.

"Yes, that's exactly what I want."

Chunhua looked in the rearview mirror, her eyes piercing through me.

"You can't be serious. That sounds way out of our league."

"That's what Cooper is there for. He's going to help us, I know it."

Chunhua sighed. "This is gonna be good."

"It will be." Ambrose smiled. "That means I get to rescue my parents and siblings, right, Big sis?"

"It does mean that. And it means my parents' work will see fruits."

I smirked.

"So are we all in?"

"Hell yeah."

"Well then, let's go!" Ambrose exclaimed.