1 Prologue

Prologue 

"Run now!" Two words escape from her father's lips as he continues to struggle from the two men's grip. She can't talk or move her own feet. She's been stocked there, not knowing what to do. This is too sudden in the way that her young mind can't process the whole situation.

She looked in her Mother's direction; she'd been fighting with her all night to survive and protect her, them, and the Volkov clan, who were in danger now. Her aunts and uncles were fighting back, too, but their opponent was too much.

Her cousins and brother were crying in a corner, and three men in black were in front of them with big, sinister smirks on their lips. One of her uncles was thrown into the wall hard, which caused him to groan and cough with blood; pain was visible on his face.

His wife yelled as soon she saw that and rushed to the someone who attacked her husband. But that's only a bad and very wrong move, the man captured her neck and choked her until she slowly lost her breath.

"No! Celestia!" A scream of agony filled the whole area.

All of them sense that they already lost one of them. Pain and anger filled their hearts; the young girl saw her father kill the two men who were holding him and ran fast. He grabbed the man who killed her sister and snatched his heart.

She saw how blood scattered on the floor; her relatives were full of rage; they wanted to kill all the bad guys who were attacking them now. A lot of men in black cloaks attacked her father at the same time; this time, her Mother and uncle, the second brother of her father, came and helped him.

"Jia! Protect the children now!" she heard her Mother yell as she punched the man who attempted to hurt her. The young girl saw her aunt, the sister of her Mother, rushed towards her cousin to get them, and when they were about to go to her, five men ambushed them and killed her aunt mercilessly.

That was the time she wanted to scream and move, but she just couldn't. Her body isn't allowing her to do so. Everything seems surreal, but this is happening, the nightmare of her life, of their lives. She convinced herself to move and do some action.

She started walking towards her brother and cousin, pulled them into a corner, and escaped. But before they could do that, three men in black blocked their way and harshly dragged them. Her brother and cousin cried hard; they wanted to survive, and all of them wanted to survive.

Her father and Mother looked in their direction; horror could be seen in their eyes. They stopped fighting back; they were afraid of what they could do to them. The men in black cloaks made all of them kneel on the floor.

Never in their entire life did this. The Volkov never kneeled to anyone. But this time, they didn't have any better choice. They were trapped, powerless, and hopeless.

"Please, don't involve them in this chaos. Spare the children," the young girl's Mother almost begged. But the men just stared at her without any emotion in their eyes; it was so cruel.

"I believe I can't do that." A man's cold voice bloomed in the area. All of them looked at that man, and the young girl saw them stiffen.

"Acheron." Her father whispered. Acheron? Did they know him? The young girl asked herself.

"Oh, I see you still remember me, Volkov."

"why are you doing this? Do you feel threatened because our family is more powerful than yours? Afraid that---"

"I dare you to continue that, Volkov." The man cut him off. She saw her father smirked, "Afraid that I might steal your throne---" Before he could continue that, a hard blow touched his face, causing him to fall on the ground.

The man smirked and stepped on her father's chest.

"I'm not afraid of anyone, Volkov. Not even you,"

"How pity, Acheron. If you're not afraid, then why are you doing this? Attacking us? Weak." The man's face darkened.

"Are you really challenging me, Volkov?" he asked darkly.

"No. I'm not competitive like you. Killing all of us won't change the fact that you're a weak and useless king." That earns a hard kick from him.

"No! Stop it! Stop hurting my husband!" Her Mother yelled and tried to get out of the man's grip, but she failed. She can't do anything but watch her husband being beaten by the man in front of them.

"I'm not a weak and useless king! Bow and show respect to me. Maybe I can spare you and your family." Knowing the leader of the Volkov clan, he will not bow to him; he's not his king. But this is a life-and-death situation; if he doesn't lower his pride, he will lose his family forever.

"Bow down, Volkov." He closed his fist tightly, deciding what he should do. He saw her wife look at her; she got so many bruises and lost too much blood. It pains him to see her like this; this is indeed a nightmare.

Then his gaze went to his children, her and the youngest. Then, to his nephew, they were held as captives. Now, he realized, he couldn't do anything but bow to him. But before he could do that, another person arrived.

"Father!" A young man, probably at the age of thirteen, came. He's tall in his age, the next in line king.

"Oh, come here, my son. It's time for you to start acting like a king," the young man slowly went closer to his father. Just looking at the young man, this one is probably worse than the current king. At a young age, he looked intimidating and scary.

"What can I do for you, Father?" he asked, his voice cold and serious. The man smirked and pointed at all of them.

"Look at these persons in front of you; all of them did something horrible. What do you think is the punishment?" he asked him.

"Death." He answered shortly. This child is indeed cruel. How could he say that? A child shouldn't think that way; his cruel father tainted his innocence. The king tapped his shoulder, clearly satisfied by his answer.

"Great answer, son, so I would like you to do the honour. Choose whom you'll kill first." he looked at his father.

"Can I kill them all?" That shocked them even more. This one is a monster, an evil.

"No, son, I'll handle that one." He pointed to the young girl's father. The young man nodded his head slowly as his gaze fixed on the children, who were trembling in fear now.

"Weak." He mumbled.

"Sure, Dad," he lifelessly replied. The man chuckled from his reaction, "You seem so bored, son. Go, do what you please."

The young man devilishly smirked; his dark gaze was on them, the three children. As he walked closer to them, the girl's heartbeat fastened. She knew they were in danger.

"No! Please stay away from them! not my child!" Her uncle yelled and struggled to get lost from the guard's grip. He succeeds in escaping, but before he can come closer to them, the young man vanishes. In just a matter of seconds, the man fell to the ground, with his heart in the hands of the young man.

"No! Jax!" Jia exclaimed.

"Good job, son."

"I'm not done yet, father." A few seconds passed, and they found him choking one of the children. The young girl's cousin. His face was getting paler; the young girl knew her cousin wouldn't survive. Her father and Mother tried to stop him, but there were a lot of guards stopping them.

"Stop!" he begged, but he didn't listen. Her cousin's lifeless body fell into the ground. She couldn't believe what she saw. How could a small man do such a thing?

"No!" She heard her Mother scream as her cousin died. Her eyes widened even wider when the young man's attention averted to her younger brother, who was crying hard now. No, she won't let him hurt her brother.

Before she can do something to stop him, he snaps her brother's neck. The sound of bone cracking reaches her ear, sending horror and shivers down her spine.

"My son! No! Stop!" her Mother yelled in agony. She tried everything just to get lost from their grip. Everything became chaotic and messy again. But her mind is more than the best; she's devastatingly hurt and lost.

She stared at her brother and cousin, who were lifeless now. She won't see them ever again, and that broke her into a million pieces. Her lovely brother and kind cousin, she couldn't help but sob.

She felt someone dragged her up. That was her Mother, "Run, honey. Escape."