Chase was sitting on his enormous bed in his room. There was a white transparent cotton hanging around the bed. His room was decorated with expensive ornaments and paintings. From these, it could be seen that he was treated like a gem in his family clan. The courtyard outside his room was decorated with beautiful flowers and there was a small pond in the middle of the courtyard giving the environment a peaceful feeling. But this place that looked so peaceful was surrounded by the armed family guards. They were given orders to keep Chase detained in his courtyard.
Chase looked at the sky through the open window with his black eyes and murmured "It's been almost an hour since the family meeting started. I wonder how everything is going." He did not look afraid at all. He seemed confident that the meeting will end in his favour. After all, he does not remember doing anything to his cousin.
Chase was awoken from his thought when the door opened. He looked towards the door only to see four guards walking over to him with stern faces. "W..what are you guys doing?". One of the guards sneered at him and said, "By the order of the patriarch and the council of elders, you are to be brought to the gathering hall to receive your punishment."
"What?!!" Chase felt like he got hit by a bulldozer. He panicked and shouted. "I..I want to see my father!" That guard looked at him and smirked, "Mr genius, your father can't do any thing about this..hehe..all the evidence points that you drugged miss Clara and wanted to rape her." The guard then turned to the 3 men behind him and ordered, " What are you waiting for, escort our genius young master to the gathering hall.. hehe."
Chase wanted to resist but how could he who was a rank 2 elementalist fight against these guards that were all rank 4? Apparently they were assigned specially to capture him because the average rank of guards in the Cloud family were within rank 2. Chase was dragged by the guards to the gathering hall and on their way, they passed by other cloud family members who looked over curiously. The passersby then followed the guards that were carrying Chase to the gathering hall to see what was happening. Soon, there was a huge crowd of curious Cloud family members heading to the gathering hall to see what misfortune had befallen the legendary Chase Cloud.
The Cloud family gathering hall was where large scale meetings and announcements were held, so it was quite spacious inside. It could contain up to 10,000 people. Chase was brought to the middle of the hall. He looked around and sighted his father that was sitting at the patriarch sit. The remaining elders sat at his right and left. After the last elder at the left of his father was a beautiful graceful looking woman. She looked to be in her mid 30s, but age left no mark on her youthful looking face. She had black hair that scattered on her shoulders as she leaned on the chair. She was the daughter of the patriarch of Ryan family at West state and also the wife of Lim. She was Chase's mother, Landa. And from her sitting position, it could be seen that her position was high in the Cloud family as no one would like to offend the Ryan family.
Chase was happy when he saw her as she always dots on him. But he soon frowned as he thought, 'Why is mom looking at me like that.' He was a smart kid after all. He noticed that Landa was not looking at him with the usual motherly love but instead, there was a hint of sorrow and helplessness in her black eyes. He also looked at Stephen his junior brother that was 10years old who was sitting on the chair beside his mom. Stephen had the same physical features as Chase. He looked like a smaller version of Chase. The child was playing with a doll. 'It seems like Stephen is the only normal looking one here today.' Chase felt crisis in the air and couldn't help but furrow his brows for the first time in his life.
Soon the disciplinary elder of the family, walked over to the centre of the hall and everyone immediately kept quiet to listen to what the elder had to say. The disciplinary elder was a 5'4 man with white hair and beard. His muscles were protruding from his black robes that hung tightly on his body. He was known to be fair and just in handling matters so he had the respect of everyone. He was also among the power houses of the Cloud family as he had a cultivation of rank 7 late stage fire elementalist.
He stopped in front of Chase who was kneeling on the ground and addressed the gathered audience, "I know you all are wondering what's going on...Chase Cloud was caught drugging elder Richard's daughter Clara to rape her." Immediately he said that, the crowd started whispering in hushed voices.
"I didn't hear that correctly right? "
"Damn... and I thought he was a cool guy"
"I wish it was me he tried to rape .. :("
"Look at yourself in the mirror... who in their right mind will rape you!!"
"But how can a 12years old kid plan a rape...It sounds ridiculous."
Chase was shocked when he heard the words of the disciplinary elder. He shouted "No! no!... I didn't do it... dad. mum!... I didn't do it...you guys should investigate again." When he called his parents, they both lowered their heads to avoid meeting his eye. Chase felt like the whole world had tumbled upside down. He looked at the disciplinary elder and asked, "Elder, where's the evidence, I was at my room throughout the night and morning!"
The disciplinary elder looked at Chase. Hesitation flashed in his eye for an instant before he quickly regained his usual calm eye. "Chase, you were caught in the process of committing the act. That's the evidence and your punishment has been decided. Your eyes shall be blinded and your cultivation shall be crippled as a form penance. Also, you shall be locked up in the prison for 3months." Before Chase could process the meaning of those words, the guards that brought him into the hall held him tightly. Then the discipline elder took a small bottle from his sleeves and removed a black pill from the bottle. He then forced the pill into the mouth of the struggling Chase. Chase cried in pain as he felt his eyes and meridians burning when the pill went down his throat. He could feel his cultivation sipping out of his body and his vision getting darker. He soon fainted on the spot in sadness. He knew that his future was over (Well...that's what he thought).
The crowd of Cloud family members were shocked by the series of events. Who would have expected that the no. 1 genius in the family will get crippled and also blinded. It was a shocking news. He was also to be locked up. Normally, when someone is taken to the family's prison, he or she either comes out dead or almost dead. It was one of the cruelest forms of punishments in the family. The surprising thing was that his father with the cultivation of rank 8 middle stage fire elementalist stayed quiet throughout the event and his mother with a powerful background stayed quiet too. Any body with a working thinking faculty could perceive that there was a conspiracy somewhere and Chase was just used as a sacrifice.
The guards then carried the motionless Chase to the thatched house. Landa who had been motionless stood up after the guards left and gave a look of grievance to Lim and walked out of the hall to her own courtyard. Lim stayed silent as the hall gradually became empty. Only the elders were left in the hall now.
"So we sacrificed a once in a 1000years genius just like that." said an elder.
"Well...It's either his sacrifice or the sacrifice of the whole family clan." replied the disciplinary elder with helplessness written all over his face.
"After 2months, why don't we leave him at the dark forest and we will leave his survival to fate. When the emissaries return, we can tell them that he died in the prison before his 3months sentence came to an end and we dumped his corpse in the dark forest. After all we blinded him and crippled him so they won't doubt." suggested another elder.
"I agree with that. At least we should give him a chance to survive and return for revenge. I played a vital role in this plot and as his uncle, I'm ashamed." said Richard.
Lim that had been quiet throughout looked at the elders that were thinking of ways to grant Chase a way to survive. He felt that it was worth it that he sacrificed his son for the clan. He spoke out at last, "I agree with that suggestion. After 2months, let's smuggle him to deep into the dark forest...One day, we will have our revenge on the dynasty. We must not let the sacrifice of Chase be in vain."
Lim then got up and walked towards the exit of the gathering hall.'Chase as a father I'm ashamed. I'm proud of you. Please survive and I'll happily hand my head on a tray over to you.'