The sun shone into the bedroom, illuminating the interior.
The latest EPR (Electromagnetic Pulse Rifle) hung on the wall opposite of the large king-size bed, untouched but always ready to be wielded again by its master.
The ground was made out of a strange alloy that dispels heat, chilling the feet of anyone who steps on it, a practical way to wake anyone up.
The walls were plastered with accolades, from hand-to-hand combat to marksmanship competitions. Although, they were under the name of "Kuger", which was one of the many fake identities the young man still in bed possesses.
The screen hanging on the wall beside the bed turned on abruptly as a robotic voice sounded out. "Young master Bright, it's time for the execution."
...
Bright had dark black hair, which was unkempt most of the time, coupled with his sharp facial features and fox-like eyes, he was undoubtedly a handsome young man which could charm any girl with a look.
Unfortunately, those eyes were covered by a pair of round frame spectacles. Indeed, unfortunate for those girls.
Bright's pupils were as dark as the void, which earned him the nickname "Bright Abyss", but was used to make fun of him more than anything by his family members. These pupils currently reflect the image of a few middle-aged men kneeling on the execution ground.
What crimes have they committed that warrant the death penalty, you may ask? Well, anyone operating in the underworld long enough knows but one rule, "To go against the Vladimirs, is akin to courting death."
...
The Vladimirs, Royalty of the Underworld. Their reach spread throughout the underworld, from the black markets to the arms dealers. They are the judge, jury, and executioner of the underworld. The power they hold over many nations is unfathomable. From the dark, anything that has a shadow is theirs to grasp.
A famous quote from the founding father of the Vladimirs,
"The shadows can't do without light, and therefore, we maintain the light in the world."
The Vladimirs rule over the shadows not without morals, but with a balance between the moral and immoral.
...
The execution ground was peaceful, a sharp contrast to what is about to take place.
The eagles soar in the sky, eyeing the prey that has been kneeling on the ground since the night before. But he knows that they were destined not to struggle under its sharpened claws, as the Lord, Master of this castle commands it.
Feeling no pity for them, he continues circling above, waiting for the show to begin.
...
As the sun reached its peak, Bright was still in a drowsy state.
Do not be misled by the earlier statement, where the light shone into his bedroom, which may fool you into thinking that it was the start of the day.
The Vladimir's Castle lies on top of a mountain, where the sunlight was only able to shine through Bright's bedroom when it was near its peak.
That is to say, Bright was a sleepy head.
A series of footsteps reverberated throughout the grounds as they brought differing effects to the people already there.
For aides and partners of the Vladimir's, these footsteps made them go into high alert mode as they straightened their posture and tried to show off their imposing side. Trying to impress.
For the men kneeling on the grounds, they shivered as the footsteps echoed in their ears, signaling their impending doom.
But for Bright, he was annoyed. His sleep was disrupted by that old geezer of his. Many thoughts flashed through his mind as he decided on the prank he would pull on the most feared man in the world after everything was over.
...
After a while, a tall handsome middle age man entered the grounds with his entourage behind him. Like a true monarch, following behind him were his trusted left and right arms, and behind them were his concubines, or lovers, or mistresses, whatever they are called in this age.
One of them was the mother of his brother, Ethan, and the other was the mother of his sister May. They were dressed in attire appropriate for Ladies, with veils covering their faces and white gloves on their hands.
The last mistress was without a child yet, and Bright was excited for her to finally give him a younger sibling to tortu- play with.
The entourage took their seat at the front of the stage, while the rest sat back down behind them after paying their respect to their liege.
Malcom Vladimir then stood in front of his audience and addressed them in a calm manner.
He did not have the aura befitting a man of power and status, but the people looking at him were not fooled by the act.
Malcom flashed a gentle smile before everyone and said softly, "Have y'all had your lunch?"
His gaze swept the crowd and finally landed on his youngest, knowing full well the answer to his question.
He sighed again and said, this time in a louder voice, "Servants! Someone get my boy his meal, I am sure he must be starving after waiting so long for the show to begin."
Not long after, a cart was pushed in, with the smell of delicacies filling the air. Bright was already salivating at the thought of food as he was indeed feeling a bit hungry. Although he totally missed the weird looks that other people were giving him and his father, 'This was an execution ground for heaven's sake!"
"Now that that is taken care of, let's begin."
"Gentlemen, Ladies, I am disappointed. Have I not been clear about the rules of the underworld, or are the words of the Vladimirs meaningless, weightless!"
"No sir! Definitely not! It is us who have not done our duties well! Please punish us, sir!" The aides seating behind the front row shouted out in panic after hearing the words of the man in front.
"Indeed, indeed, so it was like this... You are right! I shall punish you today, for failing to do your duties! By allowing these savages to disobey my orders, you all have indeed failed!"
His words immediately made the faces of the previously shouting aides turn pale with horror.
"Guards! Drag all of them to the grounds. I will decide their punishment then."
...
Bright was munching on the lobster fried claw, which was softened to the point of being no harder than a biscuit. With each munch, the lobster juice from the fresh meat burst into his mouth as he chewed on its flesh and shell.
He was watching the scene in front of him without any emotion as he enjoyed his meal.
...
"Everyone, I have decided to be merciful today. To absolve you of your sins, you must fight, fight to survive or die trying."
A bag of tools containing things like hammers, knives, spades, and many more were dropped in the middle of the execution grounds, between the two groups of sinners.
"Let's have a battle royale, shall we? I care not about what sins you have committed in the past, but let this be a lesson for all the survivors, if you survive today, good for you, but if you make the same mistake again, I may not be so merciful then."
Malcom sat down in the head seat, announcing, "Let the show begin!"