Kingdom, Ashen City.
Within the towering city walls, factories in the suburbs kept humming like a heart, billowing black smoke. The mass of steam-powered carriages plied the streets, electric lamps began to stand tall on both sides of the sidewalks, newsboys scampered among the streets and the air buzzed with the clamor of the crowd, bustling with hasty people scrambling for life.
The era was changing, but the lives of the common folk remained mostly unchanged.
In the heart of the city, within the sprawling luxurious manor, the once proud servants moved lighter on their feet, dared not breathe loud, their eyes occasionally darted deep into the manor.
Though they did not have a clue about what had happened, they had seen their lord, whom they revered, return safely after being taken away by ruthless thugs, and he had brought back a mysterious guest.
