The Zura clan used to be subdivided into three distinct lineages: the primary, the secondary, and the disposable. Each lineage played a unique role in the clan's society.
Members of the primary lineage were those who had a notable affinity with fire and, as a result, were treated more privileged. This position often made them consider themselves superior to others.
Members of the secondary lineage didn't have as strong an affinity with fire but still received relatively respectful treatment, although they were often the target of mockery by members of the primary lineage.
The disposables, as the name suggests, were those born with normal human characteristics and were raised to perform roles as servants. When they reached the age of fifteen, these individuals were forced into prostitution, and if they were lucky, they were assigned to serve only one family. However, some were treated as commodities by multiple families. This harsh reality drove the disposables to struggle to awaken some affinity with fire.
However, this seemed almost impossible, as the darkness of their skin was directly related to their lack of fire affinity. Some young ones, desperate in the face of the suffering awaiting them as sexual objects, would even take their own lives before reaching the age of fifteen.
The clan had adopted this method in the hope of preserving the lineage of individuals without affinity, waiting for someone with a stronger fire affinity to be born. However, the suicide rate continued to rise, and the clan's current leaders seemed to ignore this sad reality.
Their main concern was focused on the members of the primary lineage, although even those of the secondary lineage could be at risk if they didn't show results. This system was the norm, and no one had the option to escape because outside the clan's boundaries, they were widely despised. Even those who attempted to escape were usually tracked down and brought back.
However, in recent months, some women and men from the disposable lineage managed to escape and disappear. This raised suspicions and concerns on the part of the clan's overall leader, Reda.
After a conversation with Castiel, Reda called a meeting with the clan's elders and the leaders of the primary, secondary, and disposable lineages. The meeting was abruptly interrupted by an explosion that destroyed the entrance door, sending debris flying. Seated around a round table with the clan's symbol in the center, everyone anxiously waited to find out what was about to happen.
"Where is the head of the disposables?!" Reda shouted, her expression burning with anger.
"Grrrrrrrrrrrr!"
Everyone present, seated around the table, was stunned. The leader of the secondary lineage began visibly trembling.
"Chief!!!" he shouted enthusiastically.
"Raza!" she said, looking back. "I always said, no one. Absolutely no one, should look at me from behind."
Reda raised her hand, shaping the fiery energy within her into an incandescent sphere. With impressive dexterity, she launched the fireball toward a distant target, while it streaked through the air with sparks and heat.
"Kikikikikiki! Concentrated fire. Squeeze flames!" he said while squeezing the flame with her hands, making it spread. "That was delightful, chi…"
Raza was about to speak, licking his lips as he prepared his words. However, before he could finish the sentence, he was brutally interrupted and fell to the ground, spewing blood.
The one responsible for this surprise attack was Kena, who caught him off guard with a sword strike, leaving Raza wounded on the ground.
"I always say and repeat, no one can look at me from behind. Do you even understand that? You brats!" she said as she approached and took a seat in one of the chairs.
'She never respects her elders.' Matra, one of the elders, thought as she sniffled.
'She says that, but Kena is always sneaky. What an idiot!' Levi, one of the elders, thought.
'How terrifying!!' Kata, the head of the secondary lineage, thought.
"Where is the head of the disposable lineage?"
A heavy silence fell over the room, and deep discomfort enveloped everyone present.
"Grrrrrrrrr!"
"Raza, stop pretending and come."
"How boring. I thought I could pretend to be dead for longer," he proclaimed as he rose, and his injuries began to heal with the gleam of a resplendent golden flame.
"I'll say it one last time. Where is the head of the disposable lineage?!"
"Hareh! Who is this burned man? What is he doing here? Don't tell me you are the head of the disposable lineage? Bloody hell, you got run over. Who did this? Tell me?" he taunted while lifting the burnt man's face.
"Yo," mumbled the head of the disposable lineage, named Zick.
"Speak louder. I didn't hear you."
"Yo!"
"Yo? I don't understand. Chief! I don't understand this man."
"Raza, don't tell me this burned man is the head of the disposable lineage?"
"I don't know, chief. I beat him so much, I don't know if this is the fake one."
"Zick. Come here."
"Yes, chief."
Zick struggled to get up, starting to limp, but Raza quickly put his foot in front of him, causing him to fall again.
"Oops, my foot slipped."
Zick began to crawl with effort across the floor, dragging his injured body toward the chief. Every movement was a trial, and sweat dripped from his forehead as he struggled to approach her. Finally, he reached his destination and, breathless, knelt before the clan leader, demonstrating his submission and respect.
"Useless,"Raza said.
"Zick. Tell me. Why are you like this?"
"I'm sorry, ma'am, but Raza beat me because one of your prostitutes escaped recently."
"Is that true, Raza?"
"Yes."
"I understand. And Zick, can you explain the reason for many escapes in recent months?"
"No, chief, we're investigating, but we still don't know the cause."
"I see. Then there's not much to do. You may leave."
"Yes, chief. Thank you."
With great effort, Zick began another crawl to move away from the room.
"Useless." Raza said.
'Bastard!' Zick thought as he moved away.
Zick was a man with dark skin, dark hair, and light-red eyes, but at that moment, his face was so disfigured by the damage inflicted by Raza that he had become unrecognizable.
"Raza. Take a seat."
"More than rubbish," he grumbled.
Raza sat down, seething with anger on the inside but carefully hiding her emotions.