Dune stood at the entrance of his house, his heart pounding in his chest. The once-familiar sight of their home now felt alien and foreboding. How could he leave behind everything he knew and loved?
His sister's voice cut through the fog of his thoughts. "Dune, what's going on? Why are we leaving?" she asked, her eyes wide with fear.
Dune opened his mouth to respond, but no words came. He glanced around the dimly lit room, his thoughts racing to his friends and the city he called home.
Dune finally found his voice. He approached his sister, Emma, holding a small box in his hands. "Emma," he called softly.
Emma looked up, her eyes filled with curiosity. Dune opened the box, revealing a tiny, energetic kitten inside. "Here's your gift," he said, his voice wavering slightly.
Emma's eyes widened with a mix of surprise and confusion.
"A kitty?" she whispered, gently taking the kitten into her hands.
Dune nodded. "Yes, it's for you and Eva. But Emma, listen to me. Go up and and get ready both of you. We have to leave soon."
Emma's face fell, sensing the urgency and sadness in his tone. She nodded slowly, clutching the kitten tightly to her chest. "Okay, Dune," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
Dune waited for his mom to come back, but instead someone else arrived first, his dad, Sam, stumbled up to the house. Sam's messy hair and red, bleary eyes made Dune's stomach churn. The smell of alcohol hit him before his father did, a sharp reminder of their family's troubles.
Daniel had already left, and his absence made everything feel more urgent. Each second that passed felt like another step closer to disaster.
When Sam entered the house, the tension spiked. He kicked Ned's shoulder with a grunt of disdain, then sat on the chair and started drinking wine from bottle. Dune's fists clenched, but Ned's calming hand on his arm stopped him. This wasn't the time for a fight, not with so much at stake.
Sam's hatred for Ned was no secret. Ned's secret, being a Zeten, was part of it. But Sam's animosity towards Dune was harder to grasp. What had he done to deserve this?
Ned couldn't hold back any longer.
"Father, we need to leave. Fein soon will be falling apart. Daniel already left. We have to get out now," he said, desperation in his voice.
But Sam just laughed, a bitter sound. "You think you can tear this family apart even more?" he sneered, taking a swig from his bottle. "You want us all to die, don't you? That tattoo of yours will get us caught. Not even your mother's protection can hide it well enough, most of the guards can enhance their eyes with strong Neba.. if they detect you, we will all die.
Sam's words hung heavy in the air. Despite their father's indifference, Ned and Dune knew they had to escape.
Ned, desperate, shouted, "Fight them! Aren't you strong enough? Protect your family! If not us, then at least take our sisters and get them out."
Dune stood frozen, torn between his brother's plea and their father's obvious weakness. How could Sam, consumed by his own problems, possibly stand up to the knights?
Before Dune could think more, Sam's anger exploded. He smashed a bottle over Ned's head. Ned fell, his eyes filled with anger and disappointment.
Dune's anger boiled, but before he could react, Sam turned his attention to their mother, Lina, who had just come home. The look they exchanged was icy, filled with unspoken conflicts. Lina stayed calm, her face a mask.
She went to Ned and gently touched his wound, a red Neba light glowing from her hand, healing him. The light filled the room with warmth.
Ned, his voice shaking, spoke to Lina. But she was firm. "Daniel told me everything," she said. "We will leave the city, no matter what."
Ned felt guilty, thinking that if he hadn't been born, maybe the family wouldn't be in such trouble. Dune stood up and urged them to leave. "Let's go mom!"
As they got ready, Lina approached Sam. "Dear, come on, let's leave," she said hopefully.
But Sam stayed silent, the weight of his actions heavy in the air. Dune, frustrated, told his mom to leave Sam behind. "Mom, let's go, leave him" he insisted.
Just then, a sharp knock on the door made them all freeze, their hearts pounding with fear.
The door shattered. A man with a thick brown beard and authoritative dark eyes stepped forward, dressed in the attire of Fein's knights. He held a gleaming longsword, and twelve soldiers stood behind him.
"My name is Dechi," he declared . "I am second only to Lord Cadogan in this city. He's busy near the wall, so I've come to deal with the Zeten who should have perished long ago."
Lina stood protectively in front of her children. "Leave us and my son alone," she pleaded.
Dechi laughed mockingly. "Move, or we will attack."
Dune couldn't believe it. Cadogan already dealing with problems at the wall? Did it already start? Destruction which richard and Aurore spoke about? Beside him, Ned looked just as concerned. Lina's hands glowed with a red light, ready to defend her family.
But before she could act, Sam struck her from behind, knocking her down with a vicious kick. Dune, enraged, lunged at his father, but Sam, unusually strong, knocked him down with a single slap. Dechi quickly incapacitated Ned with a blow from his sword hilt.
Dechi nodded to his soldiers, who carried the unconscious Ned away. Dune tried to rise, but Sam kicked him back down. Standing over Lina's unconscious form, Sam lifted her into his arms and turned to Dune.
"We're leaving for the capital city," he said coldly. "Whether you live or die here, I don't care."
Before Dune could protest, his father delivered a final blow, and darkness claimed him.
When Dune woke, he found himself alone in the silent house. Tears welled up as he realized Sam had taken his twin sisters and their mother, leaving him and his brother behind. Confusion and anguish filled him as he grappled with whether to pursue his family or rescue his brother.
Lost in thought, Dune was startled when someone approached. It was Aurore, a girl of sixteen with captivating blue eyes and brown hair. Though she couldn't wield Zeten, she had a unique power. Aurore could trace the origin of objects or events by channeling Neba through her touch.
Aurore extended a hand to help Dune stand. "Aurore, why aren't you already out of the city?" Dune asked, confused.
Aurore laughed softly. "Me? What about you, Dune? Why are you still here?"
"I can't abandon my brother and friends. Did they escape? Atlas? Liam and Ezra?" he asked.
"They can't," Aurore said sadly. "Something or someone is hunting them down." .. Dune, you should save them.
Dune's heart sank. "Save them from what? How can I even do it.. i don't have any powers" he asked himself.
Aurore stood up, determination shining in her eyes as she held out an object to him.
"What's that?" Dune Asked
"Opportunity," she said, with a small smile on her lips.
In Aurore's hand was a palm-sized metallic object with a white cross, mirroring the symbol of Zeten