In the crowded slave market. Rows of children sat in cages, their faces filled with fear and sadness. Among them was an six-year-old boy, Hiro Amadeus. He had once lived a life of honor, but now, he sat in rags, wrists tied by chains, staring blankly at the ground.
His mind wandered as the voices of the merchants echoed around him, talking loudly as they tried to sell their "goods." That's when Hiro overheard something that made his heart race.
"Did you hear? The Amadeus clan was wiped out..."
The words stung like a blade. Hiro kept his head down, but his fists tightened so hard that his nails cut into his palms. He wanted to cry out, to scream, but he knew he couldn't. Not here. Not in front of these people. All he could do was remember the night that changed everything.
"Mother... Father... are they truly gone?"
His thoughts drifted back to that final, traumatizing moment. It was a night he could never forget.
---
Flashback:
The large hall of the Amadeus Palace was filled with the noise of battle. As the soldiers shouted as the gates were broke. Hiro's father, the clan leader, was fighting to defend their home, but even he couldn't hold back the waves of enemies for long because they caught off-guard.
In the middle of the hall, Lady Amara, Hiro's mother, was fumbling with an old artifact—a magical stone passed down in their family for generations. She was skilled in many things, but magic wasn't one of them. Her hands shook as she tried to make the artifact work.
"Hiro! Come here!" she called, her voice cracking. Hiro ran to her side.
"Mother! Where is Father? What's happening?!" Hiro's voice trembled.
Lady Amara looked down at him, her face pale and full of worry. "Your father… he's trying to hold them back. But we don't have time. I'm going to send you somewhere safe."
She held the artifact tightly, focusing on it as it started to glow. "You'll be safe with your uncle. Stay there, and don't come back until it's safe."
Hiro's eyes widened as he heard their clan members screaming and the swords falling, he felt a cold– suddenly rage consumed him but before he could ask more questions, the artifact started to pulse with magic. A bright light wrapped around him, lifting him off the ground. He felt his body become lighter, as if he were floating.
But then, something went wrong. The light began to flicker, and the power around him grew unstable. Lady Amara was shocked and was too stunned to talk.
"N-no! Something's wrong!"
Before she could stop it, the magic burst, and Hiro was disappear from the hall. He was supposed to arrive at his uncle's palace, but the magic had misuse. Instead of the safe palace his mother intended, Hiro was sent to a quiet nearby dark village.
---
When Hiro woke up, he found himself surrounded by Bandits. They had spotted him lying in the woods, alone and unconscious. With a wicked grin, they tied him up and threw him into a cart with other captives.
That was how Hiro, the heir of the once-great Amadeus clan, ended up as a slave.
---
Present:
The memory faded, and Hiro's heart sank. Sitting in the slave market, he knew he couldn't give in to despair, but he couldn't see a way out either. The noise of buyers yelling and arguing about prices filled the air, but to Hiro, it all sounded distant. All he could think about was his family.
What happened to them? Is my father still fighting? Did anyone survive? The questions circled in his mind, but there were no answers.
"Hey, this one's different," a rough voice said nearby.
Hiro looked up slightly and saw a fat merchant pointing at him. "He's quiet. Doesn't cause trouble. That's rare in these parts."
Another man approached, staring down at Hiro with interest. "Quiet, huh? No fight left in him? He'll fetch a decent price then."
Hiro forced himself to keep a blank face. He wouldn't let these people see him break. Not here, not now.
Just as they were about to drag him out, the crowd grew silent. A tall figure in a dark cloak walked into the market. His presence was different from the other buyers. He wasn't loud or aggressive. Instead, he moved with a calm, confident air.
The man stopped in front of Hiro's cage and looked down at him.
"I'll take this one," he said in a smooth, quiet voice.
The merchant raised an eyebrow. "This one? He's not strong like some of the others. You sure?"
"I'm sure," the man replied firmly.
The merchant shrugged. "Alright, your money." He quickly unlocked Hiro's cage and handed him over to the stranger.
Hiro's chains were loosened, and he stood up slowly, unsure of what was happening. As they walked away from the market, Hiro glanced at the man who had bought him.
"What… what are you going to do with me?" Hiro asked, his voice small but steady.
The man looked down at him, his eyes surprisingly kind. "I don't believe in treating people like animals. You will work for me but you will not be treated like a slave. You will be fed, given a place to stay, and in the right time, you'll earn your freedom."
Hiro was silent for a moment, unsure if he should trust this man. Freedom? Could he really believe that? For now, it was better than staying in the slave market, and he had no other choice.
But deep down, Hiro knew one thing for sure. No matter what happened next, he wouldn't forget his family, and one day, he would take revenge on those who had destroyed the Amadeus clan, and he will reclaim the symbol of hope, the Sword of Blasphemy.