Prologue

Please Euthanize Me

Today is the darkest and most tragic day in Blaze's life. In about five minutes, he will appear at the execution site, personally witness the prisoner's execution, and have the chance to speak with them. This prisoner had killed Blaze's entire family—his father, mother, and six-year-old sister.

Two months ago, 18-year-old Blaze had just completed high school and successfully gained admission to the prestigious Pearl University. However, during a graduation trip, he received an unexpected call from the forensic department. They informed him that Luna, the family caretaker, had brutally murdered his parents and younger sister, dismembering their bodies with kitchen knives and other utensils.

Though Blaze had been adopted as an infant, his parents' unconditional love for him over 18 years made their bond no different from that of biological family.

Anger, disbelief, and grief consumed Blaze, threatening to break him entirely. He could not fathom why Luna, who had worked with his family for ten years and had always been gentle and kind, would commit such an atrocity. Luna had raised him like a second mother, yet she was now the cause of his unimaginable loss.

As Blaze sat waiting to be called, he glanced at the holographic projection from his smartwatch, which displayed the last message his father sent him before his death.

"I didn't ask you for anything, but you must go to Carl's Theological Seminary. Check the message and reply."

Blaze had argued fiercely with his father about this. Why would his father want him to attend an obscure seminary instead of the prestigious Pearl University? Now, filled with regret, Blaze stared at the greyed-out profile picture of his father, tears streaming down his face.

---

Four minutes later, Blaze was escorted by law enforcement officers to a dimly lit waiting room. The heavy atmosphere of the space only added to his unease.

"You have five minutes," one officer said before stepping aside.

In the room, sitting on a chair and bound by electronic light-alloy shackles, was Luna, the woman who had cared for Blaze since he was a child.

The two locked eyes. Blaze clenched his fists, struggling to contain his emotions, and slowly sat down across from her.

Luna's lips curled into a cold, twisted smile. "Did you come here to watch me die? Will that satisfy your thirst for revenge?"

Blaze trembled with restrained fury. "Why? Why did you do this?"

Luna chuckled darkly, her voice dripping with venom. "Why not? You weren't home that day. If you had been, I would've drugged you first. Then, I'd have taken my time tearing you apart like the rest."

"You're insane!" Blaze shouted, his voice breaking with anguish.

"Yes, insane!" Luna laughed bitterly, her eyes wild. "I've been insane for a long time! I worked in your home for ten years. Did any of you ever see me as more than a tool?!"

Blaze's face twisted in confusion. "What are you talking about? My family treated you well—better than most would!"

"Well? Is that what you call it?" Luna sneered. "Your family bought me trinkets and jewelry like scraps for a dog. Hypocritical charity to keep me quiet, to keep me obedient. Do you know what it's like to live ten years in a golden cage, invisible, with no friends, no family, no life outside of serving your every need?"

Blaze was speechless, his memories of Luna as a caring, gentle presence clashing with the hatred pouring out of her now.

"Loneliness," Luna continued, her voice softening, tinged with despair. "Do you know what loneliness is? To see the people you serve as your family, yet be treated as nothing but an Dog ?

"He was just a child!" Blaze snapped.

Luna's face contorted with rage. "And yet he showed more love to your dog than he ever did to me!" She leaned forward, her voice a low growl. "That's why he was the first one I tore apart. His delicate little body... I made sure he paid for every ounce of my suffering."

Blaze erupted in fury, grabbing a chair and hurling it at her. The impact sent Luna sprawling, but she laughed maniacally, even as blood trickled from her lip.

"You're vicious!" Blaze screamed, lifting the chair again.

Before he could strike, the law enforcement officers restrained him. One of them sternly warned, "Calm down, or we will intervene further."

Luna smirked at him. "Go on, hit me. It won't change what I've done. You and your perfect family are nothing but hypocrites!"

As she taunted him, an electromagnetic gun discharged from the wall, incapacitating her. A shimmering energy barrier enveloped her chair.

Blaze collapsed to the ground, clutching his hair, tears flowing freely. "You're wrong! I never ignored you! I cared about you because you raised me. I just didn't know how to show it... and now it's too late."

Luna stared at him, her bravado faltering.

As her chair descended into the execution chamber below, she shouted, "Go to Carl's Theological Seminary! There are secrets there you must uncover!"

---

In the execution chamber, Luna's pleas were ignored. Mechanical arms descended, gripping her head.

"Respect my rights! I request euthanasia!" Luna screamed.

The officer in charge waved his hand. "Proceed."

With a sickening crunch, the machine tore her head from her body. Sparks erupted, revealing wires and circuitry beneath her synthetic skin.

"She's a machine," one officer muttered.

Within minutes, Luna's electronic neurons were incinerated, and her mechanical body was shredded.

Prologue

A week later, Blaze stood in his dorm room, staring at his acceptance letter from Pearl University. Finally, he called his teacher.

"I'm giving up my admission," he said.

"What? For what?"

"I'm going to Carl's Theological Seminary."

"Are you insane? That place isn't even ranked!"

Blaze's voice was firm. "There are too many unanswered questions. I need to find the truth."