*****Of all the possibilities the two brothers had imagined, they had never, not even in their worst nightmare considered what their third brothers had just uttered.Their father, the patriarch of one of Riverton City's six first-rank families—a man who was practically a god in the city, having been controlling the fates of others for decades—was being controlled by someone? It was unthinkable.“Are—are you sure about what you just said?” Aldric and Roland asked in unison for the umpteenth time, their voices dark, cold, and filled with apprehension.“I’m 90% sure,” Darian, the third brother, responded, forcing out a deep breath as he tried his best to contain his emotions.“According to my research, there was an ancient, lost art of acupuncture, one that belonged to a terrifying and evil faction that had terrorized the entire world for centuries. This technique specializes in one thing: controlling the bodies and souls of its hosts.”“This…” Darian’s words sent a cold shiver do
*****At the same time, outside the Blackwood’s estate."I'm telling you, young man, this place is off-limits. It's not meant for people like us," the taxi driver, who had brought Xavier from the herb market muttered, his tired eyes watching Xavier through the rearview mirror.The old man still couldn’t understand why someone like Xavier would want to approach the Blackwood estate.At first, he had assumed Xavier was a servant which was why he had agreed to bring him, but seeing as Xavier did not even know that taxis aren’t permitted inside beyond the Blackwood’s gate, he couldn’t help but shake his head. His concern coming from a place of kindness."You’re asking for trouble, son. I’ve seen it happen," he finally sighed, his gaze looking at the towering and majestic black gate in apprehension.Meanwhile, Xavier, hearing the old man’s advice couldn’t help but stare blankly, not knowing whether to laugh or cry for the old man’s concern.Eventually, he opened his mouth to reveal
*****The elderly driver continued staring at Xavier with a deep sense of pity from the rearview mirror, seeing in him the reflection of a younger, hopeful version of himself—naive, thinking he had found an easier way, only to be met with a bitter disappointment and everlasting regret.He continued waiting patiently for Xavier to respond, but when none came, the old man finally let out a small sigh, already ‘knowing’ the answer."I’ve been there, my friend," he said softly, breaking the silence that had enveloped the car. He paused for a moment, then sighed again. “If you’re open to a bit of advice from an old beggar like me, I’d say you should return home.”His tone was so sincere, coming from deep within, that Xavier couldn’t help but turn his gaze toward him, and noticing this, the old man quickly clarified, not wanting to be misunderstood. “I’ll take your number and let you know if the Blackwoods ever announce another charity session in the future, because, to be honest with y
******“This…”Xavier, hearing the old man and feeling his palpable apprehension couldn't help but be stunned, but then a soft smile appeared on his face, knowing that he didn't need to be bothered about how to convince the old man again.Although he had made up his mind to reveal the truth, he had prepared for the old man to not trust him, but now, he knew that the other party wouldn't have any choice but to agree.“They’re here to pick—” he began without hesitation, but then once again, the old man cut him off."Don’t worry, son," his voice came out shaky but surprisingly determined. "I’ll handle this,” he promised and before Xavier could react, talk more, think of stopping him, he stepped out of the car.“This…” Xavier was dumbstruck by this for a moment, his mouth remaining open as he watched the man hurried away.“But… but they’re here to pick me up,” he finally finished quietly not knowing whether to laugh or cry. But the old man was already out of earshot, approaching the
*****For what felt like an eternity, but in reality, just a brief moment, the old driver remained frozen in space after what he had just witnessed, utterly stunned with his mouth widely ajar.He continued to gape in absolute disbelief, unable to reconcile the scene before him until finally. ‘Could—could it be that I’m now seeing and hearing things because I haven’t eaten all day?’ he wondered dazedly in his mind, struggling to accept the reality before his eyes.Although he hadn’t seen it firsthand, his deep interest in the Blackwood family and years of listening had made him well aware of the stories and rumors surrounding its elite security forces, which is that intruders were never shown any mercy, no matter what.In fact, there had always been a popular saying that had been circulating among them that; “Execution first, ask later. Yet, here they were, showing an entirely unexpected level of respect that completely contradicted the rumor surrounding them.….“I must be hallu
*****Although the old man had already witnessed how Xavier was respectfully regarded by the soldiers and had seen his sudden change in aura—assuming an entirely different presence in the blink of an eye, like a savant—he had never really expected that Xavier would actually really be a visitor of the Blackwoods.The Blackwoods—one of the most influential and powerful families in Riverton City, the very family he had rushed to Riverton City for, which he had been yearning all year to encounter, knowing that meeting them would be the breakthrough he needed to finally return to his village and reunite with his daughter. Yet, he had carried someone esteemed enough to be a friend of this family without knowing.If only he had realized who Xavier truly was from the start, he would have never dared to be so brash or dismissive, even cautioning him against meeting his guests.Dang! Would he even have dared to call someone powerful and important enough to become a friend of such a gigantic
*****For a long time after Xavier and the soldiers departed, God’s Time continued to stay in a daze, constantly reflecting on all the stories and sincere advice he had shared with Xavier—even urging him to go back to his village, believing that the city wasn’t suitable for someone like him.‘I had even considered taking someone as important as that back to the town and suggested that he could spend the night at his home before heading back to his village the next day.’ He also thought.It was only after about twenty minutes that the old man finally came back to his senses, and as soon as he did, a pained, embarrassed smile crossed his face as he released a long, heavy, and deep sigh.“Why did I even decide to assume he was like me, stereotyping him to be a poor person so quickly?” he muttered, feeling an intense urge to find a rabbit hole to crawl into, especially after recalling his opinions about the Blackwoods that he had shared with Xavier.Once again, the old man sighed dee
***** Although it was already late in the night, the interior of the Blackwoods’ estate was still brightly illuminated as if it were midday. The entire place was so well-lit to the extent that even the slightest hint of shadow could not be seen. One might even easily mistake it for daytime without a glimpse of the sky. ‘No wonder he easily gave out that villa without as much as a single hesitation,’ Xavier, taking in the estate’s grandeur couldn’t help but thought to himself as he sat in the car. He finally understood why the old man would willingly part with his prized villa in Oceanview. The Blackwoods’ estate was not just breathtakingly beautiful; even though Oceanview looked like something plucked straight from a painting, it seemed to lack the ethereal charm of this place—as if the Blackwoods’ estate belonged in paradise itself. Unfortunately, however, apart from this aesthetic part of the estate, the divine presence it contains, and the natural formation of heaven