Rosalia nudged Jackson strongly in the ribs. A groan escaped his mouth. When he turned to her, displeased, she exclaimed. “We won’t go back!”“What do you mean? I made a promise…”Rosalia interrupted him with a stern look. “You may have made a promise, but don’t forget, this train has many people who just went through an ordeal. Let them get off first.”Jackson’s eyes widened. Surprised by his lack of consideration, he lowered his head to Ulrich. “Please, give us some more time.”Ulrich smiled. “Please raise your head, young master. I'm not in a hurry.”Jackson gritted his teeth. He clenched his fists hard enough for blood to drip from where his nails pierced through his flesh. “Damn my ignorance!”***With Hale as the driver, they reached their destination with no trouble. Jackson and the others had a pleased look on their faces. Just as soon as the people got off the train, they formed a line to the engine room, hoping to meet the people who had saved their lives.No matter how hard
Gray clouds covered the entire Rosenbaum kingdom. Sudden gusts of wind left a chilly feeling in the bones. People walking around hugged their clothes tightly to keep warm. Because mountains surrounded the kingdom, rain clouds had a hard time escaping. The frozen peaks provided an ideal environment for them to charge and respond with a day of rain, snow, and more times than often, hail. Even if the blazing days of summer scorched the entire world, the Rosenbaum kingdom appeared favored by the climate. Their winters breezed through relentlessly. For most people in the Rosenbaum kingdom, such weather wasn’t anything special. Just another part of their life. For those living in the slums, however, it was an entirely different story. One more thing they had to fight against to survive. The roads flooded and roofs caved in. Sickness ate through those who couldn’t afford a trip to the doctor. Each year, the population in the slums lessened and made room for more to live there. A cycle
The moment Jackson got down, Ulrich barely got his wife to the floor before bullets sewed the wooden wall. If Rosalia hadn’t noticed the assault rifles in time, the bullets would have riddled them.Ulrich raised his head to see what had happened. He noticed people approaching his house. Their dress code didn’t match the people from the slums, which could only mean one thing.He clenched his fists right before punching the floor with all his might. “T-That bastard!”Jackson’s eyebrow twitched. “Is there a way out of here?”“This way…”Ulrich’s wife got on all fours, grabbed her baby, and led them all out through the back door.Rosalia whispered in a concerned voice. “You gotta hand it to them. They drained the flood in such a short time.”Jackson added in a somewhat light tone. “I bet that’s what got Ulrich pissed the most!”Surprised by Jackson’s remark, Rosalia questioned. “How so?”“Well, they have the power and technology to keep the slums safe from floods, mold and disease, but th
The dim flickering light just barely shone on the documents and photographs on the wall. Ulrich made out some of the pinned faces. From the corners of his eyes, he tracked Jackson’s movements.He did anything warranting attention. Instead, he took his time wandering around the cave, inspecting everything. After a while, he stood idly by with his arms crossed..Ulrich approached him and gently nudged him. “See these people? Mr. Minister is among them…”Jackson’s eyes widened. “Then, they are…”A gust of wind picked up and whistled through the cave walls.It wasn’t much of a disruption, but Jackson decided it was time to go. He got one last look at the pinned photos and left with Ulrich.The tunnel became narrow again. The path led them to a metallic gate, like the one they found before they entered. Maintenance was the only difference. It didn’t creak when Jackson pushed it.At first he flinched, thinking he would notify them of their presence. Once he saw that wasn’t the case, he sigh
Inches before the knife cut the woman’s throat, Rosalia blocked it with her dagger. The intensity of the two metals colliding with one another created sparks that flew in all directions.Rosalia’s reaction to his attack surprised the man in the cloak. After a brief shortness of breath, the man in the cloak regained his composure. He stared daggers at the ruby-eyed girl. “Why don’t you step aside, girl? I’ll give you a portion of the reward.”Uninterested, Rosalia jested. “Eh? Really?”With a grin on his face, the man in a cloak continued. “Yes, that’s right. Just look the other way.”With a smile painted on her face, Rosalia looked at the distressed Marcia. The woman took it as if the ruby-eyed girl would abandon her and closed her eyes, prepared to meet her fate.The man in the cloak walked past Rosalia, towards Ulrich’s wife. “Kahaha! The bounty is mine!”He raised his knife and forcefully directed it towards Marcia.Rosalia said nothing in response when she stepped in front of the
He paced back and forth. Once he reached the window, he slightly pulled on the drape, looking outside. The queen’s room was about twenty meters from the ground, yet Jackson couldn’t relax. Not only did he commit a crime by entering the premises illegally, but he found his way in the bedroom of the most important person in all of Rosenbaum Kingdom. After a few deep breaths to calm his nerves, he looked at the half-naked figure of the beauty sitting seductively on the bed, waiting for him to sit beside her. Reluctantly and at a steady pace, Jackson approached the queen. She couldn’t have been over twenty-five or twenty-six years old, yet she ruled an entire nation. No matter how one would look at it, Jackson couldn’t even come close to her magnificence. Their status was too far apart. Under normal circumstances, they wouldn’t be alone in a room like this. Jackson understood this, and didn’t lose his nerve. His goal hadn’t changed. Since he got the chance to tell the queen everythi
Jackson and the queen laid on the bed. She found comfort in his embrace as she caressed his chest with her finger. It followed a circular trajectory which tickled him.The two remained quiet for several minutes.A knock on the door brought them back from their haze.They both got up and dressed. Jackson went to the door. He knocked back and Ulrich pushed it open. His voice echoed through the crack. “Young master, there’s movement in the corridor.”Jackson adjusted his shirt and walked towards the queen. “Your highness. The people I told you about earlier seem to be more active now.”The young woman smiled, buttoned her shirt and walked towards the door. She knocked twice. Her thunderous voice sent chills down Jackson’s spine. “Open the door!”Just as it opened enough for her to go through, the queen slipped outside. Soon enough, the people Jackson followed appeared in front of her. Ulrich flexed his muscles and shielded her.“Hey, Ulrich, push this thing a little more.”Ulrich stepped
The noble minister gargled in a pool of his blood. He laid on his stomach, unable to turn around. His face grew pale and the light in his eyes became dim.One could say it was because of the fear he felt at when Ulrich pounded him without remorse. It took but one punch to demolish his spirit.Queen Melina stared down at him from her throne. Silence brewed for several minutes until Ulrich stood next to Jackson. Then the Rosenbaum Kingdom’s queen spoke in an utterly bitter tone. “You, the minister of this nation, betrayed our people, broke laws and murdered innocents for your greed. As queen, I dismiss you from your duties effective immediately. You are to wait in a cell until the day of your execution.”She looked around and met everyone’s eyes, making them realize how serious she was. She then stood up. Just before she left, her voice echoed throughout the throne room. “Take this scum out of my sight!”Until this happened, her people and nobles thought she was just a figurehead not to