With the speed of lightening, the automated doors were completely shut down as chaos filled the atmosphere. After about 10 minutes of security searching the vicinity for the robber fruitlessly, they came back to report to a restless Mr. Greystone who had just paced to and fro the room about the 20th time. At this point, the alarm had gone off.
“We are very sorry sir but we could not get hold of the criminal,” Snowflake said disappointedly. “Sorry for yourself and your job, you little piece of s**t. I don’t pay you half a million dollars to tell me sorry. You, of all people, should know the importance of the Celestial Reliquary, a crestgem that has been passed down to me by my ancestors.”Mr. Greystone continued, “Without the heirloom, the Greystones are nothing but history. Now, go find that criminal and bring him to me dead or alive!” he ordered. “Father, I suggest we start by searching that pauper standing there.” Astrid said as he pointed straight at Ryan. “And why should my boyfriend be searched?” Zara hurriedly defended Ryan.“The door to the Family’s heirloom is strongly shielded with laser protected technology that only father and his offspring, which happens to be us both, can bypass. Even Kevin Mitnick will struggle to hack this one,” Zara reinstated.“He seems to me like a wretched thief. I mean, the white house he messed up earlier is very close to the room with the heirloom. More so, the alarm went blaring immediately he took a step out of the house. For me, that low budget boyfriend of yours should be the prime suspect” Astrid said confidently. Zara was utterly speechless and Ryan equally dumbfounded. The allegations leveled at him were heavy and made him unsure of his reaction. If he defended himself of the allegation and refused to be searched, that would send a wrong message. Therefore, he concurred to the search.Snowflake swung into action immediately as he searched Ryan roughly. “What do you have inside the right pocket of your suit?” he asked. “Nothing,” Ryan replied. “Really, Then what is this?” Snowflake asked as he sent a right hook with the force of a truck across the jaw of Ryan who immediately started to bleed and for a second, thought he would pass out. Zara could not help the tears that flowed effortlessly from her eyes. “Please, don’t hurt him. He didn’t do it, I am sure he was set up.” She said softly in an ocean of tears.“Take her upstairs to her room immediately!” Mr. Greystone ordered. The other security beside snowflake immediately went to pick her up but was met with resistance from Zara. “Leave me you moron! You are going to be dead if your filthy hands touch me.” Zara ran and knelt at the feet of her father. “Father, please spare his life. I promise he would never do this.” Zara begged amidst tears.Smack! A resounding backhand slap to Zara sent her completely mute and astonished. It was the first time in her 21 years of existence; her father would raise his hand at her. “Take her in immediately!” Mr. Greystone said while avoiding the prying eyes of Zara.Ryan was still in shock as he wondered how the Celestial Reliquary found its way to his suit. It was then he remembered that after he had cleaned up his vomit in the white house and on his suit, the Chief Chef, Alessio, had offered to help dry up his wet suit. Was he the mastermind of this whole set up? Ryan thought.The terrifying voice of Mr. Greystone brought him back to reality. “You Meathead” Mr. Greystone exclaimed. “I let you in my house for two hours and this is how you repay my kindness. What then will happen if I leave you with my daughter for life?” He continued as he brought out a gun and cocked it placing it at Ryan’s temple, “You have got about ten seconds to live if you don’t answer my questions”Ryan was trembling and sweating profusely at this point and did let one out of his anus. He was only 22 and was not ready to die.“F**k! Did he just shit himself?” Astrid asked disgustedly.”Who sent you? What do you know about the Celestial Reliquary?” Mr. Greysone enquired as he counted down from ten. “Please, don’t kill me. I know nothing about the Celestial Reliquary. It’s the first time I have heard of such. I am being set up.” Ryan pleaded amidst tears and blood.“Liar” Mr. Greystone said whilst counting down and immediately, a loud gunshot that shook the house went off the recoil of the pistol.Ryan slowly opened his eyes as he touched his body to be sure he was still alive and breathing. He thought he had been sent to the netherworld by the father of his lover. There he stood, the father of his lover, staring menacingly at him.“You are lucky you are still alive because I purposely missed my shot. I will spare your life for the sake of my daughter’s love. However, if anyone hears about this heirloom from you, be sure that you will beg for death and it won’t come because I will tear your flesh bit by bit until I get enough to make a bag that would carry your bones. The unused part of your flesh will then be chopped into tiny pieces and fed to my dogs” Mr. Greystone threatened. “Am I clear enough?”Ryan knew he meant every word he said and was not bluffing. “Y-e-e-es sir!” Ryan slowly stuttered while nodding his head. “Take him out of my house,” Mr. Greystone ordered. With weak limbs, Ryan was immediately thrown out of the building face first to the floor. He was already tired and exhausted as he had just escaped a near death situation. He had just witnessed scenes he would ordinarily see in movies from the slap and punch he received from Snowflake to the betrayal by the chef, and the gunshot incidence all in one night. This was Hollywood standard reality.With heavy shoulders and a weak limb, he picked himself up and headed to the bus station. It was already circa 11pm and he could barely see any bus. The streets were empty as it was already late. Ryan could count the number of private cars that passed the bus station. All that bore deep in his mind was how he was going to take revenge for everything that the Greystones’ had done to him. He initially thought of going to report the incidence to the police station. However, he realized that this was a minor case considering the affluence of Mr. Greystone, who could easily buy immunity and then, kill him.“Moreover, who would believe a billionaire’s daughter is in love with a fat 333lb ugly asshole like me aside Jake.” Ryan thought.”Yes! Jake! He has a scooter. He can come pick me up.” Ryan said as he tried to remain positive though he was scared at how serene and lonely the environment was. He initially texted Jake: “Hey Fatso! Let’s put your ugly ass scooter to use. Kindly, come get me at the bus station nearest to the Greystones. Thanks!” However, after waiting for about ten minutes and got no response, he decided to call Jake instead. ”He is probably in bed,” Ryan thought.Ryan had just finished dialing Jake’s number when a red Mercedes car with black tinted windows pulled over at super speed and screechy tires. Three armed men with covered faces immediately charged towards him. He immediately turned to abscond but met with a fourth man whose physical features were simpatico to that of Snowflake. “A kidnap? Snowflake, is that you?” Before he could react, a sharp blow to the back of his head with a gun sent searing pain radiating through his skull, and his world exploded into darkness. Ryan immediately lost consciousness and was thrown into the trunk of the car, and zoom, the car sped away into the unknown. (FLASHBACK ENDS)"Little wonder my head hurts. The gun must have knocked me unconscious before I was brought here," Ryan pondered. In the dimly lit cave, the acrid smell of marijuana hung heavy in the air. “You will pay for this Astrid, I promise you. This battle is far from over. You dare sleep with my woman!” Damien said bitterly amidst the uncontrollable laughter of Orion and the annoying laughter of Astrid. Ryan’s nose began to twitch with the telltale signs of an impending sneeze due to the smell of marijuana. Desperate to stifle the inevitable disruption, he willed the urge away. But despite his best efforts, a mighty sneeze erupted, echoing through the hallowed cave, earning the attention of the notorious 3. “Well, well, well, look what we have here, the doublewide sleeping beauty is awake.” Astrid said. Laughter immediately erupted once again. “Woah, that’s new. Doublewide?” Ryan thought to himself. He was used to being called different names like Meathead, Fatso, Lard-butt, Willy the Whale
“Ohh my poor baby, I have missed you so much. Look what your stepbrothers have done to your cute chubby face,” Isabella said pitifully before landing a backhand slap at Ryan’s face. Blood immediately began to flow on the right side of Ryan’s cheek forcing him to reminisce the trauma he went through in his childhood. “It is so sad that your stepbrothers could not recognize you earlier at your arrival in Silverlake Academy and bullied you so much. Well, I would also not blame you for not recognizing them as you were all very young back then. Moreover, their surnames still remain Gwendolyne. How could you have guessed they were your brothers?”Isabella continued as she aggressively dragged Ryan’s hair backwards, “Now, listen to everything I am about to say Fatso cause it might be the last thing you ever hear.” As though nature was eavesdropping, everywhere was as silent as the graveyard. Neither the chirping cricket nor the couching frogs could be heard. “After your father took you awa
As the Notorious Three escorted Ryan out of the dimly lit cave, the cold night air bit at his skin, a stark contrast to the oppressive darkness he had known for so long. His heart raced with a mixture of fear and anticipation as they ascended the rocky path to the crest of a high hill, the distant sound of crashing waves growing louder with each step.At the summit, the Notorious Three paused, their shadows outlined against the moonlit sky as they exchanged whispered words amongst themselves. Ryan strained to catch fragments of their conversation, his pulse quickening with apprehension."What now?" Orion murmured, his voice tinged with impatience."We've come this far," Damien replied, his tone cold and calculating. "It's time to finish what we started."As the reality of his fate began to sink in, Ryan's mind raced with frantic desperation. He had never learned to swim, never felt the embrace of the ocean's depths. And now, faced with the prospect of being thrown into its icy embrace
Back in the Greystone’s Mansion, chaos loomed after Ryan was thrown out of the house. Zara was furious at her father for hitting her and humiliating Ryan. She resolved to destroy everything in her room while yelling aloud. Mr. Benedict Greystone could do little or nothing about it as she made sure to bolt the door before unleashing chaos. “Please, open up my Angel. Your boyfriend is safe, I promise. I will reconsider my decision if you open this door.” Mr. Greystone pleaded. She blatantly paid deaf ears to her father’s pleas.The Notorious Three went to their respective homes after completing the big mission they had set out to do and even added a side quest by killing an additional person. The Greystone mansion shined in the predawn darkness, its grandeur masked by the shroud of night. Inside, the air is heavy with tension, the silence broken only by the soft sound of Astrid's careful footsteps as he navigated the narrow corridors trying not to notify anyone of his presence by wakin
As the gentle waves of the sea carried Ryan's battered body from the city of Halcyon Bay to the shores of Aquanor, he stirred from the depths of unconsciousness, his senses slowly returning to him like a ship emerging from the fog. Blinking against the blinding light of the sun, he struggled to make sense of his surroundings, his mind clouded by pain and confusion as to how he was still alive.But as he reached a trembling hand to his chest, he felt the familiar weight of the necklace his mother had given him before she died its presence a comforting reminder of her love and protection. And as he examined the shattered remains of the box pendant, his heart skipped a beat at the sight of the half-shaped heart pendant nestled within the locket, its intricate design bearing a striking resemblance to the Celestial reliquary coveted by the Greystones which he had been earlier accused of stealing. The necklace he had always worn given to him by his mother had a box shaped pendant. However,
As Ryan followed the man, whose name he learned was Thomas, through the winding streets of Aquanor, he couldn't shake the feeling of apprehension tinged with curiosity. The city seemed to pulse with an otherworldly energy, its vibrant colors and bustling streets a stark contrast to the darkness that had enveloped his past in Halcyon Bay.Upon arriving at Thomas's modest home, Ryan was greeted with warmth and hospitality by Thomas's family. The beautiful woman, introduced as Thomas's daughter Jessica, smiled warmly at him, her eyes sparkling with kindness. And the younger son, a lively boy named Lucas, bounced around with infectious energy, eager to make a new friend.As they gathered around the dinner table, the fragrant aroma of home-cooked food filled the air, mingling with the laughter and chatter of the family. Ryan found himself drawn into their world, the weight of his burdens momentarily lifted by their genuine kindness.Before dinner, Thomas showed Ryan to the bathroom to fres
As Ryan sat down to enjoy the sumptuous feast laid before him, his senses were overwhelmed by the tantalizing aroma of the dish known as "Moonlit Ambrosia," a delicacy rumored to have been crafted by the hands of celestial beings themselves. Each bite burst with flavors beyond his wildest imagination, transporting him to realms unknown and filling him with a sense of wonder. As he savored the delicious meal, Mr. Thomas joined him at the table, his expression grave yet tinged with a glimmer of hope. Over the course of their conversation, Mr. Thomas revealed the painful truth of his past, his voice heavy with the weight of regret and betrayal. “Why do you search for the Arcane Treasury son?” Mr. Thomas asked. Ryan immediately stopped chewing as he thought about his reply to Mr. Thomas. “I am sorry sir but it is personal business,” Ryan replied. Taking a deep breath, Mr. Thomas said, “Believe it or not son, I once worked at the Arcane Treasury.” Ryan immediately became intrigued
Ryan slowly regained consciousness back to the realm of the living. He probably may have been unconscious for about two hours. Ryan found himself bound to a chair with hands behind his back and legs strongly tied with a rope. The gloomy atmosphere of where appeared to look like a cave, had the horrifying aura of the Dracula. “Where am I? Where is this place?” he thought to himself. With a blurred vision, Ryan could barely see the three solitary figures that sat about five meters away in the dimly lit cave chatting loudly about their sexual exploits. One of the figures, who had barely uttered a word finally spoke up. “After we put an end to this menace still taking a nap over there, I will like to completely devote my attention to Luna”, he said. As if to seek for an approval from his peers, he slowly raised his head up and continued. “Luna is the hottest girl in school and I think I am in love with her. I believe we will make a …” “Luna, the new girl?” a deep voice sharply cut in