Red Clad Sect Grounds
The ominous grounds atop of the mountain tip above the clouds was eerily quiet—but along the stairs that ascend to the heavens was a man carrying a travel bag, wearing a strawhat that had multiple bells which clang together creating a melody. In the man's hand was a staff used for climbing.
The mysterious man made it to the gates where the Sect disciples guarded.
"Halt, and state your business."
The man half-raised his head and his grin made the Sect disciples flinch a bit—it was as if they were staring at the devil's face... And indeed they were. "I'm here to provide some information regarding these two." The mysterious man said as he showed two papers.
Realization hit the disciples and they opened the gate allowing the man in.
The thumping of wooden sandals on the wooden floor flooded the Red Clad Sect building as the same person made his way through the hallways—finally he was at the doors leading to the Sect leader's office, a room that was hidden away from every other. The man knocked and an "enter" command allowed him inside.
Both men inside the dark room stared at each other—Red, demonic eyes stared at steel silver and the Sect leader chuckled at the mysterious man's grit. "What brings you here, scholar."
The man referred to as "scholar" placed the same papers he had shown the Sect disciples at the gate. "I have information on these two, information you would like."
The Sect leader glanced at the papers on his table and then at the silver-eyed man. "What is in it for you?"
"Me?" The man's lips tucked up and the white of his teeth flashed in the darkness. "Your word to ignore everything I do."
Ducathet
The moon was unlike most nights—it was bright but it was not silver, it was painted red and its light reflected on the city below. The people were asleep well most except, factory workers, patrols and Lia who was sitting on the balcony staring out into the quiet city. Her mind wandered back to the day she woke and saw Yuanchen had left, although a stranger she knew for a week she somewhat felt hollow inside knowing he left without saying anything to her.
"Tsk! Who cares about him anyways? Certainly not me." Lia mumbled puffing her cheeks and she turned her attention to her brother curled up on the bed and a smile married her face. At least we are together that thought gave her solace.
A breeze brush past her making Lia rub her shoulders from the chill.
"Found you!"
Lia's face drained of all color as she looked at her front where a man stood balancing on the rails of the balcony—what made her blood run cold was the attire he wore and the mask, the familiarity of those specific clothes brought back the memories of that day. Without trepidation, Lia spun on her heel and bolted to her brother.
They had to run.
The man standing on the balcony watched with amusement. "You can't run from me." He whispered as a small mechanical insect appeared on his finger, his eyes looked at the insect ignoring the slamming door as Lia ran with Damon on her back.
Lia literally jumped steps as she made her escape, she would randomly hit the trash cans and knock them down scaring the few animals in the street—her lungs burned from the lack of oxygen, her eyes stung from the cold winds rushing against her face and body but she did not care. She wanted to put as much space between herself and the man.
A glint appeared behind her and Lia collapsed on the ground while Damon flew from her back and fell a couple of feet away from her—the fall woke Damon up and the little boy groggily opened his eyes. "Sister?"
Lia bit her lip biting down on the pain that was shooting up her leg—she looked at her leg and saw blood and a metal shard laying beside her. She pulled herself to a sitting position and crawled to Damon just as the man she had ran from landed on the trash can besides them.
"Told you I found you, that was fun."
Lia cradled Damon in her hands and buried his face in her clothes hiding him from the man while she glared daggers at their attacker. How did he find me this quickly?
"How did I find you this quickly—" The man spoke shocking Lia from the way he knew her exact thoughts. "Well it's simple, look at your arms."
Lia looked at her arms and her eyes widened—she had tattoos that covered every inch of her skin, something that she did not have.
The man snapped his fingers and the tattoos moved. "That's how, my ability. Insect Touch, with that on you, you cannot run from me—so forget running hihihi."
Lia despite being scared kept her fierce glare on the man. "What do you want?" she asked.
The man whistled seeing the fierce look. "what I want? Well I want nothing, but my boss wants you so I have to follow orders and bring you back to HQ. Don't resist."
Lia spat. "I'm not going anywhere with you." she knew that if he wanted to take her, he could but she had to buy time. She was intentionally raising her voice to alert the patrol sentries that usually patrolled during the night.
The man just sighed. "If you think the patrol sentries are coming to your rescue you are being foolish. Around us there's a anti-sound barrier that is nullifying all and every sound outside, so you can yell all you want, no one's gonna hear you."
Dread flooded Lia's heart, her stomach churned from the settling realization—she was trapped, no one was coming to her rescue, she could not scream for help, nothing. In her heart she regretted whatever she said, she did not need Yuanchen, she desperately needed him. *Yuanchen please save me!* her sole plea before everything went dark and she lost consciousness.
Lia groggily opened her eyes and immediately after doing so, panic flooded them. *Where was her brother? Where did that man take them?* she did not stop to think about herself, nor inspect the room, her concerns lingered on her brother, the only person she had in her life that anchored her down and prevented her suicidal thoughts.
Where was he?
"Hey Clive, our guest is awake." Duval said from his seat at the corner of the room watching Lia frantically try to move in the chair she was bound in.
Clive walked into the room with a needle in her hand. "About time you woke up." She looked at Lia and couldn't help but seethe a bit—the woman was young but her chest was more well-endowed that hers, HERS? A grown woman being outshined by a mere girl in the lady bits part? That did not bode well with Clive. She wanted to rip her apart just for that but hearing Duval's throat clear brought her back to her senses.
She stared at Lia. "The famous cat burglar, the silk hand thief. You are notorious for your exploits, why don't you tell us where you put the Key and we can let you go?"
Lia glared back at Clive without batting an eye and spat on her face. "Where's my broth—"
Smack
Lia's words paused and her head swung to the side—a huge red bruise married her cheek courtesy of Clive who was wiping away the saliva on her face.
"Listen here you little whore, I am doing everything in my power not to outright kill you right now so don't piss me off—answer the fucking question or I'll improvise." Clive's tone was dark and it told Lia that no more messing up but she couldn't care—she wanted her brother and nothing else, she didn't care if she died—nothing will stop her from clawing her way back from the underworld just to see her brother safe.
Before she could reply, the room shook intensely, the roof leaked dust and small grains of sand and the atmosphere in the room changed.
Everyone was on high alert.