Xaidon stood on the roof of his new mansion, staring at the night sky. Many stars shone brightly above. He would do this occasionally when they went on missions to commit crimes. He always told himself it was for a good reason... back then. Now, he stares at the stars because they bring him solace. As the cold air brushed against his face, a figure climbed up from behind. Xaidon didn't bother turning and continued to look at the night sky.
Peter approached him and stood beside him. He didn't speak and stared at the sky above for a long while. Eventually, Xaidon sighed and looked at him. "The same question?"
Peter lingered a bit before nodding. Xaidon looked him in the eye, then looked away. This was the routine every time he looked at the night sky. Peter would come and ask him one question. 'Are we strong enough?'
Of course, Xaidon would always decline, but today he wasn't so sure. They had killed a master, for crying out loud. A master was considered the leader of mortals in every way — standing at the peak of mortality, in a sense. And the three of them killed one with relative ease. Maybe the master had slacked off and wasn't in shape anymore, but it still meant a lot. He thought for a long time before opening his mouth to speak, but before any words could come out, a voice spoke from behind.
"Please don't say yes." The voice sounded annoyed. As they turned, they saw Skylar in her sleeping outfit, looking at them. She approached slowly, crossed her arms, and stared at them with a fierce expression.
"Before you say anything, listen. Unlike you two dumasses, I investigated our enemy and made sure to keep tabs on them. The Kin clan has advanced a lot in recent years, especially now that the fourth prince... king has a kingdom of his own. The fourth king himself doesn't come out much and leaves everything to his mother. His mother, a direct kin of the clan, has ensured they are now at the top of the food chain. Their bloody slave trade has also increased lately. Since our escape, they've been even more brutal to their victims. It used to take six to seven months to break a person, but now less than two months is enough."
She paused, recalling what they had done to her—how she was used as a toy, and when she fought back, they sent more to keep her down. She continued.
"We are currently in the kingdom of Tere, which belongs to the fourth king. Luckily, the Kin clan is on the south side of the kingdom, and we're on the north side. Anyway, before the prince was made a king, the clan had many Elites and a handful of masters. They had about two Lords and a rumored king in their ranks."
Suddenly, her eyes turned cold and her voice icy. "Now, their Elites number a thousand, their masters no more than a hundred, and six Lords confirmed. As for their rumored king—I am not sure. The point is, we're not strong enough to wipe out the entire clan—not even close."
Xaidon, after hearing this, began to reconsider everything from the start. He thought he was strong enough to venture into the world—and he was—but who knew he wasn't even close. He closed his eyes and started thinking. 'Does that mean I'll have to become a master or even a lord before I can get my revenge? But I hate staying here.'
As his mind replayed Skylar's words, another voice interrupted. "What if we enter the tomb of a king?" Everything froze. Xaidon and Skylar froze in place, slowly turning their heads. Peter looked innocent as he stroked the back of his head, thinking. They didn't say anything, waiting for him. That was typical Peter—he'd say something ridiculous, then, as things settled, he'd reveal himself. And once again, he didn't disappoint.
"Because I know a place where a king's remains are buried."
And just like that, Xaidon and Skylar's eyes lit up with excitement.
In this world, a tomb isn't just a final resting place but a treasure trove for the powerful. King and lord ranks build elaborate tombs to safeguard their wealth, armor, and powerful artifacts. These tombs often become targets for brave adventurers and cunning thieves seeking to claim the riches inside.
To protect their treasures, some tomb owners hide them in secret locations or set deadly traps to deter intruders. Despite the risks, tomb raiding becomes a dangerous profession, with many risk everything for a shot at untold wealth.
Skylar coughed and glanced at Peter. "Where exactly is their tomb?"
Peter looked at them both for a second and chuckled. "Let me correct myself. I know how we can find it."
The three fell silent. Entering and conquering a tomb is tricky. If the dead person left traps, they'd have to avoid them and still get the valuables inside. Plus, if what Peter said about it being a king's tomb is true, it's even more promising than he initially thought. They kept quiet, thinking. Another question was: even if they survived the tomb, would they be able to fight the Kin clan?
While they remained silent, the last person they expected to speak was her.
"I think we should do it." Skylar said with determination. "It will help us gauge our place in the kingdom, and we can finally leave this godforsaken place."
The two boys nodded. They hated this organization to their core but couldn't do much about it. They needed power fast—and now they had it. Now, they could leave. But then, a big problem arose: the organization doesn't just let people walk away. Even retired old members stay within, just not on missions. The three also had their master's constant attention. He was a demon, after all, and wouldn't let them tarnish his name.
Peter sighed and looked at Xaidon. "I remember you saying you had an idea about how we could leave a long time ago."
Xaidon shook his head. "I did. I do. But trust me—you won't like it one bit."
The other two raised their eyebrows and looked at him, puzzled. So Xaidon spoke. From the very beginning, Skylar and Peter's eyes widened in horror—not because of the results but because of what he proposed to do. They glanced at each other occasionally, ensuring they weren't imagining things. When Xaidon finished, he met their gaze and said nothing more.
"We… we are just Elites. I hope you remember that?" Skylar asked him in confusion, yet impressed. Peter looked down, sighed, then lifted his head with a smile. "At least I know who'll be doing the dangerous part."
Skylar and Peter stared at Xaidon with amusement in their eyes.