Introducing, chaos

Fear whipped the drunkenness off his face as he stared at the man who was holding his neck. The man had two others behind him. At this point, he was scared for his life and wondered what these men could want with a nobody like him. "Or did I insult someone I shouldn't have?" His thoughts were going as wild as they possibly could, until the man holding him finally spoke."I'm going to release you, now. I'll ask you a question, and nothing must come out of your mouth except for the answer, understood?"The man shook his head in reply, and the tall man released him."The story you were describing earlier, do you know where the kid went?" the tall man asked."The kid? H-he went into the warehouse with the warehouse manager.""Warehouse?""Yes, the warehouse was in front of where he had narrated the story. The woman had come to check why people were gathering in front of her business. She dispersed the crowd since we were disrupting her business, and after a while she invited the boy into her warehouse. That's all I know. Please don't kill me.""This warehouse, do you know where it is?""Yes, it's in the large market seven streets west from here. It's the only textile warehouse in the street so it's not hard to miss," the man explained in a shaky breath."Good," the tall man replied, satisfied with the answer."Can I go now?" the young man asked."Ah, yes, Razor, send him on his way," the tall man said to his subordinate, who immediately attacked the young man, killing him with his blade."Let's go," the tall man said, and they all disappeared into the dark, leaving behind the young man's body.In the far distance, a young woman watched as everything unfolded. She had arrived in Bintan just a few hours ago and happened to be at the bar where the three young men were drinking. She heard the story the now-dead young man was telling and had decided to interrogate him about it later. But she later found out she wasn't the only one listening to their conversation.She waited and watched as the men left the bar and kept her distance since she knew the men also watching the young man would follow him, which they did, just like she predicted. She made her way to one of the tall buildings that would allow her to see what was going on in the distance. When she saw what those men did to the young man, she knew he had told them all he knew, since they didn't torture him first."I guess I'll have to extract the information from them instead. Sigh, this is going to be a long night," she thought before disappearing from her position.The event that had transpired here had also transpired in various other locations around Bintan. Chaos was brewing, and only a few were aware.The next day, Kin woke up having barely been able to sleep at all. He had to sleep with both eyes open and his brain in hyperactive mode. On one hand, he was afraid Bintan would fall that very night. That wasn't a good time to be sleeping. On the other hand, he feared Majeed would return and get his revenge for giving him such an injury. But it seemed the young Lord is still battling for survival. Having your hand cut off wasn't a wound anyone would quickly recover from. Then there were other threats he knew were around him and those he didn't know. After all, his identity had been exposed, and it was only a matter of time before more people found out who he was. In summary, he wasn't going to be having a good night's rest in a while, not until he was safe.Ashell troubled him about running away from Bintan, but the argument ended with him saying he never leaves a damsel in distress, no matter how frustrating she was. A sane person would have escaped from the very sight of danger, but Kin... Kin was anything but sane.Kin dragged his tired body to his duty post, wondering what the day would bring. "Another day of trouble, I suppose. Maybe I should talk to Lord Rashid and escape with Jamila today."Melisse's words rang loudly in his head like a bell: "I'll advise you to leave before tomorrow ends. Bintan is already doomed. Don't go down with it.""A prophecy of doom, huh? I could warn Rashid, but that only buys him some time before another doom comes knocking. He should have just chosen a side," Kin concluded."That's it, Ashell, we're leaving.""Why? Don't you want to witness the pending doom?" Ashell asked a hint of amusement in her voice."Nope," Kin replied, his voice firm. "I can smell it in the air, something disastrous is about to happen.""Oh? How did you know? Was it the war around us? The crazy wolf girl and her band of rebels? The rebellious son? Or is it your uncle, the man who would raze Bintan to the ground once he finds out you're here? I would have never noticed if you didn't tell me now," Ashell replied, her sarcasm dripping like honey.Kin ignored her and marched towards Jamila's room, his mind made up. Knocking firmly, he waited for a reply."Come in," a voice resounded from inside, and Kin entered.He found Jamila already awake and dressed for the day. She turned towards him, a smile gracing her features."Hey, Ashin, what do you think?" she asked, before twirling around in a full circle to show off her outfit.Kin blinked, momentarily caught off guard. "Well, my lady, you look great," he replied, forcing a smile. It had taken him a few seconds to realize his blunder, but the damage was done."Great?" Jamila echoed, her smile faltering slightly. "Just great?""I'm going to change," she declared, turning towards her wardrobe.Kin wanted to apologize, to explain his slip of the tongue, but his mind felt sluggish. He sighed, slumping into a nearby chair, and waited for her to return. He needed to compose himself, to form a better response when she asked about her appearance again.This was the first time she'd been up and about so early since her kidnapping a few weeks ago. While she still bore the emotional scars of the ordeal, she seemed to be regaining her strength. Unfortunately, things were about to get... intense, to say the least.After what felt like an eternity, Jamila emerged from her wardrobe. Kin braced himself, hoping for a better opportunity to redeem himself."So, how do I look?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.This time, Kin was prepared. He cleared his throat and replied with a genuine smile, "You look radiant, Jamila. Absolutely stunning."Jamila's smile returned in full force, a blush creeping up her cheeks. "Thank you, Ashin," she murmured, before linking her arm with his. "Now, shall we go to breakfast? I'm starving."Together, they made their way to the dining room, where the rest of the Jasim family awaited. As Kin entered, his breath hitched. The entire family was gathered around the table, including Jamila, Rashid, his wife, and all four of their children. Most shockingly, Majeed was present.Kin's heart hammered against his ribs. This was not what he'd expected. How could Majeed be here, looking relatively unharmed after losing a hand?