chapter 1

"The message is ready. It will only activate when it scans for their DNA. I'm worried sick about the children. If they can't stand the upcoming consequences of our actions, it will leave both of them broken. His sister is clever, but only you have a connection with the boy. After tonight, they will never be the same. The fact is, I'm afraid they won't accept what we tried to do. Peace is costly, they said. Son of a...!"

The doors burst open, followed by concussion disks. Before both Eleanor and Jacob could finish their sentences, they were incapacitated and detained.

Glory was the eldest twin of the family of four. Erick, being the baby of the house, had always been the oddest of the bunch. As the children were spending the night at a friend's house, Erick had a bad feeling and had been bothering everyone to take them home. They were being dropped off at their house after Erick had one of his episodes.

As Marcela rushed, she stepped on the accelerator and broke traffic lights. As they approached their district, they started observing what appeared to be flying cars. These weren't a rarity in themselves, but these were bigger and carried soldiers—unlike any they had seen before—tall, massive, and menacing, with high-tone voices coming out of their visors. All of them seemed to be concentrated on their building, which was the second largest and tallest in the block.

When the car pulled up to the building, they saw multiple people in slick-looking armor equipped with guns, pistols, and swords. The soldiers had towering, frightening masks. The moment Erick saw the chaos unfolding at the door of their apartment, he noticed a man crying while holding a woman with black hair streaked with white. Before his mind could process what he was witnessing, Glory passed him, yelling and screaming, crying at the cold bodies of their parents.

Many of the soldiers surrounding the weeping man were startled and pointed their weapons at the children. But with a wave of the commander's hand, the guns were lowered. Glory ran past all of the soldiers, while Erick stood at the half-broken door.

As the man saw his grandchildren safe and out of harm's way, joy began to sprout on his face. Suddenly, a cloaked projector came to life: "DNA match confirmed. Glory and Erick, you will observe the last message as programmed." With hard light, the faces of Eleanor and Jacob appeared. "My sweet children, listen to us. We know what you've found here will scar you both forever, but it's our wish that you stay with your grandparents. With our deaths, they'll find you both. If for nothing else, your lives will be comfortable. All we've ever wanted was a peaceful and prosperous twilight for you both, but it's all for naught. Glory, we know you won't disappoint us by throwing your life away. But Erick, we'll never forgive you if you throw your life away. Be good, Glory. Don't lose that light, Erick. Please, we know what you're thinking. Please don't." They shed tears of anger, and the projector shut down.

As Marcela realized what had happened, she met Nethan at the emergency spot. "It looks like they made a move and forced our hand. Let's meet. Father and mother dead. Comm silence from now on..."

As Erick climbed into what appeared to be a broken bed, he closed his eyes and started to count backwards in his head, hoping somehow that this nightmare was just a huge cosmic joke.

Your Imperial Highness, whoever committed this act seems to have involved the local powers. I've already sent Unit Nine to apprehend and bring them before you, even if they have to burn down Twilight," said a soldier, carrying Jacob's corpse out of the building and ordering the children to be brought out as well.

"You can't always live life in your head and ignore the greater world, my little menace. Before you realize it, you'll run away from home to go to Saint Gregor, and you won't even have time for your family."

"It looks like your words might have come true, Mom," Erick said, taking a broken glass. Before he could plunge it into his chest, he heard a voice: "Is this what your parents taught you to do in the face of suffering and pain? Is this the resolve one has in the twilight, young one?"

Erick felt his body being lifted and floated in the air. Before he could realize it, he felt a sharp force bumping him in the back of his head. As he drifted into unconsciousness, he heard the man speak to his soldier: "Strict monitoring and bind him so he doesn't hurt himself."

"Understood, Your Imperial Highness. I've also prepared the best doctors and psychologists to help the young lord. They're waiting for us at the estate."

The soldier bowed and left with the unconscious Erick and Glory.

The man roared like a wounded beast of battle. "Calm down, brother. This isn't a hopeless outcome. My niece and her husband fought hard, and they died fighting. Don't mourn her with tears. It would sully the memory we hold of her. We will burn them root and stem for what they did. Let's go. The Empress will want to see her grandchildren."

Emperor Julian walked out with his guard escort. He looked up at the sky, thinking why he even let her stay in this shithole of a land. A person approached the Emperor, handing him a box with a Gregorian style lock. His emotions running high, he shed a tear and looked back at the house. He ordered his men to collect all mementos in the house and to blow up the house afterward. He climbed into his carrier and disappeared into the horizon.

In one of the many high rises in Zelcore's capital, Marcela was forced to her knees. "Why did you kill them? They never interfered in your matters. All they did was offer an option of peace and unity for Twilight, and yet you doomed everyone on the continent. Emperor Julian will burn everything."

"We know," replied the head of the group. "Project Scorched Sun will be delayed for a couple of years at best, even a quarter of a century at worst, until we're ready..."

"Wait, since I'm dead, answer me one last question. The only reason you boldly killed the princess is because you have someone promising you protection, isn't it? Arrogant Celestian, think you're smart? Of course, we do," replied an entourage member before Marcela was dropped like a fly.

"Didn't I specifically request everyone to shut it? Hmmm, let's end her and move on..."

"Wait, wait! Don't you see something out of the ordinary? Really look. What kind of teeth make a low frequency sound transmitting conversations?" Marcela smiled, knowing she had doomed them to Nethan's savagery. With a flash from the muzzle of a gun, Marcela fell to the ground, smiling with a tear on her face.