Part Two

Elsewhere...

Grand Patron Izanagi Yu lay on the cold floor of the cell, his breaths shallow, his once-proud frame battered and weakened. Captured during his ill-fated escape from the front lines, he now found himself a prisoner of the infamous Ikasu Slave Traders. Unrecognizable with his head shaved and his body branded, Izanagi was flung into a cell crowded with other despairing souls, their faces hollow with exhaustion and fear.

"Where are they taking us?" he croaked, his voice barely audible.

The other slaves shifted uneasily, avoiding his gaze.

"Where are—"

A sharp voice cut him off. "Shut up, old man!"

The door to the cell swung open with a loud creak. A slave trader stomped inside, his menacing presence casting a shadow over the prisoners.

"You want to know where you're going, huh?" the trader sneered, grabbing Izanagi by the collar. "Let me tell you: you're going to a place where no one cares who you are or what you've done. Just shut up and wait to be sold like the rest of this trash."

A voice came from the corner of the cell, calm and deliberate. "The boss won't like you damaging the merchandise."

It was Hito, the head slave—a position that granted him respect within the confines of the cell but carried no weight beyond it. He sat with his back to the wall, his eyes sharp despite his disheveled appearance.

The trader hesitated, his grip on Izanagi loosening. Hito continued, "Buyers are getting picky. With the large inflow of slaves from the war, They want clean, healthy slaves. Damaged goods won't fetch a good price, and you know it."

The trader scowled but released Izanagi, muttering a string of curses before storming out.

As the door slammed shut, Hito pushed himself off the wall and approached Izanagi, crouching beside him.

"I know who you are," he said quietly.

Izanagi's eyes flickered with surprise.

"You are Grand Patron Izanagi Yu," Hito whispered. "I am Hito Kuzaki, headman of Kuzi Village, one of the many under your rule. I had hoped to meet you under better circumstances. Tell me, my lord, has the war..." He hesitated. "...truly gone against us?"

Izanagi's voice was faint but firm. "I must escape. Can you help me?"

Hito sighed. "My lord, you're in no condition to flee. Your wounds are severe, and General Hishiro doesn't take kindly to escape attempts. Look there." He pointed to a man lying in the corner of the cell, unconscious and legless. "Du tried to escape. That was his punishment, he is far better than most."

Izanagi shook his head. "You don't understand. The emperor can end this war. I must return to my clan. I carry news—"

"Your clan?" Hito's face darkened.

"What is it?" Izanagi demanded, his voice rising despite his weakness. "Has my clan been captured?"

Hito nodded solemnly. "The slave masters, they talk alot. It was a surprise attack. The royal family may have escaped, but Commander Kao..." He paused, lowering his head. "...Commander Kao was killed in battle."

Izanagi's breath caught in his throat. "Kao... no..."

... Past...

"My lord," Commander Kao said, his tone urgent. "Is it true? Are you withdrawing from the alliance?"

Izanagi sat in his study, his gaze distant. "What does it matter? This alliance is a sham. The Grand Patrons don't seek peace; they seek power. This is nothing more than an agreement to dethrone the emperor and break the treaty, and when it's done, they'll turn on each other to fight for the next emperor. I want no part in such senseless bloodshed, we will honor the Clans Treaty as we have always done,"

Kao hesitated, then pressed on. "And the boy, my lord? How does he fit into all this? Why did Emperor Zhao entrust you with him? Who is he?"

Izanagi exhaled deeply, his eyes clouded with memory. "It was the night of Zhao's succession. He had drunk too much, as was his custom in moments of triumph. I warned him to retire, but he waved me off. That was when Qui, the songstress, approached him. She led him away, and I thought nothing of it—until later that night.

"I was patrolling the palace halls when I saw her. A slave girl of the Izuo Clan, with long, dark hair. She slipped out of the emperor's chambers and met Qui in the shadows. They spoke briefly before Qui entered the chambers herself. I didn't understand what I had seen until much later."

He paused, his jaw tightening. "Qui and her husband, Lord Izuo, had planned to use the incident to blackmail the emperor. They would claim that Zhao had dishonored Qui, forcing him to comply with their demands. But when I told Zhao what had happened, he acted swiftly. Qui and Lord Izuo were executed. The slave girl was ordered killed as well, but she vanished.

"Years passed, and the emperor fell ill. With no male heir, he grew desperate. That was when I confessed that I had lied—I hadn't found the slave girl. He ordered me to find her, to see if she had borne his child. And if she had, to bring the child to him."

Kao's eyes widened. "You mean... the boy is—"

"Yes," Izanagi said gravely. "He is Emperor Zhao's son. A bastard, yes, but the only legitimate heir to the throne. If he takes his rightful place, he can end the war of the clans."

... Present...

Izanagi's mind raced as he sat in the darkness of the cell. His body was weak, but his resolve was unbroken. Somewhere out there, the boy lived. The last hope for peace.

He turned to Hito. "I must get out of here, no matter the cost. The fate of the empire depends on it."

Hito studied him for a long moment before nodding. "Rest for now, my lord. We will find a way."

The flickering torchlight cast long shadows on the cell walls as the Grand Patron closed his eyes, clutching the fragile hope that the boy would live to fulfill his destiny.