I looked at the newspaper, my eyes glued to it. Wait, wait, wait, what Golden Estate? Tomorrow my mom and dad will be executed. What the hell is happening?

  Panic started to hit me like a truck. Why are Mom and Dad going to be executed? Aiding and Abetting me? And what do they mean they are executing them for me not being cursed? I may be the hope people are searching and praying for, I could be the messiah they are hoping for. Then why are they trying to kill my mom and dad? What happened to Leo?

  What should I do? Should I go to Golden Estate? Maybe try to stop it? No, I probably can't.

  My legs continued to walk on their own, wandering around without a place to reach. I went to an alley, and I sat down on a pavement, hugging the green coat, crying into the fabric.

  Mom, Dad, what should I do? Tell me, what should I do? Why are they executing you when I was the one who was swirless? Should I go after Leo? "Someone tell me what to do," I continued to cry, muttering to myself.

  Think, Alyss, think. You are a smart boy, you can do something. What should we do? You are nine, so you can't do it. Just think calmly, and you can do something to save both Mom, Dad, and Leo.

  I scratched my head in confusion.

  "Aargh, what should I do? I am just nine, I really have no idea where Golden Estate is even if I planned to go."

  A few minutes later, I wiped my tears and started to calm down my thoughts with the basic mental exercise I learned in school.

  "Okay, breathe in for five seconds."

  Haaah!

  "Hold it for ten and exhale for five."

  Phew!

  I repeated that over and over until I got hold of myself.

  Calm down, calm down, calm down.

  Let's think it over. Come on, Alyss, think it over. You can do it. Let's start from the beginning. So I barely escaped those officers and peacekeepers, and that day was the 4th. It was around 18:00 or 19:00, and then I hid in the trash bin. And what time is it now?

  I looked around only to notice there were no signs of a clock or a watch nearby, so I should probably use the age-old method by looking at the sun's direction.

  I looked up at the sun, and my eyes instantly burned from the bright light. Well, that was such a bad idea, my eyes hurt. There should be another way i thought as I continued, to walk. Okay, usually the cleaners come around at eight in the morning, so that old man must have come around eight, so I think it's nine. Yes, it's nine now. How long do I have till the time they mentioned in the newspaper? It was tomorrow at 19:00, that is one...two...three...I have thirty four hours. Yes, thirty four hours.

  That's plenty. Now what should I do? Should I go to Golden Estate and do something? I read a lot of novels, so I should use that knowledge. Right, if I go to the place where they are scheduled to execute Mom and Dad, I would most likely get a power-up, but how will I go? Isn't Shire Golden Estate hundreds of kilometers away from Shire Silverpark? I should probably take the bus, but I really have no idea which route or which bus to take. I once again started to cry in helplessness.

  Someone help me.

  I really have no idea what bus to take, and I am on the wanted list right now, so I can't go on public transport. So should I go to Elians house? I don't even know where his house is. I guess I should walk, but what about directions? Should I buy the relic Directo? How much does it cost? I don't even have a few looms.

  I rummaged through the huge jacket. There were a lot of pockets. Why does a jacket have so many pockets? And to my luck, I found Eight hundred and ninety Lumes in it. Guess that old man forgot he had his cash in here. I will offer a sacrament of forgiveness, and may the Luminaries bless him.

  I began to walk towards the nearby relic shop, which I had no idea where it was.

  *****

  I didn't walk, I found out it's the most impractical way to reach Golden Estate, walking Two hundred and seventy three km in thirty four hours no, thirty hours since finding a shop that sells relics was pretty hard and my calculation of time was pretty much two hours off. I had to board a bus or a train without anyone noticing me. I tightened up the jacket around myself to cover my entire body. It was pretty hard to walk around with my face half covered, but thanks to Directo, I knew what bus to board and got into it discreetly. My long journey to the golden estate began. I never travelled alone besides school, of course. I wanted to cry.

  I was still fear-struck. My entire thoughts were, "What will happen if the execution really happens?" What should I do if I am not able to do something? but I knew if I let it show, I might get caught, so I desperately clung to the jacket as the bus travelled through the plains and grasslands, which connected the vast inequity between the Shires of Everheat. The clock on the bus was ticking at 14:25, and I had to sit for six more.

  *****

  2054, Month Selune, 5th

  "thud-clak"

  I got into Golden Estate exactly at 21:00. The bus got delayed due to unknown reasons, but it was the least of my concern since the vast differences between Silverpark and Golden Estate were massive, everything was far, far better in Golden Estate. I could even feel the difference in the air I breathed. Back in Silverpark, I couldn't even run for a while due to my allergies, but the air here was so pure it was almost as if I were breathing something straight from heaven. Even the pathway and the roads were in better condition than Silverpark. The buildings, the atmosphere, and everything were advanced. Even the most poor-looking building was miles ahead of the Minister Office in Silverpark.

  I walked around finding something cheap to eat with the remaining One hundred and thirty four Lumes, I couldn't find anything that fit my budget. Everything here was pricier too, almost three to four times more expensive than the ones in Silverpark. Back home it costs around eighty Lumes for a loaf of bread, but here it's Three hundred Lumes. As my last resort, I tried to find an alleyway to sleep in, but there were none, no single dark spot in the entire shire to my knowledge and I had nothing to eat nor sleep. The only viable option was to stay awake and try to do something till tomorrow, maybe sit around and cry once more.

  As time went on, I found a shop closing; they were tossing leftovers, and thanks to my luck, I was able to get a few wasted, burnt pieces of bread, but it was still better than anything, and I wandered around the entire night with no place to sleep in the majestic shire, wondering how amazing Platinum Parade must be since Golden Estate was like something that I could never have been able to dream of.

  Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

  *****

  2054 Month Selune,6th

  I spent the night and the following day roaming around the lavish Golden estate. Some blocks were prohibited; I could go through blocks R to Z, though I got some repulsive looks from this Shire people. It looks like riches have their own realms, which someone like me can't be part of. This Shire was also pretty big compared to Silverpark and Coppergrounds, most of the folks in here were Halos. There were some lower classes of people here and there, but it was a handful. Half of them came to see the execution of my mom and dad; I even heard the gates of this shire were open to the common folk because of it.

  I loitered around the day I wasn't able to fetch anything to eat, but I had some water to drink, and time passed by. The clock hit 18:00, and I reached the bishop's chambers, the place already overcrowded with lots of people, the dusk illuminated by their smartphones torchlight.

  *****

  2054 Month Selune, 6th

  Right as the clock rang 19:00, everything started to happen like clockwork. The entire once-empty land in front of the bishop's chamber split open, movable contraptions started to work, the land was moved to either side, and from the middle a stage arose. It was in dark greyish colors with garlands on it and a red carpet on its flooring.

  It was shaped like a dodecagon, and at each corner there was a statue of the twelve Luminaries, each and their respective roles glowing. The sun of Helion was in bright orange in his arms, the moon cradled between Selune in pearly white, the light orbs of Lucen in shining merrigold, Noctis, with its veil-covered face a crystal cube with obsidian inside, Igna with a fire above his head, Marin with water flowing down her hands, Zephyr standing wide spreading his arms out and wind swirling in both of his palms, and Terran with his cracked demeanor holding a huge barren boulder on his back. Vour with a cape flying with a sword in the right and a long golden rein in his left, Syntar looking at her palms with small explosions in them, Seren in all white with a kind and loving face, a human devoid of male and female on its lap, and Maleth standing atop all with blood flowing down from its eyes.

  As each statue made its debut, the entire crowd bowed down and rose, chanting,

  "Lead us to the messiah, the messiah who will break us from the divine curse."

  I repeated what they said. I could see through the small gaps between people, and I was able to make it through. As the crowd finished their wailings, the peacekeepers stepped onto the stage, surrounding the Luminaries, and the knights took their stance on all sides of the dodecagon, their blue and green armor shining in the darkness alongside the statues, and soon multiple gazette officers came onto the stage and took their designated chairs.

  I could also see the guy with the hoarse voice, who was the one who initiated the capture of me and most likely the one who gave the order to seize my parents and probably sent them to their executions. The head commissioner stepped to the stage, followed by the priests and priestesses, followed by the duke and duchess of Golden Estate, who took their stance on the elevated platform on the stage. The prince of Everheat finally made his debut with showering flowers, his royal attire in stark contrast to the crowd. The commissioner took the podium and started to address all the presented representatives. As he finished, the center of the stage moved, and from the gaping space another stage rose, and on top of it were two poles around which both my mom and dad were tied with a thick metal rope around their necks. The rope's end was in the hand of the duke. I got a panic attack seeing Mom and Dad in that state which left me fear-struck.

  I took a step back, scared, but I couldn't go back due to the overflowing crowd. I thought, "What? What, Mom? Dad? What are they doing? Mom, Dad, what should I do?" I started to cry and whimper in fear, but it was unheard in the crowd due to the roaring sounds. I had no idea what to do, but I muttered to myself, crying and snorting, "Do something, Alyss. Do something. What should I do? You can do it. You can do it." Do something. Someone help Mom and Dad. Luminaries help Mom and Dad. You are there, aren't you? I prayed to all of you ever since I can remember. Help, you are there; someone do something. The commissioner began his speech.

  ringggg~~

  "Citizens of Everheat, good people of the realm who stand under the gaze of the Crown, I am Commissioner Felip Gael, Chief of the Peacemakers and guardian of peace in this kingdom. And now today, justice is beheld. Theo Moreau and Lina Moreau were placed with esteem and respect; they have betrayed the kingdom by concealing their son Alyss Moreau. His vanishing was not flight but a blow to the dignity and order of Everheat. Their complicity in such grave affronts means the cost they would have sought to spare him now falls upon themselves. This sentence will be duly executed by the Duke, as the decree demands, for such trespass shall not be tolerated."

  "We are grateful to Field Officer Iker Emi of the Golden Estate, whose efficiency and loyalty made that capture possible, his service is a credit to our institution. It is fitting and fortunate that His Highness the Prince graces this solemn rite, for though the honorable Kings govern matters of great weight afar, the kingdom's heir stands witness, affirming the Crown's unwavering resolve."

  "Theo Moreau, Lina Moreau, law grants you this last courtesy: speak now, should you wish, before the priest commences purification. Let Everheat see that judgment is calm, deliberate, and sovereign. Today, justice is affirmed."

  The display board's camera was around my parents, their faces were drenched with grief and death. They muttered something I couldn't hear properly. I was fear-struck and scared; I thought something might change, but nothing happened. The commissioner continued.

  "Proceed and perform the holy sacrament of purification, priest and priestess, so that their souls are cleansed of earthly impurities and sent forth for judgment untarnished."

  The priest stepped next to the poles and lifted the ritual plate towards their faces. I couldn't make out what it was, but it had the twelve Luminaries, seven spices, and some substances. The ritual lasted for a few minutes. Both my mom's and dad's heads bowed down. I could see their tears from the display board. I continued to cry, but no one seemed to notice my fuss since all of them were focused on the purification. The priest left the stage as the sacrament was over.

  "I beg you, Your Grace, to draw the execution cord so that their necks are cut off and complete justice is served."

  The duke, a roughly tall man around his mid-thirties, stood up, bowed down to the crowd, and said,

  "In the blessings of the Luminaries, I shall execute them, and may their souls find peace."

  The duke drew the cord, it was shown in full display. The metal cord slowly sliced through my parents' necks. Both of them screamed, blood dripping from their necks as they were beheaded, the crowd cheering, and with a final pull, both of their heads fell down and rolled off the stage. The duke withdrew, the crowd cheered.

  "May their soul find peace. Oh, you great Luminaries guide them through their great turbulence and bless their souls."

  The crowd wailed. I wanted to yell out and cry out, but I couldn't. I was shocked. I couldn't even breathe properly. I could see the field officer, the guy with the crimson guy's smirk. It was as if he knew I was here. I couldn't move. I wanted to scream, I wanted to cry, and I wanted to call for help, but I couldn't no matter what i tried.

  "Let us turn our attention to the solemn matter."

  I saw, My face was displayed in floating boards. It wasn't my current age, it was a photo of me back when I was seven, if I remember correctly. It was when we all went to a museum on Mom and Dad's wedding anniversary. I was awestruck. What are they doing? What do they need? They killed my parents. Why are they displaying my photo? What happened to Leo?

  "Every soul pledged to the peace of Everheat must be vigilant in the face of a singular absence that casts a shadow over the kingdom. In order for eyes to see where the law cannot always reach, the Crown entrusts its citizens with the solemn duty of observation. The Treasury is willing to compensate anyone whose information or assistance results in the capture of this young person who has gone missing. Let every household remain vigilant, let the streets whisper of duty, and let this assembly lead the charge beyond these walls. This is to declare his title and compensation: Alyss Moreau. One Million Lumes.