Chapter 8: This time it's real

"What do you mean Mr. Jimmy?" I asked with a hint of irritation. My brows furrowed giving him a disatisfied look.

"I'm sorry Young Master, I'm just following the Emperor's command." He has this determined look while saying that, as if no matter what I say or do he will not let me go.

I suddenly felt conflicted but my love for motorcycles and intense enthusiasm for the race did not allow me to give up. "Just this once Mr. Jimmy, will you?" I looked at him with pleading eyes, trying hard to convey to him how badly I wanted this chance.

"But..." With furrowed brows and a contemplative gaze, he stopped his words and remained silent.

Looking at his expression right now, I saw a glimmer of hope.

Yes! There is a chance!

My face lights up with a mixture of hope and anticipation. A subtle smile tugs at the corners of my lips, and my eyes widen with excitement. There's a palpable eagerness in my expression, a silent acknowledgment that this chance means a lot.

"Just this once Young Master... but I have to follow you around to ensure your safety." He has those worried look even though he already agrees. Seems like he's still battling if he made the right choice.

"Let's go now Mr. Jimmy, it will take us two hours to arrive at Conflagro City" I urged him before he changed his mind.

"Wait for me here, I'll get the car." He walked outside the garage, and after a few minutes returned while driving a Ranger car.

"Get inside the car Young Master," he instructed me while putting the motorcycle into the Ranger, using the open rear hatch and a loading ramp, and securing it with straps or tie-downs for safe transportation.

I got inside and sat in the passenger seat while he sat situated in the driver's seat.

With anticipation building up, I'm focused on the upcoming race, my eyes filled with excitement, and a determined look on my face, ready for the challenge ahead.

After an hour's drive, we stop at the motorcycle shop.

He requested a thorough examination of my motorcycle, explaining its limited usage, to ensure all components were in optimal condition for the upcoming race.

I'm bursting with excitement for the race, eagerly pacing as the personnel thoroughly examine my motorcycle; every passing moment feels like an eternity as I can't wait for the assessment to be over and hit the track.

While Mr. Jimmy is just quietly sitting in the corner. His eyes once focused on the phone, widen in shock as he reads or sees something, his face contorting with a mixture of pain and anguish.

I wanted to ask him if he was okay but when he looked at me he forced a smile attempting to conceal his true emotions.

His face shows sadness, even though he's smiling; it's like he's keeping a heavy feeling inside, not wanting to let it out.

Everything is working properly, my motorcycle is in its optimal condition, that's how the results come out after examining it.

We get inside the Ranger Car and continue driving in the direction of Conflagro City.

Ever since I saw Mr. Jimmy's expression while looking at his phone. My excitement was now gone replaced by emotions that I couldn't seem to describe where is this coming from?

I find myself with a puzzled look, gripped by a deep sadness that I can't quite fathom. In my eyes, there's a sense of longing, as if something important has slipped away, leaving me with an unexplained heartache that I struggle to understand.

Conflagro City is also where the port of Veilhaven Country is located. I don't know why Mr. Jimmy stopped the car here.

He looked at me with those sad eyes, and just as he said "I'm sorry Young Master" he struck me making me unconscious.

I don't know what happened afterward. When I woke up I was already in a different place. In an unfamiliar room where I can hear the noise outside - the street chatter, passing vehicles, and occasional footsteps.

A shiver runs down my spine as the memory of Mr. Jimmy striking me unconscious floods back. In an instant, anger engulfs me, and my eyes narrow, brows furrow and my lips tighten into a scowl. I can feel the tension in my posture, a surge of frustration altering my mood.

How dare he do that to me!

As I get up my head aches and I'm feeling dizzy.

It took me some time to adjust before I finally felt better.

I look around, there's only one window and a bed. The bed is basic, with old sheets and blankets, and the mattress looks used.

I went near the window and opened it what greeted me were the sights of passing cars, children playing, street vendors, people chattering, and those makeshift houses with cramped spaces. Seems like I'm in a slump right now.

I walked towards the door. Thought it would be locked but then it's not. I opened it easily.

I step out of the bedroom and step into the living room which also serves as the dining place, there's also a kitchen and comfort room. This place is so small that I can see everything.

Where am I?

Where is Mr. Jimmy?

Why did he bring me here?

Those are the questions I have in mind. While clenching fists and trying to contain the anger I'm feeling.

I shouldn't have trusted him!

Shouldn't let him bring me to Conflagro City!

How dare he betray me and Dad!

I was boiling with anger but not until a paper placed on top of the table caught my attention.

I took it and read what was written then my world turned dark.

"Young Master, I'm sorry for what I did. I just wanted your safety so I secretly took you away from Veilhaven Country. I know you'll be able to find it anyway so it's better to tell you.

The Emperor received negative news and accusations about the 12 leaders so he asked me to investigate them. I managed to find evidence that could be their downfall.

I don't know what the Emperor told them but after that meeting, the fire incident in Pyra City happened. He told me that protecting you would now be my utmost priority.

He becomes busy with the fire incident until the day that evidence pointing to the Emperor as the arsonist behind the fire incident surfaced. The people especially the victims went mad after knowing that to the point that they burned the Emperor's Residence alongside your family.

Before the incident happened I found that something was wrong in the air when I stepped inside the Emperor's Residence. My gut tells me that the smell comes from the flowers your Uncle Leon sent by that time and I think that smell causes a person to fall asleep deeply. But then I saw you sneak out so I followed you.

The incident happened while we were on our way to Conflagro City. So the people know that all the family members of Emperor Gabriel died. They aren't aware that you're still alive.

The evidence I gathered about the 12 leaders and the evidence that points out that the Emperor was the mastermind of the Pyra City fire incident were all burned alongside your family. So there's no way to prove that the evidence pointing to the Emperor was tampered.

I'm so sorry Young Master I wasn't able to protect your family. I'm going to erase all traces of you leaving the Veilhaven Country. Master Leon knows about me so I cannot join you. I hope you live well Young Master cause for sure that's what your family wants you to do.

I'll let Rendon take care of you, I once saved his life and he promised me he would do so.

Take care of yourself, Young Master. I hope you live well.

-Jimmy "

The weight of the letter in my hands feels unbearable. The words on the paper hit me with the force of a sledgehammer, and my eyes struggled to comprehend the grim reality before me. It's a cruel revelation that unfolds before my gaze and a chilling numbness sets in.

The words hit me hard, and my eyes can't believe what they've just read. It's like all the air has been sucked out of the room, leaving me with a heavy feeling in my chest.

The heavy feeling in my chest amplifies, a relentless pressure that threatens to crush my very core. The letter, a harbinger of tragedy, serves as a portal to a nightmarish realm I never thought I would enter.

Everything around me blurs, and I can't shake off this deep, aching emptiness. It's as if the world has flipped upside down, and I'm left standing in the wreckage of what used to be my life.

The pain cuts deep, like an endless ache that won't go away, and the tears start falling, each drop carrying a piece of the heaviness in my heart.