Under the serene night sky, the horses trotted calmly as the group made their way back to the palace.

“Listen up,” Henu declared, his voice breaking the quietness.

All eyes turned toward him as he continued. “Yune, Noya, Khonsu, Ramon, Kamil, Kasib, Jack—you’ll be joining me on an expedition to the White Land. Memnon, you’ll remain here to assist the army while we’re gone.”

A ripple of surprise spread through the group.

“The White Land?” Kamil asked, incredulous. “I thought that was just a myth!”

Menes, riding beside Henu, interjected. “It’s real, alright. I’ve been there once. The land is covered in frozen water, white as far as the eye can see. The air is so cold it feels like it’s stealing your breath. And yes, people live there.”

Henu picked up the explanation. “The White Land lies in the southernmost part of the Earth—at the very edge of the world. The people there are descendants of civilizations older than any known human kingdom.”

Jack’s eyes widened in realization. Connecting the dots, he blurted out, “Wait… are you saying Antarctica had people living in it?”

“Antarctica?” Ramon questioned, unfamiliar with the term.

“In my time,” Jack explained, “Antarctica is what we called the White Land. It’s a place protected by treaties between nations. Scientists and the wealthy were the only ones allowed to visit, and even then, they couldn’t explore beyond certain boundaries. I always wanted to see what lay beyond, but I never got the chance.”

Henu nodded, intrigued. “That’s something I’ve wondered about too. The people of the White Land guard many secrets—secrets that could help improve our civilization. That’s why we’ll be embarking on this journey. In three days, we’ll head to the Kingdom of Nubia to borrow their ships. Our own vessel is still in ruins from the last expedition, but Nubia has graciously offered to upgrade their ships for us as a gesture of gratitude.”

Yune smirked, his tone teasing. “Maybe if you’d steered properly, Commander, we wouldn’t have crashed into that cliff last time.”

“I did not crash into a cliff!” Henu shouted defensively. “It was an accident! And we were in a hurry!”

“Sure,” Yune replied with a grin.

Henu cleared his throat and continued. “We’ll be staying in towns along the way to conserve energy. Also, Jack, I’ll need your help with something only you can do.”

Jack raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Yes, Commander?”

Henu looked at him seriously. “You mentioned a device—a phone. I want you to build one within the next three days for the journey. Can you do it?”

Jack smirked, amused. “Consider it done.”

“Good,” Henu replied. Then he turned to Khonsu. “Make sure Alfonse builds a replica of our car—a weaker version. We’ll be gifting it to the Nubian Kingdom in exchange for their assistance.”

General Setka spoke up, his tone practical. “You’ll all need to shop for warm clothes tomorrow. Trust me, you’ll need them.”

Menes chuckled. “I wish I could join this expedition, but I guess I’m too old for that now.”

“Commander Menes, didn’t you already visit the White Land once?” Kamil asked.

Menes nodded. “I did. It was with my father. It wasn’t planned—we ended up there by accident. The journey takes almost three months one way, and we were close to death when the people of the White Land saved us. I won’t tell you any more; you’ll have to see for yourselves. But trust me when I say this: the White Land will test you. It’s a place that can raise a warrior within you.”

Kasib’s eyes lit up at the mention of becoming a warrior. He clenched his fists, determination flickering like fire in his gaze.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

“Jack, I think we should head over to the orphanage. The children will still be awake. It’s been a while since we last saw them,” Ramon suggested.

Jack nodded in agreement.

“Yune, Noya, would you like to join us? Look, even Khonsu is coming,” Ramon added.

“I’d love to! Let’s go,” Noya replied enthusiastically. However, Yune wasn’t as energetic. “Sorry, I have work to do. There are still people at the palace—merchants, cleaning crews. I need to make sure it all goes smoothly.”

“Memnon?” Ramon asked, smiling hopefully.

Memnon shook his head. “No, sorry. I have to go somewhere else.”

Ramon puffed out his cheeks in annoyance and mumbled under his breath, “All you do is sleep on your ass all day.”

“What did you just say?” Memnon shouted, throwing a rock from his pocket at Ramon’s head.

Ramon dodged and laughed.

As the group set off toward the orphanage, the commanders plus Yune, and Memnon turned back toward the palace. Jack and the others began their route to meet Madame Farida and the children.

“You really think they’ll still be awake at this hour?” Kamil asked skeptically.

“Yeah, they will,” Ramon replied confidently. “They don’t sleep early on Sundays, and Madame Farida lets them stay up a little later.”

Jack smiled, his excitement evident. “I’m looking forward to seeing Aya.”

Flashback

During their mission to steal the gold of the Royal Nebu, Jack and the others found a little girl named Aya hidden inside a treasure box. She was young and beautiful, with an aura of innocence that touched their hearts. For a time, Seraphina cared for Aya, but she was eventually entrusted to Madame Farida’s orphanage.

Aya’s father, whom she had been searching for, tragically turned out to be the man who died in an explosion during an attack by the Royal Nebu (Chapter 45). He had been used as a weapon, and his final words, spoken with love and sorrow, were: “I love you, Aya.” Jack was the only one who heard them.

Dhooooooooooooooom!

Everyone froze. Their horses skidded to a halt, and their bodies were paralyzed by the deafening explosion.

“That’s the orphanage!” Ramon screamed, spurring his horse forward as the others followed in frantic pursuit.

Beneath the pitch-black sky, a blazing inferno consumed the orphanage. The heat was so intense it felt hotter than the sun. Standing before the burning structure was a man cloaked in black, his face obscured by a silver metal mask. In his hands was the charred corpse of an elderly woman.

Jack’s vision blurred, his anger surging like a storm within. His gaze dropped to the ground, where a tattered doll lay—Layla’s doll. Next to it, he saw the scorched remains of a small body, blackened beyond recognition.

Ramon’s eyes widened in horror as he spotted a pair of familiar glasses lying beside another corpse. “Yousef…” he whispered, his voice breaking.

Rage overtook Jack. “Who are you?” he shouted.

The cloaked man tossed the lifeless body into the roaring flames. His voice boomed, dripping with malice. “I am Nehru, the Vengeful Flame.”

“It’s him, isn’t it?” Ramon muttered, dismounting his horse. His fists clenched tightly.

Blinded by fury, Jack lunged at Nehru, unleashing the claws of his Chronotex ability. Dozens of spectral arms shot toward the man. But Nehru was prepared. Raising his hand, he commanded, “Flames of darkness, engulf!”

In an instant, Jack’s claws were severed midair, dropping to the ground in smoldering pieces.

“Be careful!” Kamil shouted. “I see what he’s doing. His dark energy ability lets him manipulate flames to counter Chronotex powers. He’s using them to weaken us!”

“I’ll kill you, you bastard!” Jack roared.

But a faint voice whispered in his mind. “Don’t use your full power. Your life energy is too low—you’ll die,” warned Stellar.

Grinding his teeth in frustration, Jack begrudgingly held back.

Nehru extended both hands toward Jack and Ramon. “Flames of the sun,” he bellowed. A vortex of fire erupted from his palms, racing toward the group with devastating force, incinerating everything in its path.

Kamil reacted instantly. “Shield!” he cried, conjuring a barrier just in time to block the attack.

Khonsu seized the opportunity, raising his hand. “Lightning Strike!” A bolt of electricity surged toward Nehru, striking him squarely. The cloaked man staggered but absorbed the attack, shaking it off with ease.

Noya leapt forward, sword in hand, aiming for Nehru’s chest. But with a flick of his wrist, Nehru summoned flames that knocked Noya back, sending him tumbling to the ground.

Nehru took a few steps back, his eyes scanning the battlefield. “Blazing Flight!” he declared. Flames erupted from his hands and feet, propelling him into the sky like a rocket.

As he ascended, someone grabbed at his cloak. Startled, Nehru glanced back, but it was too late. He shot through the air at an incredible speed, leaving the scene in moments. Within seconds, he had vanished, miles away.

The group dismounted their horses and rushed to Noya’s side.

“Noya, are you okay?” Khonsu asked urgently.

“I’m fine,” Noya replied, brushing off dust. “The fire didn’t reach me.”

“Damn it! I couldn’t do anything,” Kasib muttered, frustration etched across his face. “He was too strong.”

“It’s fine,” Noya reassured him. “He was no ordinary opponent.”

Kamil surveyed the scene, his expression grim. “The kids… they’re all dead. Even Madame Farida…”

Jack’s heart sank. Another loss, another failure. He clenched his fists, his voice trembling with rage. “He’s going to pay for this!”

“But why?” Kamil asked, his voice tinged with desperation. “Why would someone do this? There has to be a reason!”

“We don’t know,” Noya said, stepping forward. “But we’ll find out. We have to.”