The Mariyah Household was one of the pillars of the non-magic kingdom, Amina Kingdom. Among the five households that supported the Kingdom of Amina as pillars, the Mariyah Household was the least of them all. Primarily because the Mariyah Household had only recently risen from the ranks from being a clan that merely produced generals.

Now, the Mariyah Clan had not only produced the greatest general in the history of the kingdom, General Ronin; the clan also held the largest army that was solely devoted to the Mariyah Clan.

The emperor of the Amina Kingdom coveted this power that was even respected by the people who wield magic. So the emperor appointed the Mariyah Clan as one of the five households that supported the Kingdom of Amina.

Staring at the worn-down knight chess piece in her hand, Theta leaned her head to the only window of her room. Her long red hair cascaded like bloody waterfalls around her body as she sat lazily. The moonlight sheen graced her thin yet ethereal beauty while her long lashes fluttered as she stared at the knight between her fingers.

"Control the army of the Mariyah Clan, control the fate of the Kingdom of Amina." Theta played the knight chess piece while staring at it. A cold glint flashed in her lavender eyes against the light of the moon. Her soft lips curled for a fraction of a minute before she reverted to her emotionless state.

The first step to overturn the Kingdom of Amina was to clean the Mariyah Clan root and stem. Theta needed to do this before the Kingdom of Amina send Axue to the Lykus Empire and that would be in less than three months from now.

"I got work cut out for me, I see." Theta stood up before she stretched her hands – her back facing the moon. Around the darkness of her courtyard which was devoid of any lamp, a pair of amethyst eyes gleamed with wickedness.

HOUND CORRECTIONAL, two words that represented the haven of all notorious criminals under the tight grip of the clan with the most military prowess in the kingdom. The Mariyah Clan trusted no other territory to handle the Hound Correctional so the patriarch, General Ronin, built the prison just a few kilometers from the manor of the Mariyah Household.

As someone who grew up being bullied by the servants, Theta was locked up in the House Correctional a few times every week. It only stopped when her mother died and she was moved to stay in the 'new' courtyard.

Now, Theta stood before the high gates of the Hound Correctional. Her red hair flowed behind her as the night breeze whistled. Situated atop the cliff within the Mariyah Clan's territory, the prison was both isolated and guarded all day long by General Ronin's trusted guards.

"It is time to visit some old friends," whispered Theta to herself.

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She did not stand before the main entrance of the Hound Correctional – that would be plain suicide. There was a reason why she survived even after being stuffed together in a den full of merciless criminals who were capable to slaughter an innocent baby anytime.

And that would be because she found herself a loophole in this supposed indestructible surface, the sewer. It was locked up when she first discovered it when she was still ten years old. That was also the first time that Axue sent her servants to play this prank on me in the hope to kill me for good or tarnishing my reputation.

But Axue was the dumbest among all of Madam Rea's beloved children. Eliminating her was like killing a chicken from some chicken coop. That would make things for Theta less satisfied.

Theta did not mind the foul smell that lingered around her. After all, she had embraced the corpse of her mother yesterday. It was full of maggots when she transferred her body from the nameless grave, but all she could feel at that moment was deep sorrow.

Theta snapped from her trance when she crawled out of the sewer.

What welcomed her sight were the familiar torches that lit the surrounding of the Hound Correctional. It was made so that the guards could see everything around the forbidden building. Since the guards were not allowed to venture inside the four-story building with no windows and doors, they protected the lawn to ensure that there would be no intruder or escapee.

Sadly, the supposed trusted guards were doing it all wrong. Hence, she was standing inside the 'protected' lawn totally unnoticed and unharmed.

The second loophole of this place? Foolish guards.

Theta dodged the obvious pattern of the patrolling guards that she grew to memorize over time. Her petite body served her purpose right now more than ever as she fit in among the shadows of the stone statues of the great Shomashom.

Just when she was about to leap toward the last statue of the great white tiger, two patrolling guards walked in her direction. Theta immediately squatted as she pressed herself into the shadows to hide.

"Have you heard about the duel that Third Young Master Chehin issued to Second Young Master Rufiant? The boys are all betting their wages!"

The second guard scoffed. "Stupid! It was Second Young Master Rufiant who challenged Third Young Master Chehin! You must get your facts straight or you will really lose your hard-earned wage, man."

"Shut up! What matters is that they are going into an official fight! A strategist versus a young prodigy, I can't really fathom who will win!"

As the voices of the two patrolling guards started to dwindle, a shadow immerged from the darkness while two glaring orbs gleamed with killing intent.

"What a hypocrite, Rufiant." A cold curve painted on Theta's small pale face as she strode towards the last statue leisurely.

'Go and fight to your heart's content, Rufiant, Chehin, my lovely brothers. It will be better if you both die, but I cannot be too greedy so one of you dying will be enough for me,' Theta thought as she pushed the statue which was a foot taller than her.

On cue, a pathway with a height of one meter and a width of half a meter from the rotten ground was revealed. Theta did not wait for a new patrol to walk by, she nimbly inserted herself into the passage.

The moment she let go of the statue to go inside, the statue moved to its original position.

It did not take so long for Theta to find her way out. Every cobblestone in the small passageway was like a friend to her. After all, she had spent six years crawling through this pavement just to go home to her poor mother.

But now, unlike any other time, she was crawling inside on her own to seek the friends that would make up the very first people of the group that she would create.

"The enemy of my enemy will always be welcomed to become one of my pawns."