“Ughh.. where am I?”

“My bar.”

The imprisoned man groggily awakened. He surveyed his surroundings, and tried holding his aching head but he then realized that he was tied up. It looked like a mountain was dropped on his head. I wondered. How strong was Mr. Frank really? But I don't want to find out firsthand of course, I still very much liked my head in one piece instead of a thousand.

Amy handed the man named Adam a pint, and thinking that it was water, he greedily drinked it. He burped, and felt like there was something wrong with this drink, but couldn't pinpoint it exactly.

“Amy… Can you please untie your big brother here?” Adam said, a weary smile on his face. Amy looked at his face for a few seconds, with Adam feeling awkward, as she then looked at Mr. Frank. He nodded, as Amy then pulled out his sword, and sliced the bonds holding him.

Adam stretched out, as he then warily glanced around as if he was looking for someone. Luckily for him, the man he was looking for was beside me.

“Oy, whatcha looking at the kid?” Mr. Samuel said with a snort, apparently that he did not like him. I don't blame him. I also don't like him very much. Mostly because of the clothes he was wearing, and the fact that he was an agent of those bastards. I don't curse very much, but I will curse those bastards until the end of my days.

Adam did not seem to have liked Mr. Samuel either, as a vein popped from his face, with his fists glowing yellow. “You're an arrogant one ain't ya kid, just because you're Franks kid, doesn't mean that I can't discipline you like a good uncle should.”

Mr Samuel held the handle of his blade, as bits of bloodlust started leaking out from him. Just when they were about to start fighting once more, they then felt another kind of energy. The kind where their bodies started to ache the moment they felt it. They gazed towards its direction, and saw that Mr. Frank was looking at them with cold eyes. And Mr. Frank was glaring even harder at Adam.

“Respect your elders Adam. Did they not teach you any manners.”

“No, they did not. We were taught to follow orders, abide by the laws of the Ecclesiarchy. Respect was something to be earned from within our ranks, not from heretics and unbelievers. They taught me that. You did not.”

Deep seated hatred was clear in his voice. Resentment that lasted for decades. Mr. Frank realized it but gave no response.

Mr Frank and Adam looked at each other, not one looking away. There was tension between them. Clear that a single spark of anything might set them off and destroy an entire city block.

“Enough.”

Amy said. She stood between the two of them like a wall. She looked them both in the eye, sternly, and though it was clear that they still were stubborn about it, they backed down.

“No fighting. Only talking.” She said, She pulled out a table and a couple of chairs, and proceeded to make them sit on opposite sides. Adam looked away, his arms crossed and his legs crossed. Mr. Frank meanwhile, was having a pint of beer as he stared blankly in the air.

Amy then stared at Mr. Samuel, and nodded at him. It seemed to have indicated that he could ask questions now. Mr. Samuel smiled, as then stood in the middle of them and opened his mouth and said.

“Now Adam, we all here could guess why you're here. It's because of family, noh? But come on, there are a lot of holes in your reasoning. So why don't we start with a simple question. Why are you really here?”

“I wanted to meet my Father and Sister. It's that simple.” Adam said as he looked Mr. Samuel in the eye.

“Sweet. But why now? Why wait all these years to come back. Why not a year ago? Two years ago? And on and on and on.”

Adam stayed silent, seemingly trying to think of what to say.

“I- I had no choice.”

“No choice? Please! Okay, so let's say I believe you. You somehow ended up in the hands of the Ecclesiarchy. Made to become an Agent of God and all that. But there came a certain point in your career that you could move freely. And that's when you became an Apostle.”

The room then went silent. Instinctively, I tensed up. Holding the handle to my Chokuto. An Apostle. I don't like them. Mostly because two of them tried killing me and my friends. And there is that one particular Apostle I hate. But I didn't hate Adam. Instead I became cautious.

Mr Frank, hearing the revelation, made him face reality, downed his full pint of beer and slammed it on the table, making it shake. Mr. Samuel smiled, though it was a little cold and said.

“When you become an Apostle, and correct me if I'm wrong, but I am not wrong though, is that ascending to the position of Apostle gives one certain perks. Like being allowed free reign. Giving an Apostle the ability to walk the continent untethered to the Main Church. And are given almost unlimited resources within their fingertips. It wouldn't take what? A few minutes to figure Franks location. Much less his true identity.”

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I nodded along, acting as if I knew all the things he said. But when I heard about Mr. Frank's true identity, I was then puzzled. What secret identity? Isn't Mr Frank just a bar owner? Sure he was strong, but he can't be that strong.

“Oh but of course, it all comes at a certain price; and it's that the lives of the Apostles forever belong to the Ecclesiarchy. One is forever loyal to them. Like a dog being given free reign in the backyard, but with a strong leash that the owner can pull at any time they want. There is a price for everything, and you made the mistake of paying it in full.”

“I had no choice…” Adam whispered.

“What now? I can't hear you.” Mr Samuel is lying, he can hear him clearly. Even I heard him clearly and I was farther along than Mr Samuel.“

“I said I had no choice.” Adam stood up and slammed the table with both hands. Breaking it in half. Mr. Samuel raised both his hands, and stepped back.

“We all have choices Adam. Dont-”

“Dont what? You think I don't know that? You don't think that I wanted something more in my life? That I didn't want to be just some organization's puppet. Yeah I did. I wanted to be with him!” Adam then pointed to Mr Frank.

“I simply wanted a father. A sister. A family! But the Ecclesiarchy forbids it. Familial connections are a weakness, they said. I believed them. My own Father abandoned me to the wolves. I grew up thinking that he abandoned me, leaving me for dead like I was just a random piece of garbage on the street. But it was only when I was an Apostle did I find out the truth. But by then, It was too late.”

Mr Samuel no longer smiled, and instead crossed his arms with a serious look on his face. Unbeknownst to Adam, his face was wet. Tears streaming down from his face. He looked around, and saw that Amy had a worried look on her face. But then he looked at his father, rage filtering from him and said.

“Despite all that. Despite all the things I did to survive, I came back thinking that everything would be okay now. That my father would welcome me in open arms. But no. I was interrogated. Questioned like I was a criminal. Treated like I was a random stranger. Instead of being treated as Family. But I guess it's the recurring theme in my life. I was wrong then. And I guess, I am wrong now.”

Adam turned his back and started to leave. Mr. Samuel was about to stop him but Mr Frank held him back. Mr. Samuel held back, though reluctant I might add. Amy stepped up and grabbed Adam’s shoulder, but Adam wacked it off.

“Dont. Just dont. There is nothing for me here. I was mistaken to come here expecting a warm welcome. I came here to fulfill a mission and I did. Goodbye.”

Adam looked at Amy with eyes full of rage, yet also a scream of despair and anguish. Amy was about to stop him but she was too late. With a bright flash of light, Adam vanished, the only thing left was particles of light, and a despairing Amy.

She reached out her hand, touching the particles of light that her brother had left. For what seemed like an eternity in her mind, the light particles gave her a deep seated sense of loss and despair. She looked back at her father, his head hung low as he could not even be bothered to see his own son off. It was then that a thought passed her mind.

Amy turned her back on Mr. Frank, and started making her way to the door. Mr. Frank somehow appeared behind her and grabbed his wrist.

“Don't even think about it Amy.” Mr. Frank said with a low voice.

Amy looked at Mr. Frank with glaring eyes. Something that I have never seen her do towards her own father. She was normally respectful towards Mr. Frank, but I think this situation warranted something else entirely. Mr. Frank kept silent, preferring to just prevent her from moving. They locked eyes.

A bloody aura started spilling out from Amy, as her other hand that was not restrained summoned her sword, gripping the handle as tightly as possible.

“Amy Neworld. Do not disobey me.” Mr Frank said, his deep voice booming inside the room. But he did not tighten his grip on her wrist, just simply holding it as if it was fragile glass. Amy gazed at his fathers eyes, her grip loosening on her sword. Mr. Frank removed his hands from her wrist, as he said.

“Amy. Let him be.”

Amy smiled, as bright as the sun can shine. I was shocked, and Mr. Frank too, seemed to have also been stupefied. It was at that moment that she did something drastic. She held smoke bombs, and the moment she showed it, it startled me as I cupped my pockets and realized. It was gone.

Mr. Frank tried stopping her, as the moment that she slammed it to the ground, she would be gone. “I'm sorry , father.” Before Mr Frank could stop her, she threw it to the ground, and a puff of black smoke blanketed the entire room. I coughed, as the air was corrupted by the toxic smoke bombs.

“Amy!” Mr. Frank shouted, as a bright light dazzled the room, clearing the dark smoke. Mr. Frank's eyes were red as he combed the room with his gaze. She was gone. Mr Frank then directed his gaze to Mr. Samuel, as he said.

“Find her Samuel!”

“Oh but I can't do that. And you can't do that. And you know all of that.” Mr. Franks fist lit up like a solstice tree. Mr Samuel raised his hands in innocence and said, “Frank, be reasonable. You can't leave the empire because for the moment you do, that empire would start hunting you like a dog. Sure I could hide the information of your leave, but you and I both know that they aren't that incompetent.”

Mr. Frank's rage did not dwindle, and in fact might have increased as he took a step forward towards Mr. Samuel. “Okay fine, sure I can go and find her easily. But I also can't.”

“Why.” Mr. Frank asked. No, it wasn't a question, but more of an order when it came from him. Mr. Frank's aura started billowing, covering the entire room as if an entire mountain range was sitting here.

“It's simple really. They are making a move. And if I, of all people, leave the Empire, then you and I both know what the consequences might be.” And that was the straw that broke the camel's back.

The entire room was then subjugated to a kind of pressure that I never really thought was possible. Our windows shattered. Tables and chairs were torn asunder. And my legs already faltered a long time ago. My face was being pressed to the ground at that moment. But I was calm, as I was somewhat already used to this. It was sad to admit, but I was.

It seemed that the Empire, or whoever they were, Mr. Frank did not like them very much I see.

“But it just so happens that there is someone here whose presence wouldn't make much of a difference if they left. Of course, they would still be hunted like a dog, but eh, that's life.”

I'm taking a stab in the dark here, but I think that Mr. Samuel was referring to me.