“Slaughter the devils.”

This was exactly what Adam had been conditioned to believe since his infancy.

Adam could be the savior of Leith, the redemption for his cursed family, the epitome of the perfect citizen despite his family’s grotesque past.

Lying on Mr. Brown’s lap in a small, one-roomed tenement divided among four other families, Mr. Brown would whisper alluring stories of his destiny for years until eventually, it seemed to come true.

The Leith bloodline suffered countless tragedies at the initial founding. After Lilith died, brutally murdered by one of the King’s servants, her children inherited the six different powers that now dominated their world. Incest ran rampant in a greedy attempt to keep the bloodline pure, nearly extinguishing all Leiths soon after their founding. Ordinary citizens rioted towns, burning and lynching Leiths for cursing their society with a power that should have been damned.

Finally, the Leiths under God’s unwavering eyes recovered under the lawful King, reestablishing the hierarchy to put themselves in a place of utmost power. The Leiths were blessed with the stroke of a pious hand while ordinary citizens were damned to submit beneath them as devils. The ordinary citizens were incapable of running the country, incapable of even providing sustenance to the rulers who have ever so blessed them with a secure country.

Adam was more capable, because he was prepared. He was prepared to carry the fate of Leiths on his shoulders by walking on the slaughtered bodies of the ordinary citizens that caused so much suffering. Every last one of them.

He was surprisingly powerful despite the recent decline in Leith strength, having a peculiar mastery of fire. Josephine had helped him hone in on his technique, and he believed that he befriended her. Well, as much as a woman like Josephine could be befriended. She was shallow and irresponsibly unavailable to the world’s pressurized inequality. Despite Adam’s futile belief that his own passionate exposition, only one man was truly responsible.

General Kristiansen.

The world that seemed to run endlessly across rolling hills stopped before his feet, his hulking body looming over the country and its people. Right hand man of the King, he rapidly rose the hierarchical ranks at his proxy war proposal. Blatantly cruel, he tormented the neighboring countries, torturing the citizens and prisoners of war to make up for the subsequent decline in Leith’s citizens. Perhaps falling victim to decadence that etched its way into his calloused skin, he had taken a back seat as an active officer and began to run Leith’s every action.

“Mr. Brown,” he declared in a booming voice, shoving open the tenement’s door, nearly blasting it off its hinges. “You and your son. Come with me.”

A surprised Adam raised his head from his father’s lap and the ushering whispers ceased as he looked admiringly up at the General’s chiseled face, a cleanly shaved beard framing his squared features.

Despite his large figure blocking out the light flooding in from the small hallway that now formed a glowing halo across the edges of his figure, the room seemed to radiate in Adam’s impressionable eyes.

His work had finally been noticed.

Freed from the confines of the crowded tenement, the General led them towards a small neighborhood. Entering a small cottage just adjacent from a house with a large oak tree in the front, they entered.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Hand trembling with anxious joy, Adam greeted General Kristiansen. “It’s nice to meet you, sir,” he said in a childish voice, flashing a crooked smile.

Mr. Brown placed his hands on his son’s shoulders. “He’s been looking up to you for a long time, General.” His hands gently trembled on Adam’s shoulders.

The General’s expression contorted in disgust at the ecstatic boy’s gesture as he drew back his body in fear that he would be given some indomitable illness. He looked around the objectively crammed house, nervous he may bump into a rotting-wood wall. He settled on standing, pulling out a handkerchief to wipe his forehead.

Disregarding the General’s apparent dismissal, Adam simply nodded in agreement with the decision. Yes, he thought resolutely, I wouldn’t associate with a regular citizen, either. I need to prove myself to him, then he’ll realize my true strength.

“I understand your family has unwavering loyalty to the Leiths,” he began, his chin tilted upwards as if he was balancing an object on it. “I am enlisting you to watch the family that lives in the neighboring house. There are three residents: James, Daisy, and their daughter Morrigan.” His thick voice seemed to curdle in his throat and made it difficult to understand him. “Daisy is doing something, but all of the watching officers have gone missing. Your job is to watch her while under the guise of a neighbor.”

Mr. Brown’s face quickly flashed with concern. “Missing? Is this an operation for my son and I?” He quickly added, “I fully agree with your decision.”

General Kristiansen jerked his head over and glared at Mr. Brown, his nostrils flaring. “You don’t have a choice, Mr. Brown. Watch over Daisy. If you notice anything at all, use this phone to report it immediately. If at any time you hesitate, you and your son will be imprisoned and killed.”

Adam eagerly nodded, still looking up at the General with a fantastical wonder swimming in his eyes. “Of course! We will catch whatever she’s up to.”

Ignoring his idolizer, the General seemed to glare through Mr. Brown’s eyes. “If nothing is uncovered, you’re expendable.”

“W-wait a second,” said Mr. Brown, putting out a hand. “But, what if there’s nothing to find?”

“Nothing?” the General repeated coldly, his face threatening Mr. Brown.

“I’m sorry,” said Mr. Brown, quickly bowing down his head. “We’ll do our best. We would hate to take up any more of your time, and we will contact you with updates.”

A few days after the General had left and they settled into their new home, Daisy had brought a batch of handmade cookies over. Her farm was splendid, growing rapidly despite the dismal weather and soil.

“Hi! We’re your neighbors, and my daughter wanted to greet you guys.” Daisy said, her voice soft but creating thrilling murmurs that traveled through the daytime breeze. Her light brown hair bounced around her shoulders and framed her face, several white streaks of hair created a beautiful swirling effect that drew anyone into her blue eyes. A girl a few years older than Adam stood behind her and waved, her skin ghastly pale.

A pleasant conversation ensued after Mr. Brown invited the two of them inside, wary of why they had to be guarded but the allure of the life he had for so long imagined suddenly died down.

“What brings you two to the neighborhood?” She asked, drumming her fingers on his kitchen table. He wished he had cleaned up a bit; if he had to admit it to himself, she was rather attractive and very alluring, and it perhaps resided in the way she had such possession over herself. She reminded him of the fiery woman whose life felt omnipresent in his.

“Adam, my son, was struggling to fit in. This neighborhood was an upgrade from the past one, and I think he’ll love it here.” He felt Adam tense up beside him at the comparison to an ordinary citizen, and Mr. Brown’s face flushed with embarrassment.

Adam quickly jutted into the conversation. “I’m a Leith, though. I’m not regular.”

Daisy seemed to immediately withdraw from the conversation, bringing her elbows off the table and shifting back in her seat.

“Yes, he is. But…” he trailed off, looking embarrassed, “I’m not. It’s why we moved.”

She seemed to be more comfortable immediately, mouthing a silent “oh” with her lips. She added, “Well, I better head on now. I hope you enjoy the cookies, and please, stop by whenever you’d like.” Her smile was effortless as she took Morrigan by the hand, waving as she left.

Things seemed to be ordinary for many months, and Mr. Brown seemed to lose hope in ever discovering anything about Daisy’s life. Until, one night as he returned from a walk, he spotted a figure dragging a large bag behind themself, reaching up for the illuminated moon as it leaked tears of serene light onto their trembling body.