The splitter splatter of rain echoed, thin streams of water cascaded the tiled roof, joining together into thin streams that dripped down into a canal of sorts below. Irrespective of the rain that fell into it, the level of the water canal stayed the same.

At the bottom of the canal grew a type of grass, covering the entire ground surface. It absorbed the Water Qi present in the rainwater, converting it into nutrients that nourished its growth. A fish-type beast swam within, nibbling on the grass.

They consumed the Water Qi it had absorbed, accumulating the energy necessary to propagate further. The canals formed a large circuit in the layout, creating numerous lines that made a spectacular design on the flat land.

The canals made each piece of land look like an island of sorts, covered by water on all sides. Individual houses were constructed on each of such islands, made of stone, property exclusive to each family. Overarching bridges were constructed that connected one island to another. It was a small bridge considering the canals were only as wide as the height of a man.

Seated within a courtyard in one such house was a man, his expression twisted with rage. The splattering sounds of the rain further worsened his mood. He gazed at his knees, scowling as he clenched the area, unable to feel anything beyond that point.

He was seated on a wooden wheelchair, his hair dishevelled, his eyes darting to any and every sound that echoed. Situated on his right was a stool on which a jug containing alcohol was placed. Held in his left was a cup in which he poured the alcohol before downing it.

“Ahh!” He threw the cup at a pillar, watching it shatter into pieces, with some of them falling into the canal. The fishes within were stirred up, soon converging towards the pieces before grabbing hold of them with their mouths. They swam to the surface and spat out the pieces on the floor before continuing with their swim.

A piece of the cup landed before an entrance as a lady wearing high heels entered. She wore a sleeveless top, sporting ribbons that curved along the indentations of her arm muscles. Her shoulder guard was a piece of fur that reached her chin.

The Tikka jewellery on her forehead was adorned with a blue gemstone that radiated a deep blue. If one concentrated on it long enough, they would hallucinate the sounds of sea waves. The lady stepped foot on the piece of the cup with her heel, creating a crunching sound that made the man turn her way.

“Did you get any news of Re’Kha?” The man was in a state of hysteria, struggling to get up in his hurry. But, everything from his knees and below refused to budge, preventing him from getting up.

The lady arrived at his rescue, keeping him seated as she sighed, “I have sent our best trackers to Burkurel City. They will sweep the entire area and find her but…”

“But?” The man’s voice turned hoarse, his voice cracking, “But what?”

“Based on the information they obtained today, they noticed her tracks heading into…the Kuhera Forest.”

“The Kuhera Forest…” His eyes turned dispirited, losing hope.

The lady didn’t seem to have noticed his mental state, speaking with a sad tone, “For some unexpected reason, numerous Kalha are flying everywhere in the region. Our men are currently in hiding for now. Only when the Kalha retreat would they be able to investigate further.”

Only now did she notice his expression, hugging him from the behind, wrapping her hands around his neck, “Don’t worry. No matter how much we have to sacrifice, we’ll definitely find her.”

“I’ll wait for the good news…mother.” The man weakly nodded, seemingly carrying a trace of hope.

“Definitely,” She rubbed his head, straightening his hair before adjusting his Tikka jewellery, the gemstone of which was lustreless, “You should at least ensure your Tikka Jewellery is properly maintained. You are Burmat Re’Shi, future Clan Leader of our Burmat Re Clan. You shouldn’t look dispirited before the others.”

“I’ll try,” Burmat Re’Shi muttered under a weak breath.

The lady patted his shoulder once and left the courtyard, her demeanour morphing immediately upon exit, replaced on her gentle expression was a vicious look, one of dominance after being in power for too long. She snapped her finger, watching a man arrived at the scene and kneel before her, “Speak, have you found Burkurel Re’Kha yet?”

“One of our teams found her trail leaving the Kuhera Forest. The trail disappeared midway all of a sudden. We are planning to make a sweep from there towards the settlements. Only…” The man slammed his forehead on the floor, “Please dispatch some reinforcements. We suffered heavy casualties from the Kalha.”

“Fine, I’ll allot one more team under you. Make sure you find her no matter the cost. And when you do, make sure her corpse is intact.” The lady’s voice made him shudder, not daring to even lift his head from the ground.

He then heard the crisp sounds of her heels hitting on the stone floor as she walked away, heaving a sigh of relief only after he could no longer hear the sound. He then got up and moved to take action, passing by the entrance to the courtyard as he gazed at the haggard condition of Burmat Re’Shi.

“A Genius reduced to a cripple.” He didn’t even try to hide his voice, not caring if the other party heard him. He then proceeded to recruit the new team he was allotted.

Burmat Re’Shi acted like he hadn’t listened to the scout’s words, gazing at the dripping water with a vacant gaze. He slowly craned his arm forward, looking at a tiny badge stuck on it, feeling a certain presence from it, full of vigour that was greater than before.

‘I know you are alive, Re’Kha. I’ll be there to rescue you the moment I heal myself. Please hold on until then.’ The presence in the badge was steady, making him heave a sigh of relief. His eyes shone with intelligence as the Tikka jewellery on his forehead flickered with blinding blue radiance before slowly turning jet black.