(Chapter Starts)
Kairo sat on the edge of his bed, gripping his head in frustration. Everything that had happened in the past 24 hours felt like a nightmare—visions of the past, men who were supposed to be dead, and a voice telling him to "fix everything."
"What the hell is happening to me...?" he muttered under his breath.
Despite his confusion, he couldn't just sit there. He needed answers, and there was only one person who could give them—Sirius.
Determined, Kairo stormed out of his house and made his way to the royal mansion.
---
At the Royal Mansion
When he arrived, he rang the doorbell. The guards at the entrance stepped forward, watching him closely.
"Who do you wish to meet?" one of them asked.
Kairo stood tall. "Sirius Solmaria. I'm his brother."
The guards exchanged glances before one of them responded, "Please wait here while we inform His Highness."
Kairo exhaled sharply as he watched them disappear inside the mansion. His heart pounded in his chest. He had no idea how Sirius would react.
Inside the mansion, the guards entered Sirius's study and bowed before speaking.
"Your Highness, Kairo Solmaria has arrived. He wishes to meet you."
Sirius, seated in his grand chair, smirked. "I don't want to meet him."
The guards hesitated. "Should we send him away?"
Sirius tapped his fingers on the table. "No… Let's make use of him." His smirk widened. "Tell him I have a mission for him. If he succeeds, I'll consider meeting him."
The guards bowed and left the room.
---
Outside the Mansion
Kairo waited impatiently until the guards returned.
"Prince Kairo, His Highness has refused to meet you," one of them stated.
Kairo clenched his fists. "Figures…"
"However," the guard continued, "His Highness has a mission for you. If you succeed, he will grant you an audience."
Kairo narrowed his eyes. "A mission?"
"Yes," the guard nodded. "Raigan will explain the details to you."
A tall man with short dark hair and sharp green eyes stepped forward. His posture was straight, his uniform spotless.
"I'm Raigan, a trusted officer under Prince Sirius," he introduced himself. "Your mission is to infiltrate Eldoria and retrieve important documents from their government archives."
Kairo crossed his arms. "Eldoria? That's impossible. The borders are heavily guarded, and the electric barriers will kill anyone who tries to cross without authorization."
Raigan smirked. "You're right. You can't cross the official border."
Kairo raised an eyebrow. "Then how do you expect me to get in?"
"There's another way," Raigan explained. "Through Varinth."
Kairo's eyes widened slightly. "Varinth? The slum nation?"
"Exactly," Raigan nodded. "Because of its weak military and lack of resources, there are no electric barriers between Varinth and Eldoria. You can slip in unnoticed. But don't think it will be easy—getting to the heart of Eldoria is still dangerous."
Kairo thought for a moment. It was risky, but this was his best chance to meet Sirius and possibly uncover the truth about his father's assassination.
"Fine," he said. "I'll do it."
Raigan handed him a small pouch filled with Eldorian currency. "Take this. You'll need it to survive there."
Kairo took the pouch and nodded.
"Good luck," Raigan said.
Kairo didn't respond. He turned on his heel and left the mansion.
---
Journey to Varinth
An hour later, he sat in a cab, watching as the scenery changed from the grand architecture of Solmaria to the crumbling outskirts of Varinth. The slum nation was nothing like his home—it was a place where survival was a daily struggle, where law and order barely existed.
As the cab neared the border, the driver glanced at him through the rearview mirror. "You sure you wanna go there, kid? It's not a place for someone like you."
Kairo smirked. "I can handle myself."
The driver shook his head but didn't argue.
The car stopped near the border, and Kairo stepped out. The air was thick with the scent of burning wood and unclean streets. Distant shouts, laughter, and cries filled the atmosphere.
He took a deep breath and looked ahead.
"This is it…"
Without hesitation, he stepped forward into Varinth.
---
(Chapter Ends)