The sun was sinking behind the distant hills, casting a soft orange glow over Skycross Castle. The ancient stone walls, symbols of noble lineage and power, now held modern luxuries—discreet Wi-Fi routers and security cameras. These conveniences were reminders of how far the world had come, but to Edwin, they were just ornaments on a prison of duty. He sat by one of the tall windows in the library, his gaze drifting over the sprawling landscape. Yet, his mind remained far from the beauty outside, wrestling instead with thoughts of the confrontation ahead—a plan that seemed to unravel the closer it came to fruition.
His phone buzzed on the table nearby, its vibrations relentless. Edwin ignored it. Nothing that came through that screen could ease the weight pressing on his chest. A year had passed since he’d left his family behind, and now their freedom was within his grasp—but at what cost? The finances would leave him precariously exposed, but more than that, facing them again, knowing the truth of his ascent to nobility, was a prospect that churned his stomach.
Across the room, Alex paced before the fireplace, his agitation plain in every step, his body taut like a spring ready to snap. His history of being bullied, particularly by his own slaves, still left scars, and Edwin could see it in the way Alex’s frustration turned inward.
"You can’t just use my dad’s resources like that, Edwin," Alex said, his voice sharp with a mix of concern and frustration. "He’d lose it if he found out we were pulling noble strings for something like this. It's not even official business."
Edwin finally tore his gaze from the window, turning to meet Alex’s piercing look. Though his expression was calm, his voice held a tension that mirrored Alex’s. "This isn’t just personal. My family is trapped in those mines, Alex. Trapped. I may be a noble now, but we’re supposed to use our status to resolve conflicts, not just stand by. We don’t use brute force. We negotiate, we right wrongs."
Alex halted, arms crossed as he faced Edwin. Edwin could see the anger bubbling beneath Alex’s surface—the same anger that had been there ever since his experience with the bullying. It was a vulnerability that Alex tried to hide, but Edwin could still see it, even now.
"But it’s not that simple, is it? We don’t even know who’s really behind this. There’s a whole web of people keeping those mines running. We’ve heard whispers, rumors of powerful figures, but no one seems to know the actual names."
Edwin stood slowly, walking toward Alex. His voice remained steady, but the weight of his words hung heavy between them. "That’s why we find out. Someone’s running that show, and we’re going to figure out who. Then we’ll negotiate. There’s always a price they’ll accept."
Alex let out a heavy breath, sinking into one of the library’s armchairs. He rubbed his temples as if the motion could chase away the pressure building between them. Edwin could sense Alex’s discomfort—the boy was still carrying the weight of what had happened to him, and it made him question his own strength.
"You say it like it’s going to be easy. These people hide their identities for a reason. If we start digging, we might not like what we find. And even if we do, how do you plan to make them listen?"
"By finding their weakness," Edwin said, his eyes narrowing with resolve. "We have resources, Alex. We have leverage. We’ll make them an offer they can’t refuse."
The next few days were a blur of late nights, cold sodas, and endless research. Together, Edwin and Alex scoured every connection they could find—every business deal, hidden transaction, and trade route that might lead them to the figure pulling the strings. At first, they hit dead ends—mysterious companies with no clear ownership, figures in the shadows controlling vast amounts of wealth and labor, but none that led back to a single person.
Edwin could see Alex growing more agitated as the dead ends piled up. The boy had faced so much humiliation from his bullies, and now, the weight of that experience seemed to sit heavily on his shoulders, especially when they weren’t making progress. But Edwin knew that Alex was strong in ways he hadn’t yet realized. Edwin was determined to help him see that.
One evening, as Alex pored over yet another stack of ancient records, something clicked. He sat up straight, his eyes wide with realization. "Edwin, come look at this."
Edwin crossed the room quickly, peering over Alex’s shoulder at the screen. There, buried deep in the archives of an old noble estate, was a name neither of them had heard before: Victor Grantham.
"Who is he?" Edwin asked, leaning closer.
Alex shook his head, clearly rattled by the discovery. "I don’t know yet. But this guy’s connected to a lot of shady operations. His name keeps popping up in old financial records—mining deals, black-market trade, labor agreements with no oversight. And look at the dates—this guy’s been at it for years, building a fortune off the backs of people like your family."
Edwin’s jaw tightened as he stared at the name. "So this is the man keeping my family in those mines?"
"It seems like it," Alex said grimly. "He’s well-hidden, but his fingerprints are all over these operations. He’s not just running a mine, Edwin. He’s running an empire. And he won’t let them go easily."
As the days passed, the picture of Victor Grantham became clearer—and darker. Every piece of information they uncovered painted him as a ruthless businessman, a man who viewed people as little more than commodities. His labor force was vast, spread across multiple industries, and the deeper they dug, the more they realized just how powerful he truly was. Grantham wasn’t just exploiting a handful of workers; he was operating on a massive scale, using fear, manipulation, and financial dominance to keep his operations thriving.
Alex dropped a thick file onto the table one afternoon, his face pale. "This guy doesn’t just want money. He’s running a system. He enjoys this. The power, the control—it’s part of who he is. Offering him gold won’t be enough. We’ll need something more to make him let go."
Edwin picked up the file, skimming through the horrifying details. The workers in the mines weren’t just prey—some were prisoners, trapped by debts they could never repay. Grantham’s overseers were notorious for their cruelty, using violence and intimidation to maintain control. For every family like Edwin’s, there were hundreds more, all crushed under the weight of Grantham’s empire.
He felt the heat of anger rising in his chest. How many more people are trapped like my family? Edwin thought. The weight of responsibility pressed heavily on him. This wasn’t just about freeing his family anymore—it was about dismantling something much bigger.
Edwin slammed the file shut, his expression hardening. "Then we find something that forces his hand. Something that makes him see us as more than just another transaction."
Alex’s voice shook slightly as he spoke. "Leverage? What kind of leverage could we possibly have against someone like Grantham?"
Edwin paced the room, his mind racing. "We expose him. If we can find proof of what he’s doing—real proof, not just rumors—we could bring his whole empire crashing down. He won’t want that. He’ll make a deal to keep himself safe."
Alex raised an eyebrow, his face pale with doubt. "And how do you plan to get that kind of proof? This guy covers his tracks. No one’s ever come close to taking him down before."
Edwin paused, his gaze steely. "Then we do what no one else has done. We dig deeper. We find the evidence. And we use it to bring him to the table."
The day of the meeting arrived faster than Edwin had expected. The drive to the outpost was long and tense, the landscape changing from the lush greenery around Skycross Castle to the barren, unforgiving terrain near the mines. As they neared the rendezvous point, Edwin’s thoughts drifted back to his family—his mother, his brother, and the sibling he had never met, born after his escape. A year had passed since he’d last seen them, and every day of that year had been a reminder of the cost of his freedom.
Edwin glanced at Alex, who sat beside him in the car, staring out the window. He could see the tension in Alex’s posture, the way his hands fidgeted with his sleeves. The scars from being bullied, from feeling powerless, still haunted Alex, and now, with so much on the line, Edwin knew that Alex’s anxiety was close to boiling over.
"Are you sure you’re ready for this?" Alex asked quietly as they approached the outpost, the building looming ahead of them like a shadow in the fading light. Edwin noticed the way Alex's voice shook slightly—he was still haunted by the past, but this time, he wasn’t backing down.
Edwin’s fists clenched at his sides, his eyes fixed on the dilapidated structure. "I don’t have a choice."
Waiting outside the outpost was Victor Grantham himself, taller and broader than Edwin had imagined. His cold, piercing gaze locked onto them as they stepped out of the car. A smug smirk curled at the corners of his lips, as though he already knew the outcome of this meeting.
"Well, well," Grantham drawled, his voice a slow, mocking rumble. "Didn’t expect a noble like you to get his hands dirty. Usually, your kind sends lackeys to do the hard work."
Edwin forced himself to remain calm, though his blood boiled beneath the surface. "I’m here to make a deal. You have my family. I have what you want."
Grantham’s gaze flicked briefly to Alex before returning to Edwin, the smirk never leaving his face. "You think gold is going to make up for the loss of labor? I’ve got hundreds of workers down there. Your family is just a drop in the bucket."
Edwin stepped forward, his voice firm. "This isn’t just about gold. We’ve been looking into your operations. We know what you’ve been doing. If I wanted to, I could expose you—bring everything you’ve built crashing down. But I’d rather settle this quietly."
For a moment, Grantham’s smirk faltered, his eyes narrowing as he studied Edwin. But then the smug expression returned, and he chuckled darkly. "You think you can threaten me, boy? You’re out of your depth."
Edwin held his ground. "Ten thousand gold pieces. Transferable immediately. You get the money, I get my family."
Grantham’s smirk faded completely this time as he considered the offer. After a long, tense silence, he nodded to one of his men. "Bring them out."
The door to the outpost creaked open, and Edwin’s family emerged. His mother’s once-vibrant eyes were dull, her frame thinner than he remembered. His brother, taller now, looked haunted, while his little sister clung to their mother’s leg, wide-eyed and confused.
Seeing them in such a state nearly broke Edwin, guilt and shame washing over him in waves. He had escaped, but they had been left behind to endure the hell he had fled.
"There they are," Grantham said casually, as though showing off livestock. "Now, where’s my gold?"
Edwin handed over the small device. "It’s all there. The transfer will go through once I have your word that they’re free."
Grantham’s man checked the device before nodding. Grantham pocketed it with a satisfied smile. "Pleasure doing business with you, noble boy. But don’t think this changes anything. Hundreds more are still down there. And I’m not about to stop."
Edwin’s fists clenched at his sides, but he kept his expression neutral. His family was free. That was all that mattered—for now.
As they drove away, Edwin knew that this was only the beginning. Victor Grantham was still out there, and so were countless others trapped in his grasp. The fight was far from over.
But today, they had won. And for now, that was enough.
