Ten years had passed since the fall of Gangxhi, a once peaceful town under the Tianxue Empire, was reduced to nothing but ashes and grief.
On that fateful night, the sky burned red.
Flames devoured homes one after another, spreading like a curse that no one could escape. The laughter that once filled the streets turned into desperate screams. Families were torn apart—parents shielding their children, lovers clinging to each other in their final moments, elders kneeling helplessly as everything they built in their lifetime crumbled before their eyes.
And those who tried to run…
Were met by the cold blades of Fengxue soldiers.
No mercy was given.
Gangxhi was not just destroyed, it was erased.
Now, ten years later
In the grand city of Janxhie, under the rule of the powerful Fengxue Empire.
Towering structures stretched toward the heavens, built from polished stone , reflecting the empire's immense wealth and dominance. The streets were lively, filled with finely dressed citizens who carried themselves with pride and arrogance. To them, status was everything, one's worth was measured by power, wealth, and lineage.
At first glance, the empire looked perfect.
Prosperous.
Untouchable.
But beneath its shining surface… Lay a system built on cruelty.
Slavery.
In the Fengxue Empire, slaves were treated as less than human—lower than servants, lower than animals. They had no names, no rights, no voice. Their lives belonged entirely to their masters.
Some were bought for labor, forced to work endlessly without rest or reward until their bodies could no longer endure.
Some were used for experiments from children to elders, men, women… no one was spared from becoming a mere tool for twisted ambitions.
Many female slaves were stripped of dignity, used to satisfy the desires of their masters. The men fared no better some were abused, others were thrown into battle as expendable pawns, sent to die in place of true soldiers.
And the worst part—This was all legal. Sanctioned by the laws of Fengxue.
In contrast, the Tianxue Empire strictly forbade such inhumane practices. To them, slavery was a sin that defied the natural order. This fundamental difference became the root of their hatred.
Conflict was inevitable.
But what truly ignited the flames of war…
Was the massacre of Gangxhi.
The ruthless slaughter of its people by Fengxue soldiers marked the beginning of an unending war, a war fueled not only by power, but by vengeance.
Even after ten long years…
Neither empire had chosen to forgive.
Neither had chosen to forget.
As for the survivors of that night, death did not claim them. But neither did freedom. Those who managed to escape the flames were soon captured by Fengxue soldiers. Bound in chains, they were taken to the empire they once feared… not as refugees, but as spoils of war.
As proof of their defeat. Each of them was branded. A mark burned into their backs. A symbol that stripped away their identity… And reduced them to nothing more than slaves.
___________________________________________________________________
A young man jolted awake from his restless sleep as a bucket of freezing water was suddenly thrown over him.
The cold struck like knives against his skin.
"Wake up. You still have a lot of work to do today, stop laying on the bed you filthy slave!" the old man said irritably, fanning himself lazily as he looked down at the young man now sitting on the ground.
The place he called "bed" was nothing more than a pile of dry, rotting hay scattered carelessly across the filthy floor of what was once a livestock shed.
The young man's clothing hung loosely from his frail body a tattered, broken clothes, once black but now faded into a dull, lifeless gray. The fabric was torn in several places, the hems frayed beyond repair, and the sleeves barely held together by loose threads. Dirt and dried blood stained it, as if it had not been washed in years. It clung to him like the remains of a life long lost, making him look no different from a wandering beggar who had nothing left in this world.
His long black hair fell messily down to his waist, tangled and unkempt. Slowly, he lifted a hand and brushed aside the strands that covered his face. As he did, his features were revealed. Despite the dirt and exhaustion, his face carried a striking beauty, refined and almost unreal, like a noble figure fallen from grace. He had sharp, defined brows, long lashes that framed his hollow eyes, and a straight, elegant nose, delicate yet masculine, cold yet captivating, as if sculpted with care but stripped of all warmth. He was pale like a dead person. Yet his eyes were deep and dark but they were empty. Lifeless. Like a once-burning soul that had long since turned to ash. His lips were dry and cracked, traces of blood visible along the edges, a clear signs of dehydration, exhaustion, and suffering. He was filthy, thin, and bruised all over. And yet, Even in such a pitiful state, there was no denying it. He was devastatingly handsome. The kind of beauty that refused to be buried, no matter how much the world tried to ruin it.
He slowly lifted his gaze toward the old man, a look filled with quiet, murderous intent.
"If you think I'd be scared of you, then go ahead and just kill yourself," the old man scoffed arrogantly. "You've already been sold eighteen times, haven't you? All your previous masters were too afraid to keep you."
He smirked. "But I'm not."
"I won't work for you, smelly old man" the young man replied weakly, yet firmly.
His voice was low, hoarse but unwavering. There was no fear in it, only determination. A man who had already accepted death. Without warning, the old man stepped forward and splashed another bucket of water onto his face.
"Get up," he snapped. "If you want to eat, then work. If not, I'll have my men come in and beat you again."
"I'll die first before I would be on my knees serving you old filthy man!"
A cruel smile stretched across his lips.
"Still arrogant, are you?" the old man sneered. "Don't forget your place young man, you're nothing but a slave." He let out a mocking laugh, fanning himself lazily.
"You should be grateful a great soldier of the Fengxue Empire brought you here instead of killing you on the spot. I heard you're from Gangxhi… that pitiful land of lowly people, just like the Tianxue Empire."
His eyes narrowed, voice dripping with cruelty.
"I'm sure your parents died there too." Old men chuckled darkly. The young man was trying to hold himself when his parents death was mention.
"don't you dare!" the young man warned.
"If you don't want to end up like them, then learn your lesson. Be obedient… and maybe—just maybe—I'll spare your life."
"Ahahaha…"
"You animals! I swear I will kill you!" the young man shouted, his voice breaking with rage and helplessness.
"Yeah.... yeah... as if you can touch me, I can kill you anytime I want but death is too quick and easy way to just waste my money on buying you, if you wont work for me, ill make sure that my men are going to break you slowly and ill watch it to entertain myself, every single day."
He forced himself to stand, his body trembling, and lunged toward the old man. But before he could even get close—Two guards rushed in. One of them kicked him hard in the stomach. The impact sent him crashing violently to the ground. His body curled instinctively in pain. He hadn't even recovered from yesterday's beating, his body was already at its limit.
And yet—Here he was again.
"Don't be stupid," one of the guards barked, grabbing him roughly by the collar and punch the young mans face. "You're just a slave. And you dare raise a hand against our master?"
The large and muscular man, lifted his fist, ready to strike again—
"Enough," the old man interrupted.
"If he doesn't want to work, then starve him. No food. No water. Even the most stubborn dog will wag its tail when hunger breaks it."
The guard paused, then nodded.
"Yes, Master."
The three of them left the shed, their footsteps fading into the distance, leaving the young man alone in the suffocating silence. On the ground, the young man clenched his fists tightly. His entire body trembled—Not from fear, but from rage.
"One day… I will have my revenge," he muttered, his voice shaking with fury.
His body was covered in bruises, his lips split and bleeding from the earlier beating. He spat blood onto the ground, his eyes burning.
"The Fengxue Empire… will fall someday."
"I swear it."
After a while, when he was certain no one was inside the shed. He forced himself to stand. Slowly, he moved toward the gaps in the wooden walls of the shed and peeked outside. He sees no guards and no longer hear the footsteps outside.
Only then did he act. He raised his trembling hand and quietly began to chant. A faint of green light glow formed around his fingers as he directed the magic toward his battered body. The bruises began to fade, the pain slowly eased. But just as the wounds began to fully heal, he stopped. Deliberately, the glow vanished but the bruises remained and the blood stained are still there. The weakness of his body still lingered.
This…was intentional. He healed only enough to survive. Never enough to recover completely. Because if they notice it he will be found out that he could use magic. That he was not as helpless as he appeared, they would never let him live. Or worse they will used him as a tool if they would know that he can do healing magic.
So he endured the pain, silently as he patiently waiting for the day the chains around his neck…would finally break.
____________________________________________________________________________
In a dark, narrow alley tucked away from the grand streets of the city, a young man stood silently in the shadows. He is watching and waiting. He had escaped from his old master once again. And now… he was searching for his next victim.
"Have you heard? Wealthy families have been dying one after another lately…"
Two men walked along the dimly lit road, their voices low. From their simple clothing, it was clear they lived modest lives, commoners trying to survive under the weight of the empire.
"Not yet. What's the reason?" the other asked, stopping by the roadside.
"No one knows for sure… but their deaths are suspicious. Some say it might be a curse."
"A curse? Why would they be cursed?"
The first man glanced around before lowering his voice.
"These families… are known for abusing their slaves."
The second man scoffed quietly.
"Isn't that normal? Most nobles treat their slaves that way. It's common in the Fengxue empire. It's legal. Once you're marked as a slave… your life isn't yours anymore."
"…Even so," the man muttered, his brows tightening, "they should still have some sense of morality. They're nobles, after all. Maybe… this curse is punishment for how far they've gone."
"Shh! Lower your voice!" the other quickly warned, panicking. "What if someone hears you? and its a noble, you'll offend them! I still value my life!"
"…You're right," the first sighed. "But still… as a citizen of Fengxue, I can't help but pity the slaves. Many of them were once ordinary people too just like us. But they were reduced to this."
His voice softened.
"It's unjust. They're treated worse than animals." he added.
"We shouldn't be talking about this here," the other insisted nervously. "Many of us know it's wrong… but it's the law we cannot do something about it were not even noble ourselves. If anyone finds out we're criticizing it, we'll be imprisoned."
"There's no one else here," the other man said, glancing around. His eyes briefly passed over the dark alley. But he didn't notice the figure hidden within it. That is someone is quietly listening and watching.
"You're too bold for your own good, I also don't know what changed your view before you don't care about such things, is this what you learned after studying in the north, but that's impossible the Marquis of Hanyue of the north was known to be merciless even on nobles or slaves so his law there probably will be a reflection of him" the second man muttered.
"In the North, we are taught to treat others with dignity. Because of that, I trust that the Marquis of the North is a man of true honor and greatness."
"Thats just for show," the other scoffed. "I heard he owns over a hundred slaves. Besides he's the one who destroyed Gangxhi right?"
Smack.
He was lightly hit on the head.
"Have you lost your mind?" the man snapped. "I don't know what kind of rumors you've been hearing, but the Marquis of Hanyue is honorable. If someone from Hanyue hears you, you'll be beaten senseless."
"You speak as if you serve the Marquis. Are you one of his people? Don't tell me you haven't heard the rumors, that he intends to overthrow the Emperor--."
"Hey! You two! Have been there for a while! You're too loud! Should I call the town guards!"
A woman suddenly shouted from her window above.
Startled, the two men immediately ran off.
"…The Marquis of Hanyue," the young man in the shadows whispered.
A slow smile formed on his lips—
Cold.
Dangerous. As if he had just found his next target. In an instant, his figure vanished. Using magic, he teleported back to the livestock shed.
With a simple gesture, his appearance returned to what it once was, his torn clothing, the dirt, the iron collar around his neck, the heavy chain dragging behind him. He lay down quickly before everyone could wake up. Pretending to have just woken up. Moments later, a guard entered.
"Slave. Time to work."
The young man weakly pushed himself up, acting as if his body was barely holding together. Soon, he joined the other slaves. They were brought to a large warehouse, where they carried heavy crates of fabric and goods, loading them onto carriages under strict supervision.
"Zhang… here."
An old slave quietly handed him a still-warm potato. Zhang took it without a word and began eating.
"You've been here for a year now, boy," the old man whispered. "Don't you have any plans to escape?"
Zhang remained silent.
"You're still young… You shouldn't die working like this. You won't even get the chance to have a family. Be brave and escape.... you should return to the Tianxue Empire."
Zhang finally spoke, his voice low.
"And what about you, old man? If I leave… you'll be the first one they beat."
The old man chuckled softly. "I can't go with you. I'd only slow you down."
Zhang tied his long black hair back. "…Don't worry," he said quietly. "The old fatty will die soon." referring to their master.
The old man frowned in confusion.
"What do you mean—?"
"Back to work!" A guard's shout cut him off.
"Break's over! Anyone I see standing idle will be whipped!"
The slaves immediately returned to their tasks.
Zhang walked away, leaving the old man behind.
______________________________________________________________________
That Night.
One by one, the slaves lay down inside the shed. But Zhang remained awake. His mind replayed the conversation he had overheard earlier.
Impossible…The Marquis of Hanyue is supposed to be a man of honor they say…maybe they are blind.. what a joke.
His gaze sharpened, in his hand…was a pendant. Carved with the symbol of the Hanyue family.
Zhang had long believed one thing, the man responsible for everything… Was the Marquis of Hanyue. From the information he gathered over the years, he learned that it was the Marquis who led the attack on Gangxhi… and the same man who ordered the capture of its remaining survivors. The hatred in his heart did not come from nothing.
Ten Years Ago
Inside the prison carriage, it was shaking violently as it rolled across uneven roads. A small kid open his eyes and found out his no longer inside the cabinet but inside a moving carriage together with the other people whom are now unconscious or sleeping some are injured too. HaoHao had been nothing more than a frightened child look around. The soldiers rode beside them, careless… talking among themselves, unaware of the small, trembling boy inside the cage.
"Are these are the only ones who survived?" one soldier said while riding beside the carriage.
"Only about thirty" the other replied.
"…The Marquis of Hanyue won't be pleased once he learned that were only able to captured such a small number…"
"…At least we brought something back—"
Their voices blurred into the background. But HaoHao listened. He see something shining a tassel pendant in the soldiers clothing it has symbols written on it. Through the gaps of the cage, his small fingers trembled as he reached out. Not physically. But with something unseen. Wind.
A faint, invisible current, something his father had once taught him in secret.
"Feel it… don't force it." he whisper to himself. The air obeyed him weakly, barely forming a wind magic, enough to reach the soldier's waist. Enough to touch the tassel hanging from his armor.
Slowly—Carefully—The wind sharpened. Slice.
The tassel snapped. The pendant fell.
HaoHao's heart pounded violently as he guided it toward himself, his control fragile, unstable. And then It dropped into his hands. A small object. But heavy with meaning. Without hesitation, he hid it within his long hair, tangling it deep enough that no one would easily find it. He didn't know why he took it. Perhaps to sell it someday. Perhaps to use it to survive.
Or perhaps—Fate had already chosen for him.
a moment later a soldier who look more high ranking ordered the soldier.
"Enough talking!"
"We're about to enter the empire." He glanced coldly at the prisoners.
"Where are you taking us?!" Hao Hao shouted. Everyone wake up Panic spread, cries filled the air.
"If you want to live! be silent!" the soldier warned. "One more scream, and I won't hesitate to kill all of you!" The prisoners quickly fell quiet.
"Cover them." A thick cloth was thrown over the cage. Darkness swallowed them whole. Overwhelmed by fear, exhaustion, and trauma, HaoHao lost consciousness and darkness swallowed him whole again..
When he woke up, all he could hear were cries. He was now inside a large military facility. Slowly, he sat up, only to realize his legs were chained.
"Please… have mercy!"
A young woman cried out nearby as a man forcefully stripped her clothes.
"Please… not my dignity…"
She begged but they only laughed. From the burning coals, one man lifted a glowing iron brand.
"No… please…!" she screamed.
They forced her to her knees.
And pressed the burning iron into her back.
"AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Her scream echoed through the entire place. HaoHao covered his eyes, but it was too late. He had already seen it.
"Monsters…" a boy beside him cried. "Do they really have to brand us like animals?"
Men approached them. They grabbed both the boy and HaoHao.
"From this day forward, you belong to the Fengxue Empire," one of them declared. "You will be marked as slaves." They were stripped.
"Please… don't…" the boy begged.
But HaoHao said nothing, even as a child…his eyes were empty. As if his will to live had already been extinguished.
The burning iron pressed against his back. Pain surged through his body. His hands trembled, tears fell silently from his eyes, but unlike the others… He did not scream, he endured it in silence. As something inside him broke completely...
------------------------------------------------------------------------
After the Branding
The moment the survivors were marked. They were no longer people.
They were trophies. They were immediately transported to the capital.
Not for mercy. But for display. The streets were filled with people.
Cheering.
Celebrating.
A grand parade welcomed the returning soldiers of the Fengxue Empire.
At the center of it all. Were the chained survivors of Gangxhi.
HaoHao walked among them. Barefoot...
His small feet pressed against the freezing stone pavement, each step sending pain through his body. The chains around his ankles clinked with every movement, dragging behind him like a reminder of his new reality.
Around him, people smiled, clapped and praised the soldiers, as if this was something to be proud of.
"Our Marquis of Hanyue has returned in glory once again!" a soldier shouted proudly.
"He has led us to victory!"
Cheers erupted like thunder.
"Victory!"
"Glory to Fengxue!"
"Long live the Marquis!"
HaoHao heard every word.
Every cheer.
Every laugh.
And deep feeling emerged. Something that would never fade. From where he stood, he saw them again. The same three soldiers from before. Now dressed in formal armor, standing tall as if they were heroes.
And between them—Riding at the center of it all—Was the man they called a savior.
The Marquis of Hanyue.
The Marquis raised his hand, waving gracefully to the crowd.
His expression calm. Proud and admired by all.
To them—He was a hero.
But to HaoHao—He was something else entirely. A monster.
HaoHao's small hands slowly clenched into fists. His nails dug into his skin.
His body trembled—Not from fear. But from something far deeper. Hatred.
He lowered his head, hiding his expression beneath his messy hair.
But his eyes—Burned.
'I will remember this face…
I will remember this moment…
And one day—
I will destroy you together with this empire'