He couldn't remember much of his life before Havenridge. Maybe it was because he was too young, or maybe he had lost his memory due to trauma. But every once in a while, a recollection of the past would sweep by in a whirlwind of emotions, and Ty would find himself staring at the shattered remnants of his childhood.

They used to chase each other down at the river under the warm summer sun. Just the two of them, out in their papyrus weaved flip-flops, their tunics untied and open as they skipped tittering through the meadow outside of their home. Their dad would be out in the rice fields, their mother baking in the kitchen. And beyond the hilltop, the small village that was known as Windrop.

That had been his home, his life.

Now before where he stood was a blackened field, the earth scorched beyond recognition and the meadow nothing but a charred wasteland. In the distance where Windrop was supposed to be was now nothing more than ashes. Not even one dilapidated structure stranding. The land was split, crumbled down in one line as if it was two pieces of cloth sewn together. Even the sky looked grim, darkened with granite-grey clouds. The dry air tasted of electricity. He wondered if the river had dried out.

Not that it mattered. Everything was destroyed. Barren and burnt, the soil stained red from the blood of the villagers he probably once knew. Suddenly, Ty was taken back to the anguish cries in the air, the ashes in the wind, the fear running down his spine, and... two obsidian black eyes staring from the bushes. He stifled a surprised gasp.

A flash of lightning revealed the silhouette of a grotesque humanoid creature rising to its feet; sharp talons at the end of long, stickly limbs, like that of small deadly blades.

'Run.'

Ty startled at the voice, turning to see a tall scraggy boy beside him. His gaunt face and vacant eyes — darkened in the shadows — gazed into his own for less than a second before he turned and broke into a sprint, dragging Ty across the rough path ahead of them by the skin of his wrist.

A terrifying screech struck them from behind and they instinctively clutched their ears. His heart pounded; his knees trembled. Something about the sound sonically evoked potency and intellect in the creature, awaking the adrenaline inside of him. The footfalls that thumped behind sounded closer with each passing second.

'You can't run for long.' Its inhuman voice was guttural, almost disembodied as if it was speaking into his mind. Ty would have looked back, if not for the griping fear that kept his gaze forwards.

'Ignore it!' the boy yelled as they approached the ridge. 'Jump!'

And he did. For the briefest moment, Ty felt the tip of his boots touching the ground on the other side. Then, he was yanked back. His screaming busted through his lungs. Like a clipped bird, he dropped straight into the crevice below; the impact knocking the breath out of him.

There was a shout of pain, but he quickly realise it wasn't his. The boy that had been by his side was now hanging from above, seized by the creature was that gleefully dangling him over the edge, its claws digging into his arm with each swing. Something crimson dripped onto Ty's cheeks, and his blurry vision pivoted to the demon's face, or in fact... faces. His eyes widened fearfully.

In the space of a heartbeat, the demon's face flickered from a young dark-haired girl's to an old lady's before finally, settling on one that was uncanny to his own appearances; a freckled, babyface framed with luscious caramel brown hair and round ocean blue eye, a small buttoned nose and rose-coloured lips. His mother.

'You're going to regret running from me.' She leered, spine-chilling with her fork tongue that jutted out in a hiss, even more so with the hunched body of a gangly demon. But Ty didn't have time to observe.

Sharp pain shot through him like an arrow. And before he could even flinch, something strong latched onto his ankle, dragging him downwards. The ground, once solid, was now soft like quicksand. It quickly turned into a desperate mess of clawing and kicking, futilely grasping for something, anything as he sputtered for breath. The last thing caught in his sights was the brandishing of a gleaming dagger and the spraying of blood before he went completely under. 

Then, he heard a demonic roar of fury and felt the pressure of someone landing into the ridge, near where he was.

He felt a hand, rough and overused, desperately clutching onto his own that was only a few fingers left above the earth. But the grip was weak compared to the invisible force yanking him down. Eventually, Ty slipped.

That someone yelling his name was an echoing chime before the darkness took over. Funnily enough, despite the staggering fear and his inability to breathe, Ty's mind stayed on the boy that had tried to save him; the curled brown hair and the protective look cast over hazel eyes.

All because it had been familiar.

***

The city quaked.

The thumping came like a gunshot through the night; loud, clear, and unexpected. The second one woke him up.

Ty opened his eyes to darkness. It was the middle of the night. The first thing that came to mind was the faint echo of his lungs constricting, something which faded the moment he became aware of his surroundings. Another thump jerked Ty to his feet and he immediately reached for the rod piece he had hidden beneath the hay bed a few hours ago; his escape weapon should greasy face Hubert decides to come and make good on his promise.

But Ty knew it wasn't the guards as the thumpings grew louder. It was taking too long, plus it sounded as though someone was trying to hammer a hole through the concrete wall instead of the door itself. Since guards had keys, they wouldn't need to resort to such unsavoury entry. That meant it was someone who had no choice but to break in through unconventional ways. Hope blossomed in him at the thought that maybe it was Tobias or Alexi outside.

'Tobias?' He whispered as loud as he could, his tongue dry and rough like sandpaper. 'Alexi?'

The hitting stopped. Ty strained to catch any sound that could be a hint or a reply, but there was nothing. Until —

'... get this done before they reach here. Stand watch...'

There were heavy and rushed footfalls outside, followed by the rustling of keys and more hushed whisperings. Light flickered through the window bars and beneath the door frame. Ty's vision had barely adjusted to the darkness when the door burst open, the grating screech of metal against concrete like a siren ringing in his ears.

The room, practically pitch black a moment ago, was now bathed in the warm, orange light of a rusty oil lantern. Someone stood in the doorway, the cold navy glow of the outside illuminating the silhouette of a man with curled auburn red hair and dark eyes as he approached Ty's cell. He wasn't particularly large or strong-looking like Alexi or the guard with the tattooed bald head was, but Ty could tell the man meant business. He strode with purpose, his back straight, his chin tilted upwards and his face an unsmiling expression.

The clothes he wore were a type of uniform, but it differed from the ones Hubert and his partner sported, to the ones the city guards have on. Havenridge guards were required to don lapis blue and yellow uniforms, the city emblem colours which were quite shabby and dull to the eye on a bright summer day. This man's attire, on the other hand, was a bright crimson lined in polished silver, with a red velvet cloak fastened around the neck and thrown over one shoulder. Ty didn't recognise the attire, but he knew this man came from a place of authority. Maybe guards from another city?

Entering behind was another man in a similar ensemble but without the cloak. He was shorter, stockier and more sizable with broad shoulders and big-knuckled hands, one of which was gripping a firearm that looked very much like a long pistol; its elegant barrel at least the length of his forearm, maybe longer. Ty tightened his grip on the rod, nudging it carefully out of sight. His hackles were raised.

'He's not actuated yet. This will make it easier for us,' the first man said and Ty caught the barest of a nod from the shorter man.

'And we're certain this is the right boy?'

'Quite certain. Volkens was very specific.'

Confused, Ty couldn't help himself and ask. 'Who are you?'

The question was ignored. The man with the gun moved forward, his weapon raised and aimed in inside the jail cell.

'Wait! What are you doing—'

'Go to the corner and face the wall.' The first man ordered, jostling his lantern. When Ty hesitated, the other man pointed the barrel at him and barked loudly.

'Come on, now! We don't have all day!'

He complied, shuffling until his back was pressed against the concrete wall, still speechless from the suddenness of it all. Ty barely registered the click before his ears were filled with the crack of something powerful and deafening. He ducked down and covered his head, barely blocking off the bits of metal debris that rained all over him.

When he glanced over his shoulders, the door to the holding cell was ajar, the latch bolt blown apart. There was a ringing in his ears accompanied by a muffled sound he could barely make out. Then, as if resurfacing from the waters, his senses slammed back like a wall of pain. Someone behind gripped him roughly by the shoulder. Out of instinct, he threw his head back, smashing hard against the man's nose before elbowing him in the stomach.

There was swearing and Ty spun around to see the stocky man clutching a bloodied nose as he fell and tripped over the hay bed. The gun was on the ground, right in between him and the redhead with the shell-shocked expression, except Ty was stuck, positioned behind the bed and the fallen man as an obstacle.

For a split second, they had a staredown. Then the man dropped his lantern. Shadows scattered across the room; panicked, Ty dove for the only thing within his reach.

He swung with the metal rod just in time to strike the gun out of the man's hand; the deafening echo of another gunshot ricocheting in the confines of the room. Ty swung again, this time aiming to strike him in the face. The man turned just enough to avoid a direct hit, but the jagged tip grazed his cheek. Unfortunately, that didn't deter him and he snatched the rod out of Ty's hand with a strength that rivaled Alexi's.

'Enough!' He barked, followed by a swift kick to the man still on the ground, nursing his bruised nose. 'Get up, Byron! We don't have time, they'll be reaching here soon.'

And like that, Ty was bounded, with a gun pointed in his direction and an expression of barely guised anger from Byron. As of yet, he had not spoken a single word since, but being apprehended had left his mind racing and his heart pounding, fearful of what their intentions were with him. He wanted answers.

'Who are you guys? What do you want with me?'

'Shut up,' they snapped in unison. Ty shut up.

The first man threw a cloak over him and without a word, the two led him outside. What he saw when he stepped out of the jail block had horrified him.

Havenridge was one of the largest cities that populated human territory, and it was perched on the top of Mt. Gilleran. The higher districts being in the centre of the city, thus situated at the tip, then the middle district, and then the lower districts at the bottom, surrounding the rest of the city like a protective layer. By logic, that had meant from where they were positioned, Ty had a clear view of the lower district in his area.

And all he saw was fire spreading throughout the district.